Home Sweet Florence

Yep, I'm so at home here, so comfortable walking these streets, I feel like I could just take off my shoes and walk barefoot like I do at my own home. (And I just might do it if it wasn't 90+ and the dogs didn't use the streets as their own personal toilets.)

Friday night, we wondered around and found a place with delicious salad, covered in cheese, apples and walnuts. Just the thing for two relatively healthy girls who haven't seen many vegetables or fruits over the last few weeks! We sat right on one of the main piazza's and enjoyed the ambiance.

Afterwards we decided to follow our ears and find the music we had been hearing. In the shadow of the Uffizi Museum was a man with a guitar and a woman with a microphone. They really sounded amazing, but perhaps it was just their surroundings. I listened to her sing "Let It Be"and felt completely at peace.

For dessert we of course had to find gelato, and we weren't far from one of my favorite spots, Gelato de Neri. It is a small little gelato place, with delicious gelato! I actually remembered the guy who served us ice cream from four years ago. I guess it must be a good job to hold on to! And he wasn't 300 pounds heavier like I'm certain I would be if I worked at a gelateria for four years!

We are enjoying a few comforts of home in our hotel, mainly the DVD player with available English speaking movies. We watched Love Actually Friday night, what a great movie and a wonderful way to end our first day in Florence!

Yesterday morning we decided to go visit some of the churches. We started with the grandest of all, the Duomo, the center of Florence. The cathedral is grand, beautiful and relatively simple in a matter of speaking. The floors are decorated with beautiful marble designs and a few stained glass windows are scattered about. However, the dome itself is anything but simple. The inside of the dome is an incredible piece of artwork, a giant painting. It is a scene, the bottom of which is hell and then the top of the dome is heaven. The graphics of the the lower portion of the painting certainly make a person want to behave his/her best. You know, a two headed monster creature devouring humans... just stuff like that! :)

At the Duomo you may climb to the top of the dome or to the top of the belltower, sort of at opposite ends of the church. I had climbed the dome twice before and had decided we should climb the belltower to have a more beautiful view of the dome itself. But then, I realized that from inside the church, you are not permitted to go near the underside of the dome, so the only way to see the painting on the inside of the dome is to climb up and get closer to it.

The climb was difficult, but a lot more pleasant than I remembered. When I had climbed it before, the narrow, extremely narrow, spiral staircase was in fact and entry way and an exit way. It was quite nerve-racking. Thankfully, things have changed, and there are two different sets of steps you use. You climb up, and are then deposited to the interior of the dome so that you can admire the mural. Once you have made your way around the interior of the dome, you climb up a steep set of steps on the outside of the dome to the top so that you are rewarded with an incredible view of the city of Florence and the surrounding countryside. I fully recommend the 436 step climb to the top! It is totally worth it!

Besides the Duomo, there are two other main churches that help frame the city of Florence. We went to Santa Maria Croce next. Again, a beautiful, open cathedral with impressive statues, flooring and wooden ceiling. There were also statues and tombs of people such as Galileo and Dante. Wow!

We had seen in a book that one of the top ten best ice cream places in the world was here in Florence. (Another one we actually ate at in Paris, so we are checking off that list!) We went there and enjoyed some delicious ice cream, however, I don't really know how here in a place with so many delicious flavors of gelato, you can actually decide that one place has the best ice cream in the world!

We headed towards the Central Market, which is basically just a giant grocery store, but one of my favorite places here in Florence! When I lived here that summer, my classes were right next to the Central Market, so I would finish class, then go pick out somethings for lunch, go home and sit on my terrace and enjoy fresh foods of Italy. That's what we did yesterday! The downstairs has breads, meats (including cows' faces), and cheeses. The upstairs has vegetables, fruits, nuts and olives. I had a delicious meal of a banana, some thin rosemary bread, pistacchios and pecorino cheese dipped in honey. Yes, honey. It is amazing! I had learned that trick last time I was here, and who could really go wrong with two wonderful treats combined anyway? Cheese AND honey?!

We enjoyed the lunch in our room, in the air conditioning, while watching a movie then ventured out again. We went to the train station and made our reservations for Rome (we learned our lesson), and then did some shopping. We went in a few clothes stores, nothing too special and then went to the street markets! I love the street markets! Everything is really reasonable, of seemingly good quality and the market goes on forever. When I was here a few years ago, I bought two fabulous linen skirts that breathe well and are extremely comfortable. I have an orange one that came in handy at those hot fall football games. Well, I found the same guy, with the same skirts and now have a purple and brown one as well!! I enjoyed buying some small tokens and gifts along the way, including an Italia Soccer shirt.

We refreshed ourselves and then went out in search of a delicious meal. We ate on a different square, again enjoying the people (and carosel) watching. I had some fabulous lasagna! We were serenated by a street performer, of sorts, but one with real talent. She stood off to the corner of the great square with a microphone and an accompaniest on an accordian. It sound ridiculous, but she had one of the most beautiful, operatic voices I have ever heard. When she broke into Ave Maria, my heart just sank into another peaceful state like the night before. How pleasant life is right now! It is just perfect!

Of course we joined the children and rode the carosel as people watched us go round and round surrounded by children. What fun!

We went to a pub near where we eaten the night before because they said they had karaoke on Saturday nights, and well, I love karaoke! Unfortunately the place was practically empty, no singers and near 100 degrees, so needless to say, we did not stay for long!

I have enjoyed reading on the terrace the last couple of mornings. Although it is really just big enough for me to sit and then put my feet up on the other chair, it is so pleasant, greeting the morning with the pigeons around and the sounds of Italy. There is an older man who must live below and has the small garden area below us. Yesterday morning he mopped the area and this morning he was repairing a bicycle. I love this place!

Our hotel does not have breakfast, so we are forced to dine on croissants and other goodies from local bakeries. This morning we picked some up and then sat on the steps of the Duomo to enjoy our breakfast.

We went over the river to the Boboli Gardens. These gardens compare, although not quite as grand, to the gardens at Versailles. They are attached to the Pitti Palace, which I have visited before and once you've seen one palace, they aren't all that interesting. So, we just visited the gardens. They are so huge, so expansive. They provide incredible views of Florence and the surrounding areas. This is a definite for any visitor to the city. There are open, wide pathways, and ways that lead through the shade of old trees. There are fountains and statues scattered about. I think I could live with a garden (and gardener) like this!

We actually spent most of our time at a beautiful area; a small island with flowers, surrounded almost by a moat or small lakes. But we weren't just enjoying the beauty, but watching a poor hedgehog who wandered into the water and could not find his way out, so he was swimming in circles. We were two of about ten people who tried in vain to find a way to rescue him. Finally, after close to an hour, some men who worked there found a way onto the island and were able to scoop him up, but I'm afraid he may not have made it from sheer exhaustion. The men took him into the woods though and hopefully he came back to life after some rest. Not sure, but it was reassuring how many people were eager to rescue this small creature.

I of course met some cats along the way, oddly enough, I believe I remember meeting one of them there before, and he was very happy to accept my attention. He looked well fed and perfectly happy with his life. Who wouldn't be living in such a place!?

We found some much needed refreshments and sat by the palace for a while, just glad to be out of the sun. Then crossed back over the Ponte Vecchio. The Ponte Vecchio (literally Old Bridge) is covered with tiny jewelry shops. These shops, because they are not technically in Florence, do not have to pay taxes, that is why they sell expensive things! The bridge is also famous for being so romantic. Men take their ladies to the bridge, put a lock on the bridge and throw the key into the river, signifying that the key to their heart has been locked up and it belongs to that lady now. I know... awww...

We found a sandwich for lunch, but did not want to eat too much as we are going to a nice dinner tonight at a delicious restaurant! Then decided to come here, to the internet cafe for a bit, because it is air conditioned!

Love to you all! Have a great week!

Ahhh... Firenze

Well, if Italy is like a second home to me, Florence is the kitchen and the den in this home. Three or four years ago I spent part of a summer here in Florence taking a cooking class and a photography class. Yes, I don't know how I managed to make it through the difficult time! :) The photography class was a lot of fun and gave me an opportunity to get some beautiful black and white prints and this incredible city. But the cooking class is something I will never forget. I don't cook that much now, but at that point in my live, I didn't cook at all.

The first day of my class it was already harder than I thought it would be - just cracking an egg and mixing it with flour to make pasta. Simple enough, but my teacher was talking fast and everyone else seemed to know exactly what was going on while I struggled, lacking in my "kitchen abilities." However, the class soon became one of the best experiences I have had in my life. The class taught us about different festivals and holidays throughout Italy and the food that they traditionally cooked with the holiday. I didn't enjoy all of the food, but as a picky eater, I can honestly admit that I did try it all. If you have ever been to my house for a meal, I'm sure I fixed you the pasta sauce that I learned to make while I was here, as it is the best sauce ever. I have made it so many times, I know it by heart and it always brings back warm memories.

What I learned most in that class was not to follow recipes, or at least, not to depend on them. I learned that if something doesn't taste right, adjust. I learned that sometimes the best tastes come from experimenting. I learned that cooking was fun and that experimenting was even more fun. Our hotel is not far from the school where I studied. Maybe I can go back and tell Marcella what a difference she has made in my life!

Well, thats enough about that... I guess before I gush no about Florence, I should finish my tales of Venice. We enjoyed a delicious dinner on the grand canal of Italy, not far from San Marco's square and enjoyed just sitting and visiting in the Italian style of dinner. Then we wondered back through the square and enjoyed more gelato (I'm pretty certain it is a requirement here to eat it twice a day)! We watched children and families walking through the square, chasing pigeons as the sun went down and the lights came on in the square. It was really beautiful.

We went back to our hotel and watched the second half of the other semi-final game. Spain scored three goals against Russia in that second half and advanced onto the finals. So, Germany and Spain will meet on Sunday night in the Euro Cup finals. We will for sure find a fun place here in Florence to watch the game.

The heat had worn us all out again, but we were not quite ready to give up on the evening, so we decided to go sit in the shadow of the Rialto Bridge on the Grand Canal and have a drink and some dessert. It was a beautiful end to our time together in Venice.

Sadly, Angie left us this morning, headed to Prague with her family for a mission trip. Emily and I set off on our own to Florence, and yet again another train ride. We have a Eurorail Pass which gets us onto all of the trains, but then again I'm not positive what it does because...

We had had reservations for all of our other trains, but since most of them were long distance, we decided we should make reservations (which are cheaper with the Eurorail than just buying a ticket). This train from Venice to Florence left almost every hour, so we decided we would just hop on one. Apparently, that is not how it is done. We got on this great, very nice, air-conditioned train and comfortable seats. The train began filling up and most people who got on seemed to be looking for actual seat numbers rather than just anywhere like we had sat. We thought... oh well... we'll see what happens! Luckily, we took off and no one needed our seats! Until the next stop that is, when the train filled up completely. We sat in space in between the trains for a while until they cam to collect our tickets. We showed them our Eurorail Pass, but the kind lady told us we had to make a reservation, but that it was a full train, but we still had to pay. So we paid about 15 euros for no seat... oh well. We ended up in the snack car though (no seats, but little table to lean on) and made friends with a couple of Canadian travelers who we played Uno with to pass the time. We ended up having a great time!

Our hotel is similar to the last one, it is small, and just a door on the ground floor leads up two flights of stairs to the entry level and the rooms. It is more of a hostel, but Emily and I have a small bedroom and private bath. We somehow got lucky and have the only room with "conditioned air." We also have a tiny, but still exsistent, terrace. It is just big enough for two chairs, very tiny, but still a glimpse into the outside world, the inner workings of Florence and her small interior gardens. I love it! It reminds me of my apartment when I stayed here!

Emily and I have already eaten at a familiar restaurant and at the 72 Flavors Gelato place, another favorite of mine! Yes, there are 72 Flavors, even though it is actually called Festival Gelato. I got Zuppa Inglese (similar to tiramisu, but with rasberry instead of coffee) and Cream Caramel, otherwise known as a small slice of heaven! We walked by the Duomo, to the Uffizi, onto the Ponte Vecchio bridge and through the street markets. Man, it really feels like home! I love being back!

My "Complete" Venetian Day

Yes, it seems like I had a perfect day here in Venice! But first, let me tell you about last night. The food here is delicious, as you can only imagine. I have had pizza for lunch, but have decided I will have different types of pasta for dinner. Last night we went to a restaurant to watch the semi-final game. I chose a pasta that was described as "an herby dumplings with marzcapone cream cheese and walnuts." Well, the dumplings somehow tasted more like savory doughnut holes, and it was soaked in cream cheese. So as your mouth waters, I'll let you decide if it was good or not!

As far as the soccer, or football match, goes, we enjoyed a rather exciting game between Turkey and Germany. Turkey dominated the game. We ended up leaving with about 15 minutes left, even though the score was tyed at one each. The TV's kept going out and our wooden benches were not comfortable, so we decided if it went into overtime, we could catch the end of it in our hotel after a gelato. The game was over by the time we got back to our room, so we just all assumed that Turkey was moving on to the finals. However I asked someone this morning and they said that Germany had won, 3-2. So, we missed a lot of excitment... oh well! Russia and Spain play tonight to see who will join Germany in the finals.

I began my morning with a stroll, and another walk to the fresh market, it always grabs my attention! I found a delicious orange juice, then met Angie for a doughnut and some shopping! We all meet up together and made an important stop at the grocery store for a loaf of bread. We went to San Marco's after that.

The long seemed incredibly long, but it moved very quickly. Italian churches always amaze me, no matter how many times I have stood in their glory. San Marco's is particulary unique. Inside the church is incredibly detailed, just beautiful. The ceiling and the domes are mosiacs, mainly made up of gold leaf; simply stunning. The floors, though warped from years of floods, are made of mosaics of marble with intricate designs. It is breathtaking to stand in the grandeur of cathedrals like this, and I don't even think this one compares to those in Florence and Rome.

We climbed some very steep steps in order to have a fantastic view of San Marco's square, Venice's center and most recognizable image. People and pigeons are scattered about the large square, trying not to melt in the heat.

Next, we went up the tower that is also in San Marco's Square. I had actually never been up the tower before and was delighted to see the views it provided. This tower did have an elevator, and because of the heat, I must admit, I was thankful it was not a lot of stairs to the top. The views were just breathtaking. I love the rooftops of Europe, those red-clay tiles and small streets make for a picturesque scene everywhere you go! We were able to look out and see Lido, along with most of Venice.

At noon, while we were at the top of the tour, the bells began to ring! At first, this giant bell just started swaying back and forth, then all of a sudden, a loud clanging noise! It was extremely loud, but a beautiful tone as well! We were thrilled to hear the bells chime from so close despite the possible loss of hearing.

After that, we decided it was time to feed the birds, and no, it did not cost two pence a bag! :) Angie had not fed the pigeons last time she was here and she was determined to do that. Em and I were also eager! We had brought the loaf of bread and were much more prepared than most of the other tourists around. I started, just by throwing a couple of pieces of bread on the ground and within seconds, I was surrounded! They were all over my arms, my hands, my feet, even my head and shoulders! I couldn't see my feet or my purse that was on the ground because of the pigeons. They tickled my toes as they searched for crumbs.

Emily soon joined me as she couldn't stand missing out on the fun, but Angie was a bit hesitant. Em was covered as soon as she held a piece of bread, but Angie only reached down to feed them as she was unsure about them landing on her!

After our adventure with the pigeons, we, first washed our hands, and then enjoyed some delicious pizza and some more shopping. Shopping here is so much fun because all of the glass is just so beautiful and despite the fact that it is in every other shop, it is also unique!

I have been to Venice four times, but have never been on a gondola. I know... I think it was always because they were so expensive, and they are, but today, we decided it had to be done, and since we were doing it, why not do the longer tour!? We had a marvelous time in this old Venetian treasure, floating along quiet canals through Venice as our guide expertly manuevered us through the narrow passage ways. Sadly, he did not sing, but on a perfectly sunny day in Venice with some of your best friends, who needs the song?

(Notice our driver who trained for 2-3 years to drive a gondola is on the cell phone! :))

We head to Florence tomorrow! Hope you are having a great week! Also, please excuse any mis-spells you see! For some reason the spell check does not work here, and unfortunately I have come to rely on it!

Venice

Yes, it feels like home to me, even though I am making new and exciting discoveries!

Angie arrived yesterday afternoon and now we three are having a great time together! Yesterday afternoon we just spent some time walking around, getting lost in Venice. I somehow actually made it back to a church I had visited on a previous trip. This is the church that you see in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. If you remember, they were in Venice, inside of a library when they went down under the library and discovered one of the nights tombs. Soon they were surrounded by rats, but managed to escape. They popped out of a sewer hole, in the middle of a peaceful scene in front of a church. Well, we found that church! The inside of the church is not the inside of the film, but still, pretty cool!

We went inside to see an exhibition of some of Leonardo's amazing creations. Not only did he paint the oh-so-famous Mona Lisa, but he was an inventor and scientist. We didn't really understand all that we saw, but it was still pretty neat to see!

We made our way back to the canal and had a glorious dinner on the canal near the Rialto Bridge. I had some delicious pasta, Angie enjoyed some lasagna and Emily enjoyed some local oysters. We had a great time and ended up dining like true Italians, staying at our table for over three hours. Our waiters were fun and we decided that we should celebrate. So, since it was my 24 and 3/4 birthday, the waiters sang Happy Birthday to me and brought me a tiramisu with a candle! Who else can say that they celebrated their 24 and 3/4 birthday in that way?!? :)

Our hotel is just a couple minutes walk from the Rialto Bridge, so incredibly convenient. I explained that it was just a green door that led us to the place, but it is perfect. I will try to explain it, although it is a little complicated. You walk in the green door, up a flight of steps, so the hotel itself really does not have a ground floor, just a door on the ground floor. At the top of the stairs is a small reception office. You turn to your left and go up another flight of stairs to the rooms. What is really neat is that these stairs, while surrounded closely by 4-story buildings, are actually outside, open to the world above. At the top of the stairs there is just one level of hotel, about 8 rooms in all from what we can tell. Our room is at the end of the hall, curved back around, so that when I look out my window, I look outside, but also down at the reception desk... very strange, but also really neat!

The room is quite small, but just fine for the perfect location. We are just living out of our suitcases and enjoying the area! The shower however is a different story. It is in the corner of the bathroom, so two walls of the shower are walls of the bathroom and the other two walls are sliding doors. I would assume that each door is about 2 feet long, on a good day. These doors lock magnetically together. When washing your hair, in order to actually leave your hands on your head and put your elbows out, you must turn diagonally to spread your elbows out completely. Ahhh.... European showers....

Our hotel does not have breakfast, I believe this is our only one like that, but I'm ok with finding a few special breakfasts on our trip! I had a nice OJ, a delicious croissant and a small apple delicious-something. Perfect! We walked to the produce and fish market this morning, just to admire and wonder what life might be like here. You could buy anything from zucchini flowers to octupus. The fruits and vegetables were just beautiful, and the lobster crawling around was a little terrifying!

Angie had remembered going to one of the surrounding islands with her family and we decided to try that out. We went to Lido, a quaint little island, that is so quiet in comparison to the busy Venice. Our grand adventure, and honestly one of the most fun things I have ever done, was renting a two-person bike. Angie had told us about this and told us how her mom had sat in the middle and didn't do any peddling. I wish you could have seen the images I had in my head of Angie in the front, peddling on, with Em in the back working hard to keep up and me in the middle, somehow balancing and staying on. I just kept picturing us falling over.

Thankfully, my image couldn't have been farther than the actual and it was amazing! Picture, if you will a golf cart, only instead of a motor, it is two bikes together with a seat across just big enough for three small young ladies. We took turns peddling and just enjoying the few. We rode all around the little island! It was hot again today, but with our small canvas shade, it was not too bad!

Here we are riding in the bike...

We stopped at the beach, I think it was a private one, but oh well! We walked on the beach and stuck our feet into the Adriatic Sea! The sand was hot and the water warm. We collected shells and wondered how far they may have traveled. The sand did not compare to the beauty of ours in the Gulf, but you know what, I was on an Italian beach today, standing barefoot, collecting shells with some great friends on a sunny day... I'm not sure it could have gotten much better. Wait... did I mention we finished our ride with gelato? Now, it is perfect!

We rode/peddled our way around most of the island and enjoyed how peaceful it was! We saw Venice from afar and enjoyed the views along with the homes we came across.

We took the water bus back to San Marco square and set off to find some bird food so that we may enjoy one of the staples of Venice - feeding the pigeons in San Marco Square. However, we were sadly disappointed that while there were plenty of pigeons, for some reason the people selling food were missing. However, we found a grocery store and some bread and plan to return tomorrow, prepared!

The heat, the sun, the peddling and the breezes on the water took a toll on us all today, so we came back to the hotel and laid around for a bit, then showered to wash away sand and stickiness. Soon we will enjoy a delicious Italian dinner and watch the first of the semi-final games.

I am so glad to be back in Italy, and so glad to be enjoying this incredible place with friends. I'm sorry that you can't all be here with me! Thanks again for reading, I love hearing from you all!

Italia...

I'm not sure exactly why, but coming to Italy somehow feels like coming home. My mom's side of the family has some of the olive skin and dark hair typical of Italy, but I believe they are from Southern France. I don't know why I have such a passion for this country, but I do. I have been here four times and even though I cannot speak the language, nor really find my way around without a map, it still feels like home. I love this place!

Our overnight train was really quite pleasant. Perhaps that is because I am comparing it to our last overnight experience which was, to say the least, an adventure, but this one was not that bad. We were on beds, bunk style, in a small cabin with two other beds. One of the other people in our cabin was a young woman who taught English and Spanish at a school in the Austrian countryside. I enjoyed talking and learning from her. She taught at a vocational school for 15-19 year olds. The school was specifically for tree-growing and wine making. (Dad, maybe you could go for a while! :)) She said that most of the students boarded because it was the only school like that in Austria and that the school was 90% boys. She was headed to meet up with part of her school group who was visiting their sister school just outside of Venice. I have really loved learning about education in these other countries we have visited.

Our other cabin mate was a man who was very nice and seemed probably as uncomfortable being in there with three girls as we were with being in there with him. It really worked out fine though. I was never in a deep sleep, but I slept most of the time and felt relatively rested when I woke up.

We arrived in Venice! As the train station was crowded, we decided to try to figure things out on our own without a map. The hotel we are staying at had sent me directions. They told us which water bus (yes, water) to take and then the only directions said "walk through S. Bortolomeo Square and S. Lio Square - 10 meters before the San Lio Square you'll see a green door on the right side of the street." So with the help of a few kind strangers and those directions, we miraculously found our hotel. We were able to leave our luggage there, but not get into the hotel yet, which explains why we have taken the time to sit in the internet cafes and update our travels in the air conditioning.

The heat that we were lacking in Paris and Berlin, we are making up for here. It is in the 90's and very hot. But, I decided it would be this way at home too, so no reason to complain. (Of course if I was at home, I would probably be inside! :)) We are hot and sweaty, but so is everyone else, so when in Rome...

We ate an early lunch since we didn't really have much dinner or breakfast. I am so thrilled to be here with Italian food and I think Emily is as well! We sat and enjoyed incredible pizzas.... the food in Italy cannot be beat! We walked around for a while, went to San Marco Square and looked in some glass stores.

Our hotel, even though we haven't seen our room yet, seems great! It is a cute little place, doesn't look like there are very many rooms and it is only a couple minutes walk away from the Rialto bridge and about five minutes walk to San Marco's square. I am thrilled with the location!

If you haven't been to Venice before, it is quite the experience. So different from anywhere else in the world. There are no cars. The "streets" are incredibly narrow because it is just for people to walk along, no cars. The rivers and canals are the way you travel from place to place. So the public transportation is actually a boat, yes a boat. We rode on the water bus, which is similar to a small ferry just for people.

It always amazes me how beautiful this city is and how it was built. It was built onto a swamp and the whole city is built up on posts, yes posts. This would seem sort of understandable if it was a small city and all of the buildings were made of light wood, but no, these are giant stone buildings and a rather large city. Fascinating! Of course, the city is sinking slightly a little each year, so one day it may not be here. But we'll enjoy it while we can!

Soon we will go to our rooms and settle in a bit before meeting Angie at the water bus. Then our real adventure of the city will begin!

Salzburg and Vienna

I truly loved Salzburg, in great part because it was the home of the Sound of Music, no matter how cheezy that sounds, but that movie seems to be so magical to me, that being there among the story - both true and Hollywood, was pretty fascinating!

We enjoyed our last night in Salzburg watching Russia beat the Netherlands in the second overtime in the main square. We have had so much fun watching the Euro Cup, partly because it is just what you should do here and what everyone else is doing here. It is a way to participate, to be European. And we all love soccer and don't get to watch much of it in the states. It is fun to watch a crowd get into a game, no matter what country they are from, but just cheering on their favorite.

Sunday morning I woke up and hiked up to Nonnberg Abbey. It is here that the real Maria once lived, where she taught and where she was married. Some of the outside was shot in the film, but the interior of the abbey was in Hollywood. The scene where the children went to inquire after Maria and then the scene where the soldiers try to chase the family off, only to find their cars are not working, were shot here. I only ventured around a little. It was really quite open, but it was Sunday morning and I did not want to disturb.

Since I was already half way up the hill that also holds the fortress, I thought, why not, let's just go all the way. I only encountered a few people on my journey, mainly locals out for a walk or a jog, sometimes with their dogs. There were signs on the pathways, so I never really felt lost, even though I didn't really know where I was going! It was quite the walk upwards, but it was also enjoyable.

Once at the top, most of the pathway was shaded with old, beautiful trees and I was blessed with incredible views of the city. I wondered until I found the spot where Maria first taught the children to sing. Do you remember the scene? They had just learned the notes, out on the hillsides, then they went into town. Then, while sitting on a bench in front of a stone wall overlooking the city, she says "Now, once you know the notes, you can sing a million different tunes just by mixing them up." Herman and I both had our pictures taken here. Even if you don't have the love for the film that I do, you would have appreciated these views.

I set out on my walk about 7:30 probably, and starting at 8:15, the bells of the churches in town began ringing. I was incredibly blessed to have this serenation on my hillside journey until 9. It was just heavenly! The bells, these famous old city bells rang and led me on my way.

I had a little trouble getting back down. One sign pointed towards stairs, so I went about half way down the hill on these stairs, only to discover that the stairs ended with a pathway to go back up - makes sense right?!? :) No matter what though, I made it up and then I enjoyed a glorious morning on the hillside of Salzburg, and I did make it back down as well!

We went to Mozart's birthplace before we left. Although I do not have near the amount of appreciation for Mozart's music that I should, being in his birthplace was thrilling. I was in the actual room where he was born; the actual room where this musical genius was brought into the world. The room had objects that had once belonged to him. I saw some of his hair and a little stuffed rabbit.

The museum, his former house, is a very interesting museum, and we heard many say that it was much better than his residence that is also a museum. It was sort of modern, but I don't want that to scare anyone away. I fully recommend it! The room where he was born is a small room, wood floor, that is painted blue and it is well lit. On the ceiling are geese hanging, all headed in the same direction, towards the window. I know that this symbolized something, but sadly now, I cannot remember. In the walls surrounding the room, there are these items of his past.

Next, our train ride adventure from Salzburg to Vienna. We got on the train, to find that it was quite full, and the open seats were taken over by people who were not too keen on sharing. Some friendly Italian soccer fans squeezed in together though and opened some seats for us. We joined a man from San Fransisco, a more free-spirit DJ who generously shared his space. The train was a little miserable, only because there was no air, the windows did not open and it was 90 degrees outside. We enjoyed visiting, reading, napping and watching the scenery go by.

The car we were on was full of Italian fans; Italy was playing in Vienna that night! In fact, above our heads was an Italian flag drapped over the seats. They were loud, roudy and so much fun! It is so much fun watching people so into a sport and with such love for their team, similar to the way we all feel about Auburn.

Three hours later, we did arrive in Vienna and took a taxi to our hotel. Our hotel room was very nice and absolutely perfect for us. It was really a suite: three beds, two couches, two chairs, a table, a desk and a nice bathroom. We were able to spread out a bit and enjoy some space for a while after being cramped on a hot train.

We found our way to the Fanzone, the giant TV set up in the center of town to watch the Italians verse the Spanish. There were a ton of people there! It was quite the set up with multiple TV's, and since the game was actually in Vienna, the crowd there was pretty excited. We found one of the giant screens though were people were sitting (not standing) and decided that would be a good option!

The game went 0-0 the whole time, through two overtimes and into a shoot-out. Spain one the quarter-final game in the last shot of the the shoot-out. It is pretty impressive to me that three out of four of the quarter final games went into double overtimes, two of them even went into shoot-outs after the two overtimes. So Wednesday and Thursday night are the semi-final games between Russia, Turkey, Spain and Germany. Sunday night will be the final game. We will be in Florence then and happy to watch the exciting conclusion!

Monday morning, Mary left us early. We will miss having her with us! We only had the one day in Vienna and didn't really know what to do. Fortunately, I had a friend from high school who has been living in Vienna for a while who showed us around and gave us an amazing tour of Vienna! Chris has been living here for a while, teaching English to children and to business men. He seems to have enjoyed the city even though he will be heading back to the states soon. He was a GREAT tour guide and we cannot thank him enough for taking the time to show us around!

We walked all over the old part of the city, looking at churches, palaces, museums and parks along the way. Vienna is a beautiful city. The central part of Vienna is really very small, so it was easy for us to make our way around just by walking. Chris was able to give us some of the history of many of the places as well as some fun and interesting facts that only a true local can say. We saw places where Hitler had given speeches or where he had had coffee.

For lunch, Chris took us to a little place we would not have found on our own, a perfect place for us to enjoy our last Austrian meal! We had some delicious schnitzel in a huge portion and enjoyed almost every bite of our leisurely meal.

After lunch, since it is Vienna, and what most people do here is enjoy coffee at little cafes, we walked for a bit and then sat back down to enjoy some afternoon treats! It was a perfect day and a great way to see the city since we only had the one short day! Thank you so much Chris!!

We gathered our belongings and went to the train station where we would board our overnight train. We saw one of our first Auburn hats and were thrilled to yell, and receive a "War Eagle!"

Some Pics...

This is the castle and cathedral in Prague from the top of the "Eiffel Tower."

Here we are in front of the back of the house that was the Von Trapp's home in the film. By the way, the real famiy's house will be opening up as a Bed and Breakfast in a couple of months.

"I am sixteen going on seventeen!"

This was the way up the luge that we then slid back down! So much fun!

This is the Old Town Square in Prague where we watched all of our soccer games!

Another view of the Prague castle from Charles' Bridge.

I just had to include this picture to show that while we are thoroughly enjoying the amazing sites we are seeing, we are also making sure to take time and be our goofy selves!

And here is Herman at the famous Astronimical Clock of Prague!