Fahren Sie die A1 in Österreich

Posted on August 19, 2010 by TED

Today was a fairly relaxed day, only driving. We pulled up stakes and moved to the lake side town of St. Wolfgang. Although it is a vacation spot not many foreign tourists visit, mostly Austrians. We saw a few visitors from the far-east, the rest looked like locals.

Our hotel is in the middle of things which means dodging other visitors on narrow roads and passages. Had the same issue in Italy, before we can move she must finish her window shopping….

Quiet at night here.

k: Words cannot describe the beauty we have here.  Mountains, calm clear lake, moon in the sky.  All this at 7:00.  We have the honeymoon suite (accommodating too many guests with multiple room needs)…too many chuckles…round spinning bed, hot tub….at least we have a view.

Looing across Traunsee

Wolfgangsee in Austria

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Bratislava

Posted on August 18, 2010 by TED

Today we hopped on the ‘fast boat’ to Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. It is one of the smallest capital cities we ever visited, only about a half a million people. Quite a variety of architecture in a compact space, medieval towers, cathedrals, communist era buildings and now the 21 century is moving in at a fast pace. We had a knowledgeable (and patient) guide Yanna how was a fountain of knowledge of the city history, the velvet break-up of Slovokia and the Czech Republic.

After a walking tour of the city we took a boat to Devin Castle, a well placed castle at the meeting point of the Danube and Morava rivers. The castle is well positioned to control traffic on the Danube and was expanded and fortified for man centuries until it was destroyed by Napoleon I in the early 19th century. It still has its place in current history, the castle is right on the border of Austria and what was Czechoslovakia and many tried to breach the Iron Curtain by crossing the narrower Morava River only to be shot down. Old struggles and modern ones in one location.

Train back to Vienna for one last night and we are sad to be leaving tomorrow.

Additional photos under the “Additional Bratislava Pictures” tab.

The Princess having her morning repast.

The Princess having her morning repast.

Sydney blowing down the Danube

Visiting the old Opera House in Hviezdoslavovo Square.

Bratislava Castle

Bratislava and the Danube

The main square in Bratislava

The memorial to those who died here trying to cross the Iron Curtain. Austria is across both waters.

Devins Castle from below

Inside Devin Castle

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