ARRIVED IN VIENNA!!!

Vienna, 31/05/08
Dear Friends,

Safely arrived in Vienna, in the heart of Vienna. View with the 2 towers is from my room. The street is round the corner.
After a very pleasant train journey with lovely scenery, the train was very modern, very smooth and sometimes went 180 km per hour.
You hardly hear the train go, so smooth.
I took quite a few photos during the journey of approximately 4 1/2 hours.
We went past Saltzburg, and I saw the same mountains , the city and the motorway again, that I had been to before.
The family Lichtenstein gave me a lovely lunch before they took me to the railway station.
I gave them some more small gifts I had as they have really been wonderful to me.

I had nice company in our train compartment, I was in the first class and I had a young business man that is an IT management . Also an other nice lady from Saltzburg shared the compartment.

I sometimes feel like this is a big dream, but on the other hand I also know its all real. I really love seeing Europe, I really enjoy seeing those quaint villages and churches.
We had good conversation as the man spoke good English.

I also find it very handy that I can understand 80% of spoken German and speak about 40 %.

I found the hostel OK, I had to walk for about 5 minutes from the main station.
Easy with the directions and the hostel is a off a main street, very busy hostel, loads of people. Lot of noise so I can't really ring anyone, because of the noise.
So I just write. Tomorrow morning i am getting picked up at 7.45 am, for a half day tour of Vienna plus seeing the show of the Spanish riding school.
I will try to upload the photos of the railway journey tomorrow afternoon.
I had a cheap dinner nearby, as there are loads of eating places, this was a chicken schnitzel gordon bleu with chips for 4.90 euro's.
OK, I better got to bed now as it's going to be up early tomorrow.

Love to everyone, and thanks for the comments, keep them coming, I love it!!!

Thanks Ingrid for the great photos of the lovely fluffy dogs and my Macy and the horses.

marianna.

A DRIVE IN THE COUNTRY OF...BAVARIA

This afternoon, after i had done my bike journey, I had biked for 3/4 of an hour, and then I had a swim, Fraulein Claire Lichtenstein took me for a drive out in the country in her cute audi car.
She took me along the river Ischar and to a lake( Starnberger see)
We went through very quaint villages and I saw beautiful church towers, onion shaped, typical Bavaria. The country is very lush and green.
The lake was clear and many people were enjoying the summer weather and swimming and sailing.

MUNICH TOUR

MRS lICHTENSTEIN PAID FOR ME TO GO ON A 2 HOUR BUSTOUR OF THE CITY.
So yesterday I went on that tour. Then window shopping.
It was on a double decker open roof bus. sat on the top but soon enough it wass too hot so I went downstairs .
I saw everything and the bus went around all the famous buildings.
After that I went to walk around the centre and to the market where you can really drool over the foodstalls.
It was 35 C and I had to buy a hat, as my head felt sore fromt he heat. It is a heatwave here and most unusual.
When I got home I jumped in the swimming pool, but the water isn't quite cold enough for me on such a hot day.
But I won't complain. t's a great place here with their downstairs private cinema. Anyway, today I went by bicycle to the village and biked a bit further and ended up on the outskirts of Munich .
I renjoyed that bike ride and had a coffee in the village square and a croissant.
Picture above is the palace. Picture below is the Munich olympic village from 30 years ago.
Afterwards I went to the market on Marien platz, and saw yummy food stalls.

SALTZBURG, AUSTRIA

Today we went to Austria,to Saltzburg; me , Corinna and her Mum, Claire.
We went in Claire's, Audi convertable car.
It has a GPS navigation system in it, we went on the autobahn, very good and modern motorway.
Most of the time there is 3 lanes and sometimes 2 lanes.
People can, at times, drive as fast as they want, no speed limit.
We saw cars zoom past us that went 180 km . But mrs Lichtenstein only went 130 km's.( sometimes 140)
Most of the time the trucks aren't allowed to pass cars, and they have to stay on the very right lane. There are so many trucks!!!!
We had a picnic lunch in a nearby field near Saltzburg.
Then we drove to an underground carpark, under the mountain, near the city.
It was very hazy, and about 29 C today, The sun tried to come through, but it was just too hazy.

My impressions of Saltzburg is of great delight and very beautiful with lots of old buildings, cathedrals and character,markets, and lots of lovely sweet candy or chocolate shops , very touristical, because it is Mozart's birthplace.
And they made the "Sound of Music' here.
I saw the fortress at the top of the hill, and the churches and I went into the catacombs.
I recognized the part of the movie of the sound of music of that square where they had raised the nazi flag. And the fountain.
We had a full day there and in the afternoon, I shouted Corinna and her mum afternoon tea at the cafe ( see photo) on the balcony with the flowers.
I am grateful for everything they have given me and done for me.. Specially this day out.
Tonight we had a bread meal with lovely spreads, smoked trout, special dried/cured ham from Spain, worth $250- NZ a kilo)( which they got from a friend from Spain)
Anyway, I thought I better write the story first and place the pictures later, or underneath.
Ask me any questions, maybe I forgot to tell you something.( in the comment section)
Chuss, Marianna.

DOWNTOWN MUNICH

Today we went to the city centre by train, and I saw the big Thea Tia cathedral , was very impressive. Also the streets and shops, cafe and many eating places with delicious food.
It was a hot day, 34 C.

We went in this train to the city centre.