Around Australia (oops Austria!!)

We have resisted the temptation to buy a T-shirt here in Austria (my fingers keep wanting to type Australia) “There are no kangaroos in Austria!”

Austria is a country of contrasts, although it is hard to form an impression in one or two days!!



Our Hotel at Innsbruck on the left!



Innsbruck – first impressions of Innsbruck were that we had somehow arrived in a Eastern BlocK country from the 70s. the buildings were drab, square and uniform – all the same, row after row. The graffiti was everywhere – some of it artistic but mostly untidy and ugly. The hotel room was a drab and uninteresting – with a hospital feel about it! Anyway we were told that there was nothing much to look at in Innsbruck so we moved on to Salzburg. I assume that somewhere in Innsbruck there is an old city which might have afforded some interesting buildings – but I guess we’ll never know!



View from the fort! Spectacular!



Going up to the fort in the funicular!



Salzburg – again the outer suburbs were drab and uniform, and we must have driven through the red light district - very interesting (???!!) but once past this we moved closer to the Old City of Salzburg. Our hotel (Room 317) was  the best hotel that we have stayed for the whole trip so far – 4 or 5 star rating. The breakfast and dinners were fantastic (I rate a hotel by the food – David by the size of the bathroom!! Or whether we get two pillows!!!) The hotel was an easy walk to the Old City and we had a guided tour in the morning then were on our own for the afternoon. We managed a tour in the old fort, with its beginnings in 1077, and after nearly one thousand years it is a huge fortress of many acres on the top of hill accessible by funicular (cable car thingy!!) We did what every self respecting tourist must do when in Salzburg - we went to a concert in the Mirabell Concert Hall to hear Motzart, Haydn and Dvorak. Gorgeous room sublime music. We were totally enthralled by the "Twins quartet"! Overall we enjoyed our brief stay here!



Hundredwasser architecture! Fascinating!



Vienna - Another delightful city but I personally preferred Salzburg. We visited delightful buildings and discovered the architect Hundredwasser (sp??) who designed very interesting buildings including a school somewhere in Germany which is supposedly more "out there" than this building. Because we have moved on from Vienna the memories are fading so I will need to rely on my pics.

Catch up soon!  Love Chris (and David!!)