Travel Tales and Pictures

Island of Hawai'i (Big Island) - Hawaii

2012-01-31T17:21:00.000-08:00

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Catherine and I went to the Island of Hawai'i, also known as the "Big Island".

Hawai'i is said to have been named for Hawai'iloa, the legendary Polynesian navigator who first discovered it. However, other accounts attribute the name to the legendary land or realm of Hawaiki, a place from which the Polynesians originated, the place where they go in the afterlife, the realm of the gods.

At San Francisco airport waiting to board our flight to Hawaii.

Photos from our plane before we landed. In the background (at the top of the photo)you can see the volcano Haleakala, on the Hawaiian island of Maui and at the botton is the Island of Hawai'i.

In this photo, you can see some of the volcanic rock surrounding the Kona International Airport.

When we landed at the Kona airport, we were greeted by Hawaiian music and hula dancers.

During our stay on the Big Island, we stayed at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel.

The entrance to the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel.

The view of Hapuna Beach from our hotel room.

The lanai (balcony) of our room.

Our room at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel.

There were all sorts of birds on the grounds of our hotel.

Photo of Plumeria blossoms.

Views of the grounds of the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel.

Our first night we went to a luau at the Royal Kona Resort.

Removing the pig from the underground oven at the Royal Kona Resort luau.

Desert table at the luau.

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Kauai, Hawaii

2010-05-30T00:10:00.000-07:00

Catherine and I flew from San Francisco to Kauai, Hawaii for vacation.

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In this photo you can see the San Francisco airport from our plane.

We stayed at the Sheraton Kauai Resort and above and below are photos of our room.

A Red-Crested Cardinal on our lanai (balcony).

Our room was a garden view room and above is the view from our room.

Our lanai

Red-Crested Cardinals

View from the restaurant at the Sheraton where we had breakfast.

Catherine and I rented a cabana on the beach for the day.

View from our cabana.

Sheraton beach pool

The Sheraton had a nice space to use computers and have access to the Internet.

The Sheraton provided live music at night.

Sunset on Kauai

Waipi'o Valley - Big Island Hawaii

2010-05-19T19:37:00.000-07:00

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While Catherine and I were on the "Big Island" of Hawaii we were driving to the Hilo side of the island and we saw a sign to the Waipi'o Valley. We decided to go exploring to see the Waipi'o Valley.

Waipi'o Valley also known as the Valley of the Kings. This was the place where the Hawaiian royalty resided. There are 2,000 foot cliffs around this valley and waterfalls drop 1,200 feet from the Kohala Mountains to the valley floor.

Waipi'o was once the center of Hawaiian life and somewhere between 4,000 to 20,000 people lived here from the 13th to 17th centuries. In 1780 Kamehameha I, was singled out as a future ruler by reigning chiefs here in Waipi'o Valley. In 1791 he fought Kahekili in his first naval battle at the mouth of the valley. In 1823 the first foreign visitors found 1,500 people living here. The valley was full of fruit trees, banana groves, taro fields, and fishponds. In 1946 a tidal wave drove most residents to higher ground.

View of the coast from the road we took to the Waipi'o Valley.

A tree in bloom we saw on our trip.

View of Waipi'o Valley

There is a black sand beach at the mouth of the Waipi'o Valley.

Today only about 50 people live in the Waipiʻo Valley. These are taro farmers and fishermen living in the valley. In this photo, you can see some of their houses.

City of Kailua Kona - Big Island Hawaii

2010-05-14T22:49:00.000-07:00

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When Catherine and I were on the Big Island of Hawaii we visited the city of Kailua Kona. This is a photo of me in front of St. Michael's Church, Kona's first Catholic church, built in 1840. In front of the church is a coral grotto shrine that holds 2,500 coral heads, harvested in 1940, when preservation was not yet an issue.

Catherine in front of International Kona Market Place. Catherine and I stopped here and purchased leis from Emma's Flowers, a great place to purchase leis.

Catherine wearing the lei we just purchased.

When Catherine and I went to pick up our rental car at the airport, at first look I didn't want this lemon yellow little strange car. But then on second thought, I decided it wasn't lemon yellow, it was banana yellow and would be a great car to ride around the island in.

Catherine in front of our PT Cruiser.

Canoe races in the Kailua Bay at the the city of Kailua Kona.

Catherine having an iced tea at the Island Lava Java. This coffee shop is located directly across the street from the ocean with an unimpaired view of the water activities in Kailua Bay.

In front of St. Michael's Church.

Catherine and I went to the Alii Gardens Marketplace at the southern end of Kailua-Kona, a pleasant, tented outdoor marketplace with fresh fruit, flowers, imports, local crafts, and orchid plants. One of the shops we visited was Kona Kay's. Kay of Kona Kay's wanted to take a break and she asked Catherine and i if we would mind watching her shop for a few minutes. (Things are a little more relaxed in the islands.) Catherine and I were of course willing to watch her shop and had a great time doing so. By the way, you can visit her website here: Kona Kay's.

The Hawaiian flag is flying behind Catherine in this photo. The Hawaiian flag is the only United States flag that features the Union Flag, the flag of the United Kingdom.

Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park - Hawaii

2010-05-10T05:53:00.000-07:00

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One day on our vacation to the "Big Island" of Hawaii, we drove around the entire island. One of our stops on the drive was to the Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park. This park preserves the traditional Hawaiian life. Honaunau Bay, with the sheltered canoe landing and the availability of drinking water, was a natural place for the Ali'i (royal chiefs) to establish one of their most important residences. Separated from the royal grounds by a massive wall was the Pu'uhonua, a place of refuge for defeated warriors, noncombatants in time of war, and those who violated the kapu (sacred laws).

Heleipalala - A pond with a mixture of spring water and saltwater held food fish to be eaten by the ali'i.

I'm next to a Tiki (or Ki'i) carving used to mark the boundaries of sacred or significant sites.

Hale o Keawe - Temple and mausoleum that held the bones of 23 ali'i.

Konane - Pebbles for this traditional Hawaiian game are arranged on a replica papamu, or stone playing surface.

Temple model - The framework for this half-size reconstruction of the Hale o Keawe temple is oho'a wood tied with coconut fiber. Ti leaves were tied on as thatching.

Catherine and I wanted to see a green sea turtle (or Honu in Hawaiian) while were in Hawaii and we saw this turtle on the beach and a couple of other swimming around nearby.

There is a turtle on the beach behind me in this photo.

Bowls carved into the rock may have been used to hold dye, evaporate ocean water to make salt, or pound the 'awa root to prepare a ceremonial drink.

Another view of Honu, the Hawaiian Sea Turtle.

A closer view of the Tiki.

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Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Kilauea Lava

2010-05-09T17:09:00.000-07:00

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View of Kilauea's Halema`uma`u Crater from the Volcano House, a hotel in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Catherine and I went to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii. A swarm of earthquakes and subsequent formation of a fumarole (vent emitting gasses) the morning of March 12, 2008, has progressed to be the first explosive eruption in Halema`uma`u Crater since 1924 and the first lava erupted from the crater since 1982.The new vent in Halema`uma`u Crater is erupting elevated amounts of sulfur dioxide gas and ash.
An ash-laden plume rises from the newly formed vent within Halema‘uma‘u Crater.

Lava is currently flowing from a vent that is outside of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The site is east of the eastern boundary of the park and about 12 miles from the summit caldera of Kilauea. Hawai`i County has opened a viewing area at the end of Highway 130. The hike from the parking area to the viewing site is about a half-mile.
On the way to the lava viewing area, Catherine and I saw this sub-division of homes. I don't know if they survived the lava flow or were subsequently re-built.

Warning signs at the entrance to the viewing area.

Catherine walking out to the lava viewing area.

We could not see the glow from the lava, but we saw the steam and ash from where the lava flowed into the ocean.

Outside the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Lava from this area continues to flow down the hillside and into the ocean

We walked out over a cold lava flow to the viewing area.

In this photo you can see the smoke from the lava as it flows down the Kilauea hillside.

San Diego, California - San Diego Zoo - Part III

2010-05-02T21:30:00.000-07:00

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A closeup of a peacock in the Flamingo Lagoon near the entrance to the San Diego Zoo.

Catherine in front of the Flamingo Lagoon

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Polar bear in San Diego Zoo’s "Polar Bear Plunge".

A bougainvillea plant in the San Diego zoo.

Queensland Koala

Catherine and I rode the "Skyfari Aerial Tram" that provided a view of the zoo from the air.

View of downtown San Diego from the Tram.

The roof of the "Museum of Man" in Balboa Park.

You can see the low flying plane over San Diego.

San Diego, California - San Diego Zoo - Part II

2010-04-30T13:49:00.000-07:00

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Giant Panda

While Catherine and I were in San Diego, we visited the Giant Panda Research Station in the San Diego Zoo

The Giant Panda is an endangered animal. According to the latest report, China has 239 giant pandas in captivity by Nov 2007, The giant panda is a mammal classified in the bear family. Despite its classification as a carnivore (meat eater), the panda has a diet that is primarily herbivorous, which consists almost exclusively of bamboo. However, pandas still have the digestive system of a carnivore and do not have the ability to digest cellulose efficiently, and thus derive little energy and little protein from consumption of bamboo. The average Giant Panda eats as much as 20 to 30 pounds of bamboo shoots a day. Because pandas consume a diet low in nutrition, it is important that they keep their digestive tract full.Giant Panda Research Station.

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San Diego, California - San Diego Zoo

2010-04-24T13:23:00.000-07:00

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A peacock in the Flamingo Lagoon near the entrance to the San Diego Zoo.

When people go to San Diego, they almost always visit the San Diego Zoo, so of course while Catherine and I were in San Diego we also went there.

The Flamingo Lagoon.

Queensland Koala

A Giant Panda in the Giant Panda Research Station.

We loved seeing the Giant Pandas.

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A polar bear in the Polar Bear Plunge.

We rode the "Skyfari Aerial Tram" that provided a view of the zoo from the air. From the tram we could see the roof of the "Museum of Man" in Balboa Park.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany - Bavaria - Drei

2010-04-18T23:05:00.000-07:00

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Rothenburg, a German medieval walled town.

In a previous posting I wrote about the clock tower story, but more interesting than watching the clock is watching the people watch the clock.

Inside St. Jakob's Church is the 12 Apostles altar from 1546. It is permanently left in its open festival-day position.

Inside St. Jakob's Church is the 500 year old "Altar of the Holy Blood" by Tilman Riemenschneider.

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During the day Rothenburg is busy with tourists, but Catherine and I spent the night and practically had the town to ourselves.

Examples of Schneeballen, a Rothenburg specialty that is a terrible tasting pastry.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany - Bavaria - Zwei

2010-04-17T12:45:00.000-07:00

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Rothenburg is a pleasant medieval village. Here Catherine pretends she has her own motorized bike.

Catherine and I took a tour of Rothenburg with Hans Georg Baumgartner, "The Night Watchman".

A closer look at the town clock that commemorates the event in 1631 when the walled town was under siege from the Imperial forces of Count Tilly. Count Tilly told the city that he would spare them if anyone could drink a tankard containing a gallon of wine in one drink. The mayor successfully took the challenge and the city was saved. The clock also has a sun dial above the regular clock.

Catherine and I always got a kick out of seeing the little "Smart" cars in Europe.

This is what it looks like when you don't have a tripod and you put the camera on the ground to take a picture. At least it is a picture of the two of us in Rothenburg.

When we were driving to Rothenburg we saw a breed of cow we had never seen before. When we were in Rothenburg we saw the truck below with a drawing of this cow and I was able to do some research to discover that this region of Bavaria has cattle from the local Hohenlohe breeds of Limpurger, Fleckvieh and red-yellow Franconian

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You can see part of the medieval wall that protected Rothenburg.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany - Bavaria

2010-04-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

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Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a well-preserved medieval walled town. The name Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a shortened version of Rothenburg oberhalb der Tauber that means Rothenburg over the Tauber. That is because the town is located on top of a mount overlooking the Tauber river. The name Rothenburg comes from the German words Rot (Red) and Burg (burg, medieval fortified town), referring to the red colour of the roofs of the houses which overlook the river. Rothenburg is the inspiration for the village in Walt Disney's story of Pinocchio. Most of the surviving buildings in Rothenburg were built in the 1400's.

View of the skyline of Rothenburg.

Catherine pretending to be sleepy.

Catherine and I had a small, but very nice room at the Hotel Kloster-Strüble.

A famous street in Rothenburg at Koboldzellersteig and Spittalgasse.

Part of the wall around Rothenburg.

We had a very nice dinner at the Hotel Kloster-Strüble.

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This building is the Ratstrinkstube, and it contains a clock which re-enacts the historic meistertrunk daily. According to legend, the meistertrunk commemorates the event in 1631 when the walled town was under siege from the Imperial forces of Count Tilly. Count Tilly told the city that he would spare them if anyone could drink a tankard containing a gallon of wine in one drink. The mayor successfully took the challenge and the city was saved. The clock re-enacts the event hourly.

Town Hall Square of Rothenburg.

Bavaria Germany - Neuschwanstein Castle

2010-04-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

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Me with the Neuschwanstein Castle castle in the background.

Catherine and I took a day trip from Munich to visit the Neuschwanstein castle. Below is a little background on King Ludwig that built the castle.

"Mad King" Ludwig Friedrich Wilhelm II, King of Bavaria was king of Bavaria from 1864 until shortly before his death 1886. Ludwig's sanity or lack thereof, was a hotly disputed issue near the end of his life. Ludwig ascended to the Bavarian throne at 18, following his father's early death.

Due to the loss of Bavarian independence, Ludwig became increasingly withdrawn from the royal court and government. In the 1880s, Ludwig spent much of his time in seclusion in the Bavarian Alps. There he built several expensive fairytale castles including Neuschwanstein Castle.

Mystery surrounds Ludwig's death on Lake Starnberg. Some people believe that Ludwig was murdered by his political enemies while attempting to escape from Berg. Ludwig asked to take a walk with Professor Gudden. The two men never returned. King Ludwig and Professor Gudden were found dead floating in the water near the shore of Lake Starnberg. Ludwig's death was officially ruled a suicide by drowning but there have always been doubts about the circumstances of his death. Ludwig was known to be a strong swimmer, the water was less than waist-deep where his body was found, and the official autopsy report indicated that no water was found in his lungs.

Catherine with the Neuschwanstein Castle.

The yellow Hohenschwangau Castle stands below Neuschwanstein Castle. It was "Mad" King Ludwig's boyhood home. Hohenschwangau was originally built in the 1100's. It was later ruined by Napoleon. Ludwig's father, King Maximilian II then later acquired the castle when he was crown prince and had it rebuilt in the romantic, neo-Gothic style.

Neuschwanstein Castle

The Grswang valley.

Linderhof Castle, located in the Grswang valley, was built in the style of the time of King Louis XIV of

France

. It is the only one of Ludwig's three castles that was ever completed. His father, King Maximillian II, had earlier built a hunting lodge in the vicinity.

Inside Linderhof Castle.

Ludwig Friedrich Wilhelm II, King of Bavaria - His bed in Linderhof Castle.

Chandelier in Linderhof Castle.

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The grounds at Chandelier in Linderhof Castle.

Fountain on the grounds at Chandelier in Linderhof Castle.

Linderhof Castle.

Munich (München) Germany - Part II

2010-04-05T06:51:00.000-07:00

The pictures ENLARGE if you click on them.Neuschwanstein Castle was built in the late 1800's and is located in Germany in southwest Bavaria. The castle was built by "Mad King" Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and as an homage to musician Richard Wagner. So while Catherine and I were in Munich, we decide to take a day trip to see the Neuschwanstein Castle. You can read more about this trip below.

Catherine in Marienplatz (Mary's Square) the central square in the city center of Munich, Germany since 1158.

The hotel (Hotel Uhland) where Catherine and I stayed in Munich. We had a really nice room, one of the nicest we had in Germany.

Me pretending to buy cigarettes from an outside vending machine in Munich. The purchase of cigarettes is pretty tightly controlled in where I live in California, so I thought it was interesting to see vending machines where anyone, including minors could purchase them.

Catherine interested in the sign for the German Automobile Club (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club).

A T-Mobile telephone booth in the Munich train station.

The main train station is Munich Hauptbahnhof (Central Station), in the center of Munich.

Catherine on the train on the way to the Neuschwanstein Castle.

Catherine and the Neuschwanstein Castle in the background.

A cafe near the Neuschwanstein Castle.

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The Neuschwanstein Castle.

Near the entrance to the Neuschwanstein Castle. Walt Disney used the Neuschwanstein Castle as his inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland.

Munich (München) Germany

2010-03-26T22:49:00.000-07:00

When Catherine and I left Hallstatt, Austria we drove to Munich (In German - München), Germany the capital of the German state of Bavaria and Germany's third largest city.

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Catherine on Stachus is a large square in central Munich and named officially Karlsplatz in 1797 after the unpopular Karl Theodor, Elector of Bavaria. Munich natives seldom use that name, calling the square instead Stachus, after the pub "Beim Stachus", once owned by Eustachius Föderl, that was located there until construction work for Karlsplatz began.

Catherine at the main train station is Munich Hauptbahnhof (Central Station), in the center of Munich. This is where we caught the train on the way to the Neuschwanstein castle.

Catherine looks cold on the Marienplatz.

In the background, the building with the red tile roof, is the Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Blessed Lady) is the largest church in the Bavarian capital of Munich and is Located in the city center.
Catherine in Marienplatz (St. Mary's Square) the central square in the city center of Munich, Germany since 1158. In the Middle Ages markets and tournaments were held in the city square. Marienplatz was named after the Mariensäule, a Marian column erected in its centre in 1638 to celebrate the end of Swedish occupation. It is home to Munich's Old City Hall (Altes Rathaus) and the New City Hall (Neues Rathaus).

Photo of the "New Town Hall"

The square is dominated by the New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus). The monumental, 79 meters (259ft) high town hall was built between 1867 and 1909 by Georg Joseph Hauberrisser in Flemish Gothic style to alleviate the overcrowded Altes Rathaus nearby.

Catherine and I had dinner at a Hofbräuhaus near the Marienplatz. The food throughout our trip in Germany was really good, fresh, and well prepared.

Outside of a Hofbräuhaus in Munich.

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Catherin in a Hofbräuhaus listening to a Oom-pah Band.

At a market near the Marienplatz. The open market stands had beautiful fruit, vegetables, and flowers.

Hallstatt, Austria - Part V

2010-03-21T00:22:00.000-07:00

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Hallstatt is a beautiful village in the Austrian Lake District.

Catherine and I ate Reinanke (trout) from Lake Hallstatt in this restaurant.

A stream runs through the village of Hallstatt.

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The backyard of a house on Lake Hallstatt.

In Hallstatt there is so little space for cemeteries that every ten years bones are exhumed and removed into an ossuary, to make room for new burials. A collection of elaborately decorated skulls with the owners' names, professions, death dates inscribed on them are on display at the local chapel.

The ossuary in Hallstatt.

This pear tree is grown right next to the wall where it gets the warmth from the wall.

Hallstatt, Austria - Part IV

2010-03-14T22:12:00.000-07:00

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Beautiful Hallstätter See (Lake Hallstatt).

Memorial to Austrian soldiers from WWI and WWII.

Catherine is showing me that Reinanke (trout) from Lake Hallstatt are on the dinner menu tonight.

I found a place with apple strudel for dessert.

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It looks like the kids are going off to school.

That's me with the owner of the hotel (Gasthof Simony) where we stayed in Hallstatt.
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Hallstatt, Austria - Part III

2010-02-27T13:32:00.000-08:00

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At the entrance to Hallstatt there is a statute of a salt miner. Hallstatt is one of the first places of human settlement due to the rich sources of natural salt, which have been mined for thousands of years. Salt was a valuable resource so the region was historically very wealthy.

Welcome to Hallstatt, Austria!

The main street of Hallstatt.

A boat launch area.

A ferry on Lake Hallstatt.

A castle across the Lake from Hallstatt.

Swans have been on Lake Hallstatt since the 1860's when Emperor Franz Josef and Empress Sissy made this region one of their retreats. Sissy loved swans, so the townspeople made sure there were swans here.

It is possible to tour the world's first salt mine, located above downtown Hallstatt.

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Catherine is reminding me that no cars are permitted between 10:00 am and 6:00 pm in Hallstatt.

Hallstatt, Austria - Part II

2010-02-20T18:20:00.000-08:00

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Catherine and I drove from Vienna to Hallstatt that is in Austria's Lake District. This town is one of Europe's oldest, going back centuries before Christ. There was a Hallstatt before there was a Rome.

Hallstatt is located on a hillside next to the the village and Hallstätter See (Hallstatt Lake).

I am pointing to the Catholic church with its mural of Saint Christopher (the patron saint of travelers) and baby Jesus.

Inside the Protestant church. After the Reformation , most of Hallstatt was Protestant, then under the Hapsburg's, it was primarily Catholic. Today about 60% of the village is Catholic.

This is a photo from the village plaza. You can see our hotel Gasthof Simony (a 500 year old building) in the background.

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The statute in Market Square features the Holy Trinity.

Catherine is picking out a fish dinner for us. The fish are Reinanke trout from Lake Hallstatt.

Yes, we drove through this arch.

Hallstatt, Austria

2010-02-17T21:57:00.000-08:00

The pictures ENLARGE if you click on them. Until the 1890's, it was only possible to reach Hallstatt by boat or via narrow trails. Access between houses on the river bank was by boat or over the upper path, a small corridor passing through attics. The first road to Hallstatt was only built in 1890, along the west shore, partially by rock blasting. However this secluded landscape nevertheless counts as one of the first places of human settlement due to the rich sources of natural salt, which have been mined for thousands of years.
The view from our room in Hallstatt.

Ducks on the Hallstätter See (Lake Hallstatt).

Our room in Hallstatt was a basic, but comfortable room.

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Lake Hallstatt.

A Video of Hallstatt.

We had a room at the Hotel Gasthof Simony. You can see the hotel in the background of this photo.

This is the main square of Hallstatt. Catherine is standing next to the car we used on our trip through Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.

There is one very narrow road through Hallstatt, but it was pretty easy to navigate with the car.
The Catholic church above Hallstatt with the Saint Christopher (the patron saint of travelers) and baby Jesus.

Vienna (Wein), Austria - Part III

2010-02-15T22:07:00.000-08:00

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Catherine in front of the Stephansdom (St. Stephen's Cathederal) the tallest church in Austria. Stephansdom is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Vienna. The composer Ludwig van Beethoven is said to have discovered the totality of his deafness when he saw birds flying out of the bell tower as a result of the bells' tolling but could not hear the bells. Stephansdom was first built as a parish church of the Diocese of Passau in 1147 and rebuilt and enlarged over the centuries, with major new work concluding in 1511.

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Inside the Stephansdom (St. Stephen's Cathederal).

Catherine in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art store in Vienna.

Catherine and I took a tour of the Vienna Opera House. The tour took us throughout the Opera House, including through the back stage areas.

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The following pictures were actually taken on our trip before we arrived in Vienna. We stopped at a Landzeit restaurant on the autobahn on our way to Vienna. The restaurants were clean and had good food.

Vienna (Wein), Austria - Part II

2010-02-15T00:12:00.000-08:00

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Kunsthistorisches, the Museum of Fine Arts in Vienna. The Museum of Fine Arts houses paintings by Rubens, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Dürer, Raphael, Titian and Velazquez, as well as a comprehensive collection of Bruegel's paintings.

Statue of Empress Maria Theresa, the only woman to rule the Hapsburg Empire.

Ceiling of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.

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Antonio Canova's Statute of "Theseus Clubbing the Centaur"

A view of another part of the ceiling of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.

Imperial Treasury

This "Secular and Religious Treasure Room" contains the jewels of the Hapsburg (Austria Empire). Slip through the vault doors and reflect on the glitter of 21 rooms filled with scepters, swords, crowns, orbs, weighty robes, double-headed eagles, gowns, gem-studded bangles, and a unicorn horn (or perhaps the tusk of a narwhal).

Imperial crown, part of the Hapsburg crown jewels in the ethnology museum in Vienna. The crown's eight sides represent the celestial city of Jerusalem's eight gates. The precious stones on the front panel symbolize the 12 apostles.

The 11th-century Imperial Cross preceded the emperor in ceremonies. Through the centuries, the Holy Roman Emperors actually carried this into battle. The holy lance on the left of this picture was supposedly used to pierce the side of Jesus while on the cross.

This was believed to be a substantial chunk of the cross. and includes a nail hole.

The Neue Burg (New Palace), its facade arches around the Heroes' Square.

A public vegetable garden downtown Vienna.

Vienna (Wein), Austria

2010-02-07T22:11:00.000-08:00

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There was great outdoor artwork throughout Vienna. Here is an exterior view of the Albertina Museum.

Vienna (In German, Wein) is the capital of Austria. Vienna lies in the eastern part of Austria and is close to the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. Art and culture have a long tradition in Vienna, including theater, opera, classical music and fine arts. The Burgtheater is considered one of the best theaters in the German-speaking world. Vienna is also home to a number of opera houses, including the Staatsoper.

A monument of Gothe located at Ringstrasse.

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You can see the Freedom Sculpture in the background of this photo.

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Vienna had a great deal of interesting public art. Here is a view, in front of the Albertina, is Alfred Hrdlicka's war memorial that commemorates WW II atrocities.

When we arrived it was raining and we were tired from fighting the traffic and trying to read traffic signs in German. The room in Vienna. was a basic, but comfortable room. We were glad to just obtain some takeout and stay in the room to get out of the rain when we first arrived. The next day the weather cleared and we had a great time exploring the city.

Catherine having breakfast at our hotel.

An outdoor cigarette vending machine.

I found it interesting that cigarettes were sold on the street from vending machines.

Many of Vienna's famous parks, such as the Burggarten include monuments like this statue of Mozart. Mozart was born in Salzburg in 1756, and died in Vienna in 1791.

Catherine showing the gardens at the Burggarten.

Catherine buying a magazine at the entrance of the Burggarten.

Salzburg, Austria - Part II

2010-02-06T11:21:00.000-08:00

The pictures ENLARGE if you click on them.View of a pedestrian only street (Getreidegasse). in Salzburg.

The birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

In one squares of Salzburg there was an outdoor chestboard with chest pieces.

The fortress Hohensalzburg.

Fountain in the Residenzplatz, Salzburg, Austria.

Catherine and I saw lots of cute shops around Salzburg.

We also had some wonderful food while we were there. Here we are eating at an outdoor table we we watched people going to the concerts around town. One thing that I found interesting were the men in tuxedo and woment in evening gowns riding bicycles on their way to concerts.

Salzburg, Austria

2010-02-01T22:07:00.000-08:00

The pictures ENLARGE if you click on them. Catherine in front of the hotel we stayed in in Salzburg, Austria.

When we first drove to Salzburg, I couldn't find the hotel because I didn't realize it was located on pedestrian only street. However, after a few turns around the area we realized where the hotel was located. We were then able to find parking not too far away and walked to our hotel.
Our room at the Goldene Khrone hotel.

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Street view outside of our hotel.

Saizburg is the fourth-largest city in Austria and the capital of the federal state of Salzburg. Salzburg's "Old Town" with its world famous baroque architecture is one of the best-preserved city centers in the German-speaking world, and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. The city is noted for its Alpine setting. It is the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the setting for parts of the musical and film The Sound of Music. Salzburg is also a student city, with three universities.

Salzburg is on the banks of the Salzach river, at the northern boundary of the Alps. The closest alpine peak,the Untersberg, is only a few kilometers from the city center. The Altstadt, or "old town", is dominated by its baroque towers and churches and the massive Festung Hohensalzburg, the city's fortress, built in 1077. This area is surrounded by two smaller mountains, the Monchsberg and Kapuzinerberg.

The family of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is buried in this small church graveyard in the old town.

Even the McDonald's seemed more elegant in Salzburg. We didn't eat here, but it was fun to see an old familiar brand far from home.

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Appenzell, Switzerland - A Small Swiss Town

2010-01-31T01:35:00.000-08:00

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When Catherine and I left Lucerne, we drove to Appenzell had dinner and rented a room for the night.

Appenzell is both a canton and a town of 5,000 in Eastern Switzerland. It is most famous for its annual Landesgemeinde, an open-air parliament where citizens vote directly on major issues instead of trusting elected officials to make decisions for them. Only men were allowed to vote until 1991, when the Swiss Supreme Court ruled that excluding women was unconstitutional.

On special occasions, you'll see Appenzellers decked out in regional costume, and Appenzell has long been one of Switzerland's most active centers for yodeling, alphorn playing, and other expressions of Swiss musical tradition. The local houses are also distinctive, with their painted facades and attached barns.

I never understood the Swiss affection for gnomes.

We rented a room (zimmer) in a house in Appenzell. The rooms were basic but clean and comfortable.

Appenzell is alsp known for Appenzeller cheese, a hard cow's-milk cheese produced in this region.

The outside of the house where we rented a room.

Lucerne, Switzerland - Part II

2010-01-22T10:05:00.000-08:00

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Bertel Thorvaldsen's hillside carving of a dying lion (the Lion Monument, or Löwendenkmal) is found in a small park just off Lowenplatz. The carving commemorates the hundreds of Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution, when the mob stormed the Tuileries Palace in Paris.

One of the Lucerne's famous landmarks is Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke), a wooden bridge first built in the 14th Century. This is a shot of the ceiling of the bridge. Inside the bridge are a series of paintings from the 17th century depicting events from Luzern's history that you can see in this shot.

Near the Chapel Bridge, just a few steps from the Reuss River, we had a nice lunch at a Rossini's sidewalk cafe.

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Catherine on a pedestrian street in Lucerne, Switzerland

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View of a hotel lobby near Lake Lucerne.

View of the men's room at a hotel across from Lake Lucerne.

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Catherine and me in front of the Lion Monument.

The ship Wilhelm Tell on the Lake Lucerne.

Lake Lucerne

Catherine in the Train Station at Lucerne. We parked at the train station and noticed a school inside the train station and what looked like automotive classes.

View of the train tracks at Lucerne's train station.

Lucerne, Switzerland

2010-01-18T11:40:00.000-08:00

The pictures ENLARGE if you click on them.Lucerne is located on the shore of Lake Lucerne within sight of Mounts Pilatus and Rigi.

After Catherine and I left Lauterbrunnen, we drove to Lucerne, Switzerland.

Catherine in front of the train station at Lucerne.

It looks like Catherine is trying to pick out some entertainment for the night.

The telephone booths are much nicer than what we have at home, they even have Internet access.

Some sort of water fowl on Lake Lucerne.

One of the city's famous landmarks is Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke), a wooden bridge first built in the 14th Century.

A view from Chapel Bridge.

Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland - The Alps Part II

2010-01-13T20:00:00.000-08:00

The pictures ENLARGE if you click on them.From the balcony of our room at the Hotel Staubbach.

On the way to the Schilthorn, Catherine and I stayed at the Hotel Staubbach in Lauterbrunnen near the Staubbach Falls waterfall.

The rooms were basic but comfortable.

The Staubbach Falls were visible from the balcony of our room.

The breakfast room at the Hotel Staubbach.

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Cows were brought from the pastures through the main street of Lauterbrunnen.

We has a nice lunch at a pizzeria in town.

This way to the mountain Schilthorn!

A peaceful cemetery outside of Lauterbrunnen.

Swiss Alps Village - Gimmelwald, Switzerland - Part II

2010-01-11T21:08:00.000-08:00

When Catherine and I left the peak of the Schilthorn, we went halfway down the mountain to a small village called Gimmelwald.

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Video of Catherine in Gimmelwald. Click on the play arrow to view.

Catherine Speaks! This is Gimmelwald and here are some cows with their bells ringing!

The hillsides were covered in wildflowers.

The cows were wearing cow bells and we could hear the bells ringings as we hiked around Gimmelwald.

A small cafe near the hostel made for a restful place for a refreshment.

Outside the hostel there was a telephone booth converted to a shower.

A cheese house set on stilts to keep out the mice.

Even the water troughs were decorated with flowers.

We took the gondola back to the valley.

Swiss Alps Village - Gimmelwald, Switzerland

2010-01-10T21:16:00.000-08:00

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Welcome to Gimmelwald, a small village high in the Swiss Alps.

When Catherine and I left the peak of the Schilthorn, we went halfway down the mountain to a small village called Gimmelwald.

We spent the afternoon hiking around this village.

An attractive wooden water trough decorated with a flower pot.

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Gimmelwald, the small Swiss village in the Alps.

The sign for the mountain hostel with a wooden water trough turned into a planting box.

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Mountain meadow near Gimmelwald. The hills were covered in spring flowers.

I tried to get a picture of the cows on the mountainside, but the cows turned the wrong way!

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In the background is the small school for the Swiss village of Gimmelwald. There is a married couple in town that share the one teaching position for this village.

Catherine thinks the cows smell bad!

We loved seeing the cows and hearing their cow bells high in the alps.

Photo in front of Walter's Hotel Mittaghorn.

We asked one of the guests outside if he thought it was O.K. for us to use the restroom inside Walter's Hotel Mittaghorg. He said the fellow that owns the place is a bit of a curmudgeon and the guest thought he would give us a hard time. So we continued to hike down to the village of Gimmelwald.

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Swiss Alps - The Schilthorn Part II

2010-01-09T13:23:00.000-08:00

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From the summit of the Schilthorn in the Alps you feel like you are on top of the world.

The revolving restaurant Piz Gloria is in the background of the photo. This was the principal filming location for the James Bond movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

We ate at the revolving restaurant Piz Gloria. We didn't have very high expectations for the food, but the meal and deserts were actually excellent.

View of the three mountains the Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau from the restaurant Piz Gloria.

View from inside the gondola heading back to the alpine town of Murren.

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Here you can see examples of hiking cabins.

Swiss Alps - The Schilthorn

2010-01-08T12:50:00.000-08:00

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View of the mountains, Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau from the gondola (cable car) on our trip to the top of the Schilthorn. The three mountains are sometimes literally referred to as the Orge (Eiger), Monk (Monch), and Young lady (Jungfrau).

Here you can see the gondola terminal at the alpine town of Murren.

The pictures ENLARGE if you click on them. Here you can see examples of hiking cabins located in the Alps.

Catherine on the summit of the Schilthorn. The day we were there the it was cool, but not terribly cold. It is best to arrive at the summit early, because the clouds often move in later during the day. While we were there, the clouds did move , but also moved away at times to reveal the Alps around us.

Murren, Switzerland - An Alpine Town

2010-01-04T21:27:00.000-08:00

About two thirds of the way up the Schilthorn is the small alpine town of Murren.

View of the alpine town of Murren from the gondola (cable car) that took up up the Schilthorn. The gondola stops at Murren and then you can take another gondola the rest of the way up to the top of the mountain.

The pictures ENLARGE if you click on them. Catherine at the Murren gondola stop. By the way, that is the mountain Jungfrau in the background.

We took the opportunity at the gondola stop to walk around Murren.

There is one street in Murren (along with some small alleys) and it is lined with houses, shops, hotels, and restaurants.

Murren is a mountain town in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland. From Murren you can view the mountains Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau. A series of four cable cars, known as the Luftseilbahn Stechelberg-Mürren-Schilthorn (LSMS), provides transportation from Murren downhill to Gimmelwald and Stechelberg, and uphill to the summit of the Schilthorn and the revolving restaurant Piz Gloria. This was the principal filming location for the James Bond movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

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Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland - The Alps

2010-01-03T23:25:00.000-08:00

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Welcome to the Alps.

When we left Murten, Switzerland we drove to the the Bernese Oberland in the alpine heart of Switzerland.

View from the car on the way to Lauterbrunnen.

On the way to Lauderbrunnen we stopped at Wilderswil to check a map. When we opened the windows, Catherine and I heard the bells on the cows. Catherine said "We are in Switzerland".

This is taken in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland where we stayed. It is near the Interlaken area and nestled between two large mountain areas. On one side is the Eiger / Monch /Jungfrau and the other is the Schilthorn, which we explored during our stay. At the southern end of Lauterbrunnen is the Staubbach falls. The falls are about 980 feet long, the highest in Switzerland. This is taken from the parking lot of our hotel, the Hotel Staubbach.

A lamb in a field near the hotel in lauterbrunnen.

We caught a gondola (cable car) heading to Murren and the mountain Schilthorn.

View inside the gondola.

The first stop on the gondola is Gimmelwald.

Then on to the alpine town of Murren.

Mount Schilthorn.

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Murten, Switzerland - Part II

2009-12-30T19:49:00.000-08:00

The pictures ENLARGE if you click on them. A town wall that encircles the town provided protection. The almost entirely preserved wall, the only one in Switzerland which you can walk all the way round, has offered visitors a great view of the nearby lake and the roofs of the Old Town.

Lake Murten with its swans.

The medieval town of Murten on the south-east bank of the Lake Morat has preserved its original appearance, with the alleyways of the Old Town and the shady arcades. In the evening, you can watch the sunset over the lake, with great views of Mont Vully and the Jura.

We had a nice dinner at the Hotel Murtenhof overlooking the Lake Morat.

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Murten, Switzerland

2009-12-29T20:59:00.000-08:00

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Our room at the Hotel Murtenhof.

When Catherine and I left Staufen, Germany we drove to Murten, Switzerland. This small medieval town lies in the Swiss "Midlands" on the shore of Lake Morat.

Murten is located on the southern shores of Lake Morat. Murten is situated between Berne and Lausanne and is the capital of the Lake District of the canton of Fribourg. The town’s name is derived from the Celtic word moriduno, meaning “lakeside fortress”. It was first mentioned in 515 as the existence of a defensive place called “Muratum”. By 1013, the place was known as a fortress. Murten is also famous for the defeat of Charles the Bold by the Swiss. The former fortified city, which has kept most of its ramparts and towers.

I am on the "Ring Wall" used as a defense for the town.

Staufen, Germany - Bavaria Part IV

2009-12-28T20:37:00.000-08:00

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All of the pictures on this page are of the small German town of Staufen.

Catherine and I drove from Freiberg to Staufen and spent the night. Staufen lies at the foot of the Black Forest. The most famous inhabitant of Staufen was Johann Georg Faust, the legendary alchemist and magician whose character was depicted in Goethe’s piece “Faustus”. Faust was employed as a “goldmaker” by the lord of the castle Anton von Staufen. In 1539 Faust was found dead in his room in the hotel “Lion”, allegedly killed by a chemical explosion.
Faust (c1480 - 1539), an actual historical figure who sparked urban legends in his own day, was reputed to have sold his soul to the devil for 24 years of prosperity and magical power. He died in the town of Staufen and fuelled speculation that the devil had claimed him, body and soul, in fulfilment of his pact.

There was a castle in ruins at the top of a hill in Staufen that you could see from our room.
The courtyard of the Staufen castle could shelter 1,000 people. The Staufen castle stems from the 11th century and was supposedly built to protect the silver mines in the adjacent Muenster valley that provided the main income for the Counts of Staufen.
Today, the land around the Staufen castle is cultivated by winegrowers who produce one of Germany’s great wines.

The castle of the Lords of Staufen.

Staufen, Germany - Bavaria Part III

2009-12-28T20:34:00.000-08:00

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The Hotel Die Gasthaus Krone in Staufen also had a nice dining room and we had an excellent dinner there.

Throughout our trip in Germany we had excellent and very fresh salads. One thing I especially liked were the pickled cucumbers.

One of the deserts we had was fresh ice cream sherbets. This was a sample of strawberry, kiwi fruit, pineapple, and banana sherberts. Just thinking about them makes me crave them again.

View of "downtown" Staufen

Catherine leaving our hotel to walk down the main street in Staufen.

Bächle (water channel in the street)