Arising at 3 a.m. to catch the 4 o’clock shuttle to the Vienna Airport was the easy part. There were 19 in the first group, and in the airport lobby we bid a fond farewell to our amazing Anselmo, promising, as grateful tourists always do, to keep in touch. I gave him...
Our day began at the Schonbrunn Palace, with a guided tour of the interior and a few moments in the immaculately groomed gardens behind the summer home of Empress Maria Theresa, the last of the House of Habsburg. Marie Theresa gave birth to 16 children in 20 years,...
The temperature got down to 0 C our last night in Salzburg, which by any thermometer’s standards is freezing! And the next day was none too warm, with an expected high of less than 10 C. That’s below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and a drastic change from the 70 plus degree...
Going from Venice, Italy, to Salzburg, Austria, the cultural division is as abrupt and harsh as the Alps themselves. No longer did we hear the melodic sounds of the Italian language. Now we were immersed in the comparatively harsh tones of Bavarian dialects. Instead...
Between the mouths of the Po and Piave Rivers, Venice is a city of 118 small islands separated by canals and linked by bridges. To get there, one must take a water taxi, which also means it is highly unlikely one will be in a car accident while visiting the city....
