Berchtesgaden and the Eagle's Nest - 9 June 2006

Friday was another great day, and we spent it over the border in Bavaria. We first visited 'Eagle's Nest', the mountain retreat built for Hitler's 50th birthday. The building and access road were constructed in an amazing 13 months. The buses can drive almost to the summit of the 1835m peak and after walking 120 metres along a granite-lined tunnel into the mountain, a stunning brass-lined lift takes you the final 124 metres.

The local mayor campaigned to save the retreat from demolition after the war and it is now a restaurant. The mountains are so close around you: it is aptly named, and well worth visiting.

Our visit to the local Berchtesgaden salt mine was an anticlimax after such a brilliant morning, but the town itself was a good way to end the day.

Hallstatt - 8 June 2006

Inspired by a beautiful scene on a calendar last year and the fantastic day which dawned on Thursday, we took a bus to Hallstatt: a UNESCO World Heritage site.



They have ensured this beautiful village on the lake edge will be preserved, even to the extent of putting a tunnel through the mountain behind the village to provide a traffic bypass. The lake, Hallstattsee, was like glass and the boat trip which circles the lower end of the lake was a good way to see the village.

The wealth of the village came from their salt mines, which can be toured. We choose to visit the German equivalent on Friday.

Unique to this village, and forced on them by a lack of space to expand the church-yard, was the practice of exhuming skeletons after a period and storing the bones in the charnel house. This in itself is not particularly unusual, the twist here is that the skulls were painted and named so your dearly departed was quite identifiable.

Hellbrunn and Untersburg - 6 & 7 June 2006

Tuesday was wet again, so we took a 2-day Salzburg Card. This is excellent value, especially for filling in a wet day, visiting museums. By mid afternoon we were at the impressive fortress, and the sun was actually shining while we were surveying the view from the roof. Just perfect for a few photos then, just after we were safely back in the fortress, the heavens opened once more.

Wednesday dawned with the possibility of the cloud lifting so we took a chairlift up the Untersberg, the 1800m mountain overlooking Salzburg. Unfortunately, the cloud did not lift sufficiently but we did get glimpses of Salzburg and the surrounds.

Back in the valley the day was pleasant, and we particularly enjoyed our tour of the gardens at Hellbrunn. The Palace was built by a Prince-Archbishop in 1613 as a summer holiday home. He obviously had a great sense of humour, as he installed trick fountains that are still working, and which were demonstrated by a guide. They were designed to drench his unsuspecting guests at an outdoor eating area and also in and around various grottos. As it was not permitted to stand in the presence of a seated archbishop, and, naturally, his seat (near end of the table) did not have a water jet. His poor guests were not so much ‘caught between the devil and the deep blue sea’, as caught between the archbishop and a thorough soaking.

A cruise on the river wrapped up the day, all courtesy of the Salzburg Card.

Werfen - 5 June 2006

The weather on Monday was a much better, so we took a train trip to Werfen, to visit the ice-caves. These are the largest ice-caves in the world and well worth a visit, provided you attach yourself to a tour that is offering an English as well as a German commentary, as it is a very interesting trip.

The town of Werfen itself is also pleasant to visit, surrounded by snow-covered mountains and dominated by the fortress of Hohenwerfen.

Salzburg - 3 - 11 June 2006

Salzburg in the early summer is beautiful, except when it rains!!
We arrived in Salzburg late on Saturday 3rd June, and fortunately had just reached our hotel, when the heavens opened: we looked out from our balcony in amazement at the torrential rain. It was still raining next morning, so our efforts at sight-seeing were rather hampered and we identified with the little damp cherub we encountered.

We felt we couldn't visit Salzburg without doing 'The Sound of Music Tour', so on our final day found time to fit it in. It was rather fun, and brought back happy childhood memories, although we definitely were not in the same league as the person sitting in front of us, who had seen the movie 25 times!!

Milan and the lakes - 26 - 30 May 2006

Milan is a good base for visiting the picturesque nearby lakes. The highlights of Milan could be fitted into one very full day. Our favorourites were the cathedral rooftop, the Monument Cemetery, Last Supper fresco by Leonardo da Vinci and of course the Galleria Vittrio Emanuee shopping arcade.

Lake Maggiore, in contrast could easily be a relaxing destination for several days. We enjoyed exploring the islands. Isola Pescatori was a fishing village, but now revolves around tourists. But sangria on a sunny balcony overlooking the lake is a great way to experience a fishing village!

Isola Bella was a cluster of barren rocks, but after many man-hours is now a boat shaped island that the Count had built for his wife Isabella. The palace (? holiday home) he built is stunning, as are the gardens.


Visiting this area would not be complete without taking the cable-car up Mottarone. The day was still clear, and we had a brilliant view of the mountains and Lake Maggiore with the islands.

Monday was scheduled for Lake Como. Sadly the day was misty, but with no wind, the lake was like glass. We took the boat up the lake to the Villa Carlotta, then on to Bellagio, which is reported to be the prettiest village in Italy. Maybe an exaggeration, but it is a cute lakeside village with narrow streets of shops, and heaps of places to eat.

Cotswolds - 20 May 2006

The drought has definitely broken in the south of England, but before it got too miserable, we managed to snatch a few hours of sunshine on Saturday in Wallingford.
Wallingford and Burford are two picturesque towns in Oxfordshire, and great for shopping.




Our lunch spot was Kiftsgate Gardens, where we were able to wander around between rain showers. The gardens have a lovely outlook towards the Malvern Hills.

Chastleton House is a real experience of stepping back in time. The National Trust has only carried out essential work on the property, and basically it is as it has been lived in by the same family for 400 years. To see the house, you need to book in advance, (they only allow 175visitors per day) and the time we choose of 4pm was perfect. We reached the front door just as another rain cloud moved over. The hall had a welcoming fire, and the dimly lit rooms must have been typical of how they looked when the house was lived in. Most of the rooms did not have central electric lighting.

It is amazing to think that someone actually lived in the house as is was until 1991.