Alto Adige

I didn't think I'd have a great deal to blog about today.  We've moved south, into Südtirol and had hoped to drive over the Grossglockner road but a pretty dire weather forecast sent us a less adventurous route over the Brenner  pass instead.

Thankfully, the weather was none too bad and actually cheered up a little as the sun came out later in the morning.  A brief stop for a walk around Innsbruck and we were all feeling more optimistic as the rolling green fields of the Austrian Tyrol gently changed into rocky outcrops and steep vineyards as we crossed the border into Italy.

We checked into our hotel in Bolzano - another beauty in a charming city - and decided to take a short walk around to get our bearings.  Late Sunday afternoon, there were a few families enjoying the sunshine and we too, enjoyed a stroll through the old town.

Then a sign reminded us of one of the reasons why we chose to stay here

Ötzi’s here.

Rather than wait until Tuesday (once again, Monday's closing day for the museum) we decided to go and see him there and then.  We joined quite a long queue and feared a scrum inside.

Not so.  This is a really well thought out museum which caters well for everyone.  We found the background story to Ötzi fascinating and the detective story which has arisen from the findings is remarkable.  Other exhibits in the special "Mummy" exhibition were interesting but not quite so arresting as the one we (and everyone else) had really come to see.

So, Ötzi is the highlight of the day - though we haven't had dinner yet and now we're in Italy...

Taste test

Wherever we've walked in Salzburg we've passed shops full of "die echte" (the original) Mozartkugel.  In every store, as we bought some to try, we checked with the salesperson, and yes, each one is most certainly "echt".

This afternoon, we sat down for a serious tasting. Hard work, I know, but we felt it had to be done.

First, the Mirabell Mozart Kugel.  This is the variety to be found in supermarkets and souvenir shops rather than in specialist stores, often in boxes shaped like violins or other curious presentations.  We bought a pack of three kugeln and spotted on the wrapper that the company is part of the Kraft empire.

All three of us voted this our least favourite.  Sweeter than the others, it was, according to Edward, "nothing special".  The marzipan in those we sampled wasn't anything like the colour of the one on the Mirabell website and was more of a muddy yellow.

Next came the Reber Mozartkugel, which are made over the border in Germany and are not actually kugeln but have a flat base.

 Mark voted this his favourite.  Not only was it less sweet than the Mirabell kugel, the inner layers were more defined too.

These were only available in the Reber shop where there are several variations on the theme - as well as "Sachertorten" for sale.  No-one was claiming those as "echt" however*

* we are staying in the Hotel Sacher here in Salzburg and I can give you chapter and verse on what indicates a genuine - echt - Sachertorte!

Finally, the silver and blue "Furst" kugeln.   I think they win hands down as far as "die echte" go and they are made in Salzburg, too.  Only available in the four Furst shops in Salzburg, they're pretty exclusive.

We found real green marzipan inside and only one layer of chocolate nougat under the dark chocolate coating.  Clearly handmade (and yet only marginally more expensive than the others), these were totally different to the others and were clear winners with Edward and I.

Having eaten three kugeln each, we decided we'd had enough of Mozartkugeln for a while.

Now, what about Bach Wurfel.....

not to mention Bruckner noten and the rest?  

Not this afternoon, thank you!

Salzburg

Another glorious day in Salzburg    

First stop was the funicular to the castle, aiming to get there before the rush and whilst it was still cool.  The views from the top there were lovely.

I found most of the exhibits pretty dull to be honest, though found a few odd things to interest me.

I especially liked the way the armour was displayed

and the "enemy" amused us all.

There was some spectacular door furniture

and the method of folding the medal ribbons most unusual and rather effective.

Leo, Prince-Archbishop adopted the turnip as his symbol and it's to be found all over the castle and elsewhere in Salzburg - fun to do a bit of turnip spotting around the place.

On then, from the castle to the Salzburg Museum where we thoroughly enjoyed the presentations of the city history - so much more than Mozart!

Wonderfully displayed, exquisitely presented, the whole museum held our interest.  Our awareness of such things has been raised since visiting exhibitions with Marieke, our museologist friend, and it was she who was high in our thoughts as we went on to visit the Salzburg Panorama

Until visiting The Hague at the start of this trip and the Panorama there with Ilya and Marieke, such things had not really captured our interest and imagination.  Today, we appreciated the dark approach, the steps up to the viewing platform and the panorama itself.  Not quite such a beauty as the Mesdag one but interesting nevertheless.

Back to the hotel then, for important business awaits.

Over the border again

 Another day out in the company of two historians and where do we find ourselves?  The Eagles Nest, high above Berchtesgaden in Germany.  Not qualified to go into too many details of the background here and will simply say that on a beautiful morning such as this, it was simply glorious up there.

We drove to the car park, from where one buys tickets for the obligatory bus ride to the summit.  All wonderfully organised, the tickets allot each passenger a place on a specified bus number and on arrival at the summit, one reserves the return journey for a chosen time.

At the car park, we met our guide who explained much of the background of the place and enabled us to manage the system to our advantage...to wait until most had gone through that tunnel to the lift which goes up to the Eagles Nest itself and then to take us around the building, illustrating our visit with photographs of earlier days and previous occupants and visitors.

It was very interesting indeed and armed with a some background knowledge, a little easier to understand why it had been seldom used.

Today's a different story.  Lots of visitors enjoying the sunshine and the beautiful views. 

And maybe a beer or two.

with the Konigsee to the left

looking down towards  Berchtesgaden straight on

and down the valley towards Salzburg in the far distance to our right.

Breathtaking.

Nice house, shame about the trophies

We've visited the holiday home - hunting lodge - of Kaiser Franz Josef  today, where evidence of every succesful shot is on the wall somewhere - and in the small space left, there's probably a picture of Sissi.

The house itself, in Bad Ischl, is gorgeous and rather more than the label "hunting lodge" might suggest.  I really loved the colours of the house - outside, the ochre, grey and bottle green and inside, a palette of rich but subtle colours - burnt orange and petrol blue, grey and malachite green, crimson and ochre.  Yes, take away all those hunting souvenirs and I'd move in tomorrow!

No need to take away this figure in the garden, though.  I rather like the colour and think the contrasting textures of the two dogs alongside their handsome master works well and I could live with it just as it is, thanks.

On, through the Salzkammergut to Salzburg then, where the sun was shining and the whole city inviting a closer look.  We checked into our hotel and immediately went out to explore.

It seemed like everyone had moved on from Cesky Krumlov and joined us here.  Oh dear.

We found one or two quieter corners, thank goodness, and not everywhere ooozed Mozart.  Except on this corner, where I enjoyed hearing a performance of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik played on the glasses.

Classy, eh?