Salzburg, Austria - Mozart Chocolate by Fürst

As we walked through the Old Town, we walked through small courtyards, each with their Christkindlmarkt (Christmas Market).

Since it was Saturday, the regular market was in full force because people need to eat!  Fresh vegetables and other daily treats (cheeses, meats, chocolates).

 The markets line the street.

An interesting display of children's books.

This is the original manufacturer of the Mozart Chocolates.  The guide told us that there is a difference between this hand made treat and others on the market. You can read all about the corporate battles here.  This is quite the story and while I have eaten these chocolates, I didn't know the story behind it and the differences between the different brands.

The shop window displays a photograph that looks like "the original" chocolate makers.

The following examples of Mozartkugel are from Wikipedia.  The name on the left is the company producing the candy.  There is quite a difference.  If you like to eat "Mozart Chocolate", make note of the manufacturer and the differences.

Carriages through out the old section.

 The buildings were pretty pastel shades and of course looked very festive with white holiday lights.

 Our tour guide telling a story.  Some believe him but it looks like the woman on the left isn't convinced!

We are making our way to the large "Salzburg Cathedral".  This is a baroque cathedral dedicated to Saint Rupert and Saint Vergillius.  Mozart was baptized in this cathedral.

There is a large plaza in front of the cathedral, as is common.  And, during this time of the year there is a Christkindlmarkt (Christmas Market).  Our next stop will look at the beautiful treasures in this market.

Salzburg, Austria - Getreidegasse in Aldstadt

Getreidegasse (Grain Lane) is a busy pedestrian shopping street in the historic Aldstadt (old town) section of Salzburg.  It is known for the birthplace of Amadeus Wolfgang Mozart. The narrow street is characterized by the high town houses side by side with wrought iron guild signs.   Salzburg city administration works to keep the street's authentic character.

 This is an interesting sign and it took a while for me to make out what it was.

Here is a closer view. Do you know yet?

Yes! Even the golden arches of McDonald's needs to keep with the street character.

An umbrella shop.

A fish market.

The group gathered in this little courtyard.  No signs but I found this shop immediately.  I needed to get a photograph for my global collection.

A little closer to the doorway on the left side.

There it was!!  A Starbuck's coffee shop.  This would come in handy later while the group was gathering at the end of the walking tour.

This yellow building on No. 9 Getreidegasse is the birthplace of Mozart.  "Mozart Geburtshaus" is written in huge letters on the front of the building.  It is now a museum.

I could smell that familiar city winter scent: chestnuts roasting on a open fire. I love the smell but don't care for the nuts.

This is how the street addresses are marked.

More to come as the walk through old town Salzburg continues.

Salzburg, Austria - Mirabell Palace and Gardens

This is the map of the walk in Salzburg.  The walk started in the upper right red pin where the bus stopped and we walked to the lower left red pin for lunch.  The green pin is where I stopped to take the Mirabell Palace photographs.

The Mirabell Palace and Gardens are a listed cultural heritage monument and part of the "Historic Center of the City of Salzburg" UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The palace was built around 1606 and the gardens were laid out in 1686 by Johann Bernard Fischer von Erlach.  It is one of the most favorite tourists' attraction. Several scenes from "The Sound of Music" were filmed here.  Maria and the children sang "Do Re Mi" while dancing around the gardens.

The statues around the garden are mythology themed.  These statues were created by Ottavio Mosto around 1690 and later.

This is the entrance to the gardens.  Below my photograph is a view of Maria and the children singing and dancing along this walkway.

You can join in with the song: "Do, a deer, a female deer, Ra, a drop of golden sun..."

There were a lot of bike racks in the area.

And then this statue with a cyclist!  "Radfahrer" is a nude bronze statue created by created by Salzburg sculpture Lotte Ranft.  It was created in 1992 and shows a cyclist leaning against his/her bike with head raised toward the sky as if soaking in the sun.

The love locks on the Makartstag Bridge with the fortress and old town in the background.

A view from the Makartstag Bridge.

Beautiful shop windows filled with Christmas delights.

Rüdesheim, Germany - River Walk

Time to begin the walk back to the boat.  The castle looking building in the distance is where the ATM is located.  The tower is Adlertum, Eagle's Tower and was once part of the town walls.

 Nice place to stop for coffee before the walk.

 This sign shows that the upper middle Rhein/Rhine River is a UNESCO World Heritage area.  The area is between Bingen, Rüdesheim (our location now) and Koblenz (our next stop).  It was and still remains an important transportation route and is lined with terraced vineyards and hill top castles (we will see those later).  http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1066

 Trains pass through.  The train station is on the other side of the town.

 Ferry transportation is important in this area. This is a passenger ferry and there are also car ferries (that allow passengers). http://www.bingen-ruedesheimer.de/rheinfaehren/?lang=en

 The river divides in here.  We are not looking at the other shore, but at Rüdesheimer Aue, an island in the middle of the river.  It used to be agricultural but has now been fully overgrown with trees.  It is now a reserve and is used as a resting place for birds.

 This is a wikipedia photo so that you can see how it all fits together in the river.

After several photo stops in between walking walking walking, I have come to slip #1 and my river home.

 I bid farewell to Rüdesheim and I walk on board.