Family tour of Graz and Salzburg

   I just said goodbye to Mom and Dad at the train station here in Graz after two and a half days in Graz and two days in Salzburg. Tuesday morning we snagged some Kuchen at the market and took the tram out to Schloß Eggenburg and toured the museums and houses. The gardens around the big yellow building are full of blue peacocks. In one corner of the grounds there was an archeology museum with pieces from the Hallstatt period through the Romans. Dad had a great time translating grave stones! The palace also had beautiful "State" rooms, an art collection, and a coin museum because the builder was head of the Hapsburg mint.
   On our way back into town, we stopped by the "Friendly Alien" for a quick walk through the modern art exhibits and a lovely view over Graz. (click "read more")

   Wednesday morning Mom and Dad took a walk around town and then we went up Scloßburg. The sunny day and gardens were lovely. The rest of the afternoon was spent touring Graz. Mom, Dad, and Ruth went into the Landeszeughaus while I replaced the cell phone that I lost somewhere between Vienna and Bilbao.
   Thursday morning we took our rented Skoda Fabia and drove south to Leibniz for a quick visit to the only Roman ruin in Styria and to pick up bread for our picnic later on. Then we turned around and drove northwest through the Salzkammergut to Salzburg. We dropped our bags at Hotel-Pension Adlerhof and then went up to the Mozart Geburtshaus (birth house) and the castle Hohensalzburg.

   Friday we were up early, had breakfast at the Pension, and walked through the Mirabell gardens on our way to the Panorama museum... visited the old catacombs built into the Monchsburg... ate Bretzen in Universitätsplatz... saw the horse fountain, which is the medieval equivalent of a modern car wash... shopped... visited Mozarts living house...
   The first of our last two stops on the way out of Salzburg was at the Untersbergbahn, which we rode up to the top of the mountain. To the east the Monchsberg and castle looked almost flat, but to the south and west the Alps were at eye level. Ruth's and my phones both informed us that we were practically in Germany!
   Our very last stop was at Schloß Hellbrunn. This time we did not do the trick fountain tour, but just enjoyed the grounds. Mom was a little sad that the Sound of Music pavilion was locked, but the grounds were still wonderful!

   Well, now Mom and Dad should be on their plane heading west. Hugs to all!