Velden
- Travelling
North from Venice, Italy, we crossed the border into Southern Austria
and stayed at a nice bed and breakfast hotel in Velden (pronounced
"Felden") located
on the Western end of Lake Worther in the province of Carinthia or
Kärten. This resort town reminded me of a very picturesque park.
Vibrant flowers hung below window sills
from homes and cottages.
Austrians greeted each other with "Grüsse Gott" equivalent
to "Guten Tag," or "good day." Outside
of town, a beautiful golf course is set in the countryside. Very few
American tourists know about this place. It's a favorite summer spot
for many Europeans. Fall is less crowded with cooler temperatures
than summer month.
Maria
Worth
- We
took a boat tour to a little cape, Maria
Worth, on
the southern side of Lake Worther. We visited a
lovely church with a stunning floral garden.
All around
were beautiful vistas of the shimmering lake with swans swimming and
quaint little houses sitting on the surrounding hillsides.
Hochosterwitz
Castle - We
took a day trip to St. Veit, (pronounced
St. "Feit").
With no buses or taxis running in October, we walked a lot and clambered
up the imposing hill. Viewing the castle from afar I was reminded
of knights, damsels in distress, and fire-breathing dragons. Inside
the castle were some guided tours, but they were in German. The concession
stand sold our familiar Coca-Cola, which we badly needed after climbing
several hundred feet.
Kaprun
near Zell am See
Salzburg
Salzburg
Cathedral Ceilings
A pair of lovely towns, Zell am See
(pronounced "Tsel -ahm - Zêi") and Kaprun
(pronounced "Ka - prune") lie between Salzburg and Innsbruck.
Zell Am See is a beautiful lakeside resort with quaint little shops
and an amazing golf course. Kaprun is a 5 minute bus ride and offers
year-round skiing. On Gail's first trip, she and some friends plunged
their skies into virgin powder right after a storm in early September.
Salzburg,
which means salt mountain, is a short
train ride from Zell am See. Many
salt mines surround this city. Salzburg
is, of course, the world famous, birthplace of Mozart and backdrop to
the Broadway musical and motion picture, "The Sound of Music." This
town is such a charming place to visit with many attractions.
