This morning our ship has docked in Linz, capital of upper Austria and third largest city in Austria. The population is nearly 200,000 and there is plenty of employment.
Our day begins with a walking tour of the old city. The main sights are the Plague column in the centre of town, St Mary’s cathedral, the Bruckner House concert hall and the Trinity Column located in the main square. This is one of Austria’s most attractive closed squares and it is here that stands the 20 metre high Baroque Trinity Column which was completed in 1723. It is carved out of white marble by Sebastian Stumpfegger and bears three inscriptions. These announce the dedication of the column to the Holy Trinity by the guilds, the Emperor and the people of Linz in gratitude from deliverance from the dangers of war (1704), fire (1712) and plague (1712). The column is flanked by the patron saints Sebastian, Florian and Carlo Borromeo.
The homes on the square are only 3 stories high and 3 windows wide and go back quite a ways. The reason for the narrow homes was to avoid paying a large tax. Any home wider than 3 windows would be subject to a higher tax.
Today was quite chilly; the temperature is 15 degrees lower than usual and everyone is bundled in layers of clothing and gloved hands to keep warm. We were glad to return to the ship to warm up. I think everyone had the hot soup for lunch. This afternoon the group split off according to the optional tour chosen. Some went to Salzburg, some to Cesky Krumlov and others to the Lake District.
My choice of tour was Salzburg for a nice stroll through this charming town. We begin at the rose gardens, made famous in the movie "Sound of Music" where the children danced and sang the song "Do Rae Me". Then over the foot bridge into the ancient town to view the birthplace of Mozart, past the farmers market, through the narrow passage ways and on to the main square where we find the beautiful baroque cathedral.
My choice of tour was Salzburg for a nice stroll through this charming town. We begin at the rose gardens, made famous in the movie "Sound of Music" where the children danced and sang the song "Do Rae Me". Then over the foot bridge into the ancient town to view the birthplace of Mozart, past the farmers market, through the narrow passage ways and on to the main square where we find the beautiful baroque cathedral.
After our tour some of us visit Café Tomeselli, one of the oldest in Austria. Here we indulge in delicious hot chocolate and decadent apple strudel topped with fresh whipped cream. Who’s counting calories? Not me. It sure was delicious!
Afterwards we took a stroll along the narrow cobbled streets browsing in the quaint shops and snapping photos of the store fronts, signs and wonderful little streets. Salzburg is certainly a gem of a city not to be missed. We bid our farewell and board our bus for the 2 hour ride back to Linz and our river ship.
Afterwards we took a stroll along the narrow cobbled streets browsing in the quaint shops and snapping photos of the store fronts, signs and wonderful little streets. Salzburg is certainly a gem of a city not to be missed. We bid our farewell and board our bus for the 2 hour ride back to Linz and our river ship.
This evening’s dinner was delectable with goose pate, sweet potato soup with a hint of chili and my main course was delicious roast duck, and of course more fabulous Austrian wine. They sure go through a lot of wine at dinner. It’s going to be so difficult going home to my boring dinners.
The entertainment this evening was “La Strada”, a very talented trio that played a mix of classical and gypsy music. Everyone enjoyed the entertainment and gave the musicians a few standing ovations. Fabulous!
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