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Av EvaLena Hallgren - 6 juli 2023 20:23

We stayed a second night in Köningssee and the sky looked like this when we were getting ready to sleep

 

In the morning it looked like this.


It was slowly clearing up so we went for an early morning walk

     

It was a chilly morning but as soon as the sun came up it was quite pleasant seventy-degree weather 

The views are amazing everywhere but completely impossible to show in pictures what the eye sees


           


In the 1930s, after becoming the German chancellor, Adolf Hitler was looking for the perfect spot to establish an official mountain retreat — Camp David for his Nazi regime. He chose Obersalzberg, a dramatically scenic mountainside area a few miles uphill from the market town of Berchtesgaden.

But Obersalzberg was also home to a huge compound of 80 buildings — fenced off from the public after 1936, and connected by extensive bunkers — where the major decisions leading up to World War II were hatched. Hitler himself spent about a third of his time as chancellor at the Berghof, hosted world leaders in the compound, and later had it prepared for his last stand.

In April 1945, Britain's Royal Air Force bombed the Obersalzberg compound nearly flat, including the Berghof. Seven years later, the Bavarian government blew up most of what had survived the bombing, wanting to leave nothing to attract neo-Nazi pilgrims

The Eagle's Nest", which is here called "teahouse" actually refers just to this small lodge itself, perched alone amid spectacular scenery like a Bond villain's lair. Built in 1939 with precision stonework evoking fascist obedience, it was Hitler's 50th birthday gift from his inner circle. The lodge and the road up to it cost a fortune — but Hitler, who was afraid of heights, visited only 4 times. (It wasn't even much of a lodge: While Nazi officials met and hosted visiting diplomats here — and Eva Braun was fond of sunbathing on the terrace — it never had any beds.)

These binoculars are set up everywhere in town and for 1 Euro you can get a good look at the place

   

The house is just to the left of this highest peak.

Mom did have plans to visit this place, but after finding out you can't drive there yourself, instead paying a steep price for the busride and then even more for lunch, she decided it's not worth it and zoomed in with the camera for a picture


 

The RV parking only allowed 2 nights in a row so we packed up and went back to Austria?

That's because we were only visiting a finger of Bavarian territory that pokes south into Austria, which had long been one of the classic Romantic corners of Germany. Hitler had famously credited its landscape — so steeped in legend and close to the soul of the German people — for inspiring him as he finished his manifesto, Mein Kampf, in a rented Obersalzberg cabin in the 1920s. His propagandists capitalized on his love of this region to establish the notion that the native Austrian was truly German at heart.

So we left this beautiful town heading south again, and from what I see it looks like Lucy is going to get a workout soon

 

 

We are in Zell am Zee Located in the Kitzbuhel Alps the town is an important tourist destination due to its ski resorts and shoreline on Lake Zell While Zell am See has been a favored winter and summer resort for the European aristocracy since the 19th century, it is known as a hub of the international jet set today.........and here WE are haha

and according to the map, it's only a 1.5-hour drive fro where we were, but for some reason, it took us a little more than 4 hours?

Mom HAS to stop so many times to admire the view and take pictures. I think it's unnecessary because I see everything I need to see while she's driving. 

Mom says: Driving here demands concentration on the road, not the views so that's why we stop often.

Also, Mom likes to take it easy and others are more in a hurry so she rather moves to the side to let them pass.


     


Mom found these delicacies at the supermarket and enjoyed frying them in butter for lunch, I didn't get a taste so I have no opinion of being something special.

 

It's 10 am and it looks like it'll be a clear sunny day, so  after a walk we will continue on south over parts of the Alps


We're having a great time and feeling awesome, 

 Kisses to ya all

Henry








  


Av EvaLena Hallgren - 5 juli 2023 06:15

Mom is telling me to wish everyone a Happy belated fourth despite me hating that celebration due to the awful fireworks.

that's very frightening to me.

We said goodbye to beautiful Salzburg and planned to drive over the German Alps. It was a little tricky to get out of town with lots of traffic, little cars buzzing around like bees, and a horse carriage?

   

We did get a great view of the castle as we were leaving

 

We were not only leaving Salzburg, but we also left Austria and are now in Germany, and this is the first border we were stopped at. A smiling policeman asked if Mom was traveling alone, and she responded like she always does. 

"Nope, I have my copilot with me" and points at me............and we were waived on with a smile.

 


I'm not sure exactly what the plan was, but we didn't get far before we needed to get gas,and Mom said "This looks pretty let us stop here" and we did


 



We stopped at a tourist information booth to look for things we need to see, and there was this pretty lady telling us about great places to visit

 

On the hill behind the place, Mom said there were giant Henrys on the field?  Noway those aren't dogs they don't have the right scent, I said

We are at Köningssee a lake deeply nestled between towering cliffs with emerald green water at the foot of the imposing Watzmann East Wall. The heart of the Berchtesgaden National Park.


     

 

We parked in an RV parking and went for a walk in to town. Amazing how things can grow on a rock if allowed 

 

 

Souvenir shops growing like mushrooms at all these beautiful places

 

   

 

Mom really wanted one of these birdfeeders but they were expensive and had to be shipped for a lot of money 

 

The water in this lake is green very green and freezing cold. The lake is noted for its clear water and is advertised as the cleanest lake in Germany. For this reason, only electric-powered passenger ships, rowing, and pedal boats have been permitted on the lake since 1909. We were told its clean to drink, and I did

 

 

the lake lies just south of the town of Berchtesgaden, in a deep cut that is surrounded by sheer limestone mountains, within the Berchtesgaden National Park. Königssee is one of the most picturesque lakes here and is 5 miles (8 km) long and from 1,500 feet (457 m) to more than 1 mile (1.6 km) wide, and its greatest depth is 617 feet (188 m). 

We bought tickets for the boat and again I had to wear a muzzle, which of course Mom takes off as soon as nobody looks, which I'm very grateful for, because. I can't give kisses with it on.

   

   

 

It's not a clear day so we can't see the top of the mountains, still very pretty though.

At the stop we had lunch and this time we ate smoked trout, which Mom loved, I thought it was just ok

   

The St. Bartholomew pilgrimage church and hunting lodge, on its west shore, formerly belonged to the prince-bishops of Salzburg and later to the kings of Bavaria. The lake is stocked with Alpine trout (saibling, or arctic char).

 

A combination church and hunting lodge. Bavarian royalty and the local rulers of Berchtesgaden and Salzburg hunted here, Hitler went boating on the lake, and Eva Braun liked to sunbathe on the shore.

 

 


After lunch, after a looong boring wait we continued on the boat to the end of the lake, 

 

 

On the way back I started to get a little worried and at first, Mom couldn't figure out why?  But it was thunder in the air and she soon found out. These boats are soooooo so slow so there was no way of getting away from this disaster that's happening. Mom kept telling me it's ok it's ok don't worry. It's easy for her to say, she doesn't FEEL it like I do, she thinks it's kind of exciting.

   


Back in town, we had about a 15 min walk to Lucy. It was pouring rain so Mom bought a rain poncho and carried me under it. I suggested we stay in town and order a beer to wait for it to stop, the problem was, it didn't stop it was still raining when we went to sleep 

It's now 7.30 am and it's not raining but it's cloudy so we'll stay here until it's clear, because what is the point of getting up on the mountains without a view?

We are close to Hitler's Eagles nest but we aren't sure if it's worth paying to see it. We can't drive there on our own and tourists are getting milked on money everywhere we go.

I think we are going for a shorter hike today, and again we'll rest.

 

Having a great time 

Kisses to ya all Henry

 

 

 

 

  

Av EvaLena Hallgren - 4 juli 2023 06:13

It's 6 am and we just got up from a great night's sleep at a camp on the outskirts of Salzburg (salt castle) which is the fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872.

It is a city known for its Baroque architecture and is one of the best-preserved city centers north of the Alps. The historic center was enlisted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996 and has three universities and a large population of students. 

It's not Vienna but we both took a liking to this city because it had a little bit of a small-town feel about it.

       

It's impossible to avoid knowing that the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, was born and raised here. Every souvenir booth is selling his name. He was employed as a musician at the archbishops' Court from 1773 to 1781. His house of birth and residence are tourist attractions. His family is buried in a small church graveyard in the old town, and there are many monuments to "Wolferl" in the city. This was the house he grew up in and it was packed with tourists looking at it, maybe hoping he'll look out of a window? 

That would be a miracle Mom said, he hasn't been around for a long time, only his music is.


 

 


The Pferdeschwemme is one of the two preserved horse "baths" in Salzburg's old town. In the middle of the fountain is a large sculpture of a prancing horse. Some visitors like to throw coins into the well for good luck. It was here, in the heart of today’s Festival District, that parade horses from the Prince archbishops stables used to be washed off and groomed.


   


   

The Trapp Family, including Georg von Trapp, Maria von Trapp, and their children lived in Salzburg until they fled to the United States following the Nazi takeover.


“Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love – they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.” 

So says Orson Welles as Harry Lime in the 1949 film "The Third Man". Welles added those lines himself to a script based on Graham Greene’s original story. And though he may have been a genius, Welles was wrong about the history of the Cuckoo clock. “When the film came out “the Swiss very nicely pointed out that they’ve never made any cuckoo clocks!” Indeed, although often associated with Switzerland, the cuckoo clock was more likely invented in Germany sometime in the 17th century.  “likely” is because the origins of the cuckoo clock are unclear and its invention is still a topic of debate among horologists.


 

 

Some dogs are free to roam the streets without having a lead and I would like that a lot too, but Mom doesn't feel I would be safe if she let me do that. 

 




We sat down and watch these guys playing a giant game of chess and my money was on the guy with the hat, Mom said the guy with the knapsack... .....My guy won

 



Now I got to put that stupid muzzle on again just to get on the ride up to Hohensalzburg Fortress which was refurbished from the late 19th century onwards and became a major tourist attraction with the Festungsbahn funicular railway, opened in 1892, leading up from the town to the Hasengrabenbastei; It stands today as one of the best-preserved castles in Europe.

     

 


During the early 20th century it was used as a prison, holding Italian prisoners of war during World War I and Nazi activists before Germany's annexation of Austria in March 1938.

We had an amazing view of the city and the Alps. It was overcast so the pictures did not come out very well.

   

 



Mom says it's very important not to get dehydrated and we need to rest, so we sat down to admire the view for a while.

 

Saint Rupert founded the church in 774 on the remnants of a Roman town, and the cathedral was rebuilt in 1181 after a fire. In the seventeenth century, the cathedral was completely rebuilt in the Baroque style to its present appearance. Salzburg Cathedral still contains the baptismal font in which composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was baptized.

Not sure what this gold ball represents we couldn't find an explanation 

 

A lot of od scaffolding is being put up for an upcoming concert which spoiled the view of the church and the gorgeous statues 


 



Back in town being tourists we sat down on the steps of a bank to do some people-watching and all of a sudden ..............here come our friends from the UK that we met in Croatia. I greeted them with all the love kisses I have

 

 




   


Mom told them the importance of being hydrated and luckily there was a place right there so while they chatted over a beer I worked the tables where people were eating. Surprisingly nobody gave me anything despite my performance?

I think Mom had something to do about that shaking her head...........why I asked?   

Mom is afraid I get sick and fat

   


Saying goodbye to our friends we continued our walk to the Residenzplatz a large, stately square in the historic center of the city  Originally named Hauptplatz, it is now named after the Alte Residenz (Old Residence) of the Prince-Archbishops It is one of the city's most popular places to visit


 

Horse Fountain at the theResidenzplatz is a grand baroque fountain that looked enchanting with light passing through falling waters. This fountain was executed by Tomasso di Garona from 1656 to 1661 and is made of marble, and it is considered the largest baroque fountain in Middle Europe.

Four 45ft. tall horses leap out of the base with 2 streams of water jetting out of their mouths. The Greek God Triton spouts water from a seashell at the top of the fountain.

 

   


One of the filming locations of the movie Sound of Music was around this massive fountain. The scene was where Maria's family gleefully splashes while performing the song: "I have confidence in Me"

There are beautiful horse carriers for tourists everywhere and we think they have it better than in Vienna because it's less busy here and no cars in Centrum

        .

 

 

 Allied bombing destroyed 7,600 houses and killed 550 inhabitants. Fifteen air strikes destroyed 46 percent of the city's buildings, especially those around Salzburg railway station. Although the town's bridges and the dome of the cathedral were destroyed, much of its Baroque architecture remained intact. As a result, Salzburg is one of the few remaining examples of a town of its style. American troops entered the city on 5 May 1945 and it became the center of the American-occupied area in Austria.

Oh, here's another interesting story for Jeopardy Watchers.......... Josef Mohr was born in Salzburg. Together with Franz Gruber, he composed and wrote the text for "Silent Night". As a priest in neighboring Oberndorf, he performed the song for the first time on Christmas Eve 1818.


 

Pretty soon Mom will pack things up and despite really enjoying this smaller city I would like a place even less busy for a change and she promised me we'll find a relaxing quiet place somewhere north of here. 

We're off to new sights and new adventures

Stay hydrated ya all 


Wet kisses Henry











Av EvaLena Hallgren - 2 juli 2023 16:37

So we left Vienna Saturday before noon thinking there will not be much traffic getting out of town, but we were wrong. Where is everybody going? must be a popular event somewhere we don't know about.

.

 

On our way, we passed Schönbrunn Palace, another  UNESCO Heritage Site and is so full of history 

The vast courtyard houses a theater, a cafe, and fountains with a cobblestone path leading to the palace’s front balcony. The Schönbrunn Palace has 1,441 rooms
The palace was originally a mansion called Katterburg. It was bought by Roman Emperor Maximilian II along with the floodplain it was erected on. He intended the place to be the court’s recreational hunting ground. He got the area fenced and exotic animals were kept and fishponds were made.

Just like other palaces I'm not invited so on we go

 


We followed the Danube, which is the second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through much of Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest into the Black Sea. A large and historically important river, it was once a frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects ten European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for 2,850 km (1,770 mi), passing through or bordering Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, and Ukraine. Among the many cities on the river are four national capitals: Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, and Belgrade. 

It was raining most of the way but it's still very pretty 

Here's one of the famous river cruise boats

   


We stopped in a small town named Melk, and we went for a walk.

     


Mom adores these gorgeous geraniums

 


and the roses 

 

Melk Abbey is one of the biggest and most beautiful European Baroque Ensembles. Its splendid architecture is famous worldwide and is part of UNESCO´s World Cultural Heritage. Since 1089, Benedictine Monks have continually been living and working in Melk Abbey. Following the rules laid down by St. Benedict, they try to translate into action the words ORA et LABORA et LEGE (pray, work, and read) by working in pastoral care, education as well as organizing numerous cultural Events

        




Mom knew I wasn't going to be welcomed in the abbey but we walked up there anyway, and this lady came walking on the opposite side. To Mom's surprise, I started my deep dark warning growl ............

Why Mom said? I wasn't sure but something wasn't right to me. 

Mom tried to figure it out and spoke to the lady and asked why God disliked dogs so much so they were never let into religious sites.

The lady responded "This is a sacred site and dogs don't have the spiritual sense to understand that"

HEY SISTER, you know absolutely nothing about dogs especially me. I have a spiritual sense which I use for detecting things such as good, evil, beauty, and truth, much better than both you and Mom ..............See Mom, I warned you 

 

Due to its fame and academic stature, Melk managed to escape dissolution under Emperor Joseph II when many other Austrian abbeys were seized and dissolved between 1780 and 1790. The abbey managed to survive other threats to its existence during the Napoleonic Wars, and also in the period following the Anschluss in 1938, when the school and a large part of the abbey were confiscated by the state.

The school was returned to the abbey after the Second World War and now serves nearly 900 pupils of both sexes.

   


After our walk, we continued following the Danube driving through several sweet small villages until we stopped and camped at Grein.

One attraction in Grein is Greinburg Castle, built between 1488 and 1493. The castle was purchased by a Duke in 1823 and is now owned by a family foundation, headed by Andreas Prince of Saxe-Coburg. The ducal family is living here but the castle is also open for visitors.

Further, there is the oldest theatre in all of Austria located in the city

   

This is where the hardcore bicyclist often starts their pedaling but we only wanted to relax while the laundry was being done. This place had a dryer so we didn't have to hang everything around Lucy .

 


At the camp was a small cafe serving sausages and coffee and .........................beer.

Mom did not want to get another greasy sausage but bought a beer while I walked around begging at the tables.

This lady and her husband fell in love with me and fed me her entire plate and later she went to buy another one for herself. 

Mom was just hoping I wouldn't get sick..

 

We both liked this little town a lot and went for a nice walk along the Danube in the morning


   

The next city we are visiting is Salzburg and on the drive, we saw many castles on the hilltops, (very much like driving along the Mosel River) except for the vineyards

 


The geraniums are huge here 

 


Talking about size, I have come to the conclusion that everything is supersized in the USA. We don't see any large pickup trucks, not many SUVs. The roads are sometimes so narrow Mom starts wondering if Lucy will fit, and looks for bus stops, thinking if a city bus can make it Lucy can. A large coffee it's the size of a demitasse cup. Of course, Mom makes her own in Lucy but sometimes stops for an extra wake-me-up on the road. 

When ordering a large black coffee it's called an Americana and the cup is only half full and not very strong.

People here drink espresso and macchiatos. Espressos are good Mom says but that's only one sip and it's gone. 

How the Austrians can sit with that sip forever is a mysterium................

 



So, we are in Salzburg now and will go to town first thing in the morning.


Everything is great 

Many wet kisses to ya all 

Henry 



.

Av EvaLena Hallgren - 1 juli 2023 07:28

This is our second night in Vienna and it's cloudy but not raining. Just 5 min after we got back to Lucy last night there was a horrible thunder and lightning storm which I consider very scary. Mom is crazy because she thinks it's cozy?

Leaving Graz we made a short stop at these places, but we didn't bother going inside because we had plenty of lunch stuff in Lucy. We have to make many short stops because Mom gets sleepy fast when we're driving on Autobahn

 

  

This is an apartment complex by the train station, and Mom said that SpongeBob lives there?

 

Early Friday morning we took the subway into the Centrum of Vienna, and according to Mom, all you need to say about this city is WOW and WOW. The streets are clean and the buildings and and and .....

We got off the subway at Stephansplatz and since it was 8am we had to start with a Vienna breakfast. A macchiato and a croissant. They called it a French kiss?

 

St. Stephen's Cathedral is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna and the seat of the Archbishop of Vienna. 

  

This breathtaking Gothic cathedral is one of Europe's loveliest. It boasts an eclectic mish-mash of architectural and decorative styles that reflect many renovations over hundreds of years. Most recently, the interiors were modified during the Baroque period.

Construction began during the 12th century, and the flamboyant high-gothic style is readily apparent in the Cathedral's four towers, one of which houses an impressive 13 bells. The enormous Pummerin bell is the second-largest chimed church bell in Europe and is situated in the North Tower. Remarkable views over the entire city can be appreciated from the towers, especially the South, but again no dogs are allowed, which is a rule in every single church, and I would like to know what God has against dogs?

 

 

 

   

The glory of St. Stephen's Cathedral is its ornately patterned, richly colored roof, 111 meters (364 ft) long, and covered by 230,000 glazed tiles. Above the choir on the south side of the building, the tiles form a mosaic of the double-headed eagle that is symbolic of the empire ruled from Vienna by the Habsburg dynasty.

 

The city’s history dates back to 500 BC when the Celts settled down on the Danube River. Since then, a lot has changed and nowadays, Vienna is the beautiful capital of Austria and also the first capital city through which the Danube flows. It has lots of rich architectural ensembles, including Baroque castles, gardens, and monuments. All these were defined by its famous and intellectual residents, such as Mozart, Beethoven, and Freud

 

The first thing Mom wanted to see was the Hundertwasser and that was a pretty long walk, but it was still cool, and not a lot of people yet so it was ok. We got there and it was closed for renovation .....what a disappointment

 

But a few more blocks was the Hundertwasserhaus which is an apartment house, completed in 1985, after the idea and concept of Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser. This is where we should live said Mom until she noticed the mob of tourists in the courtyard.

 

   

     

 

There we had the best gelato we ever tasted (actually it was my first)

I rested in the small cafe/bookstore for a bit

 

 

We saw this banner and this gorgeous monument on our walk there.

 

   

Beautiful colorful buildings everywhere 

 

We walked back to the city center by the Danube River and there was lots and lots of colorful graffiti on the walls on both sides

 


We walked a lot and when we felt tired we grabbed one of these "taxis". Mom asked the man to stop at a market to buy water, and that worried me a lot so I started to cry. She said she and everyone else heard me in the store and I know everyone felt very sorry for me, but MOm said I should know she always come back


 

There are so many amazing buildings, fountains, and statues here and no way we could remember them all so here are a few pictures of what we saw


     

The Parliament building is where the two houses conduct their sessions. It was built to house the two chambers of the Imperial Council. Since its construction, the Parliament Building has been the seat of these two houses and their successors. Quite impressive we thought



           


After all this walking we had to get something to eat and of course, we had to order a beer and a wiener schnitzel 

The potato salad was delicious said Mom I preferred the schnitzel. 

     


All the waiters fell in love with me and got the best meat from the kitchen and people walking by stopped and took pictures of me. I'm like a famous movie star says Mom, maybe we should start charging like the street musicians.

 

In Sweden, there's the tradition of "fika" (coffee and cake) and they have a similar tradition here which is taken very seriously. We found the most famous one named Cafe Central and it dates back to 1873, making it one of the oldest coffee houses in Vienna, and it is housed in a listed historical building. There was a line out the door so we only snuck in to take a few pictures, and here sat this stonefaced man................wonder how long he has been waiting

   

The cafe is located in the Palais Ferstel building. It was originally built for the Austrian National Bank and stock exchange in 1860 and from 1878 served as the head office of the Austro-Hungarin Bank. 

 

the Hofburg Palace is a stunning testament to the former Imperial power that once led much of Europe from the Austrian capital and it reminded us a lot of the Versailles outside Paris that we visited last year

The vast complex—extending over 2.5 million square feet to comprise 18 wings, 19 courtyards, and 2,600 rooms—offers a glimpse into both the history and present-day Vienna. It has evolved from a medieval fortified castle into an imperial palace and is now one of the seats of democratic government, making it one of Europe's oldest and most enduring places of power.

          


The rose garden looked amazing with gorgeous green grass to chase a ball on, but again No dogs allowed

 

   


In conclusion, we could spend weeks here if we should see everything but I think it's time to find a place with a much slower pace for a few days. Big cities are exhausting for both of us so now the plan is to follow the Danube to a much smaller place.

Mom says we have to come back here one day....................ok whatever she says but I want to go back to Plitvice Park

We could do that too Mom says.


It's now 9 am time to pack up and continue on 


Wet kisses all Henry

PS. I heard that people we don't know are following us, and it would be so nice to get a hello sometime so we can get to know you.



Av EvaLena Hallgren - 29 juni 2023 06:49

Good Moring All

On the road again 

 

We are now crossing another border in to Austria, this is the toll booth and Mom stopped thinking they wanted to ask or see something, but the officer looked very bored and just waived us ahead

We definitely need to update Alice (GPS) because she took us through winding streets and little villages to get to the camp we asked for. It was probably much prettier than the highway but took a lot longer

    

After settling in and having a bite to eat we took the bus from our camp to Graz which is Austria’s second-largest city - and one of its hidden secrets. This historic city in the southern region of Styria has plenty to flaunt, and one of the most impressive things about Graz is its architecture. Indeed, the atmospheric Medieval center of the city, the largest in Europe, abounds in architectural marvels and opulent historic buildings evoking the grandeur and glory of Austria’s Imperial past.

  

Rathaus (Town Hall) – the history of this stunning Late Historicist-Old German-style edifice, completed in 1893, reflects how Graz has prospered over the centuries.

In the middle of this square were a lot of food carts and there was yummy food dropped everywhere but Mom didn't let me stop and eat. As a matter of fact, she was getting a little irritated to see all the trash people had left behind, 

   

The town hall was financed through a tax on wine. There are short corner towers on either side of the front of the four-level building. In the middle, the tall center tower has a dome and spire. Niches on the neoclassical facade hold statues of Austrians, emperors, and figures representing art, science, trade, and industry





The historic center was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999 due to the harmonious co-existence of typical buildings from different epochs and in different architectural styles. Situated in a cultural borderland between Central Europe, Italy, and the Balkan States, Graz absorbed various influences from the neighboring regions and thus received its exceptional townscape. Today the historic center consists of over 1,000 buildings, their age ranging from Gothic to contemporary 

Gemaltes Haus (Painted House) – one of the most popular Instagram-worthy spots in Graz; the colorful frescoes depict the hierarchy of Greco-Roman gods

The Painted House is first mentioned in 1360. In this house, the Dukes of Styria would give their subjects land for a fee and otherwise carry out their public business



   

Landhaus (Country House) – an excellent example of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, with several courtyards surrounded by elegant arches.

       


The Graz Art Museum was built as part of the European Capital of Culture celebrations in 2003 and has since become an architectural landmark and is the weirdest building we have ever seen. Its exhibition program specializes in contemporary art from the 1960s onwards. 


     




Here's another strange building, The Murinsel, which is an artificial floating "island" in the middle of the Mur River and links the two banks on both sides. At night the blue navigation lights that surround the structure light up. This landmark of Graz was designed by New York City artist Vito Acconci on the occasion of Graz becoming the 2003 European Capital of Culture.

Described by the artist as "A bowl that morphs into a dome that morphs into a bowl…Mur Island is in the form of a giant sea shell and measures 47 m (154 ft) in length. Two footbridges connect it with both banks of the Mur. The center of the platform forms an amphitheater. Below a twisted round dome, there is a café and a playground. We walked through it but the cafe was closed.

   



We found a different place to sit for a minute and Mom ordered an iced coffee and a brownie. The brownie looked good but tasted horrible according to Mom. I didn't get a taste, but I'm sure I would have liked it. (Mom claims chocolate would make me sick)

 

After a short break, we continued on to The Schlossberg, at 473 meters (1,552 ft) above sea level, is a tree-clad hill, and the site of a fortress. The hill is now a public park and enjoys extensive views of the city. It is the site of several entertainment venues, cafés, and restaurants.

Noway is Mom going to make it up all those stairs I thought, luckily there was an elevator and now I had to wear that stupid muzzle again. (Mom is very impressed that I don't protest much)


 

 


As we were getting into the elevator we noticed there was a slide coming down, and Mom looked at it in horror. We don't have to come down in that, are we? It was a spiral tube and you had to sit in something looking like a half of a sleeping bag. ...............Over my dead body, she said and I'm quite happy about that.


    


The fortification of the Schlossberg goes back to at least the 10th century. In the mid-16th century, a 400 m (1,300 ft) long fortress was constructed by architects from the north of Italy. There are records of a cable-hauled lift being in use between 1528 and 1595 to move construction materials for the fortifications. The castle was never conquered, but it was largely demolished by Napoleonic forces under the Treaty of Schönbrunn of 1809. The clock tower (the Uhrturm) and bell tower (the Glockenturm) were spared after the people of Graz paid a ransom for their preservation.

 

The view from up here was very impressive, and when finished looking we took the elevator down. puuh

    

this is the Lueggerhouse which was built in the early 16th century and rebuilt in the Baroque style at the end of the 17th. The tracks on the streets and all the viring for the cablecars kind of spoils the view a little 

 

Here's a true antique 

 

This city is beautiful but it could use a good scrubbing from so much graffiti and pee. I find every street corner and stairway full of interesting messages and wanted to "read" it all, but Mom hated it so all I got was a quick whiff here and there. I'm taught to never ever leave any messages behind on buildings, and I never do, so we always have to find a green spot for me when I have to go.

 

The Florida flamingos found a use here too

 

 

Many street musicians brighten up the place and Mom always have a coin for them 

 

 

we sat down on a bench to rest and listen for a while

 

and this lady came and joined us. At first, she ignored us and didn't look all that happy, so I decided to change that 

, and with my charm that quickly changed.

 

 

    

I gave her lots of kisses while Mom with her louse German and the lady with her lousy English had a conversation

Too bad they don't know our dog's universal language ............or not

 

There was this gorgeous pink house across the street, and the lady claimed that's where Napoleon was born. Must be a different Napoleon because the one we know of was born in Corsica

   

 

 










Entrance of the Styrian Armoury (German: Landeszeughaus), the world's largest historic armory holding approximately 32, 000 pieces of weaponry, tools, suits of armor for battle, and ones for parades.

During World War II, the entire contents were moved to safety in three castles in remote parts of Styria, and no losses were recorded. After the end of the war, the objects were brought back into the undamaged original building

     

 

There was so much to see so many statues in every building truly a very interesting day but I for one was quite happy when Mom decided to take the bus back to Lucy

   

 


The weather is great and soon we will drive off to the next city VIENNA 

Mom has great expectations about that city but if I had a choice I would go back to that national park 

All is great 

kisses Henry 

 

 

Av EvaLena Hallgren - 27 juni 2023 06:13

We spent two nights in a very relaxing place, with no screaming kids, no traffic noise, only birds and the wind. The best part was that I was allowed to roam free a little and I made a friend that stopped by and asked me to come out and play, which I did


I had to make sure I'm home for breakfast because Mom usually shares a little with me, I know she can't resist my begging face even if she tries to ignore me looking into that box.


Lucy is cleaned up and the laundry is done. Fresh sheets that have been dried in the wind. I thought Mom was going to inhale the sheets?

Now we were both well rested and off we went to the next stop which was Plitvice National Park. 

On the way there we saw many booths along the road which was selling local cheese and honey. Mom has really missed good cheese so we stopped and this old lady had her taste some really good homemade cheese. Mom said ok to buy one piece of cheese and a jar of honey for 20 euros, which she thought was way too much but ok. The lady wanted more money and Mom showed her all she has was credit cards and then she tried to poke her finger into the slot where money is kept.   Later when Mom opened the package she had somehow switched the cheese Mom picked into some old dried-up hard pieces haha haha. How could a sweet little old lady like this be dishonest Mom thought.

I stayed in Lucy the whole time so I take no responsibility ................The honey is delicious.

 

So we arrived at the park before noon and we were lucky to have nice cool weather for a hike.

Plitvice Lakes National Park is Croatia's largest national park covering almost 30,000 hectares. The lake system stands out, fascinating scientists and visitors alike. Interconnected by many waterfalls and watercourses above and below ground, the lakes are grouped into upper and lower lakes. The former is formed on dolomites, with mild relief, not-so-steep shores, and enclosed by thick forests, whereas the latter, smaller and shallower, are situated in limestone canyon with partially steep shores. The lake system is the result of millennia of ongoing geological and biochemical processes creating natural dams known as tufa barriers. These are formed by the deposition of calcium carbonate from the waters flowing through the property. this system is a geochemical process of tufa formation that interacts with living organisms, most importantly mosses, algae, and aquatic bacteria. The scale of the overall lake system and the natural barriers are an exceptional expression of the aesthetically stunning phenomenon, acknowledged since the late 19th century. The park area is mainly covered with very well-preserved forests essential for the continuity of geochemical processes in the water system (above and below ground), which include an area of 84 ha of old-growth forest of beech and fir. Besides the striking landscape beauty and the processes that continue to shape the lakes, the park is also home to noteworthy biodiversity. The tufa barriers themselves provide habitat for diverse and highly specialized communities of non-vascular plants. Brown bears, Grey Wolves, and Lynx along with many rare species roam the forests, while the meadows are known for their rich flora.

At the gate, we received a map of choices of paths to take, and Mom asked which one is most scenic. Girls response was "If you want to see it all it's the 12 km (8.5 miles) hike" OK, we want to see it all, and off we went.


 

I wasn't crazy about the bridges where water is rushing this close, but neither was Mom




This wasn't fun, we both got wet and the roar from the water is scary 



     


I heard Mom being upset with herself for not bringing the "real camera" instead of only her phone because pictures didn't come out as well.


       


It wasn't a very difficult walk and there were strict rules about staying on the paths and not to venture into the woods. 

Mom was so proud of me for not barking back at some dogs that didn't like me and walking along on my own most of the time. Sometimes the wood was spaced a little too far apart so it was hard to keep all four paws on top so Mom carried me through the worst parts.

 

 


The lakes are crystal clear and bluish green absolutely stunning At times it looked like the water is coming out of the trees 

   

We looked for wildlife and all we found was this frog and many small turquoise dragonflies (impossible to catch on phone) that swarmed the shallow part of the lakes.

 


This must be made by a sharp-toothed animal? beaver?

 

 Back to where we started, we had a steep 1-mile hill to get back to the parking space. You should have heard Mom's huffing and puffing. I thought this day was amazing we should do it more often I said to Mom,

sure, she said as soon as I recover from this.

At the parking place, it was a no dogs allowed store so I sat with this guy from Chicago while Mom went to get water and a snack for us


It's now 7.30 am and Mom is looking at a map to figure out where we'll go next. Sounds like a new country again?

The weather is great around 20-25 during the day and it drops to below 20 at night. (75F and below) can't get any better.

I'm feeling great this morning, but listening to Mom groaning I think her old body got a bit of a beating yesterday. She says it was all worth it though it was a gorgeous park well worth visiting again.


Wet  kisses to all

Henry


PS. Did I tell you that Mom is super duper proud of me?  

        





  





Av EvaLena Hallgren - 25 juni 2023 14:24

We are on our second day in Like camping not far from Plitvice Lakes National Park where were going next. 

Leaving Dubrovnik we spent one night at a very nice beach camp named Viter a few miles south of Makarska. Again we met up with our UK friends, and I just like me, the man didn't want to go near the water so we stayed together while the ladies went swimming.



   


It is hot and it's hard to sleep but the worst thing at this camp is playgrounds on either side of the camp. On one side it's a kid's camp, and in the evening there's some kind of loud game where the leader speaks on a megaphone. On the other side, it's basketball where the coach blows the whistle on and off...............nope nope, Mom does not have patience for it and to tell the truth, I'm not a big fan of it either 

This is pictures from an early morning walk, it's very pretty here.

     

The beach is covered in  pebbles shaped soft and round from the sea, but very difficult to walk on says Mom


 

I met a cat and a dog on this walk. It's funny how the cats in this country don't hiss at me, they are all more curious and like to meet me ...................I keep the distance though because you never know

   

We said goodbye to our friends and started the drive North and up into the mountains to get a little relief from the heat

What bother Mom even more was these prickly seeds that stuck to me everywhere we walked. I'm not very fond of them either because it means that Mom is constantly pulling my hair.

As we were getting away from the crowds (45 min. to get through Makarska) we saw this sign, and yes that's what we're doing I think. kind of rude though

 

Anyway, we stopped at the Walls of Ston which is a series of defensive stone walls that protected the city. They are featured as King's Landing's fortifications in Game of Thrones


 


The Walls of Ston are the longest complete fortress system in Europe (and second in the world behind the Great Wall of China) and they are known colloquially as ‘The Great Wall of Croatia‘. Reaching over 7 kilometers and date back to the 14th century.

The walls safeguarded the highly lucrative salt pans in the area which are still operational to this day. The salt produced in Ston is said to be the purest in the entire Mediterranean region.

 


Funny how Alice (The map lady) thinks a drive that takes 5 hours should have only taken 2 hours?

Oh well, Mom asked Alice for a campground on our route and told us about a forest camp by a lake, Perfect:Mom said and off we went.

The drive to get there was very nice.

     

When we got to the camp it wasn't what we expected, it was on a hill if you wanted to be on grass so we parked on the gravel

It was self-check-in 25 Euros

We went for a nice walk without those prickly things and Mom said she was longing to go for a swim. NOT ME.

Just we needed MOm said piece and quiet in the woods by a lake.

After a little while we heard drums, you know that donk donk donk that you hear from cars sometimes. More and more people were showing up and soon we found out that this particular weekend d it was a festival here, so we packed up and left.


   



 Alice didn't suggest any other camps on the route and we wouldn't; arrive at the park until 8.30 (so she said)

Mom is getting tired and pulled over at this beautiful lookout and said why not spend the night here? sure

 


But after we found out it was a 200 Euro fine for sleeping in parking spaces we kept on and so happen to find this fantastic camp called LIKE, and we do like it. Mom is doing laundry and I'm napping under Lucy. It's much cooler here and very windy. The best part is I'm allowed to run free. The owner loves me and has a girl lab that visits me and I her.


Mom said we should only post pictures because she was told nobody wants to read about the history of these countries anyway. it's ok with me, but maybe nobody wants to see the pictures either?


I'm ready for another nap WHAT? Mom said, you never stopped napping, I did too, didn't you hear me barking at that intruder on our space? yes  yes


Wet kisses to yaal

Henryl

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