The street market in Salzburg

As they are in Europe - a great street market where one wants to buy stuff and eat everything

A cute form of deer

...and doors to die for

Salzburg and Mozart's balls

We dropped in to Salzburg - home of Mozart. Beautiful city, luvverly shops full of Swarovski crystal and fine Austrian clothes, so wonderfully made in the traditional fashion. Tailored and smart.
Lots of Mozart's balls around (chocolate wrapped in gold foil)

...and this one in the main square. That's not Mozart on the top however - never could find out who it was. To my mind he spoiled the whole thing (he's pretty ugly) and Mozart's one ball should have been left unadorned

Segways abounded and they seemed to think that they ruled the earth, darting about everywhere, quite fast

 

Smart couples and statues

There is a Spar grocery shop on the ground floor of the building where Mozart was born  - but what a smart shop

A typical Salzburg street  - more about the signs later

At a hotel in the middle of nowhere

Just us and a small team of car enthusiasts in a 5 star hotel. Restaurant closed, no room service, Austrian 'Big Brother' on the TV in our room was the only thing that didn't involve lots of interviews of people speaking German. I have never watched it in English, let alone in German. Couldn't understand a word but it looks a bit different to the promos I have seen in OZ.
Mostly it seemed to involve bad actors and incredible sets (take it as you want) doing stupid things - oh, and one presenter who looked as though she must have been picked for her niceness, not her looks

http://www.seebrunn.com/

Wonderful hotel - good breakfast, but one wonders why they take bookings in the off season when they are not really fully open. Might be explained by the amount of alcohol consumed in the bar by the car enthusiasts, who gaily drove the next morning (at vast speed off the property) nary a thought of Polizei with breathalyzers

In Austria - oh deer

We wended our way across Austria. A neat country, very pretty but without the extravagance of Switzerland. I did enjoy it

Maize drying in formation

 The first rain on our trip

We stayed in Igls just outside Salzburg. Most of these photos are from there

We had a wonderful meal in this restaurant - crammed with  local art.

I have sink envy. This is in a craft shop and they wash their artists materials in there every day

The interior of the church is full on

...and this is a clinic in the middle of nowhere

Meanwhile  - down the road, in true neat Austrian fashion

Getting the kerbside pickup sorted

Oh Deer

Cows , Bells and Christmas Trees

Every Autumn in Lauterbrunnen they have a special day when they bring the cows down from the mountain to save them from the winter weather. At first we couldn't work out why there were so many people with their cameras lining the street. After a short wait we saw this procession and a visiting American lady explained what was going on. She saw it last year as well

Led by a young boy in traditional dress with his mother

The tradition is to have decorated Christmas trees on their heads. The younger cows just wear a ring of flowers

My favourite girl

We were very fortunate to be there for that day. The shepherds had a little gathering in a field by the church and gave anyone who wanted it a shot of hot sticky drink, that you wouldn't want to have too much of. They partied on quietly whilst the cowbells clinked and chimed and no doubt the cows breathed a sigh of relief - especially when they could get those bells taken off