Switzerland was the favorite part of our trip, for several reasons.  The first week was fun, but hectic with frequent traveling, so when we got to Einsiedeln we were able to settle in for 5 days.   And Switzerland is beautiful where ever you look.  The sights were awesome, and everywhere our tour guides took us was more spectacular than the last.   And our tour guides, Marie and Chris’s cousins’ were just great to be with.   They treated us so well, and spent so much of their time with us.   It was just easy to relax and have fun.  And have fun we did.   We were looking for a ‘low impact’ trip, without so much planning that we could not stop and have a coffee or a beer to relax.  And we were successful throughout our trip, and made especially enjoyable to be with the family.

Einsiedeln was the birthplace of Chris and Marie’s Grandmother and our home base.  People here in Wisconsin only know Kato Kaelin, but in Einsiedeln Kaelin’s are everywhere.   Back in the 800’s Meinrad, a Benedictine monk came to Einiedeln to try to live a hermit’s life of prayer.   But his advice was still sought out and people came to the Dark Forest.  Around 835 he was murdered, but Meinrad’s tame Ravens led others to the murderers. And the raven motif remains in the heraldic arms of the monastery.   A chapel was built at Meinrads site and maintained for hundreds of years and a Benedictine community founded.  In 948 the first monastery church was consecrated, St Mary’s monastery of hermits.  Somewhere in the 1400’s the statue of the black Madonna was moved into the church at that time.  Many changes over the years, but Marie said this would be the most beautiful church we would see and she was correct.  Never having been to Rome I could only imagine the great churches and this would match my imagination.   The color and detail of the many paintings and beautiful altars leave you awe struck.  There are not as many monks now as there once was, and there is lot’s of locals employed to keep up the grounds, tend to the horses, and the many needs.

So that was our base, our hotel the Drie Konigs was right across the street.   We started each morning and ended each night with a view of the monastery.  Einsiedeln itself is not a large town, large enough to have it’s own brewery and a number of businesses.   Charles says years ago there were many more tourists that came to the monastery and stayed for days, and now the buses come and leave in a day.  So some of the small hotels are being converted or rebuilt.   It was an enjoyable town to walk.  We spent time at the cousins’ houses, they took us up the Holzegg, me for a walk the girls for a ski lift ride!  And enjoyable drinks and food.

We did a Lake Lucerne boat trip that I loved.   And we started out on the far end of the lake so we could meet cousin Emil before we left.   And we all wished we would have had more time with him.  The views on the ride were breathtaking, and lunch in Lucerne and some sight seeing were enjoyable.   We went to Amden, home of the Gmur’s where Karl Gmur’s father was born.   I can’t find enough different words to talk about how beautiful it all was.

Charles and family thank you so much.   You made this trip a “Trip of a life time”.   I felt honored to spend time with all of you.  A special thanks to Marie who made the whole trip possible for us.   Thank You.  Marie has headed home now, a chance for her to see friends, and her house!  We will see her next in Florida.

I will post a few more pictures here.   If you cannot get enough of pictures scrolling across your computer screen I have loaded all of Marie, Chris and Randy’s pictures at:

http://www.photoshow.com/members/rtomb/all

And there is a button to watch full screen in the bar at the bottom of the photoshow.

If you ever have a chance to go to Switzerland, don’t hesitate!

End the night at the cafe

take a hike!

time to eat

think we can make it?

Lake Lucerne

another high altitude restaurant

Saturday we left Munich for a 1.5 hour train ride to Salzburg Austria.   Denise said Salzburg was special and Chris and Marie’s Mom was Austrian so we made this one of our stops.   No train transfers at all today, an easy trip by train.   I had planned to walk from the Salzburg Bahnhof and along the way the girls thought I was crazy lost.  The thought occurred to me, but it really was not That far!  And the girls did well again.   The Crown Plaza Pitter was a very nice hotel.  There was construction on the upper floor, adding a top of building restaurant, and luckily we missed the construction for the weekend. The hotel staff recommended some good restaurants nearby and after settling in a little we got our walking shoes on and headed out.   The shopping/restaurant district was close, it looks like they are just finishing redoing a lot of the streets.  It was a very cool area to walk, and the restaurant recommendation was excellent.  A relaxing meal and back to the hotel to settle in, settle in the bar area actually.   We found very accommodating bar staff and I tried some local beer and schnapps, and the staff filled us in on a lot of information about Austria.

The next morning we found a close Café for coffee and light breakfast.  Then we hailed a taxi to take us to the High Fortress at the other end of the old city.  Hohensalzburg Fortress, built in 1077 by Archbishop Gebhard, considerably enlarged by Archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach (1495-1519), largest, fully-preserved fortress in central Europe.  During its long history the Hohensalzburg Fortress has always remained unconquered by enemy troops.  This was well worth the trip.  We took the tram up to the fortress and the views are tremendous.  Salzburg and surrounding Austria look beautiful.  The Fortress itself is amazing, and amazing to try and imagine how it was built!  We spent a fair amount of time sight seeing before heading back down the tram.   Luckily on the way up I spotted the Stiegl Keller!  It was getting to lunch time and being at the base of the fortress was convenient.  That and the fact I recognized Stiegl as one of Europe’s amazing beers.   So we made our way to the bier garden and settled in for a little relaxing.  The food was excellent, I had a seasonal wit beer that was excellent.    A great stop, and then back to walking!  We were in the old city which is full of amazing buildings, Salzburg the Rome of the north.   Everything from churches and shops, course open air cafes and street performers.  I think MJ picked up a keychain along the way and we did stop for a refreshing drink in front of Mozart’s birthplace.   We left the old city walking along the Salzach River and taking in more sights, heading back towards the hotel.   A short distance and we came to the Mirabel Palace and Gardens.   Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau had Altenau Palace built in 1606 as a token of his love for Salome Alt.   And in the gardens we were reminded of the Sound of Music.  Salzburg hosts a number of sound of Music tours as a lot of filming was done here, some in the gardens.   We have to watch it again to try and recognize sights.   The gardens remain beautiful and while we were there a school band from England was playing American big band favorites! We spent a fair amount of time there and then continued our walk back to the hotel.   We managed to find some ice cream along the way.  Everywhere on our trip they seem to like their ice cream and sorbet and from stands to all cafes you have choices. We made it back to the hotel after a full day.   I took my net book to the bar to download some pictures and the girls took a break.   We decided on supper in the hotel, the Pitter-Keller, one of Salzburg’s oldest beer cellars houses the restaurant.  We needed to have our reservations in as tonight was the World Cup Championship which generated a fair amount of interest in Germany and Austria!  And they added some screens to the restaurant to watch the game that night, and we had a great view.   We had another excellent meal and as the game got late the sisters headed to bed and MJ and I headed to the bar!   MJ for her new favorite dark Mozart liqueur and I think I tried some more schnapps!  We hung on a long time but still no score, when we left and went back to the rooms we did see the Germans win!  It was a good Sunday in Austria.   Many of the stores were closed because of Sunday, as is the case most places we visited, but still a very full day.  We could easily have spent more time in Salzburg.  On Monday we needed to get a fairly early start, for us,  to catch the ICE to Zurich.  A 5 hour train ride this time, but just the single high speed train.   Coffee and breakfast delivered to our seats and amazing views of Austria and Switzerland.

Sound of Music tour promo!

Friday evening meal

Salzburg from the fortress

Salzburg from the fortress

chapel at the Fortress

protecting the Fortress!

Stiegl

Church in old city

old city recreation!

street performer

drinking to Mozart

climb the fortress wall?

Weinerschnitzel anyone?

Mirabel Gardens

remember the fountain from the movie?

One of these 2 were in the movie?