Blast from the Past - Salzburg

Today I went into my blog archives to see what was languishing in the drafts folder.  And lo and behold, I found the most interesting things - including some unpublished posts from some of our travels!  I was ever so surprised - and quite delighted. 

Oh, the wonderful memories that I found from our trip to Poland, Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic in September of 2007!  I decided they simply must be published - mostly for my sake. 



St. Rupert welcomed us to the first of many interesting sites in the Old Town of Salzburg. This square is surrounded by early 20th century Bauhaus style dorms for student monks.



On one side of this square is a restaurant where Charlemagne ate in AD 803, making it the oldest restaurant in Europe - according to the locals. Many restaurants in the city combine dinner with a concert, very appropriate for this city of music. We didn't get to take in one but will definitely do that next time.



This fountain was the first one we saw (after parking in a parkade inside the mountain!).



These mini-gardens and Renaissance style tombs hug the rock wall. This cemetary inspired the one in the Sound of Music where the Von Trapp family hid after the concert, on their way out of the country.



St. Peter's cemetary. In Austria, gravesites are rented, not owned. Every 10 years, a bill is sent to the family and if the fees are not paid, remains will actually be moved out!



Monschberg Mountain, above the Old Town, is the home of Hohensalzburg Fortress, a forbidding fortress that wasn't even used. Salzburg never was attacked until WWII but they did surrender to Napolean. We didn't get up here but would definitely make this a stop on our next visit.



The Prince-Archbishop who ruled here from 1587 - 1612 had grand plans to build Salzburg up as "Rome of the North". This square was going to be the centerpiece of his Baroque dream city. Salzburg has a series of inter-connecting squares that make a grand processional way, like nothing else we saw. This fountain is modelled after the Triton Fountain in Rome.



A detail of one of the horses supporting the fountain. Each of the 3 unique horses had water spouting from different places.




The Glockenspiel has a carillon of 35 bells from the 17th century that play 3 times daily (7 am, 11 am, and 6 pm). We heard them play for nearly 15 minutes twice while we were in the city. They play different music through the seasons. The sculpture on top of the tower is an upside down heart symbolizing that God loves all of creation. (Thanks to Rick Steves and his tour book for these amazing tidbits of information!)



Salzburg is the birthplace of Mozart and this square is named Mozartplatz. You can also see his birthplace, residence and places where he spent the first 25 years of his life.




This shop had incredible displays of painted and decorated eggs! There were eggs for every special day of the year and then eggs in every color of the rainbow, not to mention all the special character ones or the fancy scroll decorated ones. We asked and they ARE real eggshells with the contents blown out. It was a simply amazing place!




This is another of my trip favourites!




As we left the city center, darkness was descending and the castle looked so beautiful.

Favourites

Just a little idea today from my friend, Linds, who recently wrote about some of her favourites.

Favourite Movie: I have a few that come to mind:
- Mary Poppins was the first movie I saw in a theatre when I was about 8 years old.  It came to the old theatre in Wetaskiwin and I went as a guest of Daphne Ludwig, our pastor's wife, who was very British.  I loved everything about the movie - and going to the theatre for the first time - and can still sing many of the songs by heart.  
- Love Story was the movie Bob and I saw on our very first date!  There are so many things to remember and smile about when I reflect on that night.  It was a double date with our closest friends at that time (R died just a short time later after a motorcycle mishap) and we were even stopped by the police on the way into the city!!  Many, many years later Bob found a copy of the movie and gave it to me on Valentine's Day.  
- Dr. Zhivago still is a favourite with its beautiful scenery, dramatic love story and timeless music.
- Any movie that stars Julia Roberts is at the top of my favourites list whether it's Pretty Woman, Erin Brockovitch or My Best Friend's Wedding.  She's such an amazing actress!

Favourite vacation/holiday: If you know me, you will know that I love traveling and would be gone monthly, if I could!  And because I love it so, every trip is one-to-remember!
- When our children were younger, we took a two-week trip to southern California, going via Montana, Yellowstone National Park, Bryce Canyon in Utah, the Grand Canyon in Arizona and on to San Diego and Los Angeles.  It was truly the trip of a lifetime and we had so much fun together.  I'm looking forward to going to Disneyland with our grandchildren someday.
- When Darrin was just a baby we went to Jamaica for 10 days with friends.  That was the first of many great vacations with many sets of friends. 
- Visiting the Great Wall of China, the commercial district of Hong Kong, Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany, Innsbruck and Vienna in Austria, Prague in the Czech Republic, Krakow in Poland, Manaus in Brazil, Iguassu Falls on the SA borders, and Buenos Aires in Argentina - we have been so incredibly lucky to see so many wonderful places in the world.  Each place had its own unique beauty and interesting people.  
- Traveling to Africa, driving on safari through Kenya and Tanzania, seeing Mount Kilimanjaro, cruising the Nile River and visiting temples and burial sites in Egypt, and then finishing in Zanzibar was an incredible month long adventure.  I still am in awe that we actually did this trip!

Favourite Book:  The list of possibilities is ever increasing in this category!  These come to mind:
- The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
- Earth's Children series by Jean Auel
- A Walk Across the Sun by Corbin Addison
- Winter Garden by Kristen Hannah
- Year of Wonder by Geraldine Brooks
- Still Alice by Lisa Genova
- The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister
- The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rawling
- The Silver Chalice by Thomas Costain

Favourite Hymn:   The hymns learned in my childhood are mostly committed to memory from singing them for years and years.  Some of these were favourites of my grandmother too - she loved them and often sang in her native tongue, German.
- What A Friend We Have In Jesus
- Children of the Heavenly Father
- I Come to the Garden Alone - one of my Dad's favourites
- Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven - sung at our wedding
- Saviour Like a Shepherd Lead Me
- Just a Closer Walk with Thee

Favourite Colour:  I love colours - the brighter the better usually!  Sometimes when I look around a group of people gathered, I wonder about myself in that way.  
- orange is my all time favourite
- followed by yellow and green
- in combination, I love teal and brown, grey and yellow, and red and black.  

Wordless Wednesday

The view from our deck -

Two years ago -

in Zanzibar -

Ahhhhhhhh!

Please Come Over

Please come over

to

Jambo, Safari

to read all about our

Amazing African Adventures!

Today

Today I helped pack up and clear out of our bed and breakfast apartment.

Today I read my book for an hour while Bob and the B&B owner drove an hour up the road (and back), chasing down Heather and Jonathan who had left with our van keys.

Today I called Jonathan's cell phone 8 times in one hour trying to get through to them about the keys - and it went to the voice mail every. single. time!

Today I resolved to put an extra set of keys in my purse so the aforementioned drive, wait and phone calls don't happen again.

Today I washed the breakfast dishes at our B&B, while I waited.

Today I wondered what it would really be like to own a bed and breakfast business.



Today I thought about the jars I canned last year after our BC trip - and I gave thanks.

Today I watched the mountains come and go as we drove home through the Rogers Pass.

Today I mourned the fact that I do not have one single picture of all of us - after we spent 3 full days together.

Today I prayed that our daughter took more pictures than I did.



Today I smelt the summer sweet odour of sun ripened peaches (all 300 lbs. of them).

Today I watched the video of our grandson's dedication on Sunday at their church in New York.

Today I prayed that God will watch over Samuel, be a very real part of his life and work through him.

Today I thought about my friends and colleagues who are back at school with students for the first day.

Today I am thankful for inspiration about my prayer life.

Today I reminisce about summer and think ahead to autumn.

Simple Woman #57

For Today . . . August 31, 2009

Outside my window. . . warm but smoky because of the forest fires burning northwest of here.

I am thankful . . . that we are able to join our daughter and her family for a short vacation - and that I don't have to be back at school this week!

And I am also thankful . . . that there is so much good fruit to be purchased from local farmers where we are visiting.

I am praying . . . that my teacher friends (who are back at school this week) will have a wonderful year sharing the excitement of learning with their students.

I am thinking . . . about all the jars I will need in order to can and preserve the fruit that we've bought.

I am celebrating . . . our grandson's first year of life. What a joy it has been to watch him grow into such a little man!

From the kitchen . . . local sausage seasoned with sun-dried tomatoes and basil, carrots and potatoes baked in butter, Greek salad, corn on the cob and fresh peaches and cream.

I am wearing . . . black city shorts, green cotton top and no shoes.

I am reading . . . Oceans Apart by Karen Kingsbury.

I am hoping . . . to have some playtime with Silas and Helayna before we head home tomorrow.

I am hearing . . . Neil Diamond sing some of his hit songs.

I am creating . . . jars of fruit preserved for winter enjoyment.

Around the house and yard . . . beautiful flowers, chickens, and a swimming pool as we are staying at a lovely bed and breakfast home.

One of my favourite things . . . fresh corn on the cob, rolled in butter and sprinkled with salt and pepper.

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . driving home, canning cherries (they are ripe!), sorting fruit, an appointment in the city and Silas' first birthday party.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you . . . plump and juicy peaches hanging in the orchard belonging to the nicest Hungarian man we met today.



I think Peggy at The Simple Woman may be back next week with her daybook links.

Ten on Thursday

1.  Today I picked the first ripe tomato from our plant!

There are more coming!  So I guess I won't be buying tomatoes at the farmer's market this week :))

2.  From the garden today:  snap peas, regular peas, yellow beans, cucumbers (a surprise when I looked under the leaves), red potatoes, raspberries and zucchini.  We are in full summer production - and it's a happy thing!

3.  Speaking of zucchini - I made muffins, a loaf and zucchini cheese squares.  Would you like the recipe for this lovely lunch dish?  It also makes a great appetizer when cut into small pieces.

Zucchini Cheese Squares

(from Garden Way's Zucchini Cookbook, 1977)

1 cup zucchini, coarsely grated and drained

1 cup grated carrots

3 eggs

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 tbsps. fresh thyme, chopped

1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

1/2 cup Feta cheese, mashed

dashes of salt, pepper and paprika

1 1/2 cups flour

Place all ingredients in large bowl and mix well with flour.  Turn into greased 9 X 9 pan.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes until browned.  Cut into squares and serve.  

The squares are also really tasty the next day, even cold.  

4.   Back to school shopping is in full swing, as evidenced by the lineups at Staples today, when I stopped to get printer ink.  It's quite the industry, isn't it?!

5.  Here are a few glimpses of last weekend's hiking excursion, courtesy of Bob.

The Skyline Hiking Group, 2009

6.

One of the mountain meadows, in full wildflower bloom.

Evidence of other living things in the area. 

7.

Early in the morning, the valley was clouded in but high above it was clear.  I love how Bob captured it here. 

8.

And the wildflowers were absolutely gorgeous - such beautiful colors and so many varieties.  The multitude of mosquitoes, on the other hand, were huge and ferocious.

9.  This photo was chosen by the group leader from our World Wide Photo Walk as the best of our group.  I agree completely!  It was so interesting to watch Braeden compose the shot and then see his results on the screen.  I knew - and I think everyone did - right away that it was an awesome one.  

10.  If you are looking for some scrapbooking inspiration this summer, go to Big Picture Scrapbooking and sign up for August's  free online class called Busy Women Out of Time, On a Budget and Still Inspired.  I guarantee it will make you want to create something right away!  I'm really excited about the accordion album - so many possibilities with this little piece.  

One Year Ago

We were on our way to Miami and then on to places like - 

the Amazon jungle -

downtown Buenos Aires -

a posada (inn) in Uruguay - 

the ocean in Florida - 

and amazing Iguassu Falls!

I think I might have to do some major reminiscing in the next few weeks :))

Camping Time

I want to share some pictures of Meadow on our little trip to Jasper last week. It's really fun to camp with her - she's excited about every mountain, every rock, every trail, and every activity. She is a very good camper - even if she does want to sleep right on top of her mom in the tent!



Our first attempt at hiking was heading up the Cavell Meadows trail on a rainy day. Eventually we were all soaked to the skin - but it was a beautiful spot :)




There was so much water going over Athabasca Falls that the spray was coming over the guardrails and drenching everyone.




It's not focussed but I love the action as they were skipping down the path, saying hello to the rocks. She's either running or jumping or skipping - rarely just walking!




She would go into every river, puddle, lake, or stream that we came too! And this was cold mountain water!!




Riding on Dad's back, wearing the new rainsuit we stopped to buy




Those trees are big!




Ready for hiking with her "'ackpack"




Sitting on a mountain sheep statue in Jasper.

We really are blessed to be able to spend lots of time with our family in the summertime. I hope we can go again next year!

Hello!

Hello, dear little blog -

I'm sorry I have neglected you this week but I have been busy climbing mountains,



hiking,



playing in the water,




looking at animals,



going to waterfalls,




chasing rainbows,




and generally enjoying a camping trip to Jasper

with these guys.



I have missed you and all of your friends but we'll be home soon.

Your Owner

Scenes from the Orchard

Some little glimpses from the Okanagan today!


















We brought home 40 lbs. of peaches, 25 pounds of apricots, 20 lbs. of blueberries and 20 lbs. of tomatoes - I have some work to do in the next few days!!