Salzburg and Vienna (Round 2)

Over Easter, Shea and I travelled to Austria once again to be with my brother and his family. Because they were in Singapore the first few days of our arrival, we journeyed to Salzburg so I could act out the Sound of Music.  For those who do not know, the Sound of Music (one of the best movies ever!) was filmed there.

When we visit a new city, Shea and I try to basically "complete" the city, where we see and do everything that interests us.  This way, when it comes time to leave, we can check that city off our list of places to visit and move on to the next.  Salzburg is one city that we could not complete.

It is just far too pretty and friendly to ever not want to go back to. There are beautiful mountains off in the distance which are begging us to be skied in the winter. Then, there all all these wonderful bike trails inside and outside the city that must be explored. Also, there is a Sound of Music bus tour that needs to be done! So I figure we have two more trips back to Salzburg before I can check it off the list.

We did see all the main tourist attractions though!

We had to take a pic with one of the famous water fountains from the Sound of Music.

We were only there for one full day, but the weather was spectacular.  The sun was perfect for most of the pictures we took. 

We rode the funicular up to Festung Hohensalzburg, a fortress above the city with fantastic views.

New shoes = blisters. Me trying to put a band aid on = photo-op for Shea.

Inside the fortress admiring the view of the Alps.

Panorama view of the mountains.  The area reminded me a lot of Banff, AB.

 Other than wonderful views, we also went to an marionette museum where I was hoping to see these guys from the Sound of Music.

They are apparently in a museum in Iowa.  So I got to see these instead!

Here are a bunch of VonTrapp singers.

 Then it was off to the Torture Area of the Fort Museum where we got to see some interesting torture devices from the Middle Ages.

Not really a torture device, but a chastity belt. Looks comfy!

The Pear of Anguish was inserted into one of the victim's orifices and the torturer would turn the screw at the top.  This would expand the four plates, brutality mutilating the victim. 

 Then it was off the the nunnery which was featured in the Sound of Music!

Julie Andrews stood here!

More views of the Alps. I NEED to ski those!

 And if the nunnery was not spiritual enough, we then went to a monastery. A monastery known for it's brewed beer!

If you ever go to Salzburg, visit the Augustiner.  You grab a mug off the wall, buy some tickets, fill mug with beer and sit down for some great people watching!  We met some lovely British people who recommended the skiing in the area.

On our way home, we walked through a park with another famous feature from The Sound of Music. 

Then it was time to get back to Vienna to see these little monkeys!

Spider David showing off his climbing skills.

Dora the Explorer Jessie loves to swing!

The wonderful Vera and I enjoying an Easter Market. 

Shea is happy because he got to have his cake and coffee in one of the Viennese cafes. 

Jessie loves wearing a crown! 

A little wrestling time with Dad!

One of the best reasons to have guests...

We finally had our first house guest come and stay with us all the way from Vienna for a few days. One of the best reasons to have guests is that it gives you an excuse to finally buy furniture for that empty room.  Okay, that is not the best reason, but guests do remind you of what a wonderful city London is.  They also give you an excuse to go to those crowded tourist areas you generally avoid!

The first place to take any visitor to London has to be the Tower of London.  I know, I have blogged a zillion times about it, but it is my absolute favorite attraction.  I could probably give the beef-eater tour myself (too bad I don't have 20+ years of exemplary military experience), It is just so old, and the crown jewels are so sparkly!

Arthur by the Thames. Let's see how many things I can get my brother to stand in front of...

This was an attempt at a selfie with Tower Bridge. It was easier just to tilt the camera than to maneuver ourselves in front of it.

The next big tourist destination is St. Paul's Cathedral. It is apparently only meant for short people though.

Views from St. Paul's over Paternoster Square. This is the area Shea works. And sometimes drinks.

We walked up all the stairs at St. Paul's for some of the best views of the city.

For some reason, Arthur and I always end up on spiral staircases together. At least this one didn't have us hugging the wall like the one at Barcelona.

St. Paul's from the ground. 

Arthur on Millennium Bridge in front of St. Paul's heading to Tate Modern.

Another fun attraction is the British Museum. It's an interesting building with tons of cool, old things to see. Did someone say mummys?

Just for Arthur, a statue of Gaundi was unveiled outside Parliament. 

You always need a shot with Big Ben.

It was a very busy few days exploring London with the brother.  So busy, in fact, I lost my voice and then had an allergic reaction to something British.

 So, for any future visitors, thank Arthur for finally motivating Shea and I to get a guest room ready!

Canada House

Recently, Shea and I were lucky enough to get the opportunity to enter Canada's High Commission located in the bustling Trafalgar Square.  This building has been going through some major renovations (130 million dollars worth!) and has just been recently re-opened by the Queen herself.  Because it is an official government building, it is not usually open for tour groups.  However, because of all the wonderful art and decor in the building, Canada's government occasionally opens it to the select few.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/queen-gets-stuck-traffic-makes-5192773

The Queen getting the Official Canadian welcome.

This chair was designed for King George V during the first Grand Opening of Canada House in 1925.

One of the many spectacular lighting fixtures in the building. All are designed and made by Canadians.

A ball room.

Here is a listing of all the rooms on the first floor.  Each room is themed after a province or territory. Within each room, EVERYTHING is from that area.

This is the Saskatchewan Room. Notice the Rough-rider green chairs.

There is a wonderful mix of old and new art by Canadians.

Apparently, this is one of the first "floating" staircases to ever exist in the world (notice that there is nothing below the stairs supporting it). When the building was first opened, people refused to go up the stairs, for fear they would fall.

Probably one of the best pieces of art in my opinion. It is the Great Lakes stamped onto sheet metal. 

The view. Outside you can see the London Eye in the distance.

There is even a patio! They still need to install the BBQ though. Here, you get a view of Trafalgar Square and the British Gallery. 

Even the door handles are Canadian!

It is a truly remarkable building! I recommend, if you can, to take the tour. We will be signing up for a second one because we were unable to see the Alberta Room due to some construction that is still taking place.