Pete's Visit

Some photo highlights

Isn’t it always that way … you live in a great city but never tour the sites until company comes? Only this time, when my brother, Peter, came to visit, we decided to go and see a little bit of the countryside beyond Vienna. And the beautiful thing is, you don’t have to go far – barely an hour’s drive outside the city limits – to see some of the most spectacular scenery and bits of history. So here, with just a little caption narration, is a brief look at some highlights of our wonderful week.

We actually began in the city itself by going back to our roots.
Peter is standing in front of the building where our father grew up,
and I am standing in front of the doorway to our mother's childhood home.

On Saturday, we took a train to the village of Melk, site of an 11th century Benedictine abbey, which sits on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Danube in Lower Austria, adjoining the Wachau valley. The church was breathtaking! 

The view of the village, next to the river, was enchanting.

Then we took a boat ride up river on the Danube, enjoying lunch, as well as the view, with friends. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

We disembarked at Krems, a town that is over 1,000 years old and is in the center of a major grape-growing region.

We enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the old city. I particularly fancied the statue in the middle which, legend has it, was erected by and dedicated to the association of hen-pecked husbands!

On Sunday, we picked up a rental car, packed Scout in it, and headed south to the village of Puchberg am Schneeberg, where my parents vacationed on their trips back to Austria in their later years. Again, I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

After Scout spooked the cows, they all got up and headed towards us with great purpose. This in turn spooked Scout, who growled threateningly, which provoked the cows even further and caused them to approach with even greater purpose! We decided to high-tail it out of there, and retreated in haste to this lovely cafe for some coffee, quiet, sunshine and strudel.

Monday was a day in town, shopping at the local market, browsing the Ostermarkt (you've never seen so many beautiful eggs!) and getting ready for the Pesach seder.

On Tuesday, the Danube called us back, and we drove to Durnstein.

A magical evening along the river: warm air, trees in bloom, birds in song, and Austrian soul food for dinner.

Pete had the salmon (Lachs) and prawns, I had the goulash with quail's egg and spaetzle.

And then the sun set, casting a glow on the castle ruins above the town, where King Richard I Lionheart of England was held captive during the third Crusade.

Best Strudel
We have sampled apfelstrudel in many places throughout and outside the city, and so far, this one, served at the Gasthaus Wild on Radetskyplatz  in Vienna's third district, is the winner. But of course, the search must go on!