Since this was our second trip to Alaska, we wanted to do something a little different on this trip. One of the changes we made was adding Copper River to our land tour which took us deeper into Alaska. We stayed at the Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge near the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the largest national park in the United States. Copper River is home to Copper River red salmon. We took a largely unpaved road to the lodge…
We went on a land tour and cruise in Alaska in June of 2012. This was our second trip to Alaska. We did the tour through Princess Cruises primarily because of the excursions they offered and the hotels they have built as accommodations for the land portion of the trip. Obviously quite a bit of time has passed since we did this trip. We were not impressed with the food on board, but did like the hotels, our cabin on…
Today we would visit Vaduz, Liechtenstein which is Liechtenstein’s capital. Liechtenstein is only 64 square miles making it the fourth smallest country in Europe. The residents enjoy a high standard of living. There is less than 2% unemployment. As we approached Vaduz, we saw the Vaduz Castle. It is the palace of the Prince of Liechtenstein – his official home. It was acquired by the family in the 1700’s. The latest restoration occurred in the early 1900’s. There is a…
The next morning we were on our way to Davos, Switzerland. Our first stop was near the remains of World War I battlegrounds and bunkers. Austrians and Italians fought here in the Dolomites. Despite this not being a well-known battlefield, conditions were very tough and many lost their lives. In subzero temperatures men dug miles of tunnels and caverns through glacial ice. They strung cableways up mountainsides and stitched rock faces with rope ladders to move soldiers onto the high…
Today we would leave Salzburg and head for Cortina D’Ampezzo in Italy. Our route would take us on the Grossglockner High Alpine Road, reaching an elevation of about 8,200 feet. It is the highest paved road in Austria. It is named for the Grossglockner Mountain, which is Austria’s highest mountain. It was built during the depression, providing work for some of Austria’s unemployed. The road opened in 1935. Popularity brought more tourists and the road was widened in the 1950’s….
Salzburg is a beautiful city and we were able to spend three days there. Our hotel was on Getreidegasse, a pedestrian walkway and one of the most famous shopping streets in Salzburg. The shops were small with wrought iron signage that added to the street’s charm. Salzburg is the birthplace of Wolfgang Mozart – he was born in 1756 in the yellow house pictured below. His home was also on Getreidegasse Street. Mozart’s musical talent emerged at a young age. …
We were next headed for Salzburg, but stopped in Innsbruck along the way. We were able to spend the morning exploring. Innsbruck is the capital of the state of Tyrol and lies beneath the Alps. It is the fifth largest city in Austria, but its history and charm are still very much part of its character. Innsbruck was home to Emperor Maximilian I in the late 1400’s and in its more recent history, hosted the Winter Olympics (both 1964 and…
On this day of our tour we would see natural beauty and an architectural wonder. We began our day by heading for Zugspitze, the highest mountain in Germany. We first took a cogwheel train to Lake Eibsee. A cogwheel train has a third rail with “teeth” that allows the train to handle a steeper grade. When we got to Lake Eibsee, we took a cable car to the peak of Zugspitze. The first picture below is of the cogwheel train. …
We drove from Munich to Oberammergau. Along the way, we saw houses with beautiful paintings on them. The technique used is like that of a fresco where paint in applied to wet plaster. As the plaster and paint dries, the paint becomes permanent (can’t be dissolved by water). Paintings like these are referred to as Luftlmalerei. They became popular in the 18th Century and were used to convey one’s wealth. Many of the houses around Oberammergau have paintings related to…
Munich is a very easy city to get around. The town square, Marienplatz, was within walking distance of our hotel. It has served as the center of Munich since 1158. Years ago, markets and tournaments occurred here. Today, it is a common gathering place and also the site of Christmas markets during the holiday season. The Mariensäule is a Marian column which was originally built in 1638 to commemorate the end of Swedish occupation following the Thirty Years’ War. A…