Travel – Page 39

Road Trip (Before Covid-19) – Antelope Slot Canyon, Lower Antelope Canyon, and Dinner at Shift Kitchen and Bar (Flagstaff)

October 24, 2020 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Flagstaff/ Sedona/Winslow/Northern AZ, Road Trip, Travel

***** Warning; this post is super long.

Man, it's been over a year since we did this road trip. I thought I'd better get my posts done. The Missus wanted to do a road trip over the Labor Day weekend last year. She had been wanting to check out Antelope Canyon for years. So, after doing a bit of research , I came up with a plan, to do both Antelope Slot Canyon and Lower Antelope Canyon, check-out Horseshoe Bend, and even do a small group tour of the Grand Canyon over the weekend, with just taking the Tuesday after Labor Day off. Frankie's Auntie "Alle" had just returned from visiting family in Italy and graciously said she'd love having Frankie around over the weekend.

So, we left on Saturday morning. I'd planned a couple of stops along the way. When we stopped right outside El Centro….good lord, it was in the high 90's and the humidity was crazy, so we drove through Yuma and decided to get gas in Dateland at the travel center. The Missus actually enjoyed shopping at the Travel Center and even bought a couple of packages of dates.

We then headed out east on the 8, then headed up the 85, onto the 10 East, then straight up the 17 toward Flagstaff.

Then it happened. About 15-20 miles out of Flagstaff, my transmission went out. I pulled to the side of the road and we tried calling AAA. Unfortunately, cell phone reception was very bad. I finally found a high spot off the freeway and got thru to the Auto Club. Unfortunately, they weren't able to find our location….I even got the latitude and longitude, but no bueno. What I neded up doing was calling the Highway Patrol and getting a location after they pinged the cell phone tower and I walked up about a mile and got the milepost as well.

And then it was just waiting……good thing I could still start my vehicle and run the AC and such. And we waited…..I think this cloud kinda looks like Frankie, what do you think?

And for some reason; a version of an Eagles song went through my mind; "stuck on the shoulder outside Flagstaff, Arizona……"

After about 90 minutes a tow truck arrived and we got hitched up and were on our way to Flagstaff…….except about 5 miles down the road, our tow truck broke down….soooooo; we now needed a tow truck for our tow truck! About an hour later, a fleet of tow vehicles arrived, including the owner of the tow company who was so nice and apologetic.

This time they used a car carrier and we drove to the Flagstaff Toyota dealership. Now, I'm not big on fancy cars; my little 2005 RAV4 had over 220k miles on it….the Missus decided it was time I got a new car. Which is how we went on a roadtrip and I ended up getting a new RAV4. By the time all the paperwork was done and the car was prepped it was 9pm and we headed off to Page. Which was a 2 1/2 hour drive. We got into our hotel at around midnight and immediately crashed….it had been a long day.

The next morning; we had the hotel breakfast and checked out. I had made two reservations for the day….we'd be visiting upper and lower Antelope Canyon. Antelope Canyon is located in the Navajo Nation so all access is by tour groups.

Our first visit was to Antelope Slot Canyon. We headed into Page and arrived at the designated location for Antelope Slot Canyon Tours by Chief Tsosie. Based on our reservation time; we were loaded onto minibuses and headed out. Our guide was amazing; so knowledgeable, even fielding questions and making recommendations for other places to visit.

There were quite a few vehicles parked as several companies do tours here.

And what you don't really see in photos are the crowds of folks entering.

Though they do a really great job of keeping distances between groups allowing folks time to take photos and take in the beauty of the canyon.

Before entering we were given a little lesson on how the canyon was formed. We were asked how the canyon formed in the specific way and no one answered; so I finally went, "sandstone erosion based on fast flowing floods". The guy stopped and cracked up, telling me "I've been doing this for a decade and that's the best answer I've ever had." Not sure if he was just making feel good……and I got an elbow and a whisper of "don't show off" from the Missus for my effort.

Like I mentioned; our guide was amazing. He went over the famous "sites" and set-up and took photos of everyone in the group. He kept folks together; even the two groups of "selfie Instagram girls". He told us stories of Antelope Canyon; the flash flood in 1997 that took the lives of 11 people, with only one survivor (see the link if interested), about Peter Lik's black and white photo of Antelope Canyon fetching 6.5 million dollars, and that National Geographic is banned from Antelope Canyon, how the canyon had been closed twice because folks were illegally dumping human ashes in the canyon.

The lighting does play tricks with you…….

Other well known locations were pointed out; like the "Dragon's Eye".

Let your imagination run wild……

This tour was super easy; the terrain is level so there were quite a few people on the tour. It does get a bit cramped at times, but I as very happy we did this.

We had a little over an hour between tours. I had a well regarded fried chicken place in mind for lunch; but it was just too hot for us to think about having that. Instead, I just bought some cold cuts and a salad from the Safeway across the street from the tour office. This would be enough to hold us until dinner. We planned to be in Flagstaff by then.

After lunch we headed off to Ken's Tours Lower Antelope Canyon. Man, the waiting/office area was packed. Luckily, we had made reservations months earlier. When we were called, we queued up and then headed down a trail. Just looking out, you really couldn't tell that there was a slot canyon here.

And after a short walk, we arrived at some pretty steep stairs and headed down into the canyon.

And while our guide at Antelope Slot Canyon was definitely better; the lighting here was amazing. Also, foot traffic here is one way thru, you don't have to turn around to head back, which made things less cramped. And did I mentioned the lighting????

The lighting, shadows, red sandstone just adds to the otherworldly feeling.

And you start seeing shapes…….some of them are quite well known. This is "Bruce the Shark".

And don't forget to look up. I actually saw the shape of a seahorse in the view to the right.

This was quite an amazing place to visit and I'm glad we did it.

After the tour, before heading to Flagstaff, the Missus had one more place on Her "list". A place that was actually made famous by social media, a destination made popular by Instagram, Horseshoe Bend. Back in, say 2014, about 40,000 people a year visited Horseshoe Bend….but after folks started posting photos on Instagram, you know, the selfie generation, it is estimated that over 2,000,000 folks visit the site right outside Page every year.

And so we found a parking spot and made the short pilgrimage down the trail to the look-out.

Notice the folks sitting on the bench? Well, it was pretty darn hot already on this day.

We saw several young people sitting and vomiting…..heat stroke…I guess perhaps they'd partied too hard or hadn't hydrated properly. What was even worse were the knuckleheads who brought their dogs out. We saw one vomiting….a guy was running past us in the opposite direction; his poor dog was having seizures! What morons.

We joined the masses to take a photo that I guess everyone now needs to have.

We saw quite a few people head over the railing to get "that photo" of themselves here. Crazy. Even with the overlook in place, folks still find a way to kill themselves.

We headed off to Flagstaff. I'd booked two nights at the Residence Inn in "Flag" as I heard residence call the city. Home to Northern Arizona University, both the Missus and I enjoyed our time in the city…..folks were friendly, there's a kind of artsy, hipster, chill vibe. At around 7,000 feet elevation, the weather was much cooler than Page. Also, I was a bit surprised to see the pine forests surrounding the city.

We also lucked out as right across the street from our hotel, the city was having it's "Art in the Park" festival.

Where we managed to do a good bit of shopping and purchase some gifts for folks back home.

It was a fun time….folks (including the four legged ones) were so friendly here.

Gifts in tow; we headed back to the hotel for a short break before heading out for dinner.

And while our dinner destination was a mere two blocks from where we were staying; we took our time. We really enjoyed the historic downtown area of the city.

For dinner, I did a bit of research and decided on Shift Kitchen and Bar; the focus on shared plates and an interesting cocktail list seemed like just the thing for us.

We were seated across from the bar area; a perfect place for us as we could see what others ere ordering and still had some privacy.

The cocktails were good; my favorite of the evening was the Smoked & Dirty Martini.

There was one item that drew me to Shift. The Missus loves salt and vinegar chips and the Pickled French Fries with "Secret Sauce" seemed like something She's love.

Wonderfully "pickly" with a good amount of salt, the Missus just loved this. She really didn't need the "secrest sauce" (think Mickey D's). As a matter of fact, we had a second order of this.

The Duck Liver Tart, was well, a bit too "tart" and sweet for our taste.

We loved the greens, though the pickled pears were much too sour for us.

The Smoked Bone Marrow was quite good; though the garnishes added perhaps a bit too much acidity for our taste.

Loved the bone marrow; savory-buttery goodness on the toast. Could have done without all the mustard seed and really acidic pickled veggies – jalapeno which really detracted from the goodness of the bone marrow.

All-in-all, a decent first meal. Friendly, amiable service, solid cocktails…..we (the Missus) would definitely return for those fries.

Shift Kitchen & Bar
107 N San Francisco St.
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Current Hours:
Wed – Sun 5pm – 9pm

We'd had a pretty busy 24 hours….we drove from San Diego, got stuck on the I-17, bought a new car in Flagstaff, drove to Page and spent the night, visited Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend, and were really enjoying Flagstaff. Man, would I sleep well on this evening. Dreaming of red sandstone shapes rising toward the sky……

Thanks for stopping by!

Munich – The Asamkirche, St Michael’s Church, and a Caffiene Break at Dallmayr Delikatessenhaus

September 19, 2020 mmm-yoso Caffeine Fix, Germany, Markets & Grocers, Munich, Travel

**** Not much food in this one as I'm trying to go through my backlog of travel posts.

After visiting the Viktualienmarkt and finishing up my "sir…please no not say Spam….please…… we continued meandering along.

This very modern looking structure is the Ohel Jakob Synagogue. I read that this area, around Sankt-Jakobs-Platz was where the original Synagogue stood; which was destroyed by Hitler in 1938.

On this day; it was a nice peaceful place; close to busy streets and businesses.

There are things that aren't in the guidebooks that you come across when you do the "Flânerie" thing; like these interesting colored tiles.

Sometimes they remain a mystery until I'm able to do a bit of research after getting back home. But this one had a sign in English.

This is the "Monument to the Gays and Lesbians Persecuted under the Nazi Regime". There wasn't much I could find in English; but you might find this article of interest.

A few blocks down Sendlinger Strasse; a busy shopping street was our next stop; the Asam Church (Asamkirche). Also known as Church of St. Johann Nepomuk; this 30 foot wide church was created in the Baroque style by two brothers, sculptor Egid Quirin Asam and painter Cosmas Damian Asam as a private church….so basically, they could really go for it. And I've read that the church could act as a showroom of sorts for the brothers.

So, basically every inch of this chapel is decorated.

In fact, if you do travel to Munich; get Rick Steves guide to Munich and Salzburg, the part on the Asam Church s highly entertaining and a hoot. Mentioning that this private pale of worship served as a "promotional brochure to woo clients, and is packed with every architectural trick in the books."

From the ceiling art….which is created in such a way to make it seem like a domed ceiling to the golden gilded grim reaper snipping off the thread of life…..there's quite a bit packed into one fairly tight Barogue space.

I had read that it was never the intention of the brothers to make the church public; but pressure from local citizens forced the family to allow for public access.

Whatever the intentions and backstory, the Asam Church was a fun short visit for us.

Like I mentioned earlier in the post; Sendlinger Strasse, the street the church is located on is quite a popular shopping area. The Missus enjoyed window shopping as we headed down the street. As always, half the fun is people watching.

I wish things were like Paris and there was a outdoor café handy; it would have been fun having a coffee and just sitting down to watch folks (and their pets) walk by.

We turned a corner and headed up Eisenmannstrasse and found ourselves in front of the impressive St. Michael's Church; with its distinctive façade featuring statues of the House of Wittelsbach; which ruled Bavaria from 1198 until 1918! The church is also considered to be the largest Renaissance church north of the Alps. The church itself was created by the Jesuits as part of the "Counter-Reformation" to counter the Protestant Reformation in 1583.

The Altar stands three stories high.

The crypt down the stairs contains the tombs of the Wittelbach. For us; the item that really stood out was the huge Monument to Eugène de Beauharnais who is also interred in the crypt of the church.

After visiting St Michael's we decided to find a café and grab a caffeine fix. I had a place in mind and along the way was the impressive Frauenkirche, which is the location of the Archdiocese of Munich.

It quite amazing that this Gothic inspired church was built in only 22 years – from 1466 – 1488.

Much of the church was destroyed during World War II, the towers survived and the church was rebuilt around that.

What really got our attention was the monument of Ludwig IV as you enter the church.

There's also the Der Teufelstritt (The Devil's Footprint); my photo unfortunately didn't come out…..hmmm……

There's also this relic of Pius X in the cathedral.

As for our caffeine fix; I decided on a place I thought the Missus, who really enjoyed the cafe's in Vienna, might like. Established in 1700, Dallmayr Delicatessen seemed like a place we might like. The "Stammhaus"; the original store is huge, has three entrances, consists of 19 departments, and we were greeted by a fountain…nothing strange about that, right? Except this one had live cray fish in it…..

Though we were tempted by the many offerings…….Dallmayr was given the title of "Royal Bavarian Court Supplier" in 1900 and it's easy to see why.

We headed upstairs to the Café-Bistro Dallmayr.

While the possibility of Lobster Thermidor (a "light lunch"?) seemed interesting; I was still full of Spam Leberkäse, we decided to just get some coffee. The Missus got the French Press which came with the old fashion hours glass timer; very quaint.

I just needed a picker-upper and got a double espresso.

Which was just what I needed.

After finishing up; we spent a bit of time downstairs and the Missus got some gifts for friends back home.

And then we headed out; there were still a couple of other places the Missus wanted to see.

Dallmayr Delikatessenhaus
Dienerstrasse 14-15
München, Germany

Thankful for a nice little break and bolstered by our coffees we headed back out.

As we walked through Marienplatz for the umpteenth time, I was happy to have had a double espresso.

We still had a few sights the Missus had on Her "list"

Well, we're almost at 950 words now…….so, I'll continue on in a future post.

Thanks as always for stopping by!

San Francisco – Mister Jiu’s (Before Covid)

August 20, 2020 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, San Francisco and Silicon Valley, Travel

If you recall; back in January, before the "you-know-what-hit-the fan" the Missus and I took a trip to San Francisco over the long MLK Day weekend. We had enjoyed ourselves at the Chinese New Year Flower Market Fair…man, looking back at those photos kinda sends a shiver up my spine right now…..that's how ingrained all the Covid-19 precautions have become.

We decided to head back to the hotel for a short nap before heading out to dinner.

Heading down Kearny Street I saw this on top of the building near the corner of California Street.

Take a closer look.

I wondered what these shrouded, hooded, ghostly, Grim Reaper looking statues were. Well, after doing a quick search I found that these are the Corporate Goddess Sculptures, created by Muriel Castanis. As to what they are…from the Atlas Obscura post:

“They are empty, toga-draped forms from which the figures have been removed, rendering the sculptures as abstracted reinterpretations of the neoclassical masterworks of Lorado Taft and Augustus Saint Gaudens.”

Okay then…..

We got back to the room rested, took a short nap, when we awoke, the sun was setting.

After catching up on emails and other things we headed out for dinner.

I had read been reading about Mister Jiu's since the much anticipated restaurant opened in 2016. And the Cantonese (with other regional touches) based fare had garnered Mister Jiu's a Michelin Star. Both the Missus and I were interested; since the other Michelin Star Chinese Restaurant on the West Coast we've visited, Bistro Na's has become a favorite of the Missus. So I made reservations in advance for dinner.

We liked the décor, a very tasteful design, and we especially enjoyed our cocktails for this evening.

We didn't enjoy our lead Server, who was a bit snobby and very condescending, acting like he was doing us a favor by just waiting on us…….. I guess that just meant I needed another cocktail.

We decided on items that interested us; most of which were riffs on staples both the Missus and I enjoy and dishes that I had read about. It was to be a rather light dinner, since we weren't super hungry.

First up was a very basic, simple item….but one which is very important to the Missus. to the point that we make a version of it at home every year. The Fermented Cabbage.

This version, crowned with a touch of spice was quite good….a nice slightly funky fermented nose and taste. A light spice really cleaned things up and the cabbage was nice and crunchy. A well done basic dish.

I love jellied pork dishes, so I had to get the Chicken Feet Terrine, which was also quite good.

Loved the contrasting firm textures of the terrine; it was obviously crafted with skill. Nice mild savory flavors with a touch of sour. Very nice.

Since we enjoy our Liang Cai (cold dishes) we also went with the Chilled Beef Tendon, which unlike the previous two dishes was not quite to our taste.

The chili oil was on the weak end of the scale for us and while it looked quite spicy, it wasn't. There was a real lack of the complex flavors (suan, tian, ku, la, xian).

The Missus loves Her Turnip Cake (and has been grumbling that I don't make it much anymore), so She wanted to try the Crispy Scarlet Turnip Cakes.

This was another non-starter, mainly because, while the exterior was slightly crisp; the interior was quite dry and lacked a light pungency….it was definitely not our favorite. The sauce was much too acidic as well. Give me the version Sea Harbour anytime.

The Missus wanted something with rice; so we ordered the Mapo Doufu.

I gotta say; the rice was absolutely perfect; in texture and fragrance. The mapo doufu, not so much. It was really bland, with a greasy mouthfeel, and really lacking in the basic ma-la we were looking for. I was looking for that numbing-hot (of course my tendency is toward Chongqing in terms of Sichuan), a deep savory – fermented bean flavor, a hint of pungency, all of which seemed to be missing.

Oh well, I had another Cocktail which was another winnah'.

As our final dish, we chose the Sourdough Scallion Pancake. Man, this was very impressive; a definite riff on the typical Chinese Scallion Pancake….texturally, this was amazing; a slight crisp-crunchiness in the exterior that gave way to a airiness, with a bit of a slight chew. The pancake was fragrant, with a definite hint of sourdough and scallion. This was delicious and a nice way to end the meal.

And while Mister Jiu's is now doing takeout during the time of Covid-19; the Missus and I might return once all of this is over and we feel comfortable with travel again. Though it might just be sitting at the bar enjoying a few cocktails and small dishes….and definitely that Scallion Pancake.

Mister Jiu's
28 Waverly Place
San Francisco, CA 94108

You can read Faye's post on Mister Jiu's here.

We enjoyed strolling around Chinatown after our meal. Things were much more quiet, though still quite bright and colorful.

While passing Portsmouth Square we noticed a small group of Chinese Women getting their "exercise"……we decided to sit and watch; just us, two homeless guys and the women getting their groove on. This just reminded us of China and we walked back to our hotel with smiles on our faces.

Munich – A Morning Walk, Weisswurst at the Viktualienmarkt, and “No Please Do Not Call it…..”

August 1, 2020 mmm-yoso German Restaurants and Food, Germany, Markets & Grocers, Munich, Sandwiches, Travel

Our Monday in Munich was going to be our "walking day", as the Missus had a broad outline worked out. We headed out from our apartment and a few blocks away got to the Missus's starting point, a large square officially known as Karlsplatz, but which most folks in Munich call "Stachus".

Right past the square as you head toward the city center, you pass through Karlstor. While the city walls of Munich were torn down near the end of the 18th Century; three of the gates remain.

This gate is one of the entrances to Munich's "Pedestrian Zone". It is obviously one of the main shopping streets as well.

We were surprised at all the "little surprises" we found on our way to our breakfast stop. It was fun and there was a lot to catch our attention and I'm sure we missed quite a bit as well.

I thought the fountain to the right was quite interesting. It's named Brunnenburbel – "Fountain Boy". It was quite interesting; apparently the fountain depicts a Satyr spitting water on a boy. The story goes that the boy was trying to stop the Styr from peeing, so the Satyr grabbed the boy and started spitting on him. I mentioned this to someone and was told; "it is very German….you see, in Belgium, they celebrate a boy peeing (Mannekin Pis)…here, even the little boys know it's wrong, and try to stop it, even at a cost". I dunno know about that, but it's very quaint, no?

During our walk down Neuhauser Strasse we saw a few things that reminded us of places we had been to before.

The first was at this place.

This is the German Hunting and Fishing Museum. And no it wasn't the giant Wels catfish outside; but rather this fellow, do you recognize him from a previous post?

Yes, it's a copy of Il Porcellino…..you recall that in Florence, I managed to "feed Mr Piggy"…..so, according to legend, I'm supposed to return to Florence one day!

And just a bit further down we came across this fellow!

Shades of Salzburg. We had just come from Salzburg, where you couldn't help but run into Stephan Balkenhol's "Sphaera". And here, leading to a shopping lane named Kaufingertor Passage was this sculpture. I had a bit of a time trying to find out the name of this one. After a bit of work; I found that the name of this piece was simply “Man with outstretched arms and white shirt”. Go figure.

And of course all roads….or make that pedestrian streets leads to Marienplatz.

Even on a Monday at right before 9 am, the place was fairly busy.

On our way back, later in the day, we'd actually get a chance to see the Glockespiel on the New Town Hall go off. It's quite entertaining.

It might be obvious to you; but Marienplaz literally means "Mary's Square". The column that stands near the middle of the square is named Mariensäule "Mary's Column", a Marian column that dates back to 1638 and was created to celebrate Bavaria's victory over Swedish Troops during the Thirty Years War. At the top of the column a golden statue of the Virgin Mary stands on a gold crescent moon, befitting her title of "Queen of Heaven".

In case you were wondering what happened to the Old Town Hall; well, it's right there at the end of the square.

In retrospect, the Missus and I were quite surprised at all the church's in Munich, we ended up visiting quite a few. Our last stop before "breakfast" was St Peter's Church.

St Peter's Church is said to be the oldest Catholic Church in Munich. It is also noted that as far back as the 8th Century monks lived around a little church on this hill. This church dates back to the 12th Century.

I found of this interesting and I really enjoyed the ceiling Frescoes.

But there was one main reason I wanted to visit. In one of the side Altars of the church you'll find a coffin of glass. The skeleton in that coffin is covered with a bejeweled body stocking….gold and jewels abound. The skeleton's eyes are glass.

This is the skeleton of Saint Munditia who is the Patron Saint of….wait for it…..Spinsters! Her remains have been interred in the church since 1675.

Well, after that visit…..it was time to grab a rather late breakfast.

We had enjoyed our short visit to the Viktualienmarkt on the day we arrived in Munich, so I really wanted to check the place out again and I also wanted the Missus to try some Weisswurst and it had to be eaten at the right time…..according to tradition Weisswurst should never be eaten after the bell chimes for noon. Traditionally, Weisswurst were made without preservatives fresh each morning, so they needed to be consumed before midday.

The Viktualienmarkt Beer Garden doesn't open until 10am, which is why we spent the morning wandering around a bit. After arriving we went and checked out some shops and produce stands.

Thing were fairly laid back and quite relaxed when we arrived.

And after exploring for a bit; we headed off to the Beer Garden.

And ordered the Missus Her Weisswurst. No beer for us; 10am is too early for "beer o'clock"….at least for us….even in Munich.

I instructed the Missus to peel off the casing before eating. I'd read that Weisswurst is white because no nitrites. which preserve color are used in making this pork, veal, and fatback, sausage. The Missus loved it! This was fairly mild in flavor, not salty, you could make out a bit of porkiness, some almost citrus tones….it was quite good. The Missus is now sold on Weisswurst…….She even prefers it without mustard. She also enjoyed the Sauekraut as well. This as enough for both the Missus and I for a pseudo brunch.

As we were leaving the Viktualienmarkt area I passed the little shop above. I saw the sign…..displayed to the right and something caught my eye. Leberkässemmel….for 2 Euroes! Leberkäse is a Bavarian and Austrian specialty that folks compare to bologna. This was a nice slice of meat product tucked into a roll (semmel), with mustard to cut the porkiness and salt. I really enjoyed this.

You know, the flavor is very familiar. As we were walking up the street, I told the Missus, "you know this really tastes like…." when a tall gentleman turned around and in a very kindly voice said, "sir…please no not say Spam….please……" Okay, then……..let's just say it was delicious, how's that? (pssst, it does kinda taste like you know what…….)

We were having a lot of fun in Munich and our day wasn't even half done!

Thanks for stopping by!

Munich – Augustiner Keller Biergarten

July 23, 2020 mmm-yoso Beer, Gastropub, German Restaurants and Food, Germany, Munich, Travel

What would be better after a busy day walking around Munich, than having a (couple of) cold one(s), right? And of course we were in Munich, so we had to check out at least one beer garden. Folks I knew recommended Hofbrauhaus, but I did a bit of reading and the place just screamed "tourist". Augustiner Keller on the other hand; well, I'm sure that many tourists visit; in fact we got to chatting with two fellows from the UK who were visiting while their wives were off on a "girls trip". Also, Augustiner Keller seemed quite close to where we were staying….at least it seemed that way.

So, we headed out taking a left down Landwehrstrasse, walking past the Church of Saint Paul and taking another right, then a left, eventually finding a pedestrian overpass to the large street below.

Then heading up a nice pedestrian path named the Kurt Haertel Passage, then crossing over all the train tracks on Hackerbrücke (Hacker Bridge), where I noticed couples climbing up the railing. I later learned that this is a favorite place to view the sunset for young couples.

We made it to the other side and walked East for a rather long block where I saw this rather discreet sign.

Which belies how huge Augustiner Keller is; established in 1812, first legally serving beer outdoors since 1842, the place seats 5,000 people under 100 Chestnut trees, has three restaurants, a fairly expensive regular restaurant, a table service outdoor area, and a self-service area, where I understand folks can even bring their own food. It was a happening place on this beautiful Sunday at the end of May.

We decided on the self-service side of things.

And while the pretzels and pork knuckle looked mighty tempting……

We decided on encased meats in tubular form. Beer was dispensed from wooden barrels and you can get half liter pours….but c'mon, you're in a beer garden in Munich. You need to get beer in a stein (rightfully called a "mass" in German) the size of your head.

The Missus, who just really wanted some sauerkraut, got the Nuremberg Rostbratwurstel which came with Sauerkraut (8,8€).

Six very porky sausages, with slight lemony-herbaceous tones, with a nice "snap" to them. The Missus loved the flavor of the sauerkraut; though the texture was on the soft-mushy side.

I saw a sausage I enjoyed earlier on the trip and got the Käsekrainer (8,4€), basically a sausages stuffed with cheese, which came with fries.

The beer was wonderful, quite refreshing, I had two. The fries were fairly crisp but standard issue, the sausage was not quite as good as what I had in Austria….but I still enjoy that vein of milky cheese in the middle.

We really enjoyed our meal…in a beer garden; in Munich, on a beautiful day, under chestnut trees, surrounded by mellow folks enjoying the day, and drinking a beer the size of my head.

I mean really…….

Augustiner-Keller
Arnulfstrasse 52
80335 Münich, Germany

Life was good!

Thanks for stopping by!

Munich – The Egyptian Museum, Alte Pinakothek, Lunch at Bar Mural, The “Michael Jackson” Memorial (Orlando di Lasso Statue) and Other “Stuffs”

July 16, 2020 mmm-yoso German Restaurants and Food, Germany, Munich, Travel

After a wonderful dinner at Werneckhof by Geisel, we slept soundly. I of course, woke pretty early and just checked email, worked on a post, downloaded some photos. After the Missus woke, I went out and grabbed some coffee, organized stuff and then headed on out. While making some broad plans, I noticed that even though many places are closed on Sunday…which this day was, Museums in the Kunstareal ("Art District"), the city's Museum Quarter charged just 1€ admission! The Missus has been dreaming of travelling to Egypt and our last visit to the Louvre, where we spent most of the visit at the Department of Egyptian Antiquities added fuel to the fire. I told Her Munich had an Egyptian Museum….so of course we had to visit.

So, we headed off….it was a nice day….Sunday at the end of May seemed to be pretty quiet……

We knew we were close when we passed the Propylaea, a large city gate built in 1862 modeled after the Propylaea in Athens which is the gate to the Acropolis.

The main street, Gabelsbergerstrasse is very wide making things look a lot grander.

The Egyptian Museum looks kinda strange at first glance – big and boxy.

And there was this sculpture basically in front of the museum.

At first glance I was a bit puzzled; I actually told the Missus, "why is there a sculpture of what looks like a guy barfing in front of the museum?" After doing a bit of research, I found that this work is named Present Continuous by Henk Visch. If you want to know more, you can read this.

Upon paying our Euro and entering the museum, I got the design……it's to give you the impression you're entering an ancient tomb.

We loved the lighting, the nice spacing between exhibits, and there were just a few people in the place!

There are routes marked on the floors and it was just a fun place to visit.

And the Missus of course reminded me that I owe Her a trip to Egypt.

One of these days……

Right across the street is the Alte Pinakothek ("Old Art Gallery") and since it was only going to cost us a Euro and didn't look crowded we decided to check it out.

The collection features works by Raphael, Leonardo, Botticelli, Rembrant, and Rubens.

The Flemish paintings really caught my eye – like the Two Satyrs by Rubens (to the right).

And the Satyr and the Peasants by Jacob Jordaens. (below)

Things were starting to get crowded, so it was time to head off to lunch.

Like I mentioned earlier in this post….it seems like a lot of restaurants near the city center are closed on Sunday. I'd managed to find a place that wasn't too fancy; it was a sibling of a Michelin Starred Restaurant, and got some reservations for 230 in the afternoon. Which meant we could take our time walking there.

We headed South East, passing the distinctive Obelisk….apparently this was built to commemorate Bavarian Soldiers who fought with Napoleon's Army against Russia.

Then past the Statue of Max Joseph von Pettenkofer in Maximiliansplatz.

Then headed back up Amalienstrasse taking right turn on Theresienstrasse, noting that all the shops were closed and found Bar Mural….which was also pretty quiet.

Bar Mural was basically a wine bar, with a small eight item menu….stuff like Egg Benedicts…..Pastrami Sandwiches…..and the like. We decided to just get a couple of things….after all, we had a biergarten in our sights for dinner.

We got the cheese plate and the 63 Degree Egg with Tomato Compotte……it was just meh……

The cheese was the wrong temp…too cold.

The egg was fine; the tomato compote adding some nice acidity, but this was underseasoned and kind of bland overall.

Can't win 'em all, right?

Bar Mural
Theresienstrasse 1
München, Germany

We decided to check out Marienplatz before heading back to the apartment for a nice afternoon nap. There was one thing I as kinda curious to see. It's that statue pictured to the right; it's of composer Orlando di Lasso. But look at the bottom of the statue…recognize anything? Yes….that's photos of Michael Jackson. According to Atlas Obscura, soon after Michael Jackson's death folks started laying flowers and wreaths at the base of this monument. Why? Well, there's no relationship between Jackson and di Lasso; rather this is because Jackson's favorite hotel in Munich; the Bayerischer Hof Hotel is right across the street. So this is better known as the "Michael Jackson Memorial" these days. Go figure….

Nearby is this interesting "statue".

It's an aluminum statue of Bavarian Statesman Maximilian Joseph Von Montgelas, aka "Maximilian Karl Joseph Franz de Paula Hieronymus de Garnerin de la Thuile, Count von Montgelas"…..whew, can you imagine that signature?

As we headed to Marienplatz, we noticed police, road blocks, and could hear music playing. When we got to Marienplatz, we notice a very large, but really peaceful crowd.

We noticed folks…..adults, children, and even dogs and cats dressed in red jerseys. And then some folk appeared on the balcony of the Town Hall. Apparently, the local Football (Soccer) Team, FC Bayern had won the their league championship. It as great to see a large crowd, relaxed, mellow, celebrating with their local team.

It was a fun scene……Munich was turning out to be much more than we thought it would be!

Thanks for stopping by!

Munich – A Quick Visit to the Viktualienmarkt and Dinner at Werneckhof by Geisel

June 24, 2020 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Fine Dining, German Restaurants and Food, Germany, Markets & Grocers, Memorable Meals, Munich, Travel

When planning our trip last year that started in Budapest and ended in the Missus's favorite city….yep, Paris, I needed to find stops in between. While the Missus does humor my desire to travel by train; She requested that no trip be longer than three hours or so. So, when planning our exit from Salzburg, I had to keep that parameter in mind. After providing a few options; the Missus agreed on Munich. It seemed an interesting city, we'd never been to Germany….and frankly, I'd always wanted to check out an honest to goodness Beer Garden.

Once, I started to do a bit of research, I got a bit excited when I read about Werneckhof by Geisel, lead by a German-Japanese Chef; Tohru Nakamura. I managed to snag reservations quite easily, considering the place has 2 Michelin Stars.

We arrived at the huge sprawling Munich Central Train Station after a uneventful two hour ride from Salzburg. I had made arrangements to stay at an Airbnb on Schillerstrasse a quick stroll from the train station. The rather "International" and slightly seed feel to the neighborhood bothered the Missus at first. But, in the end, She took to the area.

Of course, after settling in, the Missus wanted to head out right away….some things never change. I had wanted to check out the Viktualienmarkt, Munich's popular and very well known open air market. So, we headed on over. The Market has a long history, dating back to the 15th century….though it became a market by official decree in 1807.

Considering that the market is centrally located in Munich; it's amazing to consider that it covers an area of five-and-a-half acres!

Wanting just to quickly check things out; we started at the Maypole, which along with a bit of history, also lists out, like a typical traditional one, the various specialties of the region.

Among the many traditions that surround the Maypole is the mischievous one where rival villages try to steal their neighbor's Maypole. Here's a funny story of a group from the tiny village of Neufinsing (population 4300) who managed to pull off a heist of the Munich Maypole! When the terms of ransom was settled; the thieves managed to get two meals and beer out of it! You gotta love it!

We found folks in Munich and Stuttgart to be very well mannered and yet friendly in a reserved kind of way.

And also very social.

We'd return to the Viktualienmarkt and actually have a meal and spend a bit more time shopping later on during our stay.

We decided to take a quick walk to the Marienplatz ("Mary's Square"), considered to be the hustling-bustling heart of Munich. The massive New Town Hall ("Neues Rathaus") with its famous Glockenspiel takes up one entire side of the square.

We'd return here several times during our stay as well.

For now; it was time to head back to the apartment to take a short rest before heading out to dinner. Dinner was in the North Eastern part of Munich. We ended up taking the U-Banh from the Goetheplatz station and got out at Giselastrasse. From there, Google Maps was my friend and we found Werneckhof by Geisel.

The exterior is very low keyed; we were greeted immediately after entering the restaurant, shown our table, and then taken to meet the chef. We were the first customers this evening; so it was nice chatting with Chef Nakamura; whose father is Japanese and Mother German. The Chef was also interested in why we chose to dine at Werneckhof by Geisel. We mentioned our affinity for Franco-Japanese cuisine, we loved how well the flavors melded together, the precise cooking and presentation, how some places edged more on European and others more Asian. We then rattled off some of the places we'd been to; Sola, Takao Takano, Alliance, and the Chef smiled and mentioned cooking with these Chefs during events and having actually worked in the same kitchen as well.

Dinner started with nice aperitifs, then the appetizer course. We were thrilled that the appetizers revolved around white asparagus which was in season. Each using white asparagus in different preparations.

The pickled asparagus was a sight to behold, wonderfully presented, the tofu and sorrel vinaigrette amazingly smooth. The raw asparagus was amazingly sweet and was balanced out with rocket and camelina. The grilled version was probably the most mundane of the trio; though you really couldn't complain about the quality of the product. The preparations was a nice way to enjoy and appreciate how delicious white asparagus is.

The Missus and I each took one of the tasting menus so, even though there was some overlap we'd be able to get a nice, full range of dishes.

Up next for me was the "Hamachi". Basically a Yellowtail Tatare and some sliced like sashimi.

This was a wonderful range of textures; the firm, yet buttery Hamachi, the thick, rich parsley sauce, and in an interesting touch, the marinade in buttermilk, which added a pleasant milky-acidity to the dish.

First up for the Missus was the Langoustine in Shiitake Aspic, with Oyster and Anchovies.

I wasn't sure how all these really strong flavors would work together; but there was a good amount of balance in the earthy versus the oceany-savory…..and that langoustine basically melted in your mouth!

We both had the Bavarian Salmon Trout (Steelhead) as our next dish.

The sesame and kombu beurre blanc was quite interesting adding a mixture of nutty-slightly briny flavors to the very tender fish. Yuzu added a nice acidity that helped to cut the richness. In a fairly humorous moment, the Maître'd Markus, a very mellow and friendly young man, ambled on over and started explaining what Yuzu and Kombu was……I started laughing and told him "I'm Japanese" and he cracked up saying that most of the customers, especially the German customers have no idea what these ingredients are and for many, the flavors are still mysterious and exotic. I really enjoyed chatting with Markus and his twin brother, who is the Sommelier, Tobias.

Next dish up, the Gilthead Seabream, another overlap in our tasting menu.

The rice was a bit underdone; but the pressed octopus and especially the fish based sauce was an amazing umami bomb. The fish was perfectly tender; I'm thinking it might have been sous vide.

At this point, we were asked to stretch out legs and led downstairs.

And we were taken to….."Shibuya"!

In the restaurant's wine cellar, a little bar was set-up along with the fixins for some Kushi Shabu. And some great entertainment from the "Mad Professor"…..

We got sake or shochu, and a couple of skewers……

We were regaled with stories of the chef and other staff, various jokes, and of course everything ended with the perfect photo-op as well!

We returned to our table for the "main courses". By now the dining room was starting to fill up.

Next up for me was a super tender, rich, and delicious Luma (a company from Switzerland which specializes in Aged Pork) Pork Belly topped with wonderfully earthy morel mushrooms.

The Missus had nice, though rather forgettable (compared to the pork belly) BBQ Eel.

And the meal's crescendo for me was the Ozaki Wagyu……whoa man.

And that truffle sauce….with a nice savory-spicy touch of Gochujang…….

The Missus's Koji Brined Grilled Saddle of Venison was also a big winner.

The lovely, flavor of the pasture, perfectly cooked, fork tender, the jus amazing….a touch of wasabi…good lord; an amazing dish!

And as a palate cleanser…the Missus absolutely loved Erna….the name of the Kombucha's Scoby…..

Dessert here were no joke……the Missus was in heaven.

Shiso, Medlar, Elderflower, and Yogurt.

Mara de Bois Strawberries, Tahitian Vanilla, Tonka Bean, and Sansho.

Hojicha, Raspberry and Lemon Balm.

I thought the snacks that were brought out with the check were presented wonderfully, on a map of Munich where these confections were created.

And I really enjoyed the fortune cookies.

We really enjoyed our meal at Werneckhof by Geisel. And much like our meal at Takao Takano a mere six months before; it was definitely one of the best meals we've had. We loved the effcient yet relaxed service and vibe; not stuffy in the least, a nice playfulness, but with seriously executed food. Markus and Tobias were amazing…….I still remember their names. And that's a photo of Chef Nakamura stirring the pot as a child to the right……he's been cooking for a long time!

I seriously think we'll try to return.

Werneckhof by Geisel
Werneckstrasse 11
80802 München, Germany

We caught a taxi back to the apartment….there were some road closures, so we had the very friendly cabbie drop us off a couple of blocks from our residence. The short walk back actually did us good. We'd get a great night's sleep and wake ready for another busy day!

Thanks for stopping by!

Salzburg – Dinner at Gablerbrau, The Views from Kapuzinerberg, Mirabell Gardens, And Some Last Minute Wanderings

May 9, 2020 mmm-yoso Austria, Austrian Cuisine/Restaurants, Travel

Since we had only planned on one full night in Salzburg, the Missus really wanted to make the most of our time; we'd started with the Old Town, then "hiked" up to Hohensalzburg Fortress. We decided to head on back to the room to freshen up and then grab some dinner. We took a fairly "scenic" route, walking thru Kapitelplatz.

And grabbing another look at Stephan Balkenhol's "Sphaera".

"Everyman" was still standing on his golden orb, looking off into the distance at “Frau im Fels”, his female counterpart. We tried to get a photo from here, but it was basically impossible.

We crossed thru Residenzplatz, you can tell what a beautiful day it was…..

We crossed over the Salzach River and headed to the Seminary where we were spending the night….the Missus suddenly realized that She needed some balls……ahem, Mozart Balls that is, for some folks back home. Luckily there was a location of Cafe Konditorei Fürst nearby; Mozart Balls or more properly Mozartkugel was created in Salzburg in 1890 by Paul Fürst, so it was only right that we would get some for the Missus's friends.

It was just up the street from the Seminary, so we stopped by and the Missus got Her gifts.

Cafe Konditorei Fürst
Mirabellplatz 5A
Salzburg, Austria

We headed back to Gästehaus im Priesterseminar.

Freshened up; no time for nap on this day and went through options for dinner.

We decided on something fairly close to our accommodations in the "New Town" and after looking thru my list decided on Gablerbrau, which seemed to have a nice selection of beer and some good dishes.

The folks here are very friendly and the place did actually "look the part"……

We placed our orders and of course, I got some beer…..which was quite good.

The bread was fragrant, adequately moist, and decent overall.

We ordered one starter, the "Tafelspitzsulze" jellied beef….since we enjoy jellied meat dishes. This however, was fairly uninspired; the jellied meat overly hard instead of chewy.

The produce was good; though the dressing not to our taste.

Right about this time groups of customers started coming in.

And the staff handled things quite well. Service was very good.

The Missus wasn't too hungry, so She ordered the special for that day; the Duck Salad.

That tomato was delicious, as were the crisp and pleasantly bitter greens. The duck was over-cooked and tough though.

I ordered the Oxtail Braised in Red Wine.

Which was served with Parsley Potatoes. The oxtail didn't look very appetizing as it was almost totally black. It was tender, though strangely bland, except for being on the bitter-greasy side. The potatoes were nicely seasoned, but undercooked; the centers still being too hard and crisp.

A fairly inauspicious meal; though, like I mentioned earlier, we enjoyed the service and I liked the beer.

Gablerbräu
Linzer Gasse 9
Salzburg, Austria

I was ready to call it a day; perhaps grab a beer or two…..but of course, the Missus had other plans. After a bit of discussion, we (She) decided we should head up Kapuzinerberg the hill which is on the opposite side of the Salzach from the Old Town and Hohensalzburg Fortress.

There are several viewpoints ("Aussicht") along the way and the views are wonderful.

There are ancient walls along the way……this was used to enclose a Capuchin Monastery that was built on this hill during the 16th and 17th century.

Looking down, the Missus and I were quite envious of the folks having drinks and meals on the makeshift rooftop "terraces" below. I'm thinking we'll try to find one of these places to stay at when we're back in Salzburg.

We took in a bit more of the views before finding some stairs and heading back down to Steingasse. There are a bunch of bars and brewpubs on the street, but I was kinda pooped and we decided to head back to Gästehaus im Priesterseminar; the seminary we were staying at.

There's a reason so many love Salzburg……not the least of which is how picturesque the city is.

The Missus asked me if I wanted to stop at a shop to pick up a beer on the way back to the room…..but I had noticed something when we had left the seminary in the morning.

Near the elevators on the bottom floor of the seminary were several vending machines….and one of them had beer…..in a vending machine…..in Salzburg…..in a Seminary Guesthouse!

It was a pretty warm evening; there's no A/C in the rooms, so we left the windows open. Turns out the street right behind the seminary is lined with bars and things were pretty noisy….which kept me up for a while, until the Radler kicked in and sailed off to never-never land.

We got up fairly early the next morning; breakfast was provided with the room……

Since out train didn't leave until 1pm, and the train station was a fairly short walk away, we checked out, left our bags at reception and headed out. There was one site which was almost across the street that I wanted to see.

Mirabell Gardens. Part of the Mirabell Palace complex; yes, the gardens are beautiful, bright, green, wonderful statues…..designed in in the late 17th century, it is quite wonderful. But there's another reason tourists flock here.

And it's not only to dress up "in character"…..

Mozart is one big draw for Salzburg….the other being The Sound of Music, which was not only filmed in Salzburg, the Von Trapp family actually did live in Salzburg.

It's really hard for kid raised in the 60's and 70's to not have seen The Sound of Music and one of the most memorable scenes was filmed in Mirabell Gardens. Who can forget this one….try NOT to hum along….

So you might recognize this fella…..

And this is a view from the steps…..

I couldn't help but smile…….

And I'm sure many folks were enjoying, if not actually trying to act out (it was more fun watching some of the folks) their Do-Re-Mi moment.

From here we decided to head back to the Old Town for one last stroll…..plus there was one last thing I wanted to see….so we walked past the Salzburg Christ Church.

And crossed over the Makartsteg Footbridge, lined with "Love Locks".

Back to the Old Town.

To the area around Residenplatz and came upon what I wanted to see; the "Wetterstation" a weather station that dates back to 1888.

Not sure why; but stuff like Astronomical Clocks and the like always fascinated me. This actually measures the barometric pressure, temperature, and humidity.

Having fulfilled my geekiness we wandered around a bit more.

It was a lovely day and Cafe Tomaselli was doing some major business.

And all the carriages were ready to go in front of the cathedral.

And "Everyman" was still staring off to his love somewhere in the hills above.

So all was well in Salzburg……

We did some last minute shopping…..

Then went to pick up our bags and headed off to the train station.

I think we'll be back someday….I need to get a good meal here after all.

But for now…..

We were off to Munich.

Thanks for stopping by!

Salzburg – Hohensalzburg Fortress and a Stop at Stiegl-Keller

March 6, 2020 mmm-yoso Austria, Beer, Pubs and Pub Grub, Travel

*** Not much food in this one; just a couple of "cold ones"

Revived by our coffee at Cafe Tomaselli, the Missus had one more item to check off our "list". On the cliffs above the Old Town is a pretty imposing castle.

This is Hohensalzburg Fortress; first constructed in 1077 by Archbishop Gebhard during a power struggle between the Holy Roman Emperors and the Roman Catholic Church called the Investiture Controversy. The Archbishop first built a fortress on Festungsberg as a symbol of the power of the Catholic Church, directed at Henry IV.

There's a funicular that can take you quickly to the top off the hill….but you know the Missus….we walked up. The walk isn't super long; but it's pretty steep. I was somewhat glad to see, that there were other folks, most much younger than me, huffing and puffing their way up the hill as well.

And I gotta admit, the views on the walk up weren't half bad.

And while there are a bunch of various room, tours, and such, we had really come here for the views; which were wonderful on a beautiful day like this one.

We wandered along the perimeter of the courtyard, making time to take in the fantastic view. I'll say it again; it was a beautiful day.

We then took some time to visit some of the rooms and also St George's Chapel; a little church that dates back to 1500, with marble reliefs of the Apostles that date back to 1501.

From what I read; the Chapel is named after St George, who is the Patron Saint of Horses.

The small domed ceiling and bright white colors really made the chapel come alive.

There's even an interesting sundial on the outside wall of the Chapel that you can see in this photo.

Still, for us, it was about the view.

You understand what I mean; right?

Walking across the courtyard we were rewarded with another wonderful view.

Looking off to the Berchtesgaden Alps in the distance….I got it. All together now, "The hills are alive with the sound of music ……"

Then it was time to head back down.

I had noticed a place on the way up.

The Missus doesn't drink much beer these days (though She did on this trip); but Stiegl's Grapefruit Radler is a favorite of Hers. Stiegl's Headquarters and Brewery is located in Salzburg and we just happened to be passing their "Gastgarten"……how convenient wouldn't you say?

There was some outdoor seating available; but we weren't going to be eating anything and decided to just head into the bar area. Where we both got Grapefruit Radlers.

The clean, bright citrusy grapefruit, with a hint of sweet, low ABV at 2%, it was so refreshing on a rather warm day.

And the Missus got Her Stiegl Grapefruit Radler in Salzburg.

Stiegl-Keller
Festungsgasse 10
5020 Salzburg, Austria

It was time to head back to the room; freshen up and find a place for dinner.

Thanks for stopping by!

Salzburg – Walking the Old Town and a Caffiene Break at Cafe Tomaselli

March 1, 2020 mmm-yoso Austria, Caffeine Fix, Desserts, Travel

**** Not much food in this one. You might want to drop by for something more substantial to eat tomorrow

Our train was set to leave Vienna at 0930am, so we got up bright and early, checked out and headed off to the Vienna Train Station.

As I've mentioned several time before; I really enjoy train travel. It's much more relaxed and comfortable. A mere 2 1/2 hours later we were arriving at Salzburg Hbf. From here it was a nice walk to the "hotel" we were staying at. I use quotes, because we were staying at Gästehaus im Priesterseminar Salzburg. We really didn't want to stay in the old town, but wanted a place within walking distance to everything and I thought the New Town area would work out fine. In case you do recognize the name; this guesthouse is located in Salzburg Seminary….yep, that's right. No television, but you do get a Bible and a cross over your bed.

The beds were comfortable and we weren't going to be spending too much time in our room anyway.

Though I kept on looking up in the air and over my shoulder….the Missus asked me why and I told Her, "I'm waiting for lightening to strike us down….."

It was a beautiful day as we headed down along the Salzach River. Since we had basically one day in Salzburg, we went with the walk in Rick Steve's Guidebook for this first walk.

And crossed over to the Old Town on the Mozartsteg.

From here we walked over to Mozartplatz.

So, have you noticed the name??? Yes, Mozart was born in Salzburg and spent his younger years there, before moving permanently to Vienna when he was 25. Thus you'll "see" Mozart everywhere, along with being the setting of a famous movie.

Without these two subjects….well, I don't think all these tourists would be here…..

There was quite a bit of work occurring on the Residenzplatz, where the Salzburg Residenz, the Archbishops of Salzburg resided (thus "Residenz"), so we skipped on over to the Cathedral.

This wonderful Baroque church was built in just 14 years, replacing the original church which was damaged by fire in 1598.

We found the stark white interior to be quite striking as all the murals seemed to "pop' and come to life. It just seemed so aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

Hard to believe that in 1944, a bomb damaged the dome which wasn't repaired until 1959.

Both Mozart and Joseph Mohr, whom you might know from a little song he wrote titled Silent Night were baptized in this Cathedral.

Though, like I mentioned, it was the murals, especially those on the domes that really caught our attention.

Right around the corner is the Kapitelplatz, a spacious square dominated by this…..

A work by Stephan Balkenhol named Sphaera, a male figure standing on a golden ball…..looking off toward a female figure in a crevice up above.

As grand as this figure was; the one that made the biggest impact on us, was this ominous, scary sculpture named Die Pietà; which I was told meant "Coat of Peace"……it just looked really spooky to us.

On the far end of the square is the "Neptune Fountain" which is quite impressive, considering that it was actually built to be a horse bath….man, horses bathing here must've been something to see….

Right down the street is St Peter's Cemetery.

If you're a Sound of Music fan; this is where the Von Trapp family hid as they made their escape from the Nazis.

It was a beautiful sunny day when we visited.

There are three churches surrounding the cemetery.

We took a peek in Saint Mary's Chapel.

Which was a tiny, but quaint little Gothic chapel right in the cemetery.

We felt a strange kind of eeriness, walking thru the cemetery, even though it was a bright and sunny day.

At the rear of the cemetery, you'll notice structures carved into the mountainside.

These are the "catacombs"….I know, we usually think of catacombs being underground, but in this case they reside in Mönchsberg mountain.

We paid the small fee to climb up some steep steps and were rewarded with some pretty amazing views.

And as an amazing bonus; there was this young lady playing the piano in one of the caves.

She was amazing! When she finished, both the Missus and I gave her an ovation….which surprised her. She didn't even know we were there and sheepishly told us "I'm sorry, I'm practicing for a performance tonight…."

It definitely added to the atmosphere!

From here we walked thru Universitatsplatz (Univesity Square) and ended up facing Mönchsberg Cliff and what might be the most fancy horse trough I've ever seen before.

From here it was a quick turn at St. Blasius Church and you end up on busy Getreidegasse, a busy shopping street.

It was quite interesting walking down the street; you'd see folks dropping by places like Zara and Tommy Hilfiger….then you'd pass a place like Mozart's birthplace.

It was quite busy wo we decided to pass on this one.

We enjoyed wandering thru the passages….and at #3 Getreidegasse, there was a whale rib hanging from the roof. you can read more about that here.

By the time we passed Louis Vuitton and Hermes we needed a break. The Missus had enjoyed the Cafes in Vienna. so, when I told Her that Cafe Tomaselli is the oldest cafe in Salzburg, if not Austria was block away; well, we just had to drop by for some coffee and a snack for the Missus.