We are up early so Bob went to the lounge for coffee and is now working on his pictures. I will go up and get a cup of tea in a minute. I wanted to work on the blog while most everyone was still asleep.
At a little past 8 we went to the dining room and it was full. We sat at a booth which I don't like for breakfast or lunch since you have to slide in and out. Not as easy as getting up from a chair. So I decided to have one egg benedict since the waiter brings that to the table.
These beautiful swans greeted us when we returned to the cabin.
The town square where they were having a flea market.
We got ready and walked into the center of Linz. We tried to visit the Old Cathedral but they were having mass so we did not want to disturb them. This was built between 1669-1683 by the Jesuits. Anton Bruckner held the post of organist here from 1856 to 1868. The organ was converted in accordance with plans drawn up by him and has been preserved in that state up to present day.
The central square had a flea market which we walked through.
This is the outside of the Cathedral.
And of course, the entrance.
We then headed to the Old Parish Church which we were able to get inside. It is Baroque and still displays some structural elements from the Roman and Gothic periods. The heart and internal organs of the Emperor Friedrich III are buried there.
This is the interior of the church.
More of the interior.
I found this quite interesting.
And the pulpit of the church.
This is the rear of the church.
We walked into the center square where they have a flea market every Saturday. Some nice stuff but we were not buying.
Walked back to the boat via the park.
We decided to skip lunch so I grabbed an apple and a banana. Bob got a pear. And we were off to Salzburg. It takes about 1:30 hours to get there. We stopped at a rest area and found out Bob did not replace his camera chip. I took a picture of the mountains and the lake with my phone but facebook would not update and I was not able to send it.
When we got to Salzburg we did a walking tour of the old city. We started with a walk through Mirabell Gardens. This is in the scene from Sound of Music where Maria teaches the children Do, Ray, Me.
As soon as we knew where to meet and the time we split. Found a camera shop and bought another chip and we were off.
We then decided to self tour since we did not know where the group was. This is the fountain outside of the Cathedral.
The exterior of the Cathedral. This is the third Cathedral to be erected on this site. Construction began in 1614 under Archbishop Markus Sittikus. It was consecrated by Archbishop Paris Lodron in 1628. The towers were completed in 1655.
The interior of the Cathedral will hold over 10,000 people. The walls are white but someone decided to light them with pink and purple. Was that you Gretchen?
More of the interior.
The ceiling. The frescoes of the octagonal cupola show the story of the Old Testament. The cupola was badly damaged in 1944 by allied bombs. The rebuilding and restoring of the frescoes was completed in 1959.
Appears to be a strong man hold up the pulpit.
The pipes at the rear of the Cathedral.
The towers of the Cathedral
Went first to the Cathedral. When we came out of the Cathedral, the bells were ringing like someone important was coming. Not sure what that was about.
We walked around the corner and entered the Franciscan Church.
Interior of the Franciscan Church. The Baroque altar is the work of Fischer v. Erlach.
The columns are stone and look very old.
The ceiling of the Church.
And a very modern pulpit.
We walked through the old town and returned to Mozart's Birthplace. His parents rented an apartment on the third floor of this yellow house.
As in many of the towns and cities we have visited, the shops in the old town tell the story of the shop by the hanging sings. This was done so that the people would know what the shop sold as most could not read.
This is the sign for the McDonald's. The building used to be a beer hall. They sold beer that was named Lionhead or something like that. So the golden arches now replace what used to be there.
This is the shop of the umbrella maker. You can still buy umbrellas here today.
We then walked about the old city and stopped at McDonald's for a bite to eat. And we shared a diet coke.
We gathered at the meeting place and walked back to the bus. On the way into the old town, we walked across a passenger bridge. Tradition now is to place a lock on the bridge with your sweetheart to prove true love. Some of the shops will sell you locks if you care to do it. When you lock the lock you throw the key into the water.
This is the Sacher Hotel in Salzburg.
We met up with the group and headed back to the buses and our ride back to Linz. On the way home we listened to "The Sound of Music" which we were told is not an Austrian story but an American story. Who knew? Then she played some Mozart.
We returned to the boat and now getting ready for dinner. Having a little vodka and sitting on the balcony to listen to a music fair here at the dock. Not our kind of music but that is okay with us. Tons of kids hanging around on this beautiful night in Linz.
We went to dinner and sat with John and Trink and Julie and Chris. Julie and Chris are from Columbia, South Carolina. Julie used her phone to text all through dinner. And she is quite vocal. Learned later that she had had too much of the grape. So Bob does not want to eat with her again.
Dinner was good and we all had dessert except John. Back to the cabin to read and lights out.
We set sail around 11:30pm. Next stop Passau, Germany.
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