July 4, 2013.   It is already Thursday.  Time flies.  I seem to have lost 4 days!  Our last blog was on Sunday June 30th.  In our first blog on Sunday, we were finishing our champagne brunch.  In our second blog on Sunday, we were trying to make sense out of the premature death of my best friend Jim Poshard      My world kind of came to a screeching stop after I received Mark Cornelius’s call advising of Jim’s death.  God has an amazing way of making us feel humble and reminding us of what is important in life.  Jim was laid to rest yesterday.  I had many emails and calls from family and friends with words of comfort.  I do really appreciate all of you that took time to email or text me.  I was comforted by your thoughtfulness.  But, as many reminded me, life goes on and Jim would have wanted me to continue my travels.  So, after 4 days, we have moved on.  We are not who we were before Jim’s death,  because we now know we are not ageless and will all face our own mortality in our own way at our own time.

   From St. Wolfgang, Rita drove us on Monday July 1st  to Mondsee Austria to see St. Michael’s church where Julie Andrew’s got married to Christopher Plummer in the Sound of Music.  It was a beautiful church and we will post some photos for you to see. From Mondsee, we drove to  Salzburg Austria where we stayed at the Arts Hotel Blue Goose on Getreidegasse which is the main pedestrian only shopping street in Salzburg.  It was a great location and the room was very modern and clean. In Salzburg, we did a walking tour of the “old” city.  We saw Mirabell Gardens where Julie Andrews sang “Doe a Deer”, the Castle/Fortress that is over 1000 years old, Mozart’s house where he was born, and ate dinner in the oldest restaurant in Europe which has been in continuous operation since 962.  The next day we did a Sound of Music Tour of the City and saw places such as the horse bath where Julie Andrew sang “My Favorite Things”, the Residenz Square and Fountain where Julie Andrews sang “I Have Confidence in Me”, St. Peter’s Cemetery where the Von Trapp family hid when they were being pursued by the Nazis, the Pavilion where “I am Sixteen Going on Seventeen” was performed, three homes used in the Sound Of Music as sets for the Von Trapp’s home. and the Nonnberg Abbey where Julie Andrews was initially residing before becoming a governess for the Von Trapp children.  It was kind of like a scavenger hunt going to all of these places!!  On Wednesday, we toured the Castle/fortress, and various churches in and around the old city.  All in all we were very busy, saw a lot and learned a lot about Salzburg.  

Today we left Salzburg and drove to Mehlweg and found the pasture used in the opening scene of the Sound of Music.  Incredible views of mountains, valleys and pine forests.  After Mehlweg, we made our way to Berchesgarden, where Hitler spent some of his time with Eva Braun.  It is a small village with quaint shops that have German scenes painted on the front of them.  About 5 minutes from Berchesgarden, is Konigssee where we took a two hour boat trip to see St. Bartholoma church which was originally built in 1134.  We will post photos for you to see.  From Konigssee, we drove to Hohenschwangau Germany.  The drive took us by the Zugspitze mountain which is the highest peak in Germany at 2962 meters.  It was snow capped and spectacular.  We are in Hohenschwangau to see two castles one of which Walt Disney used for his design for the castle in Disney Land and Disney World.  

Well, it is past midnight and I started before 6 AM today.  So, I will end this post here and post photos tomorrow when I am rested. Happy 4th of July to you all.  We love you and miss you.  –Norm & Rita