Southern Germany Transit via Regensburg

Southern Germany Transit... via Regensburg..

Shares in Alex company have finally paid off !

The Danube at Regensburg is a little smaller than at Galati, Romania (where it is 1km wide), but there is a stone bridge & lots of people enjoying its waters, all the same.

Another take on David & Goliath - on the wall of an old building in the town.

We had heard that Regensburg, like Oxford in England, was one of the few cities in Germany largely unaffected by the bombing in WWII.
Unfortunately, it meant that the same stones that we stood before at the Synagogue, had witnessed many people taken away to death in Concentration Camps, too.  (We experienced the same in Budapest's largest synagogue in Europe.)

An unusual triangular entrance porch at the main door of the cathedral.

This is what the best dressed Bavarian girl is wearing for special occasions, so we thought all the girls might like to try them on.








Not to mention Isaac, Toby & William's options !

From one square to another,













...fresh revelations ....









But it was time to head for Czech Republic via Southern Germany's lovely countryside:

Alpine Rail Passes...
The Semmering is still a bottle-neck in the Austrian Rail network, just starting to be rectified by a base tunnel..  but has romance in its history of hardship from Neil's early train spotting days (they used rotary snow-blasters to get through in winter !)

It's a main line, but loops round on itself wonderfully...

We were on a Railjet, which is 1st class, so Sandra was doing a blog...

as we passed those castles....

and places with funny names...
to Villach, near the Italian/Slovenian border, where there is...

A fun clown figure, beside the river.

Our hotel was just down on the right, on the main pedestrian mall.

Those grassy valley bottoms...
with villages...
& huts..

wayside chapels...





and mountains...

We got into the Dolomites after Villach, on the way to Innsbruck...

my, what jagged peaks !

and glimpses of distant places...


to see next time... ?



& be amazed at Euro roads...

Through the passes...

From Innsbruck you climb out the valley, with breath-taking, (literally) views..

We saw so many young folks on end-of-term school trips, but especially the kinders caught our eye, reminding us of our own very young, & older ones, too..

So we left the Alps behind us.... to head for Regensburg (Germany)
& Cesky Krumlov, in the Czech Republic...

VIENNA 


It seems that what was a good idea in Paris has been transferred to Vienna, a Shakespeare & Co bookshop. Nice, but not the same.

A clock with 12 characters, each with a tune of their own. Keeps the crowd gazing for ages.

Any one for the Opera? There was an area of sumptuous buildings and conspicuous display of power. Perhaps here it is more concentrated than in any other city.

The brown Danube, half as wide as at Galati. The river is split up. One of the 4 parts seemed blue, and is recreational. Popular with bathers in the record breaking heatwave of 37.7C

On the Ring, the ring of powerful businesses in the prewar days, this is the headquarters of a casino. It was restored from war damage to its former grand appearance, as it was when it was the  Palais Ephrussi, home of a Jewish banking family.

This book shop window is in the building. The great-grandson wrote about his family in this book, The Hare with the Amber Eyes, which I recommend to you.

Our day out of town, but vineyards and forest are only a short ride on the 38A to the south, up in the Vienna Woods. Still couldn't escape the heat.

Our last gasp in the heat. Our hotel was ideally situated for a direct get-a-way in the morning.

Keszthely, pronounced Kesthay

A long run down the 72km Lake Balaton, a continuous holiday resort.

Julius, our train companion, keen to use English. Kept popping in from the next compartment to tell us more about his Hungary. he was returning to his village on the Croatian border after a trip to healing springs for his knees.
He was sorry Hungary ended up so small.  This has been a common theme about the present borders in each of the countries.

The tame hoodie at the fishing place on the lakeside.  Helped itself from the bait, and crouched by the fisherman's chair waiting to be stroked.

Greylag and tree sparrows

Goldfinch










                                                                        The bridge to the island, lovely woods and waterways.

This hide was two rooms of cut logs. How would you like to make this with your firewood, Toby?

Lakeside and Castle (on volcanic plug)

                              

                                                                                                                                                                                 Our shady picnic spot and what will happen to it soon. No little family groups turning the hay with pitchforks here. All modern, a very productive countryside.

   The Dog Jeles, whom Janos claimed as a kelpie, his Australian dog.

Our little train, the first of 4 for the day.

Not our train, but one of several historics.