02 October 2010

{Bolzano & the Iceman} 2 Oct. 2010

We made the 2hr. drive north to Bolzano to take the kids to see the Iceman (Otzi) at the South Tyrol Museum of Archeology. What was really cool about this trip was that Mark has been learning about the Iceman in Social Studies for the past couple of weeks. We couldn't take pics in the museum but if you want more information, check out this website: www.archaeologiemuseum.it/en/oetzi-the-iceman

We parked in one of the parking garages in Bolzano Centro and walked to the museum.....








In front of the museum:

A cheese smile--hard to get a middle-schooler to smile for picture anymore!





more of Bolzano Centro



We left Bolzano after a couple hours and headed to Sirmione (the south end of Lake Garda) for lunch in a pizzeria....see the blog entry before this one :)
Enjoy!
Ciao

28 September 2010

{Salzburg, Austria} 25 Sept 2010

We had a wonderful time in Salzburg, Austria....when we finally got there! We left Italy after the kids finished school on Fri. We should have arrived at the place we were staying at 7pm, but hit traffic on the Autostrada (they closed down a portion of it, so we had to drive on country roads to where it opened again). We arrived at 9:30pm. We stayed on a working farm about 30mi. from downtown Salzburg. We had a little apartment with 2 queen beds and a single bed, a dining table, kitchen and bath. In the morning the owner brought rolls, eggs & milk.




We drove into Salzburg Sat. morning after breakfast, walked around Mirabel Gardens (a few of the scenes from "The Sound of Music" were shot in the gardens. When it was time, we boarded a tour bus for a tour of some of the other sites from the movie. It was cold and rainy for the tour. (Good thing I didn't book a bicycle tour!).






I think this was in the scene when Maria boarded the bus---not sure, I'll have to watch the movie again. We are going to borrow it from the library to have the kids watch. It is my FAVORITE musical :)



Kieran in front of the gazebo



There were a few scenes shot in front of this palace (on the terrace and in the lake).




The tour bus took us to Mondsee (Moon) Lake (where the church is)and we were able to see this other Austrian lake on the way.



flowers on the street--seen on our walk to the church



This is the church in which Maria got married in the movie. In real life, she got married at the church near the abbey, in downtown Salzburg.




yes, those are mummies on the altar--can't remember why--but this church is a Papal church (chosen by the Pope).



flowers on our way back to the bus


my mom on the bus :)


Nonneberg Abbey--from the movie (below the fortress).





After the "Sound of Music" tour, we went on a tour of a salt mine outside Salzburg....it was a FUN experience.






we took a small boat across this salt lake






a replica of a man that was found in the salt mine, when they originally found him, he was preserved from the salt....






On our way down the mountain from the salt mine, was a brewery. We stopped and had dinner there.....





Kieran wanted ice-cream stuffed pancakes for dinner :) The look on the waiter's face was of concern---she ate about half and then ate off our plates (beef goulash & wiener schnizel)---she just had her dessert before dinner!


Hohenwerfen Castle


The outside of the place we stayed.




We drove back home Sunday morning--with no traffic it only took 3 1/2 hours.
Enjoy!
Ciao :)