2011 - Day 5: Salzburg

We left Vienna (early again) but enjoyed another pitch-perfect day of great weather!

En route to Salzburg we stopped in Melk to visit the very impressive Melk Abbey. Run by the Benedictines, the abbey has been here for hundreds of years. It currently serves as a museum of its own history as well as the history of the Benedictines in the area, a church and a school. 30 monks are in residence at the abbey. It offered gorgeous views of the town , river and countryside, lovely courtyards, religious relics and archives, a grand library and a spectacular church!

We boarded our motorcoach and headed west for Salzburg, where we met local guide Gabi for a short city tour. The tour included a visit to Mozart's home, and many of the sites from the Sound of Music movie. This is a quaint little town with mazes of little alleys and streets spanning both sides of the river.

Kevin again shared a lot of his knowledge with us on the bus - offering two presentations about the area (including one on Adolf Hitler as we passed by his birthplace) and some of his current reseach.

Tomorrow we head to Germany.

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