Thanks to the GPS we have been driving a lot of back roads and even drove up to the Czech Republic yesterday. Many of the villages have a sign like this one that says "Grüß Gott" or "Greet God" -- something like Praise the Lord. Shopkeepers frequently greet customers with these same words as their way of saying "hello".

Another village, another castle!

Another village, no castle.

Between villages are many shrines.

Another typical village with a church taking over the road.

Today we visited Melk Abbey.

Vineyards and orchards along the Danube.

A typical small village on the Danube. Notice the castle ruins in the upper right.

We are now in the small village of Maria Taferl, high above the Danube. The B&B at which we are staying does not have Internet so we are getting access through a hotel down the street. Because the signal is weak we have the netbook in an open window -- the moon above, cars passing below and a barking dog across the street.

 

On Saturday we attended Mass at Maria Hilf church, just a few doors down from our bed and breakfast.

We were quite distracted during Mass by a hand holding a crucifix that was sticking out from the pulpit! Notice the spotlight illuminating the hand. We have yet to learn its significance.

On Sunday we had an unexpected opportunity to participate in a procession celebrating the harvest and blessing the farms. The parade formed outside the church and proceeded through the fields to several farms.

At each farm we prayed and sang and a cannon was fired three times.

A shrine was set up in front of each home.

During the procession we became acquainted with this family.

They invited us to join them at the celebration in the church courtyard. A free meal of sausages and bread was served. Beer, wine and soft drinks flowed freely. Freshly fried "farmer" donuts (huge) and shots of schnaps had to be purchased. The band played during the meal. Of course for this procession, most of the people were in traditional dress but we were amazed how many people, young and old, wear traditional dress daily.

The HohenSalzburg fortress dominates the old city of Salzburg.

We took the funicular up the mountain and toured the inside of the castle.

A street inside the castle.

A view of Salzburg from the castle.

The first picture here is a view of Salzburg and the second one is the Mirabel Gardens.

 

 

On Thursday, we drove to St. Gilgen on the Wolfgangsee. On the way out of Salburg, Margaret found the home for the elderly where she would like to spend her final days!

This is the Rathaus (city hall) in St. Gilgen.

Notice that we are starting to dress alike!

We are staying at a bed and breakfast in Salzburg that is on a bus line and this is the view from our balcony - dairy cows next door and sheep across the street.

 

We spent our first night in Eitting, Germany. Eitting is a small, picturesque village with many house-barns filled with dairy cows right in the town. This is the village church and cemetery.
 

We are alive and well in Salzburg, Austria. The flights to Amsterdam and from Amsterdam to Munich were smooth and problem free. (For Margaret, that meant three anti-anxiety pills rather then the prescribed one.)

We are having to use an Internet cafe so we will post a few pictures from time to time.

 

Dick admiring our Mercedes.