Author: Glendon

Retired Australian Lawyer having worked representing the innocent and the not so innocent in Australia and some of the remote parts of the world and having travelled widely through Europe, Western Russia, Canada, USA, New Zealand, Thailand Malaysia Solomon Islands northern China, Hong Kong and the UAE So now that I have the time I am writing about my travels present and past. Hope you enjoy exploring off the beaten track.

The Retirees go Abroad – Basel and the return to Nottingham

Saturday morning, we are packed and ready to leave our villa in the vines and Villeneuve. Our time here will be fondly remembered and never forgotten.

We are off to Basel to visit Angie and Urs who have hosted our fellow travellers David and Veronica for the last week. After two days with them we will drive to Troyes and then to Nottingham via Calais.

Our first day in Basel we visit the city just to stroll around and take in the sights. They have a great tram system with different coloured trams to help determine where you are going and coming from.

Our stroll took in a street side dance group, and the markets. Dotted around the city are various fountains and these were welcome as the hot weather had followed us to Basel. We walked to the Rhine and watch the party boat and the taxis and the river crossing boats that use no motor just the force of the river itself.

There was a wonderful variety of buildings and other sights to behold – Three kings, a cheeky bather, and Helvetia. Helvetia is the female national personification of Switzerland, officially Confœderatio Helvetica, the Swiss Confederation. The allegory is typically pictured in a flowing gown, with a spear and a shield emblazoned with the Swiss flag, and commonly with braided hair, commonly with a wreath as a symbol of confederation but here she is shown in a contemplative posture. Unlike the cheeky bather who is – well just cheeky.

We then made it into the old city (whilst Kerry and Veronica rested) to see the Munster and the old Abbey with its sculpture displays relating to their Carnival.

We had a treat for dinner. Angie and Urs prepared a raclette grill for dinner and invited Anastasia and Erich over to join us. It was great to see a genuine Swiss raclette in action and the dinner was most enjoyable. Anastasia prepared some traditional cakes (she is Slovakian so I don’t know if it was Swiss tradition or Slovakian tradition). Between raclette and cake Urs received a phone about a fire which apparently was getting out of control and as a member of the volunteers Urs was requested to join the fight. I heard him come home somewhere between 1.00 am and 3.00 am so he was a very tired boy the next day.

On the second day we visited “Schlossruine”. This is a ruin of a medieval castle overlooking the city and its borders with France and Germany. In fact the next day we would visit the point where the three borders intersect.

One of the interesting views was the Goetheanum. The Goetheanum, located in Dornach (near Basel), Switzerland, is the world centre for the anthroposophical movement. The building was designed by Rudolf Steiner and named after Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. It includes two performance halls (1500 seats), gallery and lecture spaces, a library, a bookstore, and administrative spaces for the Anthroposophical Society; neighbouring buildings house the Society’s research and educational facilities. Conferences focusing on themes of general interest or directed toward teachers, farmers, doctors, therapists, and other professionals are held at the centre throughout the year.

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It was a beautiful day with warm sunshine and a light breeze. Time for an ice cream and nearby is a hilltop restaurant with shady trees and fantastic vistas of Basel. We are not the only ones who know of this oasis. Here is an Aston Martin and a Tesla.

Not heard of a Tesla? Tesla Motors, Inc. is an American automotive and energy storage company that designs, manufactures, and sells electric cars, electric vehicle powertrain components, and battery products. Odd to see one in Switzerland. Along with the other “rich” people we had ice cream at our oasis and then went back home to prepare for the journey to Troyes Calais Dover and Nottingham.

As it was a Monday Angie and Urs were up early for work and we departed with Angie who showed us the way to the meeting point of the three countries before leaving us to travel on. Our trip to Troyes was the first time we encountered trouble with Thistle. It became pretty obvious that all the hill climbing in Italy, Austria and Switzerland had finished off our brake pads. So we had to call the RAC for road side assistance once we got to hotel. When a tow truck turned up at the hotel I got slightly nervous. The driver spoke little English but he soon determined that it was the brake pads and he let me know that there was a Hyundai dealership down the road and he would lead us to it.

Around a kilometre down the road and there it was. The driver introduce me to the Service Manager who spoke less English but made it known that we could have the brakes fixed that afternoon if we would like to wait. So David and I cooled our heels and within one and a half hours it was fixed. Whew we were going to make it to Calais.

So the next day started with a strong sense that we could overcome anything at all. We would be tested. We had heard and read about the strife at Calais and the traffic problem fir trucks crossing from the UK but we did not have the finer detail otherwise we would have not played cards along the way to kill some time. The wheels started to come off our plans when I noticed one of the overhead electronic signs say “ Calais Port – Ferme”, Calais Port is closed.

I immediately made a call to My Ferry with which we had booked our return passage. The Port was closed til Friday and My Ferry had ceased trading. Well, that threw a cat amongst our pigeons. I immediately tried to book passage from Dunquerke. I rang and waited in a queue for some time but could not speak to anyone to try and get a booking that day. We decided to try the Eurotunnel which we knew would be three times as expensive but if we had to stay overnight that cost would be eaten by the accommodation and meals we would have to buy.

I booked online using Kerry’s IPhone but I could not get a train before 4.50pm, so we decided to stop have lunch and play cards for a couple of hours. Wrong decision because as we approached the French terminal some French port workers were setting fire to tyres in the tunnel causing mayhem which delayed our likely departure til 10.00pm with a five hour wait in our car in blazing sun along with thousands of others and hundreds of cars. Not to mention the 10 kilometre long queue of trucks seeking passage to the UK.

We sat in our car with screen shade and umbrellas raised – the temperate was approaching 40C and no one knew how long we would be there. Motor Bike riders appeared to be pushing to the front of the line and some pretty hostile car travellers confronted them. The Austin Healy Club had returned from a tour on the continent and one in particular was having considerable trouble controlling the temperature of the car. David would end up pushing the car through the immigration gate. We also made acquaintance with a couple in a Ferarri which with its V12 motor found it hard to idle waiting for the booking gates to be opened. Then like pulling a plug in a bath everything started to move. We made it through relatively quickly only to find that with the luggage on the roof we were over the height limit for the double decker cars. So we lined up with the vans etc.

There was no space for us as we had not identified that our vehicle was higher than 1.85 metres when booking. So we pulled to one side unsure when we would get on the train. We decided to get out the remainder of the food supplies as that was going to be dinner. No sooner had we done that then we were called into line (2 hours earlier than our expected departure). On board the train we found the ride to be smooth and unexciting – 35 minutes later we were on the road to Nottingham and apart from a diversion on the M30 we made good time and arrived home at 0015 the following day.

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The Retirees go Abroad – Montreux Switzerland – the Queen Museum and Casino

The day had started out as a very pleasant day even perhaps a bit chill but by the time we arrived at the Casino the temperature had risen and the welcoming doors of an air conditioned smoke free casino beckoned. We have seen a few Casinos around the world and quite often these Casinos are no bigger than an average Footy or RSL club and a bit worn at that. But not so in Montreux – modern clean and a variety of ways to take your money without you even knowing it. After a cup of coffee we ventured off to find the Queen museum. After a couple of false mis-starts we made it. Here in a couple of rooms was a detailed history of one of the world’s most popular and prolific sellers of their art.

From the museum – “Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1970, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury (lead vocals, piano), Brian May (guitar, vocals), John Deacon (bass guitar), and Roger Taylor (drums, vocals. Queen enjoyed success in the UK with their debut and its follow-up, Queen II in 1974, but it was the release of Sheer Heart Attack later in 1974 and A Night at the Opera in 1975 that gained the band international success.

By the early 1980s, Queen were one of the biggest stadium rock bands in the world, with “Another One Bites the Dust” their best-selling single, and their performance at 1985’s Live Aid is regarded as one of the greatest in rock history. In 1991, Mercury died of bronchopneumonia, a complication of AIDS, and Deacon retired in 1997. The band have released a total of 18 number one albums, 18 number one singles, and 10 number one DVDs. Estimates of their record sales generally range from 150 million to 300 million records, making them one of the world’s best-selling music artists. They received the Outstanding Contribution to British Music Award from the British Phonographic Industry in 1990, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.”

One of the experiences is to remix one of their tracks in their mock-up of the old studio. Fans are able to leave a tribute on the glass wall framing the picture of the band.

Oh we did get to the Casino and I won – by accident but I won.

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The Retirees go Abroad – Chateau Chillon

This is our last day in our idyll paradise amongst the vines. We re-organise our suitcases and fold the washing. It is pleasant just to be here watching the sun rise behind our rock lifting the shadows off the mountains we view out our window every morning.

For our last day we plan to sail upon the lake, then walk to Chateau Chillon along the foreshore and then walk on to Montreux. There is a Casino in Montreux which also houses the Museum of Queen (the band) memorabilia which sounds very interesting. The day starts off rather cool but promises to become hot with little cloud or breeze and we continued to fuss around until lunch when we reappraised our plans and decided to skip the boat ride. The 72 Swiss francs would be put to better use at the Casino.

We walked down through the vines to the foreshore and commenced toward the Chateau. Kerry noticed some more sky divers above us but one in particular seemed to be well off course and headed for a watery landing in the lake. This must happen regularly as I could see a rescue boat standing by awaiting the arrival of their first customer.

As we walked along we discovered there are beaches along the lake and people swimming and sun baking – should have brought our togs. Kerry tests the water – the verdict warm enough for swimming.

Our first sighting of the Chateau comes as we pass the swimming pool and clear a small headland. The chateau looks out of place with the modern town behind it, the jets in the sky above it, the steam powered ferry on the lake in front of it, the electric train racing between stations behind it and the expressway funnelling traffic between towns above it.

As we make our way toward the Chateau, we see a crested egret with its chicks and partner enjoying life on the lake. The chicks hide from the camera on their mother’s back.

We arrive at the Chateau after about half an hours walk. Our pace had been slow due to all the distractions. We crossed the bridge and dispensed with the audio guide but followed the guide trail. A very helpful posting in English French and German gave details of the points of interest. The first section was the dungeons. They were used to hold prisoners and produce.

After rising from the dungeons we entered the castle keep and the rooms once occupied by the Constable of the Duke of Savoy and the Dukes of Bern. There was a collection of chests in one of the rooms. I had not realised the significance of these chests to people of the 14th to 19th century. They held everything and were knocked about through the travel form one castle to another. Some were pretty raw and crude and others decorated with grand carving. As transportation became better and travel more secure the chest changed from itinerant to a piece of furniture. One of these pieces (counting from the left picture 7) was recently found in the church at Villeneuve and contained the accounts of Chillon from the 15th century. We also found a door with the largest key hole I have ever seen – the size of Kerry’s hand.

The rooms were fitted with furniture from the period of Bernese occupation and early Savoyard occupation so it was utilitarian and functional. It was also very obvious that it was very cold in winter as attested by the large stoves in bedrooms and the fireplaces in all rooms.

The tour through the Chateau twisted and turned upstairs to the top of the tower above the keep and through dining rooms bedrooms bathroom toilets – there was a room for everything.

Once we finished viewing the chateau we continued to walk along the lake toward Montreaux. Moving at a leisurely pace we walked from the Chateau in under 1 hour enjoying some of the prettiest views Switzerland can offer. A panoramic view of the lake back to the Chateau makes the point.

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The Retirees go Abroad – All aboard The Chocolate Train

The weather has been kind. Wednesday after an exciting day on the glacier we were treated to a lovely sunset over Lake Geneva. The promise of a fine day for tomorrow.

We enjoy the vineyard and know we will miss this place when it is time to go.

It’s an early start to shower have breakfast and get prepared to be in Montreux by 8.30 am even though Montreux is only 4 minutes by train from Villeneuve. We make the station ahead of time but this allows us to double check that we get the correct train. At Montruex we find the office of Golden Pass and collect our tickets. All aboard. The rain snakes its way out of Montreux giving spectacular views of the town and its lake.

As we travel along the countryside surprises us with its beauty and ruggedness. Photography is difficult because of the reflections in the windows.

Finally we reach Cailler. Cailler is a Swiss chocolate brand. It was founded by François-Louis Cailler in 1819 and bought by Nestlé in 1929 when the company fell on hard times during the Depression. The tour of the factory tells the story of cocoa how it was found by the Aztecs stolen by Cortez and introduced to Spain and then Europe. The Dominican order opposed it as sinful whilst the Franciscans approved of it for consumption even during Lent. By 1819 Louis Cailler had developed the chocolate block we know today and he made a fortune and a factory at Broc (where the tour is conducted) but he never exported. It was Nestle that had the international contacts hence the buyout in 1929. You won’t find Cailler in Australia which is a damned shame as it is beautiful chocolate.

After the history you go to a tasting room where through an audio guide you hear about the Nestle programme for helping indigenous women in Africa become self-sufficient and secure the resource (Coca beans) for Nestle. You hear about the nut growers and the Dairymen who are all part of the Cailler team and you get to taste the nuts and the chocolates – as much as you can eat provided you don’t try to leave with any uneaten.

After the gift shop we needed a cup of coffee/tea to wash away the taste of the chocolate. But the allure of the gift shop was hard to resist so we bought 3 bars of milk chocolate – we are pensioners and have to watch the pennies.

The tour finished and our taste for chocolate slaked we board a bus and travel to the villages of Gruyere. The village is most famous to us as the name of a type of cheese principally associated with fondue dining. But it started as the name of the village that was given to the local cheese. Dominated by its chateau the village is a reminder of the violent times of the past when it was necessary to have a fortified place to live and work. There are many remnants of this history apparent in the village. Apart from the modern entry there are a number of fortified gates around the village and two walls an outer and an inner wall before reaching the chateau.

The village church is remarkably large and well maintained but it also is surrounded by earlier fortifications

There are two museums in the village; a Tibetan museum and the HR Giger Museum. The Giger museum is a strange futuristic fantasy art museum and there is an adjoining café which takes its theme from the movie “Alien”. We had lunch there and even that was alien so far as Kerry was concerned

However the tour allowed us three hours at the village where two was plenty. After the village we returned to the bus and travelled literally down the hill to the cheese factory. Well after the Cailler tour the cheese factory was never in the hunt. We got the story of how cheese was made and stored and its different vintages plus the obligatory samples and gift shop but not as interesting or tasty as Cailler. Perhaps the most interesting was the cheese turning robot that spends its life going up and down the aisles of cheese rounds turning them over at the assigned time.

The tour has ended and it is time to board the train and head back to Montreux. Not a very vigorous day but tiring eating all that chocolate.

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The Retirees go Abroad – Glacier 3000 at Mont Scex Rouge Switzerland

We awoke early to arrive at Col du Pillion for the first cable car at 9.00 am. The agent at the local tourism Office had suggested that Wednesday would be fine weather but this was outstanding – not a cloud in the sky and a predicted 26C.

Everything went to plan and we arrived just in time to share the first car with a tour bus of Indian or Pakistani tourists, a cross country skier and some grocery deliveries for the cafeteria on the mountain. We bought our tickets which was a bit of a shock as the cost was about 128€. And yes the car for the trip from Col du Pillion to the first base was big enough to hold more than a bus load and travel 1500m in 53 seconds.

So before we could get scared about the height of the climb or the sheer rock faces we were passing, we had arrived to take the second cable car another 1300m to the top of Mont Scex Rouge. Up there the hot spring day was forgotten and a below zero temperature was keeping the ice solid and the snow thick. We learned later that it had snowed over night with very strong winds. We could see the mountains opposite and the avalanche protection in the form of fences across the face of the mountains, we could see the suspension bridge and snow-capped peaks. Below we could see the verdant green valleys.

Gingerly we headed to the suspension bridge another 100 or so metres above us, A few more steps to climb but this time iced over with pools of melted ice water gathering in the morning sun. The bridge is made of metal suspended on four ropes and connecting with the adjacent peak roughly 180 metres away. At the end of the bridge is a large Tissot watch giving you the correct time but also the altitude. There is a viewing platform there covered in ice and snow but the view is spectacular including what I think is an old volcanic caldera now a lake surrounded by mountains.

After catching our breath and the views we gingerly crossed to the ski chair lift to descend to the glacier. The glacier is about an hour long at this point so we set off to walk to the Tour St. Martin and the café on the precipice. Buses ply the route for those not willing to walk and the snow dozers are preparing the snow for the weekend skiers – Yes we are coming into summer. About an hour into the walk we found it too hot to continue with jackets on. The Cable car station is now just a strange blimp on a white carpet stretching into the horizon. There are only two colours white and blue.

The tower appears close enough to touch but is still some 15 minutes away. We are starting to struggle in the fresh snow so it is with relief and excitement that we reach Tour St Martin and the end of the glacial ice. Here a café has been erected on the precipice looking almost 3000m straight down to the valley below. We stop at the café for barley soup and a hot chocolate and to soak up the atmosphere. We encounter a Swiss couple enjoying a wine which may have come from their vineyard in the valley below and chatter on not really knowing what we are talking about but loving it just the same. There are some Dutch and Korean couples and we all just embraced this special place. It was the waitress that told us about yesterday’s terrible weather and that the cloud was so low you could not see the Tour let alone Mont Blanc or the Matterhorn. She also explained that the hut is lined externally with metal to protect it against the wind blown debris which has left pock marks in the metal cladding.

We decide to head back and our return journey is much quicker. We also encounter our friend the cross country skier who passes and repasses us two or three times as we journey back to the Cable car base. As you would expect there is a gift shop and it includes a Tissot watch shop. Our friend at the Tourism office tells us that it is quite the fashion to buy your new watch at 3000m. We journey home and flop into bed exhausted by the walking and the sun. At about 7.30 pm we rise to get some dinner and have a glass or two watching the sun go down about 9.30 pm.

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The Retirees go Abroad – Villeneuve Switzerland

The weather has improved but we are expecting rain tonight so we have put off going to the Glacier at Mont Scex Rouge to Wednesday and chosen to visit the La Vaux region and its vineyards this afternoon. A visit to Chantal at the tourist information office on Monday gave us all the information we needed about taking it easy enjoying our villa and seeing the important bits around the place.

We drove over to Chexbres a small village in the hills of the La Vaux region. We tracked along the lake through Montreux until climbing into the hills. On Friday we will walk back to Montreux to its casino with its Freddie Mercury Museum and past the Chateau de Chillon. Chexbres presented as a pleasant hilltop village with loads of charm but it was not in the vines so we moved onto Cully to catch the La Vaux Express through the vines. I am quite intrigued by the fountains appearing in all the villages particularly as we have filled up a number of times. Oh and I found some more lavender for Ron.

On the way to Cully we saw a number of interesting things about vineyards in the La Vaux: the steepness of the farms, the presence of the lake, and the way in which every space is used for vines and the various ways the farmers travel amongst the vines.

Cully is another village steeped in charm and it also benefits from the pier at which the Montreux paddle wheeler stops on its tour around the lake. It also celebrates liberation from Bern at the hands of Major Davel with everything from streets to Hotels named after him. Whilst we were there awaiting the Express we saw the Montreux docking.

Our tour on the Express started about 3.00pm. Our train took us on a journey through the streets of the villages and the vineyards that surround them.

By the time we returned to Cully we took the time to look more closely on the village, the fishermen on the pier, and the mermaid in the lake. On the way back to Villeneuve I was fascinated by the yellow awnings on the hotel at Montreux.

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The Retirees go Abroad – Bregenz Austria to Villeneuve Switzerland

After leaving Bregenz we anxiously watched “Tommy” to pick up our trail in Switzerland as we had the maps for Switzerland. After some backward and forwards and after buying our Swiss vignette (the road tax sticker) we made it into Switzerland.

It is very much like Austria or Austria is very much like Switzerland I don’t know which. Even down to the onion domes on some of the churches. We decided we would break our trip and call into Lucerne to see a bridge. Kerry had read about ten famous walking bridges in the world to see (and no the Goodwill Bridge was not one of them) and amongst the bridges was Kapellbrucke in Lucerne.

The Kapellbrücke (literally, Chapel Bridge) is a covered wooden footbridge spanning diagonally across the Reuss River. The bridge is unique since it contains a number of interior paintings dating back to the 17th century, although many of them were destroyed along with most of the centuries-old bridge in a 1993 fire. Subsequently restored, the Kapellbrücke is the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe, as well as the world’s oldest surviving truss bridge.

After a hot beverage in the form of a hot chocolate, we left Lucerne for Lausanne or at least a village outside of Lausanne or so we thought. When we arrived in Villeneuve we were struggling with where the hell was our accommodation. We seemed to be going into the vineyards and then low and behold we ended up at a Cave for Domaine du Scex du Chatelard. Is it possible that we were staying in a vineyard – YES! We were a little early so we went back to the village to poke around.

Christine met us at 3.00pm as arranged and we took possession of the villa – a studio really with a kitchen dining room overlooking our Greek themed patio under the peach tree looking at the vines and a bedroom/lounge room. Both rooms have large windows looking over the village. Then there is the bathroom. Obviously an afterthought, there is part of the rock wall behind the villa extruding into the bathroom. Perfect in every way. We even had our own Grotte. We are staying at Domaine du Scex du Chatelard. Our photos of the vines show what a delightful place it is.

We very quickly noticed that sky diving is an important past time in Villeneuve with multiple sky divers drifting towards earth at different times during the afternoon. They were so frequent we even forgot about them.

We walked down to the village to buy some groceries and found that not much was open. So we ended up at the Hotel du Soleil for dinner. The incumbents are of the oriental persuasion so it was soup and dim sims for dinner. Not much chop for the price.

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The Retirees go Abroad –Salzburg through Germany to Bregenz Austria

Whilst it had been raining on and off during our stay in Salzburg it really turned it on the day we left. Pouring rain followed us all the way to Bregenz. Bregenz is the capital of Vorarlberg, the westernmost federal state of Austria. The city is located on the eastern shores of Lake Constance, the third-largest freshwater lake in Central Europe, between Switzerland in the west and Germany in the northwest. The city is situated on the junction of the arterial roads from the Rhine valley to the German Alpine foothills. It is especially famous for the annual summer music festival Bregenzer Festspiele.

The day was grey the atmosphere damp and cold and the traffic was difficult at times. Finding our Ibis Hotel was not made easier by the IPhone but we got there. After checking in, Kerry wanted to check out an outdoor amphitheatre over the Lake with a floating stage and the Casino. We thought the weather had broken and that we would not need an umbrella. So we walked from our hotel only 100m or so and we found ourselves crossing over the rail line to the casino and the theatre. Some interesting graffiti appeared on a wall along the way.

Well you cannot call it a theatre. In fact I don’t know what to call it other than fantastic. They were preparing for a presentation of Puccini’s Turandot in a Chinese setting with the clay soldiers rising from the water and the great wall crossing the stage. The whole building was remarkable and a landmark.

I have copied pictures of two previous presentations to give you the idea of the surreal atmosphere this stage presents.

We also went to the Casino. Reasonably swish and pleasant. We lost about 15€ on the pokies and for Sharna at Easts they used the card system and it was quite successful. We then decided to take in the air and walk along the lake edge until it started to rain and we scurried into the old town to buy some croissants for breakfast. There was a fabulous bandstand on a pier on the lake and quaint colourful buildings in the old town (including tractors in the main street). And of course some lavender for Ron. We had dinner on the Lake and it was bloody cold and wet but better than a pizza in the room.

Next morning it was still raining for our trip to Villeneuve.

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The Retirees go Abroad – Last Day in Salzburg Austria

It is our last day for tripping around. We have to get some domestic things done like washing ironing and some car repairs. However we have the use of our Salzburg cards until 10.00 am so we jump the bus and go into the old City and visit Mozart’s birth place. On the way we pass some interesting graffiti. Mozart’s birth place is far more interesting and informative. We learn that Mozart had a sister and 5 other siblings who died at birth or shortly thereafter. His father Leopold was a distinguished musician and held positions at court. Because of Leopold’s talent he recognised Wolfgang’s brilliance and moved mountains to have it recognised. Mozart’s sister was brilliant also but not quite genius. Wolfgang had two sons one who was as brilliant as his father but lived in his father’s shadow and the second also musically talented but who chose to work in the civil service. The family line died out with Wolfgang’s sons. As usual with brilliant people the musicians were eccentric and it was Wolfgang’s mother who was the family stabiliser. Wolfgang’s wife was quite a business woman and although Wolfgang died at an early age his widow made his name and music live on. If in Salzburg this is a must to visit.

Kerry had high hopes of a shopping spree after our last museum but the weather had been overcast and rainy the last few days and today it was constantly raining – raining on her shopping spree. So home to domestic duties and car repairs.

We had lost power to the auxiliary power points in the car and it needed some oil. I knew it was the fuse but I could not find the fuse in question. I spoke to Petra our host about a service station and she immediately volunteered her father (who happened to be visiting her that night) to help. Arrangements were made to go to her uncle’s garage outside of Salzburg on Friday – today. At 2.00pm we followed Petra to this garage and after everyone got over a right hand drive car it took 5 minutes for the professional to find the fuses behind the change box in the dash. Fuse changed and oil topped up we returned to our domestic duties to prepare for travel and to prepare for the concert at Schloss Mirabell tonight.

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The Retirees go Abroad – Concert at Schloss Mirabell Salzburg Austria

Schloss Mirabell’s breathtaking Marble Hall is the venue for classical concerts every Friday night in Salzburg. Dripping with old-world Austrian glamour, the hall’s interior matches the elegance of the music played inside it, making it the place to watch a concert in Salzburg. Access to the inside of Schloss Mirabell is only possible by booking a concert such as the one we attended tonight. So we did it and discovered the palace’s Baroque beauty while listening to chamber music from a trio of master musicians (piano, violin and viola) playing the music of the likes of Mozart and Beethoven.

The performance stated with a pianist from Siberia who played a set of three pieces by Mozart. Then the “First Violin” joined him for another set of three pieces followed by a break. Then came the surprise. The Violinist had forgotten the sheet music for the trio – the first time in 30 years so the pianist filled in with an ad lib piece until the sheet music was brought to the Palace.

The evening finished with the trio playing three pieces by Mozart to a standing ovation. The viola player was almost demonic in her determined thrusting with her bow.

So we walked to the bus stop to catch the number 5 home but the last bus was at 8.00pm and our concert finished at ten. So a cab home and into bed ready for a big drive to Bregenz in Austria tomorrow.

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