Lauterbrunnen Valley, Switzerland

This valley is the gateway to the Bern Highlands (Berner Oberland) in the Swiss Alps.

Corn Is The Inn Thing

These photos were taken aboard a train in the Inns Valley just west of Innsbruck. Of course,  the river which runs through the valley is called the Inns River. In the foreground (bottom photo) you can see they grow corn in this part of Austria. If you want to know more about the specific type of corn they grow here, please contact my sister Joan. She's a corn expert (A few years ago we were stuck in traffic near some corn fields in Ohio and Joan gave a dissertation on the subject of corn. Me and her husband Tony have been teasing her ever since).

Use Caution: Pedophile Xing

I think this street sign in Innsbruck is intended to mean "Look After Your Children," but the man's hat makes it look a bit sinister. Or did I spend too much time working as a Probation Officer?

Go Ahead And Jump

This hilly area, called Bergisel, has been a ski jump since the 1920's and was the site where the event was held when Innsbruck hosted the Winter Olympics in 1964 and 1976. The new tower was built in 2001 and was designed by the famous architect Zaha Hadid.

My Life As A Dog

Every major European city has an abundance of "living statue" street performers. They dress up in traditional costumes, paint themselves silver, and hustle tips from tourists by posing motionless. This particular performer does very well for herself because everyone loves her cute dachshund which she dresses in traditional alpine winter gear despite the 80 degree summer heat. The doxie hangs out in a basket under a sun umbrella and poses as an annoyed canine.

FUNicular

Innsbruck has a very modern, high-tech funicular which takes you from the river valley up the side of one of the mountains which surround the city. From up top the views are amazing. The funicular station looks like the the Starship Enterprise.

Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria

Innsbruck is a picturesque city located in a beautiful valley in the Austrian Alps. It is alpine heaven. The mountain air is clean and energizing. So much so, I cut an hour off my nap.

A Bunch Of Bull

Okay, you can add this to the list of "Things We Can't Live Without." The famous energy drink, Red Bull, has opened its first retail merchandise shop in Salzburg. Apparently, the company was founded here. The woman behind the counter proudly told me there are plans to expand worldwide, with the next shop opening soon in New York. I can hardly wait.

Talkin' About The Horse Wash, Girl

I initially thought this was a fountain. However, it's actually a horse wash from days gone by. The horse would enter from one side, wade through the water, and exit out the other side. The design is similar to the modern day car wash.

McMozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart hails from Salzburg. The photos depict the home where he was born in 1756. About 200 feet away on the same street is the home of Ray Kroc.

Tourist Trapp

Salzburg was the real life home of the von Trapp family. The 1965 blockbuster movie The Sound of Music was filmed on location here.The town has been cashing in ever since.

Salzburg, Austria

Scenes along the Salzach River in downtown Salzburg.

Track 11

My train to Salzburg was delayed because of a bomb scare at the the Munich station. An unattended blue suitcase was found next to track 11 (my train departed from track 12). A large contingent of police arrived to shut down the station and the bomb squad was summoned. As it ends up, the suitcase contained camping equipment.

Activism

A group of about 100 activists gathered tonight in Munich to protest the prison sentences handed down in the Pussy Riot case. I wish I would have learned how to use Adobe Photoshop because erasing the word "Riot" from the signs would have been so much fun :-) Seriously, it looks like Mr. Putin is tightening the leash on his people. A real shame.

Terrorism

For you younger folks, terrorism did not begin with 9/11. It has been with us seemingly forever. Sadly, the 1972 Munich Olympics will be most remembered for the horrific act of terrorism committed by the Palestinian group Black September. The terrorists broke into the apartment of the Israeli Olympic team and held them hostage for 18 hours. None of us will forget the television images from that day. I remember how sad it was when Jim McKay of ABC Sports reported that all 11 Israeli athletes were murdered. Today the Olympic Village is a housing complex. There is a memorial in front of the apartment where the Israeli team was housed.

Summer Olympics

Munich hosted the 1972 Summer Olympics. The games were held in a large, beautiful park on the outskirts of town. The sweeping, glass roofs of the venues were considered futuristic at the time. American swimmer Mark Spitz won seven gold medals, only to be surpassed by the eight won by Michael Phelps in Beijing. However, Mark Spitz broke world records in all  seven events.

  

I'll Take One Of Each

From top to bottom: 1926 BMW R42 motorcycle; 1939 BMW 335; 1980 BMW 316.