Travel Day

Today was a travel day.  Destination: Vienna, Austria.

Oh my goodness! I have always wanted to visit Vienna and now, here I am!

So, this morning we took our time getting on the road. It was hard to leave Salzburg and The Sacher Hotel but I was looking forward to the next destination.  As I was standing in the lobby waiting for Stan to bring Max around, I happened to notice a plaque on the wall.  It read:

On May 4, 1945, the city of Salzburg was liberated without combat by the 3rd Infantry Division and the 106th Calvary Group of the 7th U.S. Army.  General Robert N. Young accepted the surrender of the city in the Hotel Osterreichische Hof.

Wow. I was standing in a place of U.S. history.  I was so proud of our men and women who sacrificed so much for so many and I whispered a prayer for the soldiers who are serving right now.

As we traveled east we moved away from The Alps and the landscape changed from mountains to rolling hills, dense forest, and clearings of rich, fertile farmland. Everything is green and lush with little towns scattered along the way.  I noticed that every town had a church with a prominent steeple.  Churches still seem to be a central part of the community in Austria.  We noticed that the church bells still toll at certain hours throughout the day.  It’s so charming.

After about 4 hours we arrived in Vienna.  Oh my goodness . . . you should see the architecture in this city! It is mind-blowing.  Tomorrow we are set up for a personal walking tour of the city center so I will have more information and, of course, pictures to share.  There is certainly a strong vibe of power here; not surprising given the fact that Vienna is not only the capital of Austria, but it is also where OPEC and the third headquarters of The United Nations are located. (The first is in New York, the second in Geneva.)

Lord, have mercy!

Gone are the flower boxes in every window and the gentle hospitality of Salzburg. Vienna feels more like a mix between New York and Washington D.C.  It’s all about politics, the arts, and design all wrapped up in an old world package.  It’s hard to describe.  (It’s kinda like the two women in “The Sound of Music” ~ Baroness Shraeder vs. Maria.)

I’m a little obsessed with that movie, can you tell?

I did not know that Austria is surrounded by land on all sides.  It’s neighbors are Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west.  We are on the east close to the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary borders.

Learning my geography today. 

Okay, that’s all.  Tomorrow we tour.  I’m so thankful for this opportunity.

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Heaven On Earth



The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. 
Psalms 19:1


When I look around and see the beauty of God’s creation and the reflection of His glory, I am in awe.  Austria is such a beautiful place.  It takes my breath away. 

(I apologize in advance for all the times I will use the word ‘beautiful’ in this post.  I can’t help it.  Also, the video’s will look fuzzy if you watch them in full screen because they are compressed. Haven’t figured out how to fix that yet.) 

Today, we had breakfast in the hotel’s “coffee shop”. It is so quaint I felt like I had stepped back in time.  If these walls could talk I bet they could tell some fascinating stories of times past.

Good Morning!

Hotel Sacher Cafe

Good Morning!

After breakfast we walked across the Salzach river into “Old Town”.  The streets are narrow, the buildings are baroque architecture, there is a beautiful cathedral in the center, and shops and restaurants throughout.  It has the feeling of an alpine village only more sophisticated.  Old Town is situated directly below the Hohensalzburg Castle which is a prominent landmark in “The Sound of Music”.  

Old Town
See the castle on the hill?

Old Town

I love these narrow streets.

Hohensalzburg Castle

I’m always interested in the local fashion.

Pretty flowers.

Stan being patient while I window shop.

We were privileged to see the Salzburg Cathedral which is magnificent and has quite a history.  In 1598 the original church was severely damaged and was ordered to be demolished. At that time a patron who loved Italian baroque architecture hired an Italian architect to build the new cathedral and in 1614 the first cornerstone was laid.  The project took 15 years to complete (which is amazing for back-then and the detail that went into it).  It is also the site of Mozart’s baptism.
The alter.

Ceiling leading to side alter.

Front alter closer view.

Ceiling above the alter.

One of the domes.

Staircase leading to one of the pipe organs.

There are four pipe organs at each of the four columns.

Mozart gets a lot of press in Salzburg since it is his birthplace but unfortunately we did not have enough time to explore the historical places of the famous composer.  Next time!

After our walking tour of Old Town, we hopped in Max and drove out to the country. And what a country it is! Our first stop was that infamous spot in the opening scene of “The Sound of Music” where the aerial shots of St. Gilgen and Lake Wolfgangsee were taken.  It is beautiful!

St. Gilgen, Austria
Opening scene of The Sound of Music

See the church steeple?

Very happy girl.

For years I have noticed the steeple of the church in those scenes and wondered what the actual church looked like.  Well today, I got to find out!  We took a spontaneous detour and drove into town and discovered a charming little town very similar to Old Town in Salzburg . . . and I finally got to see the whole church. I did not get a picture of the front because Stan was double-parked and I was trying to hurry, but I was able to get the side view.
Church in St. Gilgen

Church side view.

Cute hotel & restaurant across from the church.

Back on the road we came across a beautiful golf course.  We had to investigate.  We pulled in to the parking lot and found out there is a Sheraton property with a golf course overlooking the lake.  Stan is thinking the next “boys only weekend” should be planned at this location.

Boys only weekend destination.

Golf course overlooking the lake. Nice!

Driving on, we ended up in a town called Bad Ischl.  It has a weird name but it is another beautiful place in Austria ~ actually, it is a spa town.  Gotta love that! I did not know, but Stan had a specific reason for taking me there.  Most of my friends know that my absolute favorite dessert is lemon cake.  So . . . as it turns out there is a well-known pastry shop called Cafe Zauner which boosts the best lemon sponge cake.  In fact, it is said that Emperor Franz Josef used to visit every day for a slice.  So, we drove all the way to Bad Ischl for lemon cake.  And it was well worth it! Thanks, Stan!  The cafe was really cute – right on the water, outdoor seating and a piano player outside entertaining the guests.

Cafe Zauner – piano player.

Lemon cake at Cafe Zauner

On the way home I saw a patch of open field and asked Stan to pull over.  I just had to run over the hill ala Julie Andrews and sing, “the hills are alive” at the top of my lungs. Thankfully, no one heard me. I hope. It was hard to run in sandals. They kept slipping off my feet. LOL.

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Salzburg, Austria

We got a late start today.  We had to check out, gas up, get permits, have lunch and we were finally ready to hit the road.  Destination: Salzburg, Austria! Yay! One of my most favorite places in Europe.

The drive from Munich, Germany to Salzburg is only a couple of hours.  It’s a good thing too because Stan was testing out Maximilian’s horsepower on the autobahn.  I cannot disclose how fast he was driving because my mother is sure to make a phone call, but let’s just say Max can haul!

Yes, I named the car.  Maximilian suits him, don’t you think?  We call him Max for short.

The countryside was breathtaking.  As we got closer to the Austrian border the mountains came into view and the contrast of quaint towns and farmlands against a backdrop of mountains was so beautiful.  I tried to take pictures but it was very difficult to capture anything more than a blur thanks to Max.  We did encounter some road construction for a few miles which allowed me to snap a few pictures but I assure you these shots (and my lack of photography skills especially when hanging out of the window) leave a lot to be desired.

Loved the flower boxes on this farm house.
Germany

Farm in Germany

See the red tractor next to the tree on the left?

Forest in Germany
We arrived in Salzburg late afternoon and found our hotel right in the heart of this beautiful city.

From the web-site:

The Hotel Sacher, formerly the Osterreichische Hof, was built between 1863 to 1866 by the hotelier and master builder Carl Freiherr as an “Austrian court” hotel. It enjoyed great popularity due to its position with members of ruling houses, noblemen, high clergymen and artists. With the beginning of the Salzburg festival, the hotel became the social center of the festival, housing great musicians and heads of European society.

In 1988, the Gürtler family purchased the hotel and I believe that is when it was renamed, The Hotel Sacher, however I’m not certain about the time-line.  In addition to renovating the hotel while keeping it’s original historical style, another interesting piece of history revolves around a torte! The story goes that in 1832 a 16 year old apprentice cook, Franz Sacher, created a wonderful torte dessert at the court of Prince Metternich. It has since become world famous and the hand-written recipe is a well-kept secret of the hotel. You can bet I am going to have a slice!

This hotel is so nostalgic.  All the room keys (yes, old fashioned keys on large key rings) still hang on hooks behind the desk clerk and when you go out for awhile, you give the desk clerk your key to keep for you.  (I know security bells and whistles are going off in every reader’s head, but hey, it’s nostalgic.) The porter stands outside by the front door to assist guests with luggage (just like the movies). The valet, Klaus (who was adorable by the way) escorted me to my room and pointed out where everything was – the closet, the lights, the temperature control, bathroom, and my personal favorite . . . he told me my bath coat was hanging behind the door.  How cute is that?  I love that I have a bath coat!

I took some pictures of my room and I am also posting a few pictures from the hotel’s website so you can see where I am.  The pictures from their site are a low resolution so they might look fuzzy when enlarged.


The Sacher Hotel, Salzburg


The Lobby

My Room

The Closet

Stan was disappointed he got the pink room
while I got the blue room.
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All Things BMW

BMW Welt
Today was the day we’ve been waiting for!  Today Stan picked up his new BMW M3 Coupe!

The first thing we had to do was figure out how to get from our hotel to the BMW plant on the subway.  I wasn’t worried because Stan is so good at figuring these things out. I could be of no assistance because reading German is very difficult.


Sign:   Hauptbahnhof

Me:    “Stan, are we getting on at Hopin Off? Doesn’t make sense.” (Followed by hilarious laughter because I think I’m funny.)

Stan:    Shakes head and tells me I’m silly.

It’s so nice not being in charge.  (Did I just say that?!)

Ticket to Olympiazentrum
which means Olympic Center
Look Mom! I’m not losing my stuff!
The BMW complex consists of the BMW Welt (World) which is the showroom where delivery is made, the BMW Museum, the BMW Group Headquarters, and the original plant where some models and BMW engines are made. The whole complex is quite impressive; a must see if you are ever in Munich.

We had a lovely, knowledgeable tour guide who spoke English with an adorable accent.  The tour of the plant took us through all areas of production: the Press Shop (where the metal is molded, cut and welded), the Body Shop (where all the body parts are put together by robots), the Paint Shop (fully automated and operated robotically), the Engine Shop, Production of Interior Equipment and Seats, the final Assembly Line (where I finally saw humans working on the cars), and the final Test and Inspection Area.  It was amazing to watch robots build a car!  The tour guide said the process is 97% automated and yet the plant employs 9,000 people from 50 countries.  Can you imagine? 

The  plant was SO clean and organized.  I kept wondering how they keep everything so clean when they are building 900 cars per day.   All I do is park my car in the garage and I can’t keep it that clean!

After the tour and lunch, it was finally time to meet Stan’s baby.  Below is a video of the car coming off the elevator, circling the delivery level and being staged for presentation and delivery to Stan.  Check it out.

Proud new owner.

Stan getting instructions.
H.A. watching Stan getting instructions.

After all the excitement we were ready for a relaxing dinner and some “non-German” fare.  We walked to the City Center area and had dinner at The Hard Rock Cafe.  The walk back was enchanting.  It was drizzling and thundering in the distance and there was a fresh, clean smell in the air.  The pubs and restaurants were filled with happy, noisy people and there were street musicians entertaining the crowds for a tip.  I loved the cobblestone streets and old buildings and I was so bummed I didn’t have my camera with me.

We came across this street sign and couldn’t figure out what it meant.  We decided it means moms cannot hold their child’s hand in this zone.  Stan said it is their version of “hands free”.




We decided this one means moms must hold their child’s hand between the hours of 10:15 and 22:30.


This country has some weird rules.

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Munich, Continued

We were greeted at the airport on Sunday by a driver from BMW named Rolf.  He was an excellent tour guide pointing out all the points of interests from the airport to the hotel.  Instead of taking the highway, he opted for narrow two-lane roads through the farmlands which were lush and green.  At one point he asked us if we would mind making a quick stop at a farm house to buy eggs for his wife. I’m sorry I didn’t get a picture; it was adorable.

Our first day was all about getting checked in and getting some sleep.  Germany is 9 hours ahead of California so our time clocks were all messed up.  Poor Stan had been up for 31 hours so he was exhausted.


MONDAY, JUNE 18

Today we had breakfast at the hotel.  Our server was a pretty, young girl who informed us it was her first day on the job.  So you can imagine my pause when I ordered water as my beverage and she asked me if I wanted my water with gas or without gas.  Hmmmm. “Without gas,” I quickly concluded. When she left the table, Stan and I had a good laugh.  We figured out she meant “sparkling” or “flat” water.

After breakfast we ventured out on foot to check out the shopping district.  I didn’t take a lot of pictures today because most of the buildings were pretty standard. However, we did see a few that really stood out. (You can click on each picture to make it bigger if you want a closer look.) 

I loved this building with flower boxes at EVERY window!


Fruit and flower stands everywhere.

This is Neues Rathaus – Munich Town Hall.  This building has so much architectural detail it’s hard to take in.  The Neues Rathaus was built from 1867 – 1908 for civic offices. There is an arcade at ground level and there are statues on the upper stories of paupers, gargoyles, dragons and kings.  Turrets line the gables and a grand clock tower is at the top.

Neues Rathans, Munich



And for all you fashion conscious fellows ~ taken of the Stefano Ricci store window ~ here is a sampling of what the well dressed man will be wearing this season.  I dare you.

For some reason a lot of folks were sneezing today which gave me an opportunity to practice my German . . .  “Gesundheit!”

The day ended with a luxurious hot stone deep tissue massage at The Meridien Hotel (it was so relaxing) and then a nice dinner with Stan back at our hotel.

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Munich, Germany 2012

Happy Father’s Day 2012 from Munich, Germany!
Last night Stan and I left Chicago for a 31-day European holiday! This trip is especially exciting for me because Stan made all the plans and arrangements and kept all the details a BIG secret so I have no idea where we are going. That is blind trust, my friends! I was told to limit my suitcase to ONE and given the date and time to show up at the airport.
For those who don’t know the background story, back in 2009 Stan told me he was going to buy a new BMW via the “European Delivery” program. He explained that he would be flying to Germany to tour the plant; pick up his car; drive it around for a few weeks; take it back to the plant and they would ship it home to California for him! “Wow! When do we leave?”  I asked.  We took that trip in June, 2009 and had a blast. 
Now, three years later he is trading his car in for a new one and we are doing it again! I never thought I would get to repeat the experience, much less so soon. How cool is that?

I’m hoping to chronicle our trip in this blog so friends and family (especially my mom) can follow along.  I am looking forward to seeing where I end up. I hope you enjoy touring the sites with us on the posts that follow.

SERVICE, SERVICE, SERVICE

I cannot describe how amazing our flight was! We were showered with service in first class on a Lufthansa flight. It was like flying in a living room.  When we boarded, we were greeted by the flight staff, there was a red rose on every seat, and from beginning to end we were spoiled rotten!  I take many flights between Los Angeles and Chicago every year on Southwest and may I just state the obvious? There is absolutely no comparison!
Just before dinner, my flight attendant brought me pajamas, slippers, a bathroom kit and a blanket and told me I could slip in to something more comfortable any time I liked.  After dinner she asked me if I would like her to wake me for breakfast or just let me sleep if I appear to be sleeping soundly.  Oh, my.
When I went to the bathroom to change, I was blown away that there was actually room to turn around, there was a full length mirror, make-up vanity lighting and my favorite, a window! Since I was the only female traveling in first class, I took my sweet time in “my” bathroom enjoying the view.

Did I mention my seat reclined (almost) flat into a bed?


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Letting Go

“Let go.”
I don’t even like the sound of those words.
“Let go, H.”
I grip tighter.  Maybe if I re-group, re-evaluate. There must be a way to make this work. What am I missing?
“Me.”
Romans 8: 32 – He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son, but gave Him up for us all ~ will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things?


In my previous post I shared that I am growing in the understanding that by failing to walk in constant communion with God (in every moment, in every situation), I am choosing to rely on my own ability, my own wisdom, my own insight, and my own strength to live. As I have struggled to give up my independence, I am beginning to realize that when I am connected to the Creator of the Universe I don’t need anything else!  In those times when I feel lack, it is because I am not connecting with God at a deep level.  That’s when I feel anxious and my mind takes control.  I think and plan and worry and stew.  I am determined to make things go MY way. I pour all my resources into finding a way to make it work.
Heaven help me! I forget that He is in charge of my life.  He has the answer.  He is the solution.  I am only required to do two things:
1) Let go. Refuse to worry about anything.
2) Switch my focus from the problem to His Presence.
It sounds so simple but it is so hard (at least for me, it is). It is a constant discipline which I have yet to master. I am thankful that the Holy Spirit continues to invite me to come; and when I do, I am never disappointed. To the degree that I submit, I am filled.

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Here And Now Continued

2 Corinthians 4:18 – So we fix our eyes ~ not on what is seen ~ but on what is UNSEEN, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

In my continuing quest to meet God right here, right now, I have been struggling with laying every thing else aside and focusing on Him.  One of the roadblocks is my To Do List.  (Ah, yes . . . the perpetual To Do List.)  It’s that running list I keep in my head at all times of all the things I need to do to gain control of my life.  The idea is that if I can just cross everything off my list, I will find peace and be able to relax.

The problem is that I never seem to get ahead of my list! No sooner do I make some headway, when a whole new batch of things crop up that need attention.  I try harder. Run faster. Work later. There is just no time to meet God NOW and take advantage of my access to His presence.

Isn’t that crazy?

If I made time for His presence, He would help me sort out what is important. He would give me the strength I need to face the challenges in my life. He would make me more efficient and effective.  Even my failures would be recycled into something good! In His presence I would find the peace I am trying so hard to achieve in my To Do List.

Going back to my previous post . . . I am trying to give up my self-sufficiency and embrace unashamed dependence on Him.  It’s difficult, but I’m working on it.

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Here And Now

I was reading a daily devotional recently and the writer was making the point that, “the PRESENT is where God always awaits you.”  For some reason those words ~ and that realization ~ struck me.  I haven’t been able to get the idea out of my head.

I decided to dig a little deeper.

What is becoming a revelation to me is that I am meant to live in the present. Right here, right now.  Most people (myself included) let their moments slip through their fingers, half-lived.  They avoid the present (either consciously or unconsciously) by worrying about the future or longing for / regretting the past.  Unfortunately by avoiding the present and failing to meet God NOW, we do not take advantage of our access to His glorious presence and all that that entails.

Why is that so important?

I know I am only beginning to scratch the surface of understanding in this area but what is becoming clear to me is that by failing to walk in constant communion with God (in every moment, in every situation), I am choosing to rely on my own ability, my own wisdom, my own insight, and my own strength to live.  Heaven help me!

This was never God’s design.  Since the garden we were created to be intimately connected to Him.  God wants us to give up our self-sufficiency and embrace unashamed dependence on Him knowing that His power is made perfect in our weakness.  He wants us to seek Him for the answers we need to even the simplest questions; He wants to be our Source; He wants to guide and direct our decisions and choices; He wants to equip us and train us to maturity; He wants to supply what we need when we need it.

It sounds wonderful.  The hard part is yielding my stubborn will to utter dependence on Him.  I want to voluntarily learn the discipline of meeting Him in the present and learning to see everything from His perspective.   I don’t think I know how to actively, consistently do this . . . but I am on a quest to find out.
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Notes on Choices, Part 1

One of the first and most important truths we should know about choices is that we all GET to make them.

The freedom to make choices for ourselves is a God-given right and He is extremely committed to that right. God is the ONLY being in all of creation who could justifiably CONTROL our decisions, and yet He refrains from doing so. He has carefully and clearly laid out a path for us to follow which will lead to blessing. And He has repeatedly warned of the path that leads to destruction. But in the end, He gives us absolute freedom to choose which path we will walk and He weeps when our choices lead to ruin. God places such a high premium on our freedom that He even shies away from forcing us to do things that would benefit us! He understands that we will never learn to love or respond to Him without that costly freedom.

Awareness of our power to choose and our responsibility for the outcome is the first step in understanding choices, decisions and discipline.
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