Austria - Salzburg and Vienna

View of Salzburg from the Hohensalzburg Castle (below) that sits above the city

Cable car at the Untersberg, just outside Salzburg

At the top of the Untersberg (1800m)

The World Dog Show in Salzburg while we were there!

St Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna, lit with colours by a 'light artist' for May and June

Col at the Viennese market, Naschmarkt

Both of the above at the Vienna Prater - a large park that includes a historic ferris wheel and other rides.  

Germany - Freiburg, Rothenburg, Fussen and Munich

View of Freiburg city

Street view from outside our hotel in Freiburg 

Countryside on the way to Rothenburg

Rothenburg from the top of the town hall

Our hotel in Rothenburg...

 More countryside around Rothenburg

View near Neuschwanstein Castle - the 'Disney' castle (one end unfortunately heavily covered in scaffolding at the moment)

In the English Gardens, Munich, with friends ...

a particularly close friend....!

Band busking in Marienplatz, Munich

Switzerland - Interlaken

A few photos, with more photos plus words to come - not that any of them will do Switzerland justice....

Cable car to the Schilthorn, at 3000m (10,000ft) 

Farm below village of Mürren, at about 1600m

Near Mürren again

This one's for you, Melissa ....!

France - Provence

Fields and roadside all over Provence covered with glowing poppies...

- and relaxing days spent pottering from one hilltop Provencal village to another.

Gordes

The ochre cliffs of Roussillon


Menerbes

 

Bonnieux

Nice, Vence and the Route Napoleon

So after an uneventful train trip from Monterosso via Ventimiglia to Nice, we picked up our Postman Pat van for the five days in France, and struggled through the late afternoon traffic up the hill to Vence.

It just needed to be red ... 

Not really knowing what to expect, Vence was a lovely surprise - its walled medieval centre and beautiful church - as was Tourette sur Loup, surely one of the most postcard-pretty towns in France...

Tourette street scenes

Followed the Route Napoleon to Provence - rocky outcrops and sheer cliff walls...

... until we got close enough to St Saturnin les Apt (we thought) to let the GPS take over. Not such a good idea!

This is the right road??

Cinque Terre

Intrepid travellers arrived safely in Monterosso - via people mover as far as La Spezia, then the local train, and finally bumping our luggage around the headland to our 'magic garden' B&B.


Welcome drinks in the walled garden, and exploring all the nooks and crannies of Monterosso - like Vernazza, still recovering from landslides last year that were devastating for both towns, but still beautiful. 

A full day to follow visiting the other towns - Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia and back to Vernazza and Monterosso - a lovely mix of boat, train and walking.

The Cinque Terre ferry

Riomaggiore

The lovers' walk, Riomaggiore

The lovers' seat ...

and the lovers' seat again! (yes, there's a photo of Col and me as well - but on someone else's camera ...)

Not the usual cupids!

Vernazza - the beautiful harbour half full of mud after the landslide last year. The town is still recovering.

Doors painted all over Vernazza

A true entrepreneur - a stall halfway down a steep hill on the walk coming into Monterosso, selling fresh lemonade, limoncello or wine. Having an aversion to falling off cliffs, we stuck to lemonade.

And at Monterosso, we all said goodbye to travel in our different directions - Cathy and Greg to Venice and then on to Paris; Lou and Paul to Spain; and the two of us to Provence. 

Great company, great memories - looking forward to sharing stories back at home in a few weeks' time...