2021-10-05 Leiden

Quite an large selection of things for breakfast.

When the party is over, someone (on the right) climbs up to disassemble the ride. But what to disconnect first??

We visited a couple museums today. Neglected to take pictures at the second one. This is the first one we visited, especially to see some Rembrandts. He was born in Leiden.

The painting, done in 1626, is on loan to the museum. It was recovered from Germany after the Second World War and is awaiting restitution to the rightful owner or their heirs.

Passed our COVID tests yesterday. God willing, we will be home tomorrow afternoon.

2021-10-04 Leiden, The Netherlands

We are spending three nights in Leiden, a university city, about a half hour south of the Amsterdam airport. This is view is a few steps from our hotel.

Just a few steps further.

And just one minute walk in a different direction.

Bicycles everywhere. One we saw had an open cart at the front carrying a smiling, laughing woman facing the rear, with a small child in front of her.

October 3 is Leiden’s day to celebrate independence from Spain. Lots of people around on Sunday, carnival rides and crowds everywhere. But with the 3rd being on Sunday they also celebrated on Monday. Nice excuse for an extra party! In normal times, they say, people would be packed shoulder to shoulder.

People at restaurants on boats or shore. Boats full of singing people up and down cruising up and down the canals – day and night.

Gate of the old city wall. To the right, our hotel, a converted army barracks. A small sampling of the thousands of bikes parked or cruising on the streets. Careful not to step in front of one!

A party boat as seen from our hotel window. Singing on the canals until well after midnight with loud music.

Picture taken by a friendly couple from Leiden who struck up a conversation.

2021-10-02,03 – Bled to Salzburg

When we entered Austria we stopped to buy a vignette, a permit to use the “A” highways. In the past it was always a sticker that we bought from a person at a gas station. This time we encountered machines at a rest stop. First, a general pass, for whatever. Then another for the A-10. Then we realized we were on A-11 so we bought a third.

The drive was beautiful with little traffic for much of the trip.

Many tunnels, some of them rather long. They posted the length at the entrance so we knew roughly how long we would be driving in each – maybe two minutes, maybe seven.

Between the tunnels the scenery was world class.

In Salzburg we stayed at the same B&B as in the past, though now operated by the son and his wife.

View from our balcony

View from the other window. The owners not only run a B&B but also farm.

We took bus 21 to the city center just to look around.

On Sunday we returned our car in Freilassing, Germany, and took a taxi to the Salzburg airport. When we arrived there was one flight ahead of ours. Only a few flights later. Pretty quiet. No pressure at security.

2021-09 Bled and Julian Alps

We are staying at the Garni Hotel Berc in Bled where we have stayed four or five times previously. That little blue car is not the Mercedes we expected to drive but it is adequate.

Luka owns the Hotel Berc and his brother, Mika, owns the restaurant across the street where we eat every night.

Our first day in Bled we walked around the lake. This is the island in the middle of the lake.

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Some pletna boats waiting for tourists. There are very few now at the end of the season.

Church on the island

This island on the left, the castle center, and the Church of the Holy Spirit on the right in the distance.

Every town has a gimmick where tourists take their picture. Margaret declined so someone else had to do it.

Slovenia still has many, many hay racks, used in earlier times to dry the hay.

Friday we drove through the Julian Alps.

There were 50 switchbacks on a rather narrow road going over the mountain pass – 24 going up, 26 going down. The switchback turns going up are still paved with the original bricks. The road was built during World War I by 10,000 Russian POWs.

Views of Triglav National Park.

Another view

During World War II an artist hiding in the mountains filled the Church of St. Joseph with patriotic symbolism.

St. Michael, on the ceiling, is clad in red, white and blue – the colors of Yugoslavia. At his feet are Yugoslavia’s enemies: an eagle (Germany), a wolf (Italy) and a serpent (Japan).

In one of the Stations, Hitler is depicted in lederhosen pulling the cross upright.

Mussolini is seated as Herod.