Sunday, September 23, 2012

Wein & Salzburg's Worms Worms and more Worms ;-)

The mountain landscape of the Austrian Tirol is a draw at any time of year and travelling in September is no exception. Italian lakes of Como are great, but Austrian Tirol hills like Roten and lakes are amazing - To be invited to festifals celebrating a bishop named Rupert who left worms and set foot on Salzburg soil is rather memorable ;-). Rupert began erecting a main church, a monastery and a convent ( Nonnberg Convent ) upon the ruins of the abandoned old Roman settlement of 'Juvavum', today the district of St. Peter. All of the constructions are still standing and viewable today, albeit in a modernised fashion. It was first in Rupert's times that the town on the Salzach was called 'Salzburg'; prior to this names such as 'Juvavum' or 'Salzburch' were more common. Consequently, Rupert is honoured as Salzburg's city patron every year with a town celebration on the 24th of September. On this day in 774 the first cathedral bishop, Virgil, moved Rupert's body to the cathedral.

The capital and largest city in the land of opera, sausage and schnitzel is now officially the nicest place in the world. Vienna was the best place to live in 2011 and seems to be getting better like great wine of Wein. Vienna’s excellent infrastructure, safe streets and good public health service helped it top the list. The city, with its ornate buildings, public parks and extensive bicycle network, recently reduced the cost of its annual public transport ticket to 1 euro a day. Serious crime is non existent .... Amazing place to escape to ...