No photos until we get home. I cannot upload from this server. We got home from Venice about two hours ago and are washing, drying and getting to bed. We had a wonderful drive to Salzburg on Tuesday. We stayed there two nights and toured the local city, HohenSalzburg Castle and of course, Hotel Steinlechner...mom's old haunt. It is still there. She didn't recognize it at first but you could see the wave of memory come over her as she stood outside the yellow building. The city was beautiful and full of great things to see. We drove out to the site of Sound of Music but did not get out to visit the home and grounds there. We wanted to get to the salt mines for a tour. That was a great trip. You travel on a bench like train with about 30 people dressed in all white. Sort of like a temple trip underground. Anyway we descended 250 meters down into the underground maze of tunnels, etc. The tour was a walk...yes, a long walk through head-banging tunnels for about 2.5 km. We went by a small barge across an underground lake inside a darkened cavern with music playing and pictures projected on the walls of the cavern. Quite interesting down on a lake with sound surround in the dark. Eerie. You will see when the photos are out, pictures of us descending down into the mine deeper on wooden slides. You straddle them, not sit in them. Let me tell you, after a long slide the heat does build up on your undersides. Youch.

Out of there, we elected to go ahead and go down to Venice. We did not have reservations so we called Martha from the car. She found us a wonderful room on the island of Lido, across from Venice. Well worth the trip and to Martha, we are indebted for her knowing her way around Europe. There was not a glitch in the visit. The room was ready and we spent two nights there.

Now, for the info on Venice, you'll have to stand by as the rest of the family has now deserted me and gone to bed. I am losing my awakedness and am about to go to sleep myself. So, in words to follow.....the trip to Venice and beyond. Dad