The Untersberg

Three views of the Untersberg above Salzburg, Austria.  One taken from the window of my room on Naumanngasse.  

The second was taken from the cable car on the way up, and the third (that’s me) at the top looking down on the city of Salzburg (1973).  A big shift in perspective.

Cousins…way back then.

1981, St. Louis, MO.

1975, Island of Mainau near Konstanz.

1973, on the Untersberg, Salzburg, Austria.

1972, Konstanz.

1971, Konstanz.

Hier sind wir. Just a selection of photos of Hannes and Rosemarie from the 1970’s and 80’s.  Hannes came once to visit my family in the Midwest.  Before that I made four separate trips to Europe. We have been corresponding for that long. This summer after 38 years we will reconnect and take photos to join this collection.  So much has happened.  That was the spring.  Now it is autumn. We have both lost parents and now we are the elders.  Ups and downs, highs and lows. I got married, had two children who are now living their own lives, and later I got divorced.  Hannes got married and he and Dorothee are enjoying their retirement now with a lot of exotic travel. 2013 will be a good year. And part of the reason for this post is to learn how to insert more than one photo in a post. I think I succeeded.

Mirabell Garten

Near my old stomping grounds at the Mozarteum where I took classes in the summer of 1973. So many times I walked through these beautiful gardens. There across the river stands the fortress Hohensalzburg, a sentinel over the poetic and musical town. The many church steeples provide a counterpoint to the Salzburg skyline. The sky is cloudy and threatening rain, which happens daily in the summertime, the so-called Schnurlregen. I just want to walk again through these narrow historic streets and absorb the charm that enthralled me that summer long ago.

Seenachtsfest in Konstanz

Well…I won’t be there to see this in August this year, but I did get to experience this festival is years past. Konstanz is situated right on the Bodensee near the Swiss border. The lake is a big attraction for the area and boating is very popular. My cousin Hannes has a boat. It is a fantastical sight to see the fireworks go off over the lake dotted with anchored sailboats.

Meine Ōsterreichische Familie then…1973

Inge Orliczek, Alexander, Me, Ursula, Salzburg, Austria. They were my host family in the summer of 1973 when I attended the Mozarteum and studied German at the Hochschule.  I will visit them this summer.

Europe then…1973

Me by the shore of the Bodensee, Konstanz, Germany.