Venice is a very walkable city. It's a city to get lost in. Take a map, a bottle of water (or your favorite cup of gelatto) and walk. Immerse yourself in the architecture, sites, smells and the people...
Water taxi arriving at the Metropole hotel...
Our tour group spent Day 7 in the breath taking city of Venice...
We stayed in a hotel on the mainland which meant we need to take a walk to the train station and take the train into Venice. This city is very old and all transportation is via small boats.
Once we arrived the boat dock is right outside the train station and our water taxi awaited us...
Event the police in Venice use boats!
Partial view of St. Mark's Square
One of the excursions in Innsbruck, Austria was a chance to experience bobsledding on a track used during the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympic Games. This track is used year round and accommodates a sled that holds up to 5 people (four riders and one driver)....
Saying good-bye to Austria...
Austria is the birthplace of Swarovski, Mozart and The Govenator (Arnold Schwarzenegger)!
Free Schnaps tasting. We were alllll over that!
Birthplace of Swarovski crystal
The pretzel/ginger bread cookie girl...
Giant pretzel and beer!
Apple strudel
Pork knuckle and dumplings! Magically Delicious!
Liter beers from The Hofbrauhaus...
Hofbrau menu
The Hofrauhus was founded over 400 years ago by William V, Duke of Bavaria and remains one of the largest and well known beer halls of Munich... This famed beer hall also has beer halls outside of Germany. They even have one in Las Vegas!
This portico of the Hofbrauhaus once served as a meeting place for the Nazi party...
YES, believe it or not PEOPLE DO SURF IN GERMANY! Locals have found a way to surf in this land locked country without every having to set foot on a sandy beach. Within the English Garden The River Isar is home to one of Germany's standing waves. Of course this curious sight is a tourist attraction. There were lots of on lookers many of whom were amazed with the talented surfs ripping it up on the narrow river.
Next surfer waiting his turn...
Lions seem to be a central theme all around Munich. However, there were some very special lions, like the one above, we spotted in the city. These artsy lions are part of the "Children In Need" charity. Since 2005 more than 400 "Leos" have been purchase by sponsors to raise money for this charity. Even the Hofbrauhaus had its own Leo!
Along our bike tour we stopped at a beer garden inside Munich's English Garden. This beer garden also gave us a taste of Germain cuisine....
Delicious Radler (wheat beer and sprite)
This visit to the English Garden started my obsession with pork knuckle!
Part of our trip was a city bike tour through Munich where we got to see the highlights of this great city...
The National Theater
Maximilian I
Me and the tour guide
Holy Trinity columns are seen very often in Europe. These monuments were erected to signify the city overcoming major adversity.
This little soldier is slaying a rooster. The rooster represents pestilence...
...a snake represents religious dissent...
...the dragon represents famine...
...and the lion of war.