hook a duck

I think everyone will agree that waking up to this view as we swept open our balcony doors in Saltzburg - then there really was only one song:

and a gentle early morning mist enveloped Saltzburg while the sun tried to peep through

It was downstairs for a tasty breakfast in our fairytale B&B Die Romantik Pension Haslachmühle

everything we could have wanted

and the cosy stove burning away in the corner

and here's the hint of our morning surprise . . .

but first a final view from our stupendous balcony as the sun breaks through inch by inch and we start to see the city below

and the beautiful valley around us

still with a gentle misty layer

Our bed and breakfast and our very own balcony!

and off down the track we head

to wait in the lane

for our fairytale carriage pulled by two very beautiful Haflinger horses.  A very famous breed of Austrian horses previously only known to me as a horse-mad child through my Observers' Book of Horses and Ponies.  And now I've seen one in real life!

This was just magical - clip clopping at an unhurried pace for nearly half an hour into Saltzburg in the morning sun.

someone was definitely loving it as much as me!

One of the horses was an old hand and the other was younger and new to the job and was quite sparky and playful.  No run away dramas though - one very careful driver!

note the distant castle!

First view of the magnificent Salzach river

And here we were finally trotting into the centre of the lovely Saltzburg

and here were our lovely horses getting a bit of love and thank yous from us all

and now it was Shanks' pony for the rest of the morning

but such a beautiful little city to explore

Though don't be fooled by the blue skies and the smiles - it was absolutely FREEZING!

Tyrollean style?

Discovered a lovely market square just setting up for the day

and the Mozart ducks - well I've no idea what they were all about

But it's definitely time for a note from the great composer - I've chosen the Marriage of Figaro overture as I remember playing this back in the day with the Wallasey Youth Orchestra on one of our Burton Manor stays

and in timely fashion we happen upon Mozart's birthplace

and continue through the town

to the Makartsteg Bridge -weighed down with love locks!

with such beautiful views down the Salzach

and,on the other side of the river, Mozart's later residence when the birthplace became too small for the family

and the peaceful gardens of the Mirabelgarten and palace

where there was another horsey friend to bond with

but by now it was a dash to the station to catch our train over the famous Arlberg pass into Switzerland and Zurich - keep ready for the last leg of our adventures by clicking: over the Alps to Zurich . .

But if you missed the start of this holiday, then feel free to go to the beginning by clicking here