Tue 26 Aug- Salzburg

Tue 26 Aug- after breakfast buffet, we departed on the optional 2.5 hour trip to Salzburg, first driving through the Austrian countryside approaching the Alps. We stopped by a beautiful scenic spot overlooking Mondsee (Moon Lake, shaped like a half-moon) for photo op and 'stretch our legs'.
In Salzburg, the weather was perfect, a cool 20-21 C, and sunny. We had a walking tour of the old town, where we were told the history and interesting stories of the town. The tour group had lunch at a local restaurant, as an example of Austrian cuisine, which was very good, and apple strudel for dessert. After the tour and lunch, we walked around admiring the architecture, stopped by a garden (http://hutchings.smugmug.com/photos/363970778_H8Qih-M.jpg) the cute and interesting facades, and noticing it was mostly tourist attractions: restaurants, beer gardens, souvenir shops of all kinds (including Christmas decorations) and upscale brand-name stores. We enjoyed a draft beer at a beer garden, and then it was time to return to the ship. We found a coffee machine that makes several varieties of good coffee, chocolate, or provides hot water for the large tea selection, that is available 24/7 at no cost - a great discovery.
Then for dinner: choice of house wine, 'dolmadaikas' (stuffed grape leaves with tzatziki), consomme of beef with 'schinkenchoeberll', boiled cap of rump with horseradish sauce, with creamy spinach and potatoes (Stan) or pan fried tilapia fillet with tomato and white wine sauce on carrot mousseline and saffron rice, frozen chocolate mousse stuffed with pistachio marzipan covered with chocolate ganache.
After dinner, we went for a guided walking tour into the old town of Linz, where we saw yet another large column erected by the survivors of the Black Plague, thanking God for their fortune in escaping death. It seems like there is a similar column in every town.