Austrian Formula 1 Grand Prix

The six-and-a-half hour train trip from Munich to Graz, Austria passed through some of the most beautiful country we'd ever seen.  Mountainous, richly forested, and packed with ski areas, this must be a winter wonderland, but during the summer it is unbelievably green.  And did we take any pictures from the train?  No.  Duh.

Anyway, got to Graz and hooked back up with Steve and Angie for the Formula 1 event.  The Red Bull Ring racetrack is in the hills, and it's a gorgeous venue.  As Will Buxton sang last year:  "the hills are alive with the sound of turbos".  For its part, Red Bull does an incredible job with this race...well organized, and top of the line everything.  Even an airshow to start off the race day.

Some views of the track:

And here's some noise!

And best of all, Lewis Hamilton didn't win.  Nico Rosberg won, followed by Hamilton and Felipe Massa.  Here goes the winner, followed by Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel:

After the F1 race, it was on to Vienna to see the kids.

Munich

We've been through the Munich airport so many times we've lost count, but never went into the city.  With a few days to kill in between races, we decided to finally check it out.  A last minute change in hotels (the one we were supposed to stay in had an air conditioning breakdown) placed us in The Cocoon, aptly named, close to the train station and well into Arab territory.  No surprise, because in Europe these days anywhere near a train station has gone that way.  The train station in Munich is a foodie heaven...everything you can imagine, and it's all "to go".  Also nearby, the wonderful Karstadt department store with its gourmet (and wine!) section.

The historic part of Munich blends with the shopping streets, and the area can be entered via the old towered entry points left over from when it was a walled city.  Here's the Karlstor, nearest our hotel:

Nearby, the Frauenkirche:

And, of course, the Marienhof with its animated clock.  Inside the Marienhof, a courtyard with original gargoyles, grotesques, and of course a beer garden.

At the other end of town, the Isartor:

And the happiest pig in town:

Having scoured the historic area and eaten a big German dinner, we spent the next day checking out the English Garden.  It's beautiful and huge.  We will say, it really needs more "standort" (German for "you are here") signs.  Here's a photo from somewhere in the park...we were lost at the time.

And then we were off via train for Graz, Austria and the Austrian Grand Prix!  Right after we stopped at the bakery in the train station...

A Big Trip, Starting in France

This year's summer trip was six weeks of moving all over Europe.  We began in Paris, where we met our friends Angie and Steve, stayed over, then we all headed for Tours, France and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.  After the race, we flew to Munich for a few days then took the train to Graz, Austria to catch up with Angie and Steve again for the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria.  After that race, we trained to Vienna to visit the family and then on to Prague to catch our river cruise.  Cruised north toward Berlin on the River Elbe, stopping at Dresden and other spots along the way.  We spent two days in Berlin, then back onto the train headed for Amsterdam and onward to our favorite spa location, the Ons Krijtland Hotel in Epen, Holland, to hike and relax for a week.  We know, that sounds strange, but hiking, beer, a balcony, a good restaurant and relaxation go rather well together.  So let's begin the blow-by-blow.

Welcome to Le Mans from Bibendum:

Another 24 Hour event goes into the books.  Won this year by Porsche, after a long absence from the Le Mans game.  Winner was the #19 Porsche 919 Hybrid driven by Nick Tandy, Earl Bamber, and Nico Hulkenberg (of Formula 1 fame).  Second place was the other Porsche, driven in part by Mark Webber (also of Formula 1 fame).

Here are a few views that are different from previous years.  A view through the fence at dusk:

Over on the north side, just past the Dunlop bridge:

Food priorities, les pommes frites:

Checkered flag!

Salute to the winners and survivors:

Champagne!

And the fans take over the track: