Up at 5:00 am which is 11:00 pm back home. Today we did 2 tours. The first one was the Eagle's Nest. This was the most spectacular of all the sights we have seen. The steep and narrow road, just 12 feet wide at 22% grade was not easy for those with a fear of heights. Looking through the window, the sheer drop off the side was making some of the other tourists very nervous. As we made it to the small drop off, we were in the clouds and visibility was 10 to 12 feet. We walked through the tunnel to the elevator. The elevator was magnificent! It is about 15 feet square and was lined with highly polished brass giving the appearance of a much larger room. Walter, our tour guide explained that Hitler was claustrophobic and only allowed 6 people at a time in the elevator to insure that if the elevator had trouble, he could escape to the second elevator which was accessible through a panel in the main elevator. We were whisked away at 11 feet per second. The elevator was full with about 20 people packed in it. The main building is now a restaurant and not much to it in the way of touring. The highlight was the room overlooking the valley below. In the picture, we are standing in front of a very large fireplace. The mantle is handcrafted Italian marble, a gift from Moussilini to Hitler. As we walked outside, the wind moved the clouds and visibility was awesome! The Austrian Alps are incredible!

The second tour was the Sound of Music. We visited several locations where the filming took place. After visiting the local spots, we took a drive to Monsee. Monsee is a quaint little town where the wedding took place near the end of the movie. The drive through the countryside was very beautiful . . .