Leah and Rebecca at the baths at Baden


Rose Festival at Baden




Large interior pool at Baden baths

Exterior pool at Baden

We have begun to realize how fast our trip is coming to its close and there is still so much we haven’t done. Even four months is not enough for this city and its environs! And then we have daughters here to show it to, as well as trying to finish what we haven’t seen.

It is rose season here and the Austrians love roses! There is a huge, beautiful rose garden in the center of the city, on the Ring, at the Volksgarten. We went there with Rebecca on one of her first, rainy days here. Then we went to the Rose festival at Baden, on the first day Leah was here. That day was sunny and very hot, and the roses were almost past their prime, but really beautiful anyway. Again, so many and spread out in a huge rose garden. There were tons more at Schonbrunn when we went there, and in Salzburg, we went to the Mirabell Gardens (the place where the Von Trapp kids sang Do Re Mi in the movie) and there were tons of roses there too! Plus there are lots of little traffic islands throughout the city that are full of roses!

But I am getting ahead of myself! We spent another wonderful day in Baden with Leah and Rebecca (had been there with Rachel and Sarah so it was only right). Had to take them to the baths of course! Even tho the baths are better in the cool and rainy weather, they were quite nice in the summer too! There are indoor and outdoor sections, and it was much less crowded than when we had been before. Lots of areas for whirlpools and bubbly waters, all that lovely mineral odor! But you do feel great when you are done!

Meanwhile, Rich came out with us to Baden but instead of the baths, chose to go to a little local museum there dedicated to Joseph Gall, founder of phrenology. Lots of skulls to examine apparently! (the cross street near our apartment is Joseph Gall Gasse!)