Postlingberg in the clouds.

The Lentos art museum sits along side the river and at night the colored lights reflecting are just lovely, but it is also nice during the day.

Upriver from the brides the water isn't quite turbulent, but still very full and moving fast.

I took this picture not for the blossoms, but to see the water is hitting the bridge supports and creating turbulence. There weren't any good angles to shoot it from, but maybe this will give an idea.

Spring has arrived literally over night, bring sudden snow melt and rain. Looking towards a hazy Postlingberg you can see the very full Danube in the foreground. If you look closely you can see that the swans are on the bank because the water is too swift to relax in.

I took this looking down from the bridge. You can see how strong the currents are and how murky the water is. It is an amazing sound to hear it rushing past.

As you can see from this photo, the river is too high to allow barges or ships under the bridges, so there is a hold on shipping and travel. Fortunately here in Linz it hasn't really effected us, but there are areas that have suffered a lot from the flooding.

The dome of the Familienkirche in Linz has this beautiful painting. I went to a concert here and just spent most of the time looking up. My neck felt like the artist's must have by the end of the evening. It's amazing the amount of detail that is included and I can't even imagine knowing where to start on a project like that!

I've posted a picture of this bridge at night, so I thought I'd show how it looks on a cold crisp morning. The Danube divides Linz in two, so I cross this or the other bridge at least twice a day.

Florence at Dusk

On this day several hundred years ago (1685), a baby was born that would forever change how the world viewed music. Even though he was orphaned by the time he was nine, it didn't stop Bach from giving us some of our most inspirational music. This evening in honor of his birthday I attended two concerts. This photo is of an ensemble performing the Cantata BWV 182. It was truly an uplifting experience. Happy Birthday, Herr Bach!

My backyard with snow and blue skies.

Spires of Linz

If you look closely you can see the Danube peaking from behind the snowy scrubs.

My new favorite breakfast fruit is the blood orange. They get shipped up to Austria from Sicily and are so amazingly sweet. You should be able to find them in the US, too, and I recommend giving them a try.

White as Snow

Even a simple fence which I ordinarily would have passed without a second glance suddenly took on a whole knew look.

"Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want, but the realization of how much you already have."

So it's March and there's a snow storm. So what!! I have warm clothes, hot tea when I get back to my cozy room, pictures of Linz with more snow than people have seen here in years, and friends who take the time to look at them. I've never been accused of being an optimist, but even I realize that if you decide to make the most of something you might even end up enjoying it. Did I mention how good a handful of fresh clean snow tastes?

The Hauptplatz of Linz garnished with snow.

I have taken many pictures of Linz from this location, but this one certainly takes the prize for least color. I was amazed at how quiet a city could be! It was Sunday morning so no one had to be out and the fresh blanket of snow dampened everything. I could hear the snow crunching under my boots and the snowflakes softly landing on my nose occasionally interrupted by the crisp click of my camera shutter.

"To appreciate the beauty of a snow flake, it is necessary to stand out in the cold."

You can see the spire of the Stadtpfarrkirche peaking through the snowy branches.

It was like walking in another world with everything sparkling in the fresh snow. I'm not sure why people get winter blues, because there aren't many things more refreshing than breathing the fresh crisp air and munching a handful of clean snow while taking in the views.

Boys will be boys, especially when there is snow. This group discovered me standing at the window watching them as I ate lunch and decided that aiming my direction was more fun than at eachother. After successfully coating a wall and my roommates desk with a fresh coat of snow they moved down the building to the next open window.

The New Cathedral of Linz in the snow.

It was Sunday morning as I walked around taking pictures of the snow and not many people had a reason to uncover their car.

This tree has quite a bit of character that was accented by the snow.

It has been snowing every day for the last several days. This is the most snow I've seen in years I think, and the most they have seen around here in awhile, also. So this morning I went out to get some pictures of Linz covered in snow. This is the spire of the Stadtpfarrkirche.

One of the many walks through the gardens around Schoenbrunn Palace in Vienna. I can't wait to go back during the spring when all the flowers are blooming, but even in winter it has a certain charm.