It is here in this seventeenth-century Baroque cathedral that Mozart was baptized and later regularly played some of his most popular tunes on the “Hoforgel,” one of five organs in the Cathedral. Salzburg Cathedral has survived more than 10 fires and was completely rebuilt three times in its 1200-year history. The dome, at 71 meters high, is impressive and the 16 frescos, each depicting a scene from the Old Testament, painted by Italian artists, Donato Mascagni and Ignazio Solari, are quite remarkable. This architectural complex comprising the Cathedral, Residenz (the centre of the Prince-Archbishops power) and the Benedictine St Peters Abbey, houses 5 separate museums, so give yourself plenty of time to wander through and soak up Salzburg’s Baroque history and culture. The highlight for me was the Cathedral’s Organ Loft, which gives a unique perspective of the Cathedral itself. Our brains are frazzled with facts by the time we leave the museum so a coffee and apple strudel in the impressive Residenceplatz, the historic centre of the city, is well overdue. There is a young musician on a piano in the square, treating us to some Mozart as we watch the horse drawn tourist carriages gracefully trot round the square. Being Austria, very clean and efficient, somebody is left to clear up the whoopsies after the horses have done their business. And so, there are many “Municipal Equine Cleansing Operators” on bicycle also frequenting the square. In Glasgow they would be better known as “the pedalling shit shovellers”. Originally a hospital founded by Cardinal Mendoza (the first Cardinal of Toledo Cathedral), it houses major archaeological finds and fine arts depicting the history of Toledo and Spain through the 16 th and 17 th century. So many Kings, so many wars, so many throne overthrowings!

Dementia is “a syndrome in which there is deterioration in memory, thinking, behaviour and the ability to perform everyday activities.” (1) In effect, it is brain damage of one type or another (with each type causing a variety of different symptoms). Legend has it that a temple to the ancient Slavic goddess of Love, Živa used to stand on the location of today’s glorious Gothic church, Church of the Mother of God, built in 1465. The wishing bell, allegedly donated by the Pope, following the death of a local nun, is there for those visiting the church to chime. It is said that anyone who rings the bell three times and believes in God will have their wishes granted.Later in the week we hire a canoe from the village, which is another test of John’s recovery. I’m in the driving seat but after managing to paddle the canoe several 360s, in both directions, John takes over pole position and we enjoy the rest of our paddle up and down this idyllic river.

When you hear remarks such as, “Everyone with dementia does X, Y or Z” – refuse to believe it. Seriously – if you’ve met one person with dementia, you’ve met one person with dementia.On longer journeys, even if you wake up in a different place each morning, the routine inside the motorhome can be the same.