These Are a Few of My Favorite Things
Salzburg is definitely a part of my favorite things now, it was magical! Everything Sound of Music for three days! It was wonderful! I have been dreaming about going to Salzburg and doing the Sound of Music tour for years and the day finally arrived!
On Sunday when I got to Salzburg I was very worried because it was rainy and I didn't want the weather to interfere with my Sound of Music filled days! Although I took a bus and got off on the wrong stop then walked a mile in the rain with all of my stuff my spirits were not dampened! Nothing could hold my excitement down! I went ahead and booked my tour for Tuesday since that was the only sunny day in the forecast and I mapped out everywhere I wanted to go (not only Sound of Music related, a few Mozart and some historical spots too!). I had a lot of time so I decided to just walk around Old Town and get acquainted with the area. Even though it was chilly and cloudy it was amazing! Everywhere I walked I automatically had the Sound of Music soundtrack playing in my head, it was just happening without me specifically singing the songs to myself!
On Monday it was suppose to be rainy most of the day so I woke up expecting to walk around in the rain but surprise surprise, it was sunny and warm!! Best surprise ever! I took advantage of the beautiful weather and started my self guided Sound of Music walking tour/city tour. I walked through cute little streets and big busy squares. I walked over the Mozart bridge from Do-Re-Mi, I saw fountains they ran around, the horse fountain Maria splashes water in (of course I splashed the water just like she did). I went into all of the beautiful churches in the city, one of which Mozart play the organ for a couple of years. I went to Saint Peter's Cemetery, the one that the Von Trapps hid in, well it inspired the cemetery they made in Hollywood. Then I wanted to walk up the Mönchsberg mountain where the castle is but I didn't want to pay to take the little train. I walked all along the town until I got to a church that had a road up the mountain. All of a sudden it started raining. I figured this was it for the rest of the day but luckily it rained for half an hour then stopped! That was all the rain for the day when originally it said it would rain all day! Up on the mountain I just wandered around and found amazing views. There were tons of paved and dirt paths through the woods so I just followed the way that looked most interesting. I was up there for hours! It was so peaceful and wonderful! I did eventually make it to the castle. I walked around it for a bit then headed back down the mountain. Just below the castle there was an incredible view of Old Town so I just had to sit and draw it! MONDAY ROCKED!
Tuesday was the day I had been waiting for...the Sound of Music tour!!!!!!! The tour was great! They took us to see the lake where the children fell into the water from the row boat and the Von Trapp house. Fun fact, it is actually two houses. The director liked the backyard of one house and the actual building of another house so they used both! If you watch the movie you will see times like where the Captain and Maria have the conversation after the fall into the lake. Maria's back is to the lake so she is at one house, the Captain is standing with his back to the yellow house so he is at the other house! They weren't actually standing there talking to each other! We saw the gazebo from 16 going on 17, and saw the yellow Von Trapp house with the wall in front where Maria sang I Have Confidence. Then we had a bit of a drive to the town of Mondsee. Along the way they played the soundtrack for us to sing along with. I along with the girl behind me were definitely the most enthusiastic singers on the bus! In Mondsee we went to the church the Von Trapps were married in the movie and let me tell you it is gorgeous! We saw the trees the children climbed and the lake where they rode their bikes. On the way back to Salzburg they showed us a video of the actress who played Liesel showing us around Salzburg and the sites of the Sound of Music. She also gave us some more fun facts. The tour ended in the Mirabell Gardens. I didn't know how much more my heart could take because I'd been freaking out all day (really since I showed up in Salzburg). I got my picture on the Do-Re-Mi steps doing the pose Maria does at the end of the song and saw all of the fountains and leafy tunnel they run around and through. Then I sought out the dwarf statue they all pat on the head and did it myself! There are actually a lot of dwarf statues in the park and they were all modeled after actual people. Oh I can't forget the statues at the entrance of the park where the children cross each other saying so a needle pulling thread!
After the tour I decided to get a piece of the famous chocolate cake from the Sacher Café. Apparently Sacher made it for a king or someone important in 1832 and it has spread and become the best kept secret recipe! I am here to tell you it was definitely worth it, the cake was delicious and has a nice layer of apricot jam. I went to this awesome panorama museum of a panorama painting of Salzburg. The painting was incredible! You actually needed to use one of their telescopes to see all of the small details! I also wanted to find the Abbey that Maria was a novice and where the Von Trapps got married in real life. It was up on the mountain too and had an incredible view that I got to draw. The gate of this Abbey was where the children asked to see Maria but were told they couldn't. Finally I wanted to find the place with the view of the city where Do-Re-Mi started. It took forever and I came across other amazing views on my journey but I finally found it and got my picture with it. I ended the day with an Austrian supper of Wiener schnitzel on the side of the mountain, watching the sunset over the town. The sunset was gorgeous, it turned the castle pink as the moon was rising behind it. My food was amazing then my fried bread thing with a plum sauce for dessert was delicious too! This was the perfect way to end my time in Salzburg.
Back in Prague someone in my hostel said, "You are going all around Slovenia but not into Slovenia. You should go to Slovenia." So here I am heading to Slovenia.