The Hills Are Alive With The Sound Of Music

Salzburg, Austria

Day 3:

We left Vienna at 8:30 a.m. and headed to Salzburg.  Sitting next to us on the train were two girls who looked like they were 21, but we later found out they were only 16.  They were from Vienna, taking their first ski trip alone.  We arrived in Salzburg at around 12:00 and were on the platform when Katie realized she forgot her coat.  She ran on to get her coat, but didn't seem to be coming back any time soon, so Janell ran on and got her coat and came back.  Still no Katie.  The train pulled away, and still no Katie; she was on her way to Innsbruck.  She had to meet us at the hostel later in the day.  We were able to leave a message with her, and she got to call us from  the conductors phone.  (She got the royal treatment).  She went back and sat with the two girls from Vienna and she found out that Janell had her coat...she was stuck on the train for nothing.

We, on the other hand, had to go to The Sound of Music tour.  We dropped our stuff off at our hostel (which was super nice--recently renovated), and headed to town.  The tour was AMAZING.  I had just seen the movie for the first time the day before, and it instantly became my new favorite movie.  On our tour was our Tour Guide Matt, two Australians, two Brazilians, a student from California, and then us--the three Romans as our Tour Guide Matt called us.  Throughout the whole tour, they played the Sound of Music soundtrack; it was great!  Let me take you through the tour...

The Sound of Music Tour!!

Puppet Theatre

Hotel where the cast stayed.  (All except Julie Andrews).

Theatre where the Von Trapp family sung at the festival before their escape.

Back of the Von Trapp House.

Trees where the children hung from.

Lake the children and Marie fell in.

Von Trapp House!

Place where the gazebo is kept.

Gazebo where they sung 'I am sixteen going on seventeen'.

Front of the Von Trapp house.  A different house was used for the front and the back.

Town near where Julie Andrews sung 'The Hills Are Alive'.

Where Julie Andrews sung 'The Hills Are Alive'.

Church where Captain Von Trapp and Maria got married.

Inside the church.

Fountain where Julie Andrew sung 'I have confidence'.

End of the tour.

After the tour we met up with Katie who was safe and sound in our hostel.  Earlier, we made reservations for dinner at eight at a local Austrian favorite.  We ate traditional Austrian food, and it was so good!  There were so many things I wanted to try and that is not like me.  I had pancake soup, and I split egg dumplings and chicken with potato salad with Christine.  For an appetizer we got potato balls and for dessert we had warm apple strudel.  Christine was so full from her meal, but she still had room for some of Janell's pork--she loved it that much.  Christine announced, "I am so full...oh wait the pork, I got room for that!"  The food was excellent.  After the day we had, we were exhausted!  We went back to the hostel where they were playing The Sound of Music (my new favorite movie), and crashed.  

Day 4:

Katie got up early to go on The Sound of Music tour--the people said she could still use her ticket since she missed the original tour.  Janell, Christine, and I went to Mozart's house, his birthplace, and toured more of Salzburg.    We had breakfast at Mozart's Cafe and it was amazing/the largest meal I have ever had.  It consisted of a roll, three pieces of toast with jam, scrambled eggs, pastrami, ham, provolone cheese, cereal which was yogurt, fruit seeds, and fresh fruit, freshly squeezed orange juice, hot chocolate, and a piece of chocolate.  Phew!  I am full just thinking about it!  Afterwards we met up with Katie and headed to get some Austrian chocolate from the place our tour guide recommended.  The rest of the day was spent wandering around 

Salzburg.  We stumbled upon two churches, the entrance to a castle, and an Italian/Pakistani restaurant.  We had dinner and then headed back to the hostel to collect our things to head home.

As I sit here on the train back to Rome, I can't  help but smile when I think about the weekend I just had. I loved everything about Salzburg.  I honestly could see myself living there.  The people were some of the friendliest people I have ever met, the sights were gorgeous, and the food was great.  Now I just need to learn German!.  All in all, this is a trip I know I will NEVER forget.  Gruss Gott.

      "The hills are alive with the sound of music."

                     ~Julie Andrews