30th July 2011 – Doe Ray me to Salzburg for the Day

Still overwhelmed from Take That’s amazing night, we found ourselves the next day on a train going to appreciate another musical experience, Sound of Music in Salzburg! Yes I’m swapping some pop for pure musical cheese as I doe-ray-me to Salzburg for the day. Only 2.5 hours and two cans of Kaiser Beer it takes to steam into Salzburg alongside the Alps and you’re ready to Climb Ev’ry Mountain! (Yes I will be punning the sound of music songs on here!) So what is there to do on a day trip? Swotting up with the thanks of the Visit Salzburg website, well I’ll tell you all of my Favourite Things! (Groan!)

Sound of Music Experience

As much as we wanted to jump aboard a bus that has continuous sing-a-longs whilst wearing a sexy wimple, it was far too expensive and too long. Plus Ann and I wanted to take it at our own pace on a self-guided tour rather being shepherded about like sheep only to exclaim at the Edelweiss flowers and hoarded back on the bus. I have Confidence in myself to do this tour on our own. First stop after getting off the train we headed on over to the Residenz Fountain where the kids danced around in our very own Doe-Ray-Me song! Of course, I felt like I had to do the same and also jump around the steps.

You can find plenty of locations in the Mirabell Gardens where the fountain is also found. So for a rainy morning, it’s a great way to re-enact scenes and also take part in a late brunch.

Oh dear, I started calling myself Maria by this point. Plus I wanted to get into the mindset of this heroine but there’s one issue… How do you solve a problem like Maria? (Sorry, I couldn’t resist!)

Leaving the gardens and hitting up the town square, you can definitely see a hubbub of activity with street performers and crafts stalls scattered around. It really truly felt like I was in Austria! Continuing with the Sound of Music Experience, I really recommend you to visit the St Peter’s Graveyard. However, the scene in the movie is actually a hollywood set but it’s pretty much the same as this GraveYard. I pretended to hide from Ann, who I thought has the mannerisms of a German Gestapo , but she failed to see the funny side. I just simply sang to hide my age that I am Sixteen Going on Seventeen. It didn’t work. Damn.

Become an Austrian

Okay, knowing that the Sound of Music Experience would take all day, we opted to just tour the film locations for the morning. Why? Because we wanted to find out things Austrian and that meant becoming one! For people, it’s all about wearing Ledohosen but for me, it’s the hat. People who see the hat with a single feather tucked in the side would truly respect you to be the thigh-slapping born Austrian…or think you’re a twat. What do you think?

 

Mozart

Salzburg is not just famous for being the film location for the Sound of Music but for the arts and culture in us, it’s where Mozart, one of our greatest composers ever, was born. He was a pretty clever dude, he was actually writing compositions at the age of five! So head on over to his birthplace and explore his life over three floors. It was a pretty good way to spend a couple of hours after lunch.

 

Mozart’s Chocolates

Of course, because of Mozart, many touristy or local establishments have sprung up with Mozart’s name on the side. I was pretty intrigued by the expensive chocolates on display. A sweltering 5 Euro for a ball of chocolate!

But I tell you what, it’s so tasty and so yummy that Ann had to drag me out. But a perfect way to get the energy for our next destination.

 

Fortress Hohensalzburg

Unless you’ve had your nose down on the cobbly streets, you cannot miss the domineering building taking up the Skyline everywhere you turn. The Fortress Hohensalzburg! It’s a pretty mean climb to get to the top of the hill (I say small mountain) and we were dismayed to find that there was indeed a trolley for tourists that offer lifts up and down the hill. Why didn’t we see that?! Paying the entrance fee, you have the time with an audio guide to visit all aspects of the Fortress to find out the history behind everything. The best bit? The rooftop.

You can see everything you can possible see in the horizon, even the Alps!It’s a great way to spend the late afternoon and watching the sun start its descent down to the ends of the Earth. Perhaps I should Yodel like The Lonely Goatherd! (You thought I’d finished this!)

But be prepared because the Fortress is a massive tourist trap. And do you know what that means? Hoardes of camera trigger happy Japanese and Chinese Tourists who are determined to ruin your every shot by walking disregardingly into shot.

You can see I was not at all amused!

 

Shopping

As we took the trolley down to the town, we had an hour left before we had to take the train back to Munich. As I dragged Ann round the Fortress, it was fair that she should do some shopping. I thought that anyway, because women love shopping right? But I was pleased to have done so as Salzburg has a huge wealth of independent shops. You could even start your xmas shopping at any time of the year when I found a quirky Christmas shop.

It was just so refreshing to see what’s on display.

Walking back to the train station, we stumbled across a rather unique shop. Henri J Silam. The smallest Jewellery shop in the world and it’s claim to fame is further compounded that it’s only open for 2 weeks a year. Well, aren’t we lucky as this was open when we were there! Pushing into the shop, my eyes started watering. Why? Because of the astronomical prices that I wouldn’t even dare suggest. No wonder this shop can afford a prime location and be open a few weeks a year. The staff looked at us in dismay as bedraggled backpackers, we were just browsing. Ah, the shop keeper’s gritted teeth word. Soon, we left as there wasn’t room to swing Mozart’s cat and I’m sure we were using up valuable time and space for other customers.

 

So, that was a very pleasant day in Salzburg. I wish I could have stayed for a night and finished off the Sound of Music Experience and seen what life sprung in the evenings, but I’ll know I’ll be back. Boarding the train, I took a yonder look outside and locking eyes with Ann, we did the inevitable…

‘So long! Farewell!’

 

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