Ok so one of my goals is to be MUCH better about blogging, and getting things up in a timely manner. DEFINITELY plan to get posts up quicker when it comes to our trips, because really, I love sharing our experiences here!
So -- SALZBURG! Gorgeous, gorgeous Austria.
I had been to Salzburg before, in High School when I came to Europe for a month, and I very much remember it being one of my favorite destinations during that trip. I was so excited to get back, spend some more time there, and do some wonderful sightseeing. If you haven't been to Salzburg before, or haven't ever thought of going, I'm going to change your mind. Not only is it gorgeous, but the history is amazing. So many historical figures come from Salzburg (most notably, Mozart, and if you are interested, you can tour his home while you are there, as well as see the other home that he was born in). Obviously, the largest tourist draw to Salzburg is the Sound of Music. The movie was filmed here, and is based (very, very loosely, we found out) on the famous Von Trapp family. I mean like, VERY loosely. I don't want to burst your Sound of Music bubble (because mine definitely was busted) but a few key things we learned were that the timeline was way off. Also, the Von Trapp family didn't flee Austria. They eventually left, but of their own free will and with no threat to them. ALSO, if they HAD actually flown Austria over the mountain like they did in the movie, they would have walked straight into Eagles Nest. Aka, Hitlers palace. So. There you have it.
With that said, when we were booking our place to stay, I did a quick search and found out that the original Von Trapp home WAS NOW A BED AND BREAKFAST. You guys -- we stayed in Maria's suite -- the rooms that she lived in while she was teaching the children. Where she slept & spent her personal time. And probably even better? Where (we found out as we were leaving) Julie Andrews had also spent the weekend just two weeks prior, as she was there celebrating her birthday. It was gorgeous, the food was wonderful, and even though we were about ten minutes by car from the main historical area, it was worth the experience and to be able to say we stayed at the original Von Trapp Villa. Despite my bubble being burst, I'm still a nerd, and still love the movie.
The hiiillllllssss are alliiiivvveeeeeeeeeeeee ..... sorry, I digress.
Salzburg itself is so amazingly beautiful. The historical district sits on a river, and has wonderful shopping and food. My mom & I did a LOT of walking over two days. One of the things that I love best about my mom when traveling with her is that she wants to do it all & see it all, much like myself! We found some amazing shops, ate yummy food, drank some good wine and both left feeling like we saw everything that we needed to see. If you do go to Salzburg, I do recommend the hop on/hop off bus. This was a great way to see the city over a large distance. Plus it gives you the ability to get off at a sight you are interested in, check it out, and then head elsewhere. This was especially helpful for us as it was a) cold and b) I had Max with me. He would nap on the bus and it would give me a break from carrying his chunky butt around! The tour also covered alot of information about the Sound of Music, and took you to many of the main sights in the movie.
Once we had explored most of the main historic area, we took the elevator up the hill, and landed ourselves with an amazing view of the city and the river. We walked, found an old castle and ate some great food (and wine, of course! Always wine!)
I love Salzburg, and ideally would like to get back there again before we move away from this amazing place, but I am glad that we were able to see it, and that my mom was able to do so with me! Of all the things we have done so far while living here, this was one of my favorites. If you ever get a chance to go, do so! It truly is gorgeous!
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