Salzburg Revisited

Some places are so lovely that you immediately know you'll go back. That is always how I have felt about Salzburg, Austria, and it was a pleasure to return this trip! I revisited some of the obligatory tourist stops:
Hohensalzburg Fortress

Mozart's birth house

Mozart's dad and wife's cemetery

The Cathedral

Mirabell Palace and Gardens

Panorama Views from the Fortress and the Modern Art Museum

But mostly* I was there for two reasons: The egg store and the Sound of Music bus tour. Yeah, that's right. I planned this entire European trip around these two things.

First was The Egg Store. It's really called "Christmas in Salzburg" and it sells hand-decorated eggs. This might sound weird, but it is not like when you were a kid and you dipped hard-boiled eggs in dye and they came out all splotchy but you kept them for a week anyway and your mom told you they were beautiful. This is the real deal. The eggs have a hole at the top and bottom and the yolk, etc., are blown out so they keep forever. They're then threaded with a ribbon so you can hang them. The eggs are beautifully painted with elaborate detail. They have every color, every design, every season. Some are painted only, some have glitter, some have some kind of magical puff paint** with designs. Some have lace or cross-stitch. The store is about the size of a Gap and is stacked with eggs everywhere. It's amazing. I went right when I got there to make sure it wasn't a thing I made up and then I went back later when I could calmly pick out eggs to buy. I was so so happy.

The pictures truly don't do it justice. You need to be there to be awed by the sheer volume of product. Please go. Please take me with you.

Hilariously, there is also a knock-off store and it could not even compete. Do not be fooled by this imitation, children. You deserve the best.

The next day was the Sound of Music Bus Tour. I know we saw it when we were there in Salzburg before and I'm certain I thought, "ugh, how tacky." And it kind of was. And I definitely loved it. We were driven around Salzburg and given a short overview of the city and some of the sights. We then started to head out of town to visit some of the locations where they filmed the movie. Exterior shots for the movie were really filmed in Salzburg and the surrounding area but anything interior was filmed on sound stages in London or LA. That's cool with me, I understand movie magic. The places we did see were fun and I love the movie and Julie Andrews*** enough to enjoy every second.

We saw the lake where Maria and the children fell in wearing their curtain play-clothes. The lawn in front of this house was used for all the outdoor garden scenes but the house was not. We did drive by the house that was used for the front and back exterior shots but it's currently used as a music school**** and you can't get too close.

We visited the gazebo where Liesl and Rolf***** sing "Sixteen Going on Seventeen." It is relocated to another palace than where it was in the movie. You can't go in because, of course, a previous tourist did that and broke her ankle while jumping from bench to bench.******

We headed further out to the lakes region that you see in the flyover shots of the movie. It was straight up beautiful.

Finally, we visited the town of Mondsee where Maria and Captain Von Trapp got married in the movie. In reality, they were married at a convent in Salzburg but it is always best not to get too bogged down by the details of real life.

Oh and the entire bus ride we listened to the soundtrack and sang along. It was the cheesiest and the best and few things can unite strangers like singing all the parts to "Do Re Mi."*******

Now I need to see about a Mary Poppins bus tour of London. . .  Is it possible to tour the animated world of "Jolly Holiday"???

We shall see.
-KT

*Entirely.
**But not like those T-shirts we made in middle school
***I consider her my second mother. No offense to my number one mother who is the greatest mother. Love you, Mahhhhhm.
****Maria would be so proud!
*****The most hated movie character in cinematic history? I think so. Every time I hope this is the time he won't blow that stupid whistle.
******I would pay money to have been that woman. There can be no greater broken ankle story in the history of time.
*******Is this why I'm a music teacher? Probably.