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Wednesday, July 25, 2018

PICTURESQUE TOWNS OF AUSTRIA PART 2: SALZBURG (AND A GIVEAWAY!)


This is a multi-part series about our Danube River cruise. 


Salzburg, the city of Mozart | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #salzburg #austria #danuberivercruise



River Cruise Day 6: Salzburg, Austria


A late itinerary change has us heading to Salzburg, known to most Americans as the home of the Von Trapp family from The Sound Of Music. No sooner do I think about the prospect of some interesting souvenirs for SOM fans back home, does our tour guide squash that idea. Ask any Salzburgian on the street about the The Sound Of Music, she says, and they will look at you like you have two American heads. True, external scenes from the movie were filmed in Salzburg, but apparently to the oblivion of the people who live there. More commonly, Salzburg is referred to as the City of Mozart, in tribute to quite a different musical talent than Maria and her singing charges.

Salzburg, the city of Mozart | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #salzburg #austria #danuberivercruise


Salzburg, the city of Mozart | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #salzburg #austria #danuberivercruise


The bus ride to Salzburg is about two hours, but traveling through the Austrian countryside is a pleasant way to pass the time. At about the halfway mark, we arrive at what may possibly be the most awesome rest stop in the entire world. It doesn't look like the Vince Lombardi service area on the NJ Turnpike, that's for sure! The backdrop for this rest area/gift shop/restaurant is the breathtakingly beautiful Mondsee (Moon Lake). I'm hoping for a photo worthy of gracing our holiday card this year, but unfortunately, it's extremely cloudy. Still, even with the thick cloud cover, the hills are alive with the sound of music, indeed. 

Breathtaking Mondsee (Moon Lake) Austria | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #austria #danuberivercruise #mondsee


The Hohensalzburg Fortress, looming large over the city, announces our arrival to Salzburg.

Hohensalzburg Fortress in Salzburg, Austria | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #austria #danuberivercruise #Salzburg #hohensalzburgfortress

Hohensalzburg Fortress in Salzburg, Austria | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #austria #danuberivercruise #Salzburg #hohensalzburgfortress


Our walking tour starts at the very beginning, a very good place to start! It takes us through the Old City into Residenzplatz Square. The splendid Residenzbrunnen Fountain, a baroque beauty built in the mid 1600s, is the main focal point of the square.  In The Sound Of Music, this is where Maria and the children rode through singing I Have Confidence In Me. Oh, the irony! Confidence in my picture taking is currently lacking! I didn't have a chance to read up on Salzburg beforehand, due to the last-minute itinerary change. Half the time, I don't even know what I'm shooting, and I find that I have difficulty concentrating on taking in what the guide is saying. It's the old can't "walk and chew gum" syndrome, I suppose.


Residenzbrunnen Fountain, Salzburg, Austria | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #austria #danuberivercruise #Salzburg


Behind the fountain, our feet get a rest as we take in the vastness of Dom zu Salzburg's interior, a 17th century baroque cathedral.
Dom zu Salzburg, Austria | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #austria #danuberivercruise #Salzburg


Dom zu Salzburg, Austria | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #austria #danuberivercruise #Salzburg


Onward we go to the courtyard of St. Peter's Abbey, located in the oldest quarter of Salzburg. The monastery was built in the mid-7th century. 
St. Peter's Abbey in Salzburg, Austria | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #austria #danuberivercruise #Salzburg


At this point, the tour guide releases us to explore Salzburg on our own for awhile. Our definition of "explore" means to find somewhere to have lunch. We settle on Cafe Mozartwinkel, which is tucked away in a quiet courtyard and appeals to our tired feet and rumbling stomachs. Apres-lunch research on Tripadvisor reveals less than kind reviews, but we enjoy our meals. My vegetable strudel is quite tasty; the waiter, however, is quite hasty. 

Souvenir shopping is the second priority for our free time. My friend and I walk over to Getreidegasse, a pretty, albeit touristy, shopping street (but, hey, we're tourists!), while our men prefer to find a bench and watch the people parade. I could be content just taking pictures of the shop signs, which are hung perpendicularly from buildings on wrought-iron brackets, giving the passageway a uniquely European feel. 


Salzburg is one of many picturesque towns of Austria | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #austria #danuberivercruise #Salzburg

Salzburg is one of many picturesque towns of Austria | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #austria #danuberivercruise #Salzburg

There is not a Sound Of Music souvenir to be had........ This is Mozart's town, baby.  

Salzburg, Austria - The City Of Mozart | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #austria #danuberivercruise #Salzburg


After a successful shopping excursion, someone suggests dessert, and I jump at the chance to sample a local treat. Cafe Konditorei Furst in Alter Markt Square is our choice. I order a sacher torte, the famed Viennese chocolate cake, while the others stick to ice cream. Oy, I will never understand the minds of non-foodies! My prior research prepares me for the fact that this cake is not rich and moist, but rather on the dry side. Ordering it mit shlag (with whipped cream) is the way to go. I enjoy trying one of the world's most renowned cakes, but between you and me, I'm stymied as to its fame.  

Salzburg is one of many picturesque towns of Austria | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #austria #danuberivercruise #Salzburg


So Long, Farewell, Salzburg! Our guide plays the entire soundtrack of The Sound Of Music on the ride to the ship, which brings back clear memories from childhood of my cousin and I acting out the scenes in the movie for our families. I still know the words to every song, but out of consideration to my fellow passengers, I sing them inside the privacy of my head rather than out loud. Doe-a-deer, a female deer........

It's a tiring day, and the ship is a sight for sore eyes. We skip the cocktail hour with beer and sausages, preferring to relax in our cabin before dinner. Later in the evening, a group karaoke night in the lounge is so much fun!

Tomorrow will be a leisurely morning, as we will be sailing until early afternoon through the Wachau Valley, one of the most scenic stretches along the Danube River (more on this in a separate post).

I don't know it now, but our afternoon stop will go down in the books as one of my favorites of the entire trip. 

To be continued......... 

I've got some souvenirs from a picturesque town in Austria
that I'd like to send to one of my readers.
It's just a little something, 
but if you'd like to enter my giveaway,
you'll need to read the next post about a charming Austrian town,
as well as my post on Engelhartszell, Austria.
Yes, I'm being a tease! 😉 
You can enter the giveaway in my next post!

RESOURCES:
Cafe Furst Konditorei



This is a multi-part series about our Danube River cruise. 

Read 10 Things To Know About River Cruising here
 Read Our First Day In Prague here.
Read Day 2 In Prague here.
Read Day 3 In Prague here
Read A Day In Medieval Regensburg, Germany here.
Read Picturesque Towns Of Austria Part 1: Engelhartszell here.
Read Picturesque Towns Of Austria Part 3: Durnstein here.
Read Scenery of the Wachau Valley here
Read Vienna: Exploring The Old Town here.
Read Bratislava: Slovakia's Charming Capital here.
Read Budapest: The Pearl of the Danube River here.


Salzburg is one of many picturesque towns in Austria | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #austria #danuberivercruise #Salzburg



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7 comments:

  1. I think I’ll squash any and all plans I have of traveling and just look at your fabulous photos and wonderful reviews. It’s a lot cheaper! lol

    Anxious to hear about your favorite stop!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Such a pretty town! I love the shop signs; particularly the stained glass one. I too know ALL the songs to the Sound of Music-- it's my favorite movie.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Amy, Your photos are beautiful and I enjoyed your excursion to Salzburg. The shop signs are my favorite ... so pretty. I'm looking forward to more posts about your trip. Joan

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  4. Beautiful pictures again my dear. I was laughing at the NJ Turnpike remark. Have to from the area to really appreciate the remark.

    You transport us on your trip. I Al's have the Sound of Music in my head for the day 😉

    Can't wait for more

    Cindy

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm trying not to jump ahead to the afternoon stop that has you singing its praises as there certainly is enough in Salzburg to be excited about, despite a hasty waiter. I hope you claim your photography confidence again because I can assure you that I would be in too much sensory overload to even remember to take photographs. And my carb overload in a city like Salzburg would handicap me too but I darn sure would try to sample everything. Why would a non-foodie even visit Austria?

    Amy, for some reason this post did not show up on my blogroll. It still shows the previous one from 5 days ago. What could be wrong? Do you think others are having this same problem in being notified of a new post up from you? And that makes me wonder if I ever subscribed to email alerts from you for new posts so I will scan up and down to see if there's a place where I can.

    Btw, I have an old September woman's magazine that came out the year of the release of Sound of Music where the back to school clothes feature clothes influenced by the movie. I must find it again now.

    ReplyDelete

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