24.Sept.08
Waking at 5am is never fun, but when you have to catch a free ride to the next city, it is worth the pain. Still dark, we took the U-bahn to the stop and waited for our ride to arrive. They arrived a little late which is nerve-wracking without a phone to call them with, but we were on the road towards Salzburg riding with two Croatian guys, one of whom about to fly to England to study abroad, fun! A short nap later and we were in a new city Salzburg, and a new country Austria (or Österreich) with our new Couchsurfing host Christiana. She went off to work and we went off to explore the city.
We made a pit stop along the way to city center and ate one of the top Doener Kebabs I have ever had the privilege of biting into; already I like Salzburg! We got to the main river and crossed one of the many bridges running over to Maribelle Platz, a huge park built for some fancy aristocrats of the city. The first section we explored was filled with dozens of weird little hobbit-like statues, all of which I had to take a picture next to. Then we entered into the central part of the gardens which was stunning, with a fountains and statues surrounded by perfect arrays of deliciously bright flower beds.
The Mozart Wohnhaus, or living house (as opposed to his birth house elsewhere in the city) was a waste of the money they overcharged us. The audio tour was more music than information, and nothing in the house was really astounding, nor were they real relics from Mozart’s family, only interpretations of what might have been their decorations. Aside from a few nice tidbits, it was a waste of time.
After that we wound our way through part of the old city, finding a piece of the old city wall and ascending a massive flight of steps to get an awesome view from the top. We found ourselves on a large hill mostly undeveloped save some quaint churches and after an hour or so hike through the uninhabited woods we came to a miniature castle. Nothing too special, but it was nice and quiet tucked away in the forest, and overlooking the boring side of the city. We sat outside on the deck and sipped some local beer, then made the descent back down.
We hopped into a couple old churches on the way back home, because they are all so beautiful, then stopped by the grocery store for ingredients making the best burritos we could manage. Christina came home from training to be a nurse and we all enjoyed some Mexican delight, something she’d never tried before.
25.Sept.08
We made a full day of sightseeing today. We must have visited every church and cathedral in the city, always trying to give each other wet willies with the holy water. They were all beyond awesome; many hidden through massive alleyways opening into splendid courtyards with fountains, statues, with the buildings covered in awesome domes and steeples. The insides were all equally awe inspiring, and empty spaces opened up for beautifully decorated graveyards full of bright flowers and statues. It was a foggy day, but the it gave the city a peacefull air. We entered a mausoleum which was a great place for pictures of the courtyards and city rooftops.
Next we were on a tram heading up to the main castle up top where we started with an audio tour about the torture rooms/dungeons and a detailed history of the castle. The views from the top were extraordinary and after the tour we definitely got what we paid for with a plethora of museums about court life in the castle, wartime, and city history. It was one of the better castles we’ve visited. A nice bit of info was where the name Salzburg comes from. It means Salt Castle because the castle was built near a massive salt quarry allowing endless amounts of the best food preservative of the time. This allowed the castle to hold out against a siege for years, as well as its independent water supply. The city was never taken by force, but was taken a couple of times through politics.
We ate another Doener on the way back, met with Christina and hung out at the house for the night, getting thoroughly annoyed listening to CNN about the political and financial situations in our home country. Something we don’t look forward to going back homw and dealing with. If only this fairytale could last forever.
Salzburg Flickr pics:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/flufflebuns/sets/72157607560914153/
Who is that handsome, clean-shaven dude in the pictures? Stay where you are…America is falling apart, although Europe may be even worse off. Back to India?
Lots of love,
Dad