Seafoam greens and the blues of stormy seas intertwined together in a sunset, lighting up the mountains like fireworks. Stars twinkled and lit my way across the icy path to my bed and breakfast in the outskirts of Salzburg. In typical “Anna fashion,” I’d chosen a spot on the map to visit, thinking only “Salzburg! That sounds exciting! And it says here Salzburg is the home of Mozart and also where The Sound of Music was filmed. Sounds great to me!” and with a tad of research, I was on my way. Little did I know, Salzburg would become one of the brightest highlights of my trip.
I awoke my first morning with a beautiful surprise; sunlight trickling through the curtains tempted my sleepy form out of my featherbed, draped with filmy bed-curtains, and onto the balcony. A thin blanket of snow lay upon the ground, drooping fir trees filled with whistling birds brought my eyes up to the climbing mountains dusted with shimmering snow, and a bright blue sky provided a painting so lovely, I felt invigorated and blessed with a sense of the splendor of the world. After breakfast, I set out to see the city (obviously, also in my style, I did not map where I’d go!). I roamed about the city center, stopping at every church, and eating boiled sausages in the market. Passing a number of shops, I picked up The Sound of Music, for I had not seen it in, oh, at least ten years, and felt that in the heart of Salzburg, there’d never be a better time to re-view the movie.
That night I settled down in my room, the stars shimmering in that endless cobalt sky over the mountainous peaks - a bottle of Diet Coke, a bag of Manner’s “Original Neapolitan Cookies,” and Mozartkugel at my side - and turned on The Sound of Music. Somehow, my ten-year-old memories of my response to the movie didn’t match my current thoughts at all! As I sang along to those songs I knew by heart, I realized how strong, courageous, and patriotic Captain Von Trapp was. His Austrian outlook made me look at my surroundings in a different way – I appreciated so much more the Austrian national dress, both men and women’s known collectively as Tracht, which Austrians continue to wear today. Mr. Strasser, the patriarch of the family-owned B&B where I was staying, explained how the Tracht are worn on Sundays, to balls, and really are the perfect outfit for any occasion, as they are always in style in Austria and don’t change with the new decades. Each town has their own colors, so when you see a lady in a certain shade of green, you know she is from a particular province – much like the Highlanders and their kilts!
I had so much fun recognizing this church, that statue, and this view in the film, that I took The Sound of Music tour the next day. A brightly-painted Sound of Music tour bus took us to the Mirabell Gardens, where Julie Andrews and the children played in the gardens and sang Do-Re-Mi up and down the stairs. It was so amusing to hear that the grand palace was built by an archbishop for his mistress and their fifteen children! We went on to see Leopoldskron Palace, where the children were boating and fell into the lake, and more touching to my heart, where Hollywood filmed Christopher Plummer watching Julie Andrews from the balcony and then proposing to her in that same garden gazebo where Liesl and Rolfe danced. The bus took us onward to Hellbrunn Palace, Nonnberg Abbey, St. Gilgen, Lake Wolfgang, and the Mondsee Cathedral. Throughout the tour, we learned not only of the filming of the movie, but also snippets of Salzburg history. Roaming the countryside outside Salzburg, among the lakes and hills, I couldn’t help but believe that ‘the hills are alive with the sound of music!’ The birds sang happy tunes, the wind whistled through the trees, and happiness abounded from the sheer magnificence of the landscape. Salzburg is quite possibly one of the loveliest places in Eastern Europe. The mountains are like bookends, surrounding the green valleys and their winding rivers and brightly-colored buildings. Church steeples come in pairs, shooting into the sky, many adorned with clocks. And the bells! To stand in a city square when the hour hits – one church bell rings, then another, and another! From the many heights of the city, the bells ring and echo off the mountains. Each has a different tone, and you stand, heart full of awe and splendor, surrounded by the full tenor.
Festung HohenSalzburg (Salzburg’s fortress) watches over the town, a comforting presence, alight at night with flame-colored torches. From its heights one can see the cityscape so clear and breathtaking. Just below, locals play chess in the square, moving the life-sized pieces upon the painted board, or playing with their own boards on glazed wooden stumps. A boy, high atop a golden globe, peers over them, reminding me that by being in Salzburg, I am on top of the world! A fresh breeze ruffled my hair, and I made my way with the setting sun down the street behind University Church. A crowd of people around the House of Mozart enticed me inside. Finding out about the night’s concert, I bought a ticket on the spur of the moment. Swishing inside, I found my seat. My eyes constantly were caught by the silks and satins of the locals. Evening gowns and Dirndl (women’s Tracht) abounded. I began to feel very self- conscious; making my way to the bathroom, the swish of my wind pants seemed to grow louder and louder! Unfortunately, I had dressed for a cold day in Salzburg, and my ski pants, so comfortable for my trip into the mountains, were not appropriate. I put on a blinding smile, threw my shoulders back, imagined I was in a breathtaking gown, and attempted to gather attention to my face rather than those dratted swishing pants!
The concert was quite the experience. Salzburgians all gathered to hear the choral and symphonic presentation. First, the orchestra and choir performed Mozart selections. The people of Salzburg appreciated the splendid music, encoring the performers, who came out three times to bow! The second half of the act exhibited a local composer’s new work. Audience members sat attentively, critiquing the piece quietly with each other. When the concert came to a close, I found myself in the midst of orchestra members, their black tail coats hidden behind heavy coats. Members with bass cellos strapped to their backs rode bicycles home. I even rode home with many on the city bus. It seemed so unusual to leave such a dazzling affair, me in my swishing wind pants, them in their black-and-white attire, on the same city bus!
Salzburg, with its classical music and Hollywood musical history, bustles along in such glorious natural majesty; the city, having been a part of numerous surrounding countries since its founding, seems set apart. It glistens, having made it through so many regimes, surviving the Nazis; its people are proud Austrians, proud Salzburgians. They open up their lovingly-crafted homes to the tourists, allowing them to continue living in this wonderful stretch of land, still alive with the grandiose beauty that made the monks choose it for a monastery so long ago. The hills call to people of all interests – the hikers, the skiers, and the readers. Having something for everyone, Salzburg has become one of my favorite places. To return and spend days in its majestic mountains would be another experience of unspeakable pleasure!
I awoke my first morning with a beautiful surprise; sunlight trickling through the curtains tempted my sleepy form out of my featherbed, draped with filmy bed-curtains, and onto the balcony. A thin blanket of snow lay upon the ground, drooping fir trees filled with whistling birds brought my eyes up to the climbing mountains dusted with shimmering snow, and a bright blue sky provided a painting so lovely, I felt invigorated and blessed with a sense of the splendor of the world. After breakfast, I set out to see the city (obviously, also in my style, I did not map where I’d go!). I roamed about the city center, stopping at every church, and eating boiled sausages in the market. Passing a number of shops, I picked up The Sound of Music, for I had not seen it in, oh, at least ten years, and felt that in the heart of Salzburg, there’d never be a better time to re-view the movie.
That night I settled down in my room, the stars shimmering in that endless cobalt sky over the mountainous peaks - a bottle of Diet Coke, a bag of Manner’s “Original Neapolitan Cookies,” and Mozartkugel at my side - and turned on The Sound of Music. Somehow, my ten-year-old memories of my response to the movie didn’t match my current thoughts at all! As I sang along to those songs I knew by heart, I realized how strong, courageous, and patriotic Captain Von Trapp was. His Austrian outlook made me look at my surroundings in a different way – I appreciated so much more the Austrian national dress, both men and women’s known collectively as Tracht, which Austrians continue to wear today. Mr. Strasser, the patriarch of the family-owned B&B where I was staying, explained how the Tracht are worn on Sundays, to balls, and really are the perfect outfit for any occasion, as they are always in style in Austria and don’t change with the new decades. Each town has their own colors, so when you see a lady in a certain shade of green, you know she is from a particular province – much like the Highlanders and their kilts!
I had so much fun recognizing this church, that statue, and this view in the film, that I took The Sound of Music tour the next day. A brightly-painted Sound of Music tour bus took us to the Mirabell Gardens, where Julie Andrews and the children played in the gardens and sang Do-Re-Mi up and down the stairs. It was so amusing to hear that the grand palace was built by an archbishop for his mistress and their fifteen children! We went on to see Leopoldskron Palace, where the children were boating and fell into the lake, and more touching to my heart, where Hollywood filmed Christopher Plummer watching Julie Andrews from the balcony and then proposing to her in that same garden gazebo where Liesl and Rolfe danced. The bus took us onward to Hellbrunn Palace, Nonnberg Abbey, St. Gilgen, Lake Wolfgang, and the Mondsee Cathedral. Throughout the tour, we learned not only of the filming of the movie, but also snippets of Salzburg history. Roaming the countryside outside Salzburg, among the lakes and hills, I couldn’t help but believe that ‘the hills are alive with the sound of music!’ The birds sang happy tunes, the wind whistled through the trees, and happiness abounded from the sheer magnificence of the landscape. Salzburg is quite possibly one of the loveliest places in Eastern Europe. The mountains are like bookends, surrounding the green valleys and their winding rivers and brightly-colored buildings. Church steeples come in pairs, shooting into the sky, many adorned with clocks. And the bells! To stand in a city square when the hour hits – one church bell rings, then another, and another! From the many heights of the city, the bells ring and echo off the mountains. Each has a different tone, and you stand, heart full of awe and splendor, surrounded by the full tenor.
Festung HohenSalzburg (Salzburg’s fortress) watches over the town, a comforting presence, alight at night with flame-colored torches. From its heights one can see the cityscape so clear and breathtaking. Just below, locals play chess in the square, moving the life-sized pieces upon the painted board, or playing with their own boards on glazed wooden stumps. A boy, high atop a golden globe, peers over them, reminding me that by being in Salzburg, I am on top of the world! A fresh breeze ruffled my hair, and I made my way with the setting sun down the street behind University Church. A crowd of people around the House of Mozart enticed me inside. Finding out about the night’s concert, I bought a ticket on the spur of the moment. Swishing inside, I found my seat. My eyes constantly were caught by the silks and satins of the locals. Evening gowns and Dirndl (women’s Tracht) abounded. I began to feel very self- conscious; making my way to the bathroom, the swish of my wind pants seemed to grow louder and louder! Unfortunately, I had dressed for a cold day in Salzburg, and my ski pants, so comfortable for my trip into the mountains, were not appropriate. I put on a blinding smile, threw my shoulders back, imagined I was in a breathtaking gown, and attempted to gather attention to my face rather than those dratted swishing pants!
The concert was quite the experience. Salzburgians all gathered to hear the choral and symphonic presentation. First, the orchestra and choir performed Mozart selections. The people of Salzburg appreciated the splendid music, encoring the performers, who came out three times to bow! The second half of the act exhibited a local composer’s new work. Audience members sat attentively, critiquing the piece quietly with each other. When the concert came to a close, I found myself in the midst of orchestra members, their black tail coats hidden behind heavy coats. Members with bass cellos strapped to their backs rode bicycles home. I even rode home with many on the city bus. It seemed so unusual to leave such a dazzling affair, me in my swishing wind pants, them in their black-and-white attire, on the same city bus!
Salzburg, with its classical music and Hollywood musical history, bustles along in such glorious natural majesty; the city, having been a part of numerous surrounding countries since its founding, seems set apart. It glistens, having made it through so many regimes, surviving the Nazis; its people are proud Austrians, proud Salzburgians. They open up their lovingly-crafted homes to the tourists, allowing them to continue living in this wonderful stretch of land, still alive with the grandiose beauty that made the monks choose it for a monastery so long ago. The hills call to people of all interests – the hikers, the skiers, and the readers. Having something for everyone, Salzburg has become one of my favorite places. To return and spend days in its majestic mountains would be another experience of unspeakable pleasure!
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