arrived thurs afternoon by train from vienna...bus into town...straight to pension...frau christine said she didnt have a room for me...i had emailed...but had not heard back...she found room for one night...hall wc and shower...no big deal...34 euro. friday morning...went to local market...bought 5 euro bouquet of fresh flowers...christine booked me for last night and tonight...bigger room, own shower, shared wc...king sized bed...2 singles together...should have bought more flowers...maybe she would have bought be a box spring, 40 euro per night, includes good breakfast...2 blocks from everything...of course no a-c
en route to salzburg...train to melk from vienna...then danube river cruise to krem...absolutely breathtaking scenery...boat docked at small village...spitz...feel certain must be home to the ancestors of unc classmate chris spitzhoff
bfast at pension on friday am...then onto city tour-self guided as outlined by my bff, rick steves
motzart plaza, residenyplatz, designed by prince-archbishop wolf dietrich...incredible fountain...in sound of music...hereafter -som-...i have confidence in me song...residence there...large building where the nazi flag was unfurled in som...salzburg cathedral...mozart was organist here for 2 years...local market...st peters church...cemetery....inspiration for som cemetery scene.....past the festival hall where inside was filmed the scene, som, at the festival with uncle max...and edelweiss w-christopher plummer crying...most austrians dont know this song...was rogers and hammerstein tune
scorers...local watering hole, since 1903...now managed by michael...4th generation...assisted by family friend joseph...they recommended going to several restaurants...including alz saltzburg and beverly. michael serves terrific homemade apricot liq. awesome...new drinking buddy, 83 year old ludwig...laughed at me first visit because i had what i thought was an enameled colandar, bought from a flea market...rann may be back...turns out it is something to make cheese dumplings with...ludwigs wife was making them for lunch...didnt invite me home, but echoed michaels recommendation for the beverly
beverly has become the hayes barton cafe for me of austria....have had 4 meals there...first and the most recent were cheese dumplings and a salad...manfried has owned the place for 19 years...down a side street...got to know it to find it...kitchen is tiny...i mean tiny..barely room for the 2 people who work in it to turn around...not sure how they do it...ive been to the door to compliment them twice. gabby is the waitress...my queen of austria....have also had there pork snitzel and the best brats and sauerkraut ever...dessert not bad either
dinner friday was at alz saltzburg...one of the best meals i have had and certainly the most expensive by far...had set 5 course meal beginning with gooseliver pate...awesome...the deer, served medium rare...did not live up to expectations...brother in law lee short must come over and instruct how to prepare properly...sat beside a great couple from tokyo...my japanese is non-existent...their english...sketchy...we had a great time...they had a great sense of humor, laughing at the restaurant, each other and me...akira hasegawa and wife...he is the senior director of asset management for the development center of walmart in japan...perhaps i should send him my resume...very nice...he kept checking his blackberry for emails from bentonville...i took it away from him...his bride thought it was hysterical...when he speaks of the waltons, he aint talking about mary ellen and corabeth.
huge fortress which has protected the city for over 1,000 years...in fact, never attacked...finally went up yesterday...hot as the devil on that hill...no breeze in fortress, stayed 10 minutes, and back down...did visit the church at the abbey from som.
som tour was great...kinda cheesy but great...3 people from michigan, 4 from greensboro and me...we knew all the songs and sang many...had to request edelweiss at the end...we had missed that one. visited...real von trapp family house, front and rear facades of house shot in the movie, the wedding church, many other sites too. family from greensboro...eric, wife...tammy i think, daughter and her best friend...girls will be sophomores at caldwell day in gboro. he is a consultant, travels back and forth to vienna constantly....81 grad of appalachian...favorite professor was my very dear friend harry davis...my family and warrenton folks may remember that we had harrys late wife ann on the prayer list off and on for years at providence. harry is father of carrington. i am going to have to reconnect eric and harry.
also stopped to ride a luge...mechanism pulled me up the mountain on a little seat...sliding up on a stainless still track...reminded me of the train up the side of the mountain at ghost town in the sky in maggie valley...straight up...then, off and into what is something like a log flume...and down you go...pretty cool...might make the christmas card
at wedding church...lady decorating altar with sunflowers...thought first of anne harris...i am very fortunate to have lots of friends as an adult who were parents of friends when i was a kid...including anne and jack...we had so much fun going to katherine´s renewal of wedding vows in january....wis they were here with me now
turns out lady was florist...who along with her husband...were decorating the church for a wedding the following day....it was spectacular....sunflowers and ivy everywhere...and huge trashcans overflowing with stems and debris and debris all over the altar...thought i was home with gladys and macon....when gladys hired me...almost 25 years ago...to work at the landmark...someone told me not to quit my job at byrds...checking groceries...that macon and gladys didnt stick with anything long....theyve stuck with me for 25 years...damn glad i gave up checking groceries. this is also the longest time since 1986 that i have gone without talking to them. floral couple looked beat...if we had had more time, i could have helped...perhaps earned some euros to spread along the way
glenda, pronounced...ga-linda, was tour guide on som tour...she also drives horses and buggies in town...she saw me today...told her paying customers that she was picking up her friend and i got to ride up front for a tour of the city...i bought her a pizza afterwards, so it worked out for both of us
must watch som upon return to raleigh
tour to hitlers eagles nest...very interesting...hitler didnt like going...had to ride elevator up....he was claustrophobic...and he didnt like heights...only visited 7 or so times...structure is pretty much just a restaurant now...but beautiful scenery all around. on this tour...college kid from ireland...here to work in irish pub for 2 months...couple from sarasota...dean and candy...super nice...and 2 couples from nashville tn...they did not know my unc bud jeff edwards or his peeps.
both husbands are retired methodist ministers...dean and sarah have a place a lake junaluska...said he had recently read that the western conference is having a special, called conference...i told him that i hoped it was to give more money to pfeiffer...we both doubt it....carolyn and her preacher husband whose name i cannot recall...also super nice...served 41 years in louisiana and alabama...both couples working for a tour company as guides...no pay...but expenses are paid....ed told me that 10 years ago, this company brought 10,000 people over to the passion play...this year...half that many
this morning, high mass at the cathedral...left early in order to make the festival...had to go...but thought i was going to be in the concert hall where the flight scene from som was shot...incorrect...concert still good, about 70 pieces...vienna philharmonic...no idea what they played...too tight to buy 4 euro program....not going to carry it around for 3 more weeks...so hey
after lunch...did the tour of the concert hall where flight scene shot...snuck photo on stage with the arcade behind...not enough time to sing all of edelweiss
had planned to go to switzerland today...but didnt want to ride a train today...so in the am...not sure yet where...but time to move
Rann,
ReplyDeleteI love your blog. A luge ride and singing Sound of Music songs. I am so jealous. Sounds like you are having a great time. Be safe.
Chris
How many pounds have you put on??? Remember, you'll have to run them off in the neighborhood when you get back!!! See you on the porch! Ed and Cornelia :-)
ReplyDeleteI want to sing SOM tunes and watch it with you when you get back to Raleigh! I promised Elsie we would make a road trip to see her when you get back and recover from your excursion! I love you and miss you! Have more fun for all of us sitting at home in NC wishing we were with you!
ReplyDelete