The Hills are Alive – Salzburg & Vienna

The Pictures for this Trip can be found at the following link: http://picasaweb.google.com/aealling/Austria?authkey=Gv1sRgCO3pt6i965qb8AE&feat=directlink

I think I open everyone of these entries with the same statement but I really mean it this time, my trip to Austria was the best one yet! Aside from Italy, I could easily see myself living in either Salzburg or Vienna for more reasons than I can write. I was most impressed by the unparalleled architecture and warmth of the Austrian people. Going into it, I thought the German language would inhibit me from fully experiencing the sites in the short amount of time I had, but the people made me feel so welcome and excused my awful attempts at saying “hello” or “grüß gott”, “please” or “bitte”, and “thank you”/ "danke” in German. This is one language I have absolutely no hope of learning. I took lots of pictures of some of the signs we saw around the city which should give you a good idea as to why I struggled so much. Unlike Florence, Austria is much more modern in appearance and amenities, but then again, this goes for most European cities outside of Italy. It was nice to have a touch of familiarity whether it was seeing lots of American retail or sneaking a latte at Starbucks in downtown Vienna (I tried to abstain but couldn’t help myself!) Aside from the similarities and differences, I’ll never forget my first glimpse of Austria on the bus ride arriving through the awe-inspiring Austrian Alps. In Salzburg, I most enjoyed our adventure to the top of the original Salzburg fortress, which also serves as an incredible observation point over all of the city. We had lunch a top this fortress at a traditional Austrian restaurant where I had to try the goulash and Wiener Schnitzel. I met some really great friends on this trip, Melanie and Lindsay, who are also studying in Florence at another Art institute but are originally from San Francisco. They really made the trip that much better and we’re great girls to experience the best of Austria with. Later that day, we went on the illustrious Sound of Music tour which allowed us to witness all the sights shot in the movie. One of my favorite stops on the trip were the Mirabel Gardens where Julie Andrews and the Von Trapp children danced up and down the marble steps and famous Pegasus fountain. It took all the self-control I had not to embarrass my friends and reenact the scenes. We ate the famous apple-strudel in rich-green village of Mondsee where Maria and the Baron were married in St. Michael’s church – yet another highlight of the day. Later that night, the girls and I took a fancy trip to the Hotel Stein located right on the river which cuts through Salburg. It was an amazing view, especially at nighttime, but it was ridiculously cold! Luckily we bundled up in cozy blankets which the restaurant provides just for these sorts of occasions and made it better by ordering hot chocolate spiked with Kahlua. We set out the next morning for Vienna, which is about a 3 hour bus ride from Salzburg. When we arrived we were already out the door to get as much sight-seeing as we could in the short amount of time we were there. The Museum Quarter was comprised of the many parliament buildings and palaces (some of which are still in use.) We opted to take a horse and carriage ride around this area to orient ourselves and even saw the famous Lipizzaner Horses of the Spanish Riding school as they were brought into their stalls for the night! It was dusk by now and Melanie and I decided to search for the famed St. Stephen’s Cathedral and Opera House. While we didn’t have the time to enjoy a world-class opera, we did visit the Cathedral during Saturday Evening Mass; it made the visit that much more amazing. I was in awe at the size of the Cathedral and glow that resonated from inside its walls due to the gilding work and tremendous candle offertory.
A trip to Vienna just wouldn’t be complete without a piece of Viennese chocolate cake so on our way back we sat down at the historic Mozart Café and shared a piece over a cappuccino. The chocolate lover in me approved. The most incredible palace and structure I’ve visited thus far in Europe was the Shonbrunn Palace. You can see from my pictures just how spectacular the gardens and exterior of this place was, so much so that they almost appear artificial due to the perfection and design that went into their making. My favorite view was that could be seen from atop the hill at the garden gallery. You could see the entire city of Vienna from this point and with just an hour left in this place, it was all I needed to seal such an amazing trip (I took a picture of the view and you’ll see what I mean!) Even the ten hour bus-ride home was more enjoyable than usual due to the scenery from the bus window. As we drove in and out of amazing mountain views past tiny villages with traditional Austrian architecture, peaked, gingerbread-looking roofs, a subtle melody played in the background of my thoughts. It goes: “so long farewell, auf weidersehen good-bye … I hate to go and leave this pretty sight…”