Munich to Vienna December 2019
Do Re Mi!
Here was our "Sound of Music" moment in Mirabell Gardens. If you remember, this is where the Von Trapp kids and Maria were singing Do Re Mi! This was one of my favorite pictures that captured how fun our group was.
We arrived to Salzburg Tuesday late afternoon, just before dark. We had to walk a few blocks from our bus to the Cityhotel Trumer Stube. Another ideally located hotel with everything a relatively short and easy walk.
Rolinka took us on a city walk tour to get us oriented to Salzburg, followed by a wonderful dinner at Restaurant Herzl on Getreidegasse, located in the middle of Salzburg's Old City.
Here are sights of our evening walk and group dinner. It's the second full day of the tour and we are so glad we decided to take this Rick Steves tour. Especially going to Europe at this time of the year. Holiday spirit is everywhere.
Wednesday morning and it's time to tour Salzburg with our local guide, Ursula. We walked through Mirabell Garden. The Pegasus fountain, highlighted in the "Sound of Music" was one of our first stops.
You may recognize this spot from "The Sound of Music" where Maria was gaining her confidence. This is a giant horse trough and pond built in the 17th century for the prized horses of the prince and arch bishops.
Many of the statues in Salzburg had a protective bubble around them to protect them from winter weather.
A walk over the the Love Lock Bridge to Old Town. The entire rail on this pedestrian bridge is covered with thousands of locks as a symbol of one's true love.
Rolinka pointed out the brass squares embedded in the cobblestone in front of many buildings. These are Stolpersteine plaques that memorialize the Jewish resident who lived in that building and ended up in a Nazi concentration camp. The stones document their life. Very sobering and thought provoking.
Our tour today ended with an apple strudel making class at the Edelweiss Cooking School. The school is built into the rock of the cliffside. It was really fun and easy to make the strudel. It was more fun eating it after our hearty goulash lunch!
One thing about a Rick Steves tour, there are always surprises that add that extra special moment to an already great time. Not only was Alina a helpful cooking assistant, she is training to be an opera singer! What a voice and such a special moment.
After our wonderful Salzburg morning, we had plenty of free time to explore Salzburg on our own. So much fun to see the markets, the views, and all the festive light and windows of the holiday season. Here are sights of the many things to experience in Salzburg.
