Mozart house, Kebab house, Dog house

 Kate was half way through her obligatory breakfast egg when our plans for the day were confounded. It was a chance remark of mine, when I told Gertrude, our host that we intended to go to Salzburg tomorrow, that ushered the wind of change. Gertrude informed us that tomorrow is a holiday and, as such, everything would be closed. This didn't sound like an ideal day to go to Salzburg any more. Today was going to be another bike ride. (The decision had been unanimous) The only solution was to go to Salzburg today. 

Hair which had previously been considered suitable for a bike ride, now needed to be washed for Salzburg. (Yes alright, Kate's hair, not mine)

I had to check train times. It seemed to me that they ran at half past the hour.

When we walked into the station, a train was pulling out. It was the train to Salzburg. We had to wait another hour. There was a train leaving for Innsbruck in ten minutes. We have considered going to Innsbruck as well, so I enquired about our voucher to the man at the ticket office. When we arrived at our air bnb, Gertrude gave us two vouchers which make a whole lot of stuff free. Trains, buses, cable cars, boats on the lake and more! I knew the vouchers would get us to Salzburg for free but the ticket office man had great delight in telling us that it didn’t cover Innsbruck. He honestly couldn't hide his glee. Somewhat riled, I turned to Kate and said well it doesn't make any difference if we were going to go there anyway. Kate said no, we'll wait for the Salzburg train. And I spat my dummy out. I'd already been a grumpy old man this morning and this was too much for Kate. We sat on Zell am See station, not talking. We usually find we have a 'relationship challenge' at some point when we're on holiday, and this was it.

I don't really know how Kate puts up with me. The mood lightened as we made our way to Salzburg. This wasn't difficult because the scenery was outstanding for the whole 1 hour, 40 minutes of the ride. The train picked it's way through steep ravines with fast flowing rivers inches away at times. Sheer rock faces rose up, sometimes with water cascading down and when we arrived at particularly tight spots, rail track, road, and river would all fight for the same spot. Sometimes, at the last minute, the train would give up and plunge into a tunnel, sometimes emerging straight on to a bridge over the river. 

We imagined that we would alight from the train, straight into Salzburg with a short walk to where it was at. Not so. We boarded a bus which included the city centre in its route. But we didn't check whether it was going to, or coming from the centre. When it became abundantly clear that we were heading out of town, we got off, crossed the road and waited for a bus on the same route. At the river, we had obviously arrived. We descended the bus into America. This was not what we had expected. We haven't heard English for two weeks and suddenly everybody was at it. This was obviously a city that Americans 'do'. And it was rammed with them. It's probably our age, but we found the sheer number of people all moving en masse between the 'must sees' of the city quite disconcerting. 

We arrived at the house that Mozart was born in. Just as we got there, a Japanese guide had just informed his entourage of what they were looking at. As one, about 40 phones rose in what could almost be deemed a salute as the moment of standing in front of Mozart's birthplace was recorded for posterity. I so nearly managed to get a shot of this phenomena on my phone, but by the time I'd switched to camera, all phones had been lowered again. 

So there it was. Mozart's birthplace. What is it now? A Spar. Selling all your basic needs. 

I wonder if Mozart would be amused. It seems slightly odd that a man who died penniless before making it to 40, is now celebrated with Mozart mugs, Mozart pens, Mozart flavoured marmalade, Mozart puppets that swing their legs above their heads and all the other things that Mozart was so famous for.

We went to the house that Mozart lived in until 25 years. It now houses a museum which you can wander around for €15 each. Well, we thought, I've played  Mozart's horn concertos and Kate's played Mozart's Saxophone concerto (😜) so we don't need to visit the museum.

We wanted to eat. There were massive restaurants selling Mozart flavoured dishes of all descriptions. But that still ultimately meant Schnitzel.

We sneaked off down a quiet road to one side and had a kebab. The salad which came with them was the most greens we've eaten for a fortnight and should help keep the scurvy at bay.

Anyway, never mind Mozart. Julie Andrews has been to Salzburg! 

We took a bus so that we could visit the gardens where she and her troupe practiced their Do Re Mi. We got on tne right numbered bus but it was going in the wrong direction. We got off, crossed the road.......

There was no mention of Julie Andrews or, indeed, the Sound of Music anywhere in the whole garden. Not at the fountain, the pavilion, the steps or the arches.

How obtuse of Salzburg to revere one great musician and ignore another one.

It's been a long day. Kate and I are friends. The sun has shone continually. The Austrian trains are a dream and we've visited a city famous for Mozart and Julie Andrews. I wonder which one more people are acquainted with?

Salzburg. On a bridge with the ubiquitous padlockage...

         Kate in front of Mozart's birthplace

                          Stephen Andrews

                           Mozart's house 

                   Sound of Music fountain 

                            Kate Andrews

This train was so posh, we thought we were in first class. We moved but we're told it's second class. So we returned...

One long astounding view from the train. (Sorry about the reflection of the train lights)