Austria Day 5: Salzburg

Proper Day 1 of Salzburg

Before we left, we had asked each other if we wanted to do the Sound of Music Tours. I like the movie, know all the songs and recall scenes with quite a bit of clarity. However, we decided we didn’t want to do this. Salzburg was meant to be a lazy, restful break from four weeks in Bavaria, and a chance to hang out with our friend’s son and his wife.

Therefore, we woke up, headed out into the street and had breakfast from the bakery down the street. Refreshed, we returned the rental car and strolled over to the Mirabell Palace, just 1.5 km away.

Mirabell Palace

Here it is.

Oops! That’s an arty tree in the grounds of the palace.

Here’s the palace and grounds. This was one of the locations used in the movie, The Sound of Music.

There’s not much to see inside.

The ceiling, as per usual in these parts, is a wonderfully artistic ceiling. Rather delicate, in this case, not overly opulent, but still classy.

Photo credit: My Beloved Bangalan, used with permission.

You can go up the stairs, but you will come upon a series of doors locked and out of bounds of tourists.

The staircase itself is fairly understated, does not dominate the place, as is normal in most palaces. Maybe, we didn’t see the main staircase. It’s possible!

Photo credit: My Beloved Bangalan, used with permission.

We came back out and stood there, admiring the views of the grounds. Looking the other way, we can see the old castle, the Fortress Hohensalzburg, way up in the distance behind that bird that decided to crash the photo. We were headed there the next day.

We wandered the grounds for a bit and hied us hence to the next best thing.

Yep! Cafe Fingerlos, lauded by friends and our resident non-biological middle child, who is a resident in the city and one of the reasons for our visit.

A Hugo Spritz, a ham and cheese sandwich, and a coffee (pour moi) and iced tea (pour madame) and finally, the real treat!

This is, apparently, Wolfgang’s favorite dessert!

Wolfgang being, you know, that guy, the child prodigy composer, who died young. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, probably my most favorite classical composer, was just 35 when he died.

When you go to Salzburg, do not miss going to Cafe Fingerlos and trying out the Mozart ice cream crepes, pancakes filled with pistachio ice cream, oranges and Mozart liqueur, vanilla and chocolate sauce. Spoon licking good!

Satiated, we walked back across the Salzach river.

And then we came upon to Wolfie’s house, where he lived with his Constance.

NOTE: Please do take some time to read “Amadeus” by Peter Shaffer.

One of my favorite opening scenes, a brilliant plot and a thoroughly thought-provoking play from one of my favorite playwrights, second only to that critically ignored Indian born Canadian who lives and works in the west end, of my basement, and who shares his mind and body with me.

So much for a plug for my own work!

A little further on, is the birthplace of the genius himself, which houses the Mozart Museum. It says “Geburtshaus”, or “birth house”.

No, I don’t know why they don’t speak English there! Possibly, because they are Austrian and, therefore, speak German, the language of the bordering country. I’m not going to digress, I shall not digress, I shall not….

Due to reasons beyond my control, we did not visit the museum… I guess, another trip is required, eh?

We wandered on, through the streets, saw a horse drawn carriage clip-clopping down. As we continued strolling across the town we came upon the touristy part of town, filled with stores, with fancy designer showrooms, all of which we ignored.

I am neither fashionable or trendy… besides being a cheapskate, so no purchases were made. Besides, we travel with carry-on baggage!

Straight down this road, you come to a plaza in the old town, or AltStadt, and that’s where you can find the Mozart chocolate candy.

Mozartkugel, or Mozart Ball (don’t go there!), were created by Rudolf Baumann. It has a green pistachio-marzipan center surrounded by nougat and dark chocolate. Vich makes it very helthy…

If you want to get some go to Café-Konditorei Fürst in Salzburg (Old Town) or Confiserie Holzermayr. (Baumann never patented his invention, but these two places serve the authenticest silver-blue Mozartkugel). We bought some that were certified by Mozart himself!

Finally, we decided to stop for a dinner and beer, or vice versa.

Which was at the Augustiner brewery’s beerhall.

Meats, smoked and delicious, from the food court, tables outside in the courtyard.

Photo credit: My Beloved Bangalan, used with permission.

It was a warm, lovely day to be sitting outside, with our ceramic beer steins of a litre of Augustiner’s own brews.

Photo credit: My Beloved Bangalan, used with permission.

Lovely evening to bring us to the end of the first day in Salzburg. Nothing quite like sitting in the open spaces, with a few hundred others, chatting, eating and drinking beer on a warm day.

Try it!

Day 5 in Austria ended here. Our second night in this beautiful city.

Tomorrow, more of the city!