The Hills Are Alive With The Sound Of Music

Tuesday 24 July 2012 – The Hills Are Alive With Sound of Music

Day 102 and 57 to go

Another cool night meant a night under the doona again and sleep was a little easier. We were up just before 8 getting organised for our Sound of Music tour of Salzburg.

At 9 we waited at reception for the tour company to show up. Once it hit 9.25am the owner of the campsite realised they weren’t coming and drove us in to Mirabellplatz himself. We were straight on the coach and on our way.

Our first stop was Hellbrunn Palace where the gazebo used during the “I am 16 going on 17” song is now located after being relocated. We took the obligatory pictures, unfortunately you cannot go inside as it is locked due to tourists being injured trying to recreate the dance scene.

Just outside the palace is a tree lined avenue used during the “I have Confidence” song when Maria is going to the Von Trapp home for the first time.

Back on the coach we drove on to Leopoldskron Palace, passing the mansion used as the frontage of the Von Trapp family home. The Palace was used as the backyard of the Von Trapp home and also has the famous lake the children fall into from the boat.

Back on the bus and this time heading for the Lake District. We pass the Nonnberg Abbey in Salzburg where the real Maria was a novice and where she and the Captain married. The landscape we continued to drive through was beautiful. we managed to jag a wonderful day weather wise. We pass the first lake, Fuschi and then stop a little further along at Lake Wolfgang (Wolfgangsee as is said in Austria). Here we take in the view over the lake and the town of St. Gilgen. More picture postcard moments.

Our drive eventually finishes at the village of Mondsee and it’s cathedral that was used as the location of the marriage scene. The cathedral is somewhat gaudy on the inside, with black, gold and pink its main colour theme. We collected a bottle of holy water before exiting and finding a place for lunch in the main square a place containing many coloured buildings.

We shared a pizza and had a drink, the sun on our back. Divine. When we finished up we stopped by an ice cream shop for a scoop that we ate on our walk back to the bus.

At 1pm we enjoyed the half hour ride back to Salzburg listening to the Sound of Music soundtrack and singing along enthusiastically.

We were deposited back at Mirabellplatz where we could cross the street and wander the Mirabell Gardens, part of Mirabell Palace. The gardens were used extensively in the movie and feature in the song “Do-Re-Mi”

We passed through the gardens and back over the river into the old town where we walked down the main shopping street. We stopped for souvenirs and Paul bought a stein glass. Feeling warm and parched we stopped in at an Irish Pub for a cold drink. We were served by a friendly, young Kiwi bloke with whom we enjoyed having a chat for a while we then continued our journey.

We stopped in at a small supermarket for some things for dinner and then it was back over the river and on the bus. We walked the 500m that seemed so much more in the heat, to our campsite. I stopped in at reception on the way to collect the net password and then it was back to the van to cool off and relax.

I worked on the net things while Paul read his beer book in readiness for Munich tomorrow. When I was done we played cards and then had dinner. With the dishes done we played cards once more before heading to bed.