Salzburg, the Sound of Music & Mozart

A view of Salzburg's Old Town from across the Salzach River

        Roses are blooming in my garden and I was reminded of the song “My Favourite things” from the movie “The Sound of Music”. It’s been raining and so I saw some “raindrops on roses…”.  I watched this movie over and over again around 20 or so years ago and several times more in recent years. The story is set in Austria, specifically Salzburg. There was mention of Vienna and Germany throughout the movie, too, but Salzburg was the star! 

        “ Edelweiss” is one of my favorite songs from that movie.

Not the real deal but you can take some home & not worry about customs & quarantine.

        The movie introduced me to Salzburg, in particular, and Austria, in general. Imagine my surprise when I went to Salzburg and most locals didn’t know about the movie, let alone the songs of my childhood! I thought they were kidding me! They weren’t!

It was a cold winter day when my group set off on our tour of Salzburg with the utter bewilderment on my part, that the locals wouldn’t be able to relate to my references to scenes/locations which I found familiar because I had seen them in the movie. If you’re still reading this, then you,  hopefully, will have a better chance of recognizing these scenes ;).

The Alps behind me. The movie began and ended with scenes of the breathtaking Alps.

At some point during the tour, our bilingual( English-Spanish) guide told me that some of the scenes in the movie weren’t even filmed in Salzburg. They were probably filmed in another location or at some movie studio using recreated sets. Still and all, that didn’t stop me from humming “ The hills are alive!” as soon as Salzburg’s hills started rolling before my eyes =)

THE hills are most certainly alive! =)

A photo of the Mirabell Gardens in full bloom
from a Salzburg Sightseeing Tours Ad.

Maria and the Von Trapp children walked around these gardens as they sang, “Doe a deer a female deer…”

My photo of the Mirabell Gardens... not in full bloom ;)
but still as serene.

My guess is that the Von Trapp family were hiding at this convent cemetery when the soldiers came looking for them after the music festival where they won the First Prize...

Maria walked through one of these arches as she left the Abbey to go to the Von Trapp family home...

Captivating Residenz Platz

As if all that wasn’t enough to keep me tourist-happy, Salzburg just happens to be the birthplace of one of the most famous musical genius of all time--- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart!

Mozart's Birthplace & Home

It would be great to revisit this place with my Mom, sister and daughter one day. Mom is a pianist and has enjoyed listening and playing some of Mozart’s most enchanting symphonies. 

As for my sister and daughter, we’ve sung Sound of Music songs in many family gatherings =).

If you’ve had your fill of culture and history, there are the quaint little shops around Salzburg waiting to be explored and enjoyed. Familiar labels abound, with outdoor advertising to match the culturally rich town.

Posh Zara signage

Many establishments are named after Salzburg's musical genius.

Everything may look a bit expensive compared to the prices we are used to in the Philippines, that’s probably because they are! But it’s not to say that you can’t find good deals around. Try the souvenir shops with the mini Mozart violins, magnets, etc.

Okay, this is a bit random but it's nice to see something familiar. My house dress which I got from Shenzhen, China has the same material as the one used in this pink robe. Nice to see a bit of Asia in Europe =)

Getting a bit hungry from all the exploring? Pretzels are a good option. This lot which I took a photo of claim to be made by the original pretzel maker in town!

You can't go wrong with 2 Euro pretzels ;)

Let you in on a REAL money-saving tip- this is what we had for breakfast at our apartment in Vienna before our tour of Salzburg:

Produce all bought from the Billa store a few steps away from our Hotel Pension Lumes apartment near Stephansplatz. Love Billa!=) European treats at a fraction of restaurant prices.

This next bit of info is a tad bit unromantic... and I shouldn't really be posting it right after food... but it's most essential! 

Please have 0.50 Euro coins ready in your pocket for when you need to use the toilet. For even if you can enter the cubicle without putting in a coin, you won’t be able to lock it!

Before I headed back to our tour group’s meeting place for departure back to Vienna, I thought I would just soak in the whole experience. I found a place to sit down, relax and simply enjoy the idyllic scenery.

A plaza such as this one is just too lovely for words!

Ahhh... such is the sound of music for me!

THE Eiffel Tower

The iconic Tour Eiffel or Eiffel Tower is a sight to behold!

Be it day...

... or night! :-)

Staring at it makes my mind hum, "La Vie En Rose" ;-).

Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1

Things to do while waiting for boarding: Catch a few NBA games, shop for gifts/pasalubongs at Duty Free and the many other shops, buy medicines or other travel needs, surf at the Free Internet Station, get a prepaid SIM or roaming load for your mobile, make all the texts & calls (There are pay phone booths as well) you need to make BEFORE going on roaming( It's cheaper that way), set your SIM/mobile on roaming, get a massage, simply lounge around or eat. The last is my fave to do ;) My usual food stop at NAIA 1 is Great Panda. Love their shrimp siomai! ;) They've got congee, noodles, siopao, etc. Yum!

If you're a Mom with an infant in tow, there's also a Feeding Station for you and your little baby.

Before you do all that, set your cellphone alarm to make sure you won't miss your boarding call. Oops, there goes my alarm!

Safe travels! ;)

Berlin Break

The Brandenburg Gate

Destination : Berlin, Germany
Route : Rome, Italy - Berlin, Germany - Goettingen, Germany
Airline : Air Berlin from Rome Fiumicino to Berlin Tegel

You can get good deals online with Air Berlin but 
take note of the baggage weight that you are allowed. 
Travel light & you'll never have to pay excess baggage fees.

Eurail Pass : Benelux- Germany 6-day Eurail Adult Saver Pass from Berlin onwards. You get a discount for 2 or more persons traveling together. The more you travel from the first date & time of use, the more you get out of your pass. It's fun to get to as many destinations as you can! Just don't sacrifice your comfort & your companion's good mood :-)

Always have your Eurail Pass, passport & map with you.

        A tip about your Eurail Pass: Remember to write down the details of the train, destination, etc. before or as soon as you board the train. Riding a train without writing down the details (for those with a Eurail pass) or not validating(for those with a ticket) is like riding without paying the fare. You could get fined.

My Eurail Pass Travel Itinerary & Journey Details

Season: Fall/Autumn. 11-22 degrees celsius. A nice time to be in Berlin.

The Pleasant Flight: 

Techie Air Berlin/ Nikki Safety Video

The Flight Captain calls our attention to the truly breathtaking view below. 

The Alps as we fly over Innsbruck, Austria.

Day 1

At Berlin Tegel, figuring out whether we'd have time to go to Munich/Munchen.

A taxi ride from Berlin Tegel to Novotel Berlin Tiergarten
would cost from 15-30 Euros, depending on the traffic.

Taxi queue just outside Novotel Berlin Am Tiergarten

Yey, our hotel! Novotel Tiergarten 

Novotel Tiergarten was a good base for our Berlin adventure. It's called Novotel Berlin Am Tiergarten because it's situated right across the vast Tiergarten park, the oldest park in Berlin. Beside the hotel is the train station for the S-bahn which connects you to virtually any part of the city.

Novotel Berlin Tiergarten mini bar

Double room. Novotel Berlin Tiergarten

Yes, ladies, there's a hairdryer :)

There's a Hop-on hop-off bus stop just outside Novotel Tiergarten. Tickets are sold in the hotel.

The Upper Deck is a great spot on a good day such as this one!

Schloss Charlottenburg

Ka De We is one of the largest department stores in Berlin.

Berlin Wall remains

Jewish Museum Berlin. Such a moving experience!

After a long day of sightseeing, it was nice to go back to the hotel
with this divine chocolate & biscuits treat from the Novotel. Sweet! ;)

Day 2

Berlin Main Train Station or Hauptbahnhof

In Berlin, you have to try a Currywurst. A bargain at 1-2 Euros!

This is the 2-Euro Currywurst with bread :) 

A day trip to Potsdam

 Potsdam was once the residence of Prussian Kings and German Kaisers. As I walked around the palace grounds and traveled around the city, I thought to myself, the once powerful Prussian Empire ruled from this beautiful place. It was a surreal experience for me. Amazing!

The Old Historic Windmill near Sanssouci Palace

A performer just outside the Sanssouci Palace Gates sets the mood for enjoying the palace grounds.

Schloss Sanssouci or Sanssouci Palace

It looked like it was going to rain....

... thank God it didn't!

The skies cleared in no time. The better to enjoy the gardens.

This trip to Berlin was something that I originally didn't have on my itinerary. A possible reunion with my husband's high school buddy back in New York was something we couldn't miss out on. Busy Doctor Dirk had found time to meet with us! Yey! So I cancelled other trips around Italy and made sure that Germany was on the itinerary.

A "danke" sign at McDonald's. Try the McRib burger, served only in
Germany( I think). Much like our McSpaghetti, served only in the Philippines :)

It was a trip I'll never forget nor regret. Germany is now one of my favorite places in the world. Thanks or Danke, Dirk! ;-)