Salzburg, Austria, November 2012

That evening after Innsbruck we left for Salzburg.  The border crossings were so easy, that we sometimes didn’t even know what country we are in.  We started in Austria, crossed through Germany for a bit, and then came back into Austria.  I still don’t know exactly where the borders were.  Ben slept most of the way there, and we arrived at about 7:30.  When Ben woke up, he was not happy, and the crying didn’t quit.  We finally decided to put him to bed, but we still hadn’t eaten dinner.  Luckily there was a restaurant in our hotel that let us “carry out” the food.  We both decided that we really like Austrian food.  Maybe because it reminds me of German food, which reminds me of my grandma’s and mom’s cooking.  My surprise favorite was the apple-horseradish spread that you pair with beef.  We made sure to find some at a grocery store before coming back.  We also enjoyed weiner schnitzel, pollo schnitzel, venison roast, wurstel, strudel, and one authentic Indian dinner.

The next morning, we headed for the castle fortress, Hohensalzburg.  A funicular brought us to the top.  Built in 1077 and expanded throughout the years, especially in the 15^th century, the fortress looked so imposing that it was never actually attacked.  There were a few decorations and furnishings inside, some museum exhibits, and great 360° views.

Marionette museum

Ben trying to figure them out

We spend the afternoon and evening exploring the old town and peeking into churches.  There are two Mozart museums in town, at his birthplace and another residence.  Mozart was baptized at the Cathedral, and was an organist there for two years.

A one-woman efficiently run Wurstelstande, tucked in a closet-sized room hidden in an alley.  Still, we had to wait 20 minutes in line.  So good!

Church of St. Michael from 800 A.D.

Salzburg Cathedral

Baptismal font where Mozart was baptized in Salzburg Cathedral.

 The castle by day and at night

The next day, we went to the gardens in Mirabell Palace. 

The fountain seen in the Do-Re-Mi song from Sound of Music.

On the way home, we stopped at the Swarovski Crystal World.

While we were going through Germany on the way home, we were on the autobahn.  It's just a regular highway that happens to have no speed limit.  We went kind of fast for a little while, but the whole adult-responsibility thing kicked in, and we didn't go crazy.  We did pass a lot of cars, and also got passed some, but we didn't see anyone that was really flying.