Do Re Mi Fa So and So On

Austria just gets more and more wonderful.  Uncle Gary and Auntie Nelly took Kelly and I to Salzburg for the last couple of days, and I am happy to confirm that the hills are still alive with the sound of music.

With Gary and Nelly in the Residenzplatz in Salzburg.

A few days ago, we committed to a full on museum day in Vienna.  There is a neat part of town known as the Museums Quarter, where art and history museums abound.  I kept thinking that it is probably what Hanna's version of heaven would be, complete with well laid out gardens with burbling fountains, cafes with delicious food and drinks, and a bunch of museums devoted to various topics... and all the buildings are OLD!  We started our day at the Albertina, an art museum.  Gustav Klimt, who is probably Austria's most celebrated artist, was featured in an exhibit that showed his practice drawings.

Kel in the Albertina.

He was very dedicated to the human form, and so before painting any significant work, he would sketch out the subjects.  It was really neat to see all the subjects develop from one drawing to another, and I was impressed by the variety of angles from which he sketched his subjects, even when he was only intending to paint them from the front... he just wanted to gain a complete understanding of the person he was painting.  After seeing that exhibit, his completed work seemed even more impressive, because I felt as though I knew his subjects.  It was a really special experience.  The museum is also home to a vast collection of Picassos, some work from Monet, Degas and Cezanne, and much more.  I was honestly a bit overwhelmed to be in the presence of such beautiful, famous artwork.  We needed a break after that, so we went to a cafe in the Leopold Museum, and treated ourselves to some cake and hot chocolate.  I cannot describe in words how amazing that snack was... we were in raptures.  Feeling reenergized, we tackled the Leopold Museum, which had another exhibit of Klimts, and went into detail about his life, and had an impressive collection of art from the 19th and 20th centuries.  That evening, my Auntie Nelly got home from the hospital (she has a broken wrist), and despite her injury, she made us schnitzel for dinner.

Outside the Hapsburg Palace.

Kel in the rose garden.

Me in the rose garden.

The next day, we went to Schloss Schonbrunn, the summer palace of the Hapsburg family, with expansive gardens and 1440 rooms.  We explored the grounds, taking in the various beautiful fountains, which are works of art in and of themselves, and more rose gardens (it would appear that the

The beautiful Gloriette, the summer lunch gazebo of
Schloss Schonbrunn.

Hapsburgs were very fond of roses).  My favourite part of the grounds was the maze, which appears small and somewhat insignificant, but was very difficult to figure out!  There were also several mazes to explore, which had clever games and riddles hidden down different passages.  It was essentially a playground for adults, and I loved it.  Heading inside, we toured the state rooms with an audio guide which was informative and interesting.  The wealth and splendor in which these people lived is absurd, and it mystifies me that the palace was used by royalty less than a hundred years ago.  I enjoyed walking through the various dining rooms, bedchambers and state rooms, and I am happy to report that there are very well laid out museums here.  I must say, there are few things that make me more disappointed than a museum with poorly presented information, and I have not had that sinking feeling in Vienna.

One of the beautiful fountains of Schloss Schonbrunn.

One of the hedge mazes.

The vineyard countryside where Uncle Gary lives.

The old city of Salzburg, nestled
between the river and the cliffs.

Yesterday we headed out early for Salzburg!  Upon arrival, Kel and I went exploring, winding our way through narrow, cobblestoned streets, all the way up a hill to Capuchin Monastery.  From there, we had a wonderful view of the city, and we were shocked to see how much of the old town is packed into such a small space between the river (which is raging and high right now!) and the cliff.  There are many churches in Salzburg, whose bell towers toll the hour with bells big and small; their spires decorate the skyline.  Towering above the city is the Hohensalzburg Fortress, from whence the Archbishop-Princes ruled their city state, and defended the valley from various foes.  Plunging back into the little streets, we came to the Residenzplatz, which is dominated by the huge Dom (Cathedral) and a beautiful fountain with strange horse-fish creations, where Maria sang 'I Have Confidence!'.  We walked through the lovely gardens at Mirabell, which was a wonderful mix of impressive and creepy statues, artistic gardens, and yet more fountains.  Because it rained on and off throughout the day, the crowds were not bad, and since Kel

A rainy Residenzplatz.

and I are west-coasters, we weren't bothered by it.  We then headed to Mozart's childhood home, which has been converted into a museum dedicated to his life, but seeing that it was an expensive tourist trap, we bailed and returned to the heart of downtown.  The Dom, which has three copper doors decorated with scenes signifying faith, hope, and charity, was different from the other Cathedrals we have seen on this (and other) trips.  The interior architecture was more restrained and less gilded, though still splendid.  The ceilings and archways between pillars were carved white stone with black highlights painted on, giving it a very striking appearance.  Walking past street performers, we went back to meet Gary and Nelly for dinner (schnitzel again... who can resist?) and then decided - perhaps foolishly - to sample the Salzburg bar scene.

The stair-streets descending from Capuchin Monastery.

This morning, fighting hangovers, we walked up the very steep path along the side of the cliff to see the Fortress of Salzburg.  Building started for this structure in 1077, and has been added to until very recently.  The fortress has never been taken by a foe, though it was surrendered without a fight to Napoleon in 1800.  Though it was primarily a military structure, there were also rooms where the Archbishop-Prince would have stayed, which were typically ornate and impressive (I feel as though I'm becoming very blase about the beautiful rooms we're seeing, but the state rooms and bed chambers are all very similar, and all very decadent, and I'm getting used to it).  We did another audio tour here, learning about the history of the Fortress, seeing the torture instruments and jail cells that were used at the time, and climbing the highest tower for an unimpeded view of the entire valley of Salzburg.  It was much clearer today, and we were able to see the hills and even some mountains through the mist.

Schloss Mirabell

Singing Do Re Mi in Schloss Mirabell.

Schloss Mirabell with the Salzburg Fortress in the background.

The beautiful sculptured gardens of Mirabell.

The Dom (Cathedral)

The beautiful inside of the Dom.

Detail of the stone work inside the Dom.

A rainy morning chess game with the Fortress in the background.

Being in Salzburg was like being in the Sound of Music, and I may or may not have danced around singing like a loon (albeit a restrained loon), reenacting some of my favourite scenes.  We're back in Vienna now, and I think we're going to rent the movie tonight!  Tomorrow we go to Bratislava on a day trip, and then on Monday we're off to Budapest.  The time here in Vienna has been wonderful, and though it will be hard to leave, I'm excited to see other places, and to be somewhere less expensive.  Lots of love to the listeners back home :)

Mimicking statues is a new hobby.

Maybe we shouldn't do that anymore.