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Published: February 12th 2007
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So today we head out to climb the mountain to see Hohensalzburg - the big white fortress that overlooks the city of Salzburg. This is a very big mountain. Monchsberg is its name, meaning "Monks Mountain", as the first inhabitants were Monks (they pretty much ran the government way back when). Yes, I had to stop a couple of times, but the view was so wonderful that we all took advantage of the break to take pictures. There were apartments built into the hillside along the road that we were walking that were very, very old. One had a sign over the door in cast iron - 1585. Like I said, very, very old. We got to a bend in the road, and there were two plaques mounted in the stone in the side of the building. I have no idea what they were for - there was no plaque to tell us. So we keep climbing. Friedhelm wanted to walk up the hill vs. taking the funicular.....thought there may be interesting things to see. All I know is that my legs were like rubber by the time we got to the top. My hillbilly days are over I guess.....been in
Established 1585
This was over one of the doors of the "apartments" built into the hillside on the way to Hohensalzburg Florida too long. Incidently - I had put on 3 shirts and my coat for the trip to Hohensalzburg. I figured it would be windy and much colder on top of the mountain.....by the time I got to the top, I had my coat fully unzipped, my scarf off, my gloves off and was close to removing layers........
At the top I was astounded at how big this place was. This was the size of a small city, and I guess in a way, it had been several hundred years ago. More Christmas markets - yippee! Charlotte found the Schnapps stand - says Schnapps is good for her tummy, and well, who am I to argue. We "tested" several flavors - I happened to have enjoyed the Pear (Birne) Schnapps particularly. After we got our tummys "right", we headed to the outer wall for the most breathtaking view of the city. We also had excellent weather - clear blue skies with just a slight breeze, so the temperatures were very bearable. We sampled goodies from several of the food stalls, took more pictures, and spent close to 3 hours just exporing the mountaintop city of refuge. One stall had
Steeple Chase?
A few of the steeples and domes that mark Salzburg's skyline - St. Peters, and the Salzburg Cathedral. made ornaments out of what looked to be straw, and formed them to look like owls and other birds....very creative.
Charlotte spotted a plaque that said "Trumpeter's Turm" (turm = tower in German), and pointed and said "For Caleb"....so I snapped a picture of her under the sign. The tower was much higher and I couldn't get her and the tower in one picture, but anyway, Caleb, this pix is for you.
We went back into the center of the fortress to grab a bite to eat. Had some soup and some bread with baked with grated potatoes and melted cheese on top. There is always something interesting to eat - common everyday food that we eat in the U.S., just put together or cooked a little differently. So Charlotte and I decide we are ready to make some purchases and head to a stall selling glass ornaments. While I was standing there, I look over to a stall a few feet away - and there is Friedhelm eyeing the Liebkuchen. I snapped a picture - him unaware. After we were finished, he had moved on, so I went to that stall and bought some Liebkuchen for him.
Plaques in the Mountain
I have no idea who put these plaques here or why - but I thought it was interesting how they were placed in the stone of the mountain, along the road up to Hohensalzburg Fortress. I then went to him and teased that I saw him drooling over the cookies and snapped a picture...then I produced the Liebkuchen I had purchased and gave to him. He threw his head back and laughed - and then thanked me. Charlotte just stood there grinning and said "Friedhelm" giggling. Yes, my friend Friedhelm has a sweettooth I've learned.
We took a tour through some of the inner rooms. The tour was facilitated through audio guides, so I could listen in English and Friedhelm and Charlotte could listen in German. The tour began in a room with scale models of the fortress, each model reflecting the changes and additions to the structure over the hundreds of years. The fortress was never taken in battle - after the climb up the hill, I understand why. This particular tour is a rather short one - into the torture chamber - which was never really used as one, but they did have some rather gruesome looking tools to inflict some nasty punishment with - I guess just in case they needed to do so.
With the day quickly passing, we took the funicular down to the city. As we were
Me on the balcony at Hohensalzburg
What a great day to be overlooking the city. coming out, we saw a stone wall with a closed door that many people seemed to be flocking to. We peeked in - and found St. Peter's cemetary. I wondered if it was the one the Von Trapp family hid in during their flee from Austria while escaping the SS. (Actually, in the film it was a film set, not the real cemetary). I learned later that it had been a different one - which I found to be more amazing that there was more than one of these in Salzburg. We marveled at the graveyard - many entire families have been entombed here, some behind gated arches, some in the churchyard. Friedhelm just shook his head and said "I have never seen any thing as this before". We left the courtyard, and passed St. Stephan's Cathedral. We ventured into the marketplace again, stopping for "Kase-Kreiner" (cheesewursts) hot dogs and a beer.
Charlotte and I spotted a confection shop - the maker of the original "Mozart Kugeln" balls - chocolate bon-bons - and both of us took off. Friedhelm just stood in place, shaking his head as the two of us bolted for the chocolate shop. Hey - I
Trumpetor's Tower
The trumpetor's tower in Hohensalzburg climbed that monster mountain - I get chocolate! We elbowed our way to the counter - it was Saturday and evidently a big tourist day - this place was packed elbow to elbow. Victorious with our purchases, Charlotte and I made our way out and found Friedhelm where we had left him - still standing there shaking his head.
We headed back in the direction of the hotel, but ventured through the Christmas markets again on our way back - I bought one of the "spice" balls fashioned in the style of a small nosegay with a handle. We passed this marvelous carving/mural along the mountain with a huge fountain in front of it, with ramps at each end of the fountain - it turned out to be a "royal horse wash", where in the "old days", horses would be washed. The horse would be taken in on one ramp, washed, and led out on the other ramp.
We strolled a bit longer and headed to the hotel. As we were walking, Charlotte was trying to tell me about something she had seen. Now this conversation was mixed English and German, and I'm sort of understanding. But then
Charlotte and The Tower Plaque
Here's a picture of Charlotte under the plaque she spotted, reflecting the date of the Trumpetor's Tower. "For Caleb" she said.... should couldn't remember a word, she kept saying "birgabirgabirga...", and then asked Friedhelm in German, what the word in English for "Berge" was.....before any of us could say anything, a woman standing on the street looking at a menu posted on an outer wall of a restaurant that we were passing replied "mountain".....to which we all started laughing, even this woman. Again, we found the strangest way to communicate, but always with humor.
It was only 6:00, but I was tired, and needed to pack, to catch a 6:00 am train to head to Bamberg the next morning. Charlotte and Friedhelm offered to take my "extra" bags with them to their home, to keep for me since I was ending my trip there after Bamberg and Dresden. I gathered my purchases and took them to their room, and we said our goodbyes for the time being. After making my nightly call to Jeff, I called it a night and was sound asleep before 10.
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