Salzburg

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Guten Tag!
Wie Gehts? Ich bin sehr gut!

Although this is the beginning of the journal, this is actually the last full week that I will be in Austria. I'm going to begin by basically just saying a little bit about the city and my first experiences here in Austria.

The city of Salzburg is just over the German border and is situated in the "hills" as my host family says, but as you will see from my pictures, these hills are really mountains. They are the outskirts of the Alps. The city gets its name from the salt mines that are so previlant in these hills and that is why the town began in the middle ages. Salt, as I'm sure you know, was needed to preserve food, so it was considered very valuable and if I remember right, it was used as currency at one time. So the city of Salzburg, was founded on salt.


The fortress which overlooks the entire city was the home of one of the archbishops from the Medieval ages and is a very interesting building to go to. It has a beautiful view of the city and is now used as a museum. I'm so amazed that this single building is older than the country that I live in.

Ok, so the first day we were here, we got a tour of the city. Salzburg college is situated on the banks of the Salzach, the river that runs through the city, in the Altstadt (or old city). Of course, this being Mozarts 250th birthday, the city is bustling with tourists, and everything is about Mozart. The Altstadt is home to about 6 opera houses.. yeah I know, a singers paradise! 😊 Salzburg itself annually hosts the Salzburger festspiel, which is a festival of classical music. This year of course, they are performing all 22 of Mozart's operas. Of the 22 I will have seen 4 when I leave. Tickets are very expensive and are usually sold out a year in advance. So for me to have seen this many is quite a blessing. I also have tickets to 3 different concerts as well. Which is equally amazing. 😊 I have never seen a professional opera before this truly is an amazing experience in itself. I'll talk more about the opera aspect of the program in my next entry. I forget that I'm supposed to be talking about the city.

In the city, there are many fountains and beautiful old homes. When I first arrived, I remember thinking that it looked like a theme park in the US. Like the buildings were just facades and that there would be nothing behind them. They really are that beautiful and colorful. Everything is just so clean. I wish that I could say that there are flowers everywhere like my parents said there would be. There are in the smaller towns surrounding the city in the Salzkammergut ( an entry all to itself) but not so much in the bustling city of Salzburg. My host family lives on the outskirts of town in a townhome. My 2 room mates and I share an apartment on the 3rd floor of there home. The Wallner's feed us until we are blue in the face. I mean, everything is soo good, but I feel as though I have eaten enough for a small country since I have been here. She did teach us to cook a few things (mainly desserts) and gave me a small cookbook with her favorite recipes in it. I'll have to translate the directions and convert metrics to standard when I get home so that I can share these recipies with you. 😊 You will love the Marillonknodel and Linzertorte... sooo good!

well, I hope that you all have enjoyed this short entry of just a little of my experience. I promise to write more about my excursions to the Salzkammergut, Vienna, Schloss Mirabell, and the Hellbrunn palace. I miss you all and wish you were all here experiencing this with me!

Auf Wiedersehen!

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Photos

city pic
Salzach, fortress, and the Dom

Comments

[momma]

Guten Tag!
Guten Tag!!! love this forum...it is a great idea to publish your daily activities when so far away from your family. We are so glad you can experience a bit of what your Dad and I enjoyed when we were first married. Cannot wait for the recipes. mmm Linzertorte! and I do remember ...knodel. Wiedersehen!