Georgia - "I am Sixteen"

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Geo: 47.8, 13.0333

My Birthday
Salzburg
29/12/16
"I am Sixteen..."

I was very spoilt by my wonderful family this morning, some highlights being "Your Keys to Driving - Learning to Drive in Queensland" and a timeturner from the boys. We then had a delicious breakfast at the hotel, including cake as part of the buffet. Then we set off on a day of tours. For Christmas, Grandad had given us a tour of the Saltmines, just outside Salzburg, and the sound of music tour.

We started off with the Saltmines Tour. We loaded on to a bus in Mirabel Place, and set off into Germany. First we stopped at a viewing spot, under Hitler's Eagle's Nest. We were very excited to see all the fresh snow from the day before. Then we stopped in the small town of Berchtesgaden, which was very quaint. Unfortunately, whilst Mum and I enjoyed walking around the town, the boys spent a lot of time searching for a bathroom. We especially enjoyed seeing the petting zoo animals from the Christmas Market, although the overly friendly donkey tried to give me a birthday bite - luckily with all the layers of warm clothes, I couldn't even feel it!

Then we got to the Saltmines. We donned our Miner's overalls and set off on the train down the mine. Once we were inside the mine, we went down two slides until we were deep into the earth. The highlight of the tour for me was the salt lake, which we went across in a small boat! Then we went back up in a lift and on the train again.

We then drove back to Salzburg, and had a lunch of German sausages at the market in Miabel Place. Delicious. Then we set off on the Sound of Music tour. We drove past the Monastery, stopped across the lake from the back of the house, drove past the front of the house, went to the Summer House (which you can't go inside), then drove past a lot of the lakes from the opening scene, to Mondsee where the wedding was filmed. My top things I learnt about the movie were;
• The house was filmed on three different locations
• Gretel almost drowned in the lake scene!
• After that they all kept giving her lollies, so that in the final scene Christopher Plummer said "I'm not caring that fat kid over the mountain!" - so they used a stunt double!
• The mountain they climb in the movie is actually the border between Austria and Germany, and Hitler's "Eagle's Nest" is on the other side!!!

Mum told the tour guide that it was my birthday, so he had me lead in "I am Sixteen going on seventeen" and the whole bus sang happy birthday!!!

We returned to Salzburg and went to dinner at a wonderful restaurant, where the wait staff were dressed in drindils!!! We had a birthday "cake" of Apple Strudel, which the waitress put a candle in, and the entire restaurant sang Happy Birthday! A wonderful birthday, in a beautiful city! It really was a day containing quite "a few of my favourite things!!!!"

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