Salzburg adds the exclamation point to our music theme with an excellent all-Mozart concert (our fifth concert in 2 weeks). Though it was primarily a violin concerto and a symphony, a baritone sang The Catalog aria from Don Giovanni which was Loren’s favorite to sing which made us smile.
The famous Salzburg glockenspeil can only be toured twice each week. We climbed the 190 steps to see and hear the 35 bells ringing a tune and enjoyed the birds-eye view. We were reminded of our English only shortcoming as we listened to a droning explanation of the mechanism in German.
The magical and very loud “Salzburg Bells” seem to happen randomly during the day when all the churches ring their bells simultaneously for up to 10-minutes. It was perfect as we walked through the oldest cemetery in Salzburg where one rents a plot. When the family no longer pays the rent the body is dug up and the plot rented to another family.
After Mozart’s death at 35 in 1791 he was cleverly marketed by first his wife and then his sons. It continues today in every imaginable way from concerts to candy.
Our reprise of the Sound of Music we’re calling Singin’ in the Rain as we’ve seen nothing but rain and cold our entire time here. The shots from the movie look very different in the rain.
Same shot – opposite direction
Our favorite walk was the mile across the city from the high fortress, through the woods with birds singing,
past wonderful views.
to the Museum of Modern Art bar where it was warm and dry.
A trip to the Mountain Lake District was drippy and included a boat trip past picturesque villages and mountains dramatically hidden by clouds.
Our warm, dry refuge was an amazing apartment in the center of the Old Town, full of antiques,
a modern kitchen and the best shower yet.
Tomorrow everything changes. We join Rick Steves’ tour of the Adriatic – no more “our way” for a while.