The day I finally tried Wiener Schnitzl

So, first, I know it's been a few days since I posted and I have lost track of how many days I've been on this journey, but rest assured - I am still alive and wll. A certain septogenarian in Massachusetts was rumored to have been worried.  Sorry about that!  I was just really, really tired and didn't feel all that great, so I didn't get around to blogging. I put all my energy into getting out and about so I didn't waste any of my vacation passed out in a hotel room.  It was a busy (but great) first week in which I got more exercise each day than I normally do in a week, or, possibly, a month.  It also takes a fair amount of energy for me to speak to other humans - when you throw in the fact that I don't speak the language spoken by the people I'm addressing, it takes a lot out of me....but that's by the end of each day.  I'm happy to say I wake up ready to take it all on again each day.  I love it here.  And while I can only say a few German words, I'm getting much better at recognizing words on menus, signs, etc.  I feel like I could actually learn another language in an immersion program.

Anyway, quick wrap-up of the past days.  SoM tour was great!  Our guide was perfect and kindly kinda forced everyone to sing along whenever she put on the soundtrack between stops and SoM stories. One story - little Gretl was a bit of a grumpy diva, but the crew couldn't stand to see her cry so to keep her happy, they kept giving her hot chocolate and sacretorte (chocolate cake) so she really chunked up during the filming. When it was time to film the scene where the Captain carries Gretl as they climb over the mountains, he refused to carry the actress he described as "built like a tank" so they used a body double. Sounds like Christopher Plummer was not a big fan of kids...but was a hell of a good time at the Bristol Hotel bar each night.

On my way out of Salzburg the next day, I managed to find the second palace that was used for the front of the Von Trapp's house. It was kinda hard to get to so I was fairly excited that I figured it out. I also tried very, very hard to see the place where they sang in the festival but, although I did find it, I could not get in. :(

I drove through the Lake District on my way to Vienna. Saw some stuff that I couldn't see from the SoM bus the day before due to fog. I was going to check out Hallstadt which is apparently both a UNESCO World Heritage sight and a model for some Chinese town. Unfortunately, the lake on which it was located was blanketed with...guess what?  Yep, fog.  Fog has become my greatest enemy. I was in fog the rest of the way to Vienna but managed to rally once I got there to walk over to the Vienna Christmas Market.  It was both awesome and typical of a large gathering of people with alcohol. The longer I stayed, the more annoying other people became so I headed to bed once I had seen all the stalls and tried a cup of punsch which I found to be pretty gross.

I did a hop on, hop off tour of Vienna the next day. Unfortunately it was cloudy and kinda foggy so I'm sure I didn't get any good pictures but I learned a lot about Vienna on the bus between stops. It really is a stunning city. The buildings are simply overwhelming in their size and ornateness (I think I made up that word).  I need to go back sometime when it's sunny.

I thought very hard about going to Prague next - was even halfway through filling out a reservation for a hotel, but decided to go back to Salzburg instead. I just haven't had enough of Salzburg!  I really love it and I'm sure will be back for Prague someday. On my way back, in another stunning religious moment, I found that they only non-foggy part of the trip was in Melk where there is the most amazingly huge abbey. It was unbelievable. And parking was free!  Here's me looking happy about finding such a magnificent spot for a much-needed restroom stop...

Oh, the Wiener Schnitzl!  It was not what I expected and was fairly tasty, but I don't think I'll have any trouble living without it I the U.S.