The Hills really are alive with the Sound of Music

We became those people today.

Short lived was our stay in Salzburg, but a girls dreams can come true in one short day! It was a red letter day for me peeps! Not only did they have eggs on the buffet, but they had Skippy peanut butter!Shut up! Two things that you never see around here. It was like the heavens had opened up and were shining down just on me this very perfect day.

My FAVORITE movie is The Sound of Music and Ragan saw that they had a tour on one of those big 'ole tour buses to see lots of the locations for the movie in and around Salzburg. Bless him. He signed us up and off we went. I knew this man loved me, but this was ABOVE and BEYOND what any man should have to do to show his love.

Our tour guide was hysterical! He was from Austria, but his parents were American, so his English was perfect. He did a great job of mixing the real movie scenes with some of the actual facts of the Maria and the von Trapp family. He apologized in advanced and hoped he didn't receive any letters like he had in the past telling him he had ruined their life from learning the truths behind the story. People from all over the world were on this tour. We had people from India, Brazil, Japan, and tons of Americans. The tour is only offered in English. Ironic that no one in Austria really knows the movie, nor do they seem to care. They know the real story, so they weren't interested in the Rogers & Hammerstein version that Hollywood made so magical.

We were taking through town and then into the lakes and mountains region outside of the city. Stunning!

We went to the little town in the region called Moonsee to visit the cathedral where the wedding scene was filmed.

Me outside of St. Michael's where the wedding took place in the movie. The real wedding took place where Maria was in the abbey. After this we headed across the street for a crisp apple streudel! We had to continue the theme for "favorite things" that day didn't we?

The inside of St. Michael's

When in Austria...drink like the Austrians. This is the delicious Austrian Almdudler. Delish, like a light gingerale with a hint of lemon. I skipped on the other drink true to the Austrians. Red Bull. Passed the headquarters on the way up the mountain. Who knew?

You might recognize this house from some of the scenes from the movie. It was what was used for the back of the house, the patio and the lake. The lake was with the scene of Maria with the children in the boat and they all stood up to say hi to the captain and the boat went over. The famous gazebo where "Sixteen going on Seventeen" was placed here for filming and then they just left it. The home is now used for seminars and they loved the gazebo until they realized that people were juming the walls at all hours to recreate the scene between Leisl and Rolf and disturbing the conferences. It has been moved twice.

It finally found a home in a beautiful garden near the zoo. And no, you can't go in it and recreate the scene. They finally had to close the doors awhile back when an 80 year old woman went for her best Leisl, and I guess her Rolf wasn't too good, because she fell and broke her hip. Doors locked. Thanks old lady and your hip! You ruined it for all of us!

Shut up! This is the trellis that Maria ran through with the children singing Do Re Mi!!

Sew....a needle pulling thread

Everyone comes by during the scenes from Do-Re-Mi and pats this statue on the head.

The beautiful Mirabella Gardens where most of the scenes from Do-Re-Mi were filmed.

Let me introduce you to some of the others who were on our tour with us.

Our hilarious tour guide!! Who named these people...(see below)

The Indian Griswald's. They were late for everything. So before the guide started talking he would say, "Indian Griswald's? There they are...the Indian Griswald's have arrived." Nothing says "the love of an arranged marriage" like a photo with such closeness.

I don't think this man shared the same zeal and love for the movie as some of the others.

We made our way around Old Towne after we finished up with the tour. 

St. Peter's Basilica in Old Towne

Looking back over the river towards Old Towne. You can see the fortress at the top of the hill.

Oh yah, then there's this guy. Mozart. This is his birthplace and home. His first compositions were created here before he performed his first concert at the whopping age of 6.

We finished the day with the famous Sacher Torte and Hotel Sacher. It's been famous for 150 years so we decided to stop by and check out and see what the fuss was all about. Honestly, not sure what all the fuss was about. But it's pretty.

(**deep sigh**) It really was a perfect day in Salzburg! I couldn't have asked for more!!