The Student and The Frog: Salzburg

Greetings, friends!

To start off the European update, I must present some clarification. I have been eating kiwis the fruit. Not the inhabitants of New Zealand. Apologies for all who were worrying about the possibility of cannibalism. 

On Saturday I spent the entirety of the day wandering around Salzburg. We had an exceeding early breakfast and hopped on a bus that drove three hours through the beautiful Austrian countryside. During this ride several of my fellow students and I played a game called "Is that a mountain?" This game is made interesting by our complete lack of experience with mountains coupled with (at least in my case) living in Ohio, a state with a stunning lack of mountains.

Reginald groggily rides the bus

Once we had safely arrived in Salzburg, the group was split into two for tours of the city. My group was the larger one, and I stuck with a couple of my friends and a handsome lad named Daniel.

We encounter Daniel

With our traveling party now complete, we set off to tour Salzburg. Immediately we had the Hohensalzburg Fortress pointed out to us. The Fortress was already at the top of our list of places to visit, but seeing it in person was truly something else!

Hohensalzburg Fortress from afar

As we wound through the streets, we passed many small shops with beautiful objects in their windows. My personal favorite was a shop that had giant stuffed bears among other things.

Some fine upstanding fellows

Continuing through, we saw the Fortress yet again while standing by the Everyman statue. Daniel thought that it looked small and conquerable from there. However, we didn't stay there long enough to contemplate viable strategies, as we were promptly led into the graveyard.

Daniel contemplates laying siege to the Fortress

Whilst strolling around the graveyard, we were able to find the grave of the only American buried in Salzburg, Harry J. Collins. He came here with the American forces in WWII and fell in love with the city. He took charge with rebuilding the Dom and the Salzburgers honored him with a spot in the graveyard.

Harry J. Collins

Reginald pays his respects to the dead

After we finished with the graveyard, it was time for mass. I do not remember the name of the church, but it was exceedingly cold (I could see my breath!) and there were carvings of unicorns.

Does anyone know the name of this church in Salzburg?

Unicorns carved above a side altar

Following mass, our tour led us through several small streets lined with shops. Our professors, who were leading the tour, pointed out the fanciest McDonald's sign I've ever seen, as well as discouraging some of our group from going to a bar because, and I quote, "There's a better one on the other side of town."

Daniel finds a collection he would be proud to own

The golden arches

Soon after this, we ended our tour in the gardens where they filmed the end of the song 'Do Re Mi' from The Sound of Music. They are attached to a palace (mansion?) that was built a very long time ago by a bishop for his mistress with whom he had nine children. Lovely.

We were then set free to do as we wished for several hours before the bus left for the Kartause. My group consisted of ten, all of whom wanted to go up and see the inside of the Fortress, but first we stopped briefly for lunch.

When we finally got to the top of the hill, we had a beautiful view of Salzburg.

A breathtaking view

A slightly smaller view

Almost immediately we entered the armory, where there was a tilting ball maze that we completed in a little under a minute and a half.  The armory also displayed some suits of armor and tactics on how to properly lay siege to a fortress. This topic was of particular interest to Daniel and I, so we hung back from the group and joined them again later.

Daniel challenges a suspicious character

I wasn't quite sure if visitors were allowed to take pictures inside the Fortress, so I refrained from doing so, except for special occasions.

A handsome mask

My favorite part of the fortress

By the time we left the fortress the sun was setting and it was time for dinner. In our wanderings to find food, I found the statue that the one Reginald found in the graveyard was based on.

An exciting find

I don't remember the name of the place where we had dinner, but there was a soup on the menu called 'Großmuttersuppe' which translates to Grandmother Soup. We almost didn't leave in time to make the bus, but the desserts were worth it. Half of our group got desserts and then shared them with the rest. My dessert had a flakey, buttery crust wrapped around a cheesecake-like substance that was warm, served with whipped cream and berries. Everything was delicious.

Reginald views the menu

In the end, the trip to Salzburg was a resounding success. I certainly didn't get to do everything I wanted to, such as visit the Mozart museum, but that just means that I'll have to go back on another weekend. Reginald and Daniel also thoroughly enjoyed the trip, although they were both exhausted from the long day.

Goodnight

Since my day out at Salzburg, I have climbed up the hill behind the Kartause. It provides a beautiful view of the building, which I completely forgot to document. During that adventure, I discovered that I desperately need a hat to protect my frail human ears from the elements. Fortunately I will be provided the chance to acquire such a headpiece on my next trip. Tonight I'll be on a bus for Italy to spend ten days in Rome and Assisi. Unfortunately, this means that there will not be an update this next Friday, as I will be tired and in another country without my laptop. Accordingly, there will be an exceedingly long update on the following Friday, detailing the escapades of Reginald, Daniel, and I.