Salzburg and Schnitzel

(click on photos to enlarge and see comments)

I get to the train station early in Munich and get to the correct platform. A train pulls in about 10 minutes before it is supposed to leave and I get on. A backpacking couple already seated asks to borrow my pen as I'm writing in my journal. They seem to be looking at a map and figuring something out. She gives me back my pen, they grab their bags and get off the train. This is my first clue that something is off. A German woman gets on and sits next to me. The train leaves a few minutes early...but I assume my watch is off. The further we travel, however, the more concerned I become. This train isn't like the last one, with monitors displaying the stops we'll be making, so I can't tell what is going on. Finally, a train employee goes walking down the aisle, and I stop her.

I ask if she speaks English, and she says "not much." I show her my ticket and say "I think I'm on the wrong train." She looks at it, her eyes get big and she says "Salzburg?" and starts shaking her head. Clearly, I've made a mistake. The German woman next to me speaks more English, and between the two of them, they explain that I will need to get off at the next station, go back to Munich, get a new ticket, and re-board the new train. ACK. Luckily, it isn't raining when I get off the train 30 minutes later at the next stop (which is outdoors), and a train heading back to Munich is arriving in a few minutes.

I get back to Munich, wait in line for a new ticket (next train, thankfully, is leaving in about 10 minutes), and this time, board the correct train :-) The entire process cost me a couple of hours, but I'm going to make it to Salzburg while it is still daylight. Sadly, I didn't get the German woman's name who helped me...but I thanked her profusely. The ride there travels through some very beautiful countryside...very Sound of Music.

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FINALLY in Salzburg. Small, but very beautiful. Postcard beautiful. Very clean, sort of upscale, but with history. Lots of tiny, windy alleyways. I get on the bus to Mozart's house. A bit of a letdown, as there isn't much of the actual family belongings here. Mostly historical displays. But...I did see the first piano he practiced on. You aren't allowed to take pictures inside, sadly. But I did take some time in the park across the street to do a Mozart from Amadeus laugh :-)

I had enough time to tour the house he grew up in, but not his birthplace (across the Salzach river), so I wandered around some of the alleyways.

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Stumbled upon the Salzburg cathedral which was very beautiful, and saw the Salzburg castle across the river. Mozartplatz was full of a Doctors Without Borders display, so it was hard to get close to the Mozart statue there (and rain starting to come down again). I stopped in at a restaurant for my first wiener schnitzel (which, surprisingly to me, has nothing to do with weiners. Wien is the Austrian version of "Vienna" so it is actually Vienna schnitzel) which was pretty good.

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I go back to the train station for my bag and to take the bus to my airbnb...and I discover that the bus I'm supposed to take to get there doesn't stop at that train station. I head to the info booth, and find out I need to take a bus to the same area I just came from (near the cathedral) and transfer to the bus that I need there. It is getting dark which makes me worry that I'll have trouble finding the place. Finally get there, and WOW. This is the nicest one yet. Very modern and PERFECT. And the whole place is mine. The owner, Robert, also happens to be super hot--bonus! He helps me to figure out how to catch a very early bus to get to my early train the next morning. I watch Flashdance in German on TV and then head to bed.

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Impressions:

• As I mentioned--CLEAN! Very beautiful and upscale...but not terribly expensive

• Trains are SO on time in Europe that a train can show up on your platform 10 minutes before yours is about to leave....and it ISN'T your train :-)

• Schnitzel is pretty good

• Rain makes my photos all dark :-(

#salzburg #mozart #schnitzel #salzach #salzburgcathedral #salzburgcastle #mozartplatz