Got to the hostel just after 1am. Monika had stayed at the same hostel about a month before so luckily she knew how to get there easily! Checked in, said hi to everyone, and split into our two rooms. We booked the hostel rooms in a crazy way because we kept adding people and nights to the itinerary, so the first night, it was me and the three guys in a 4-man, and the girls in another 4-man...but then for the second night, Will, Quincy, Jinah, Grace, and I all moved to a different 8-man, while Brock, Katherine, and Monika were in a different 8-man, and then on Saturday, Will, Brock, Monika, and Katherine moved back into the 4-man they were in on Thursday night. Sounds all very complicated, but it worked out quite smoothly!
Woke up bright and early Friday morning to the most GORGEOUS day! It probably hit 80 degrees--I was in shorts and a light top and was still very warm. We all got together for a nice buffet breakfast in the hostel and decided to split into two parties. Quincy, Monika, and Brock decided to go take a bus really far away and climb a mountain, while the other five of us decided to do our own Sound of Music Tour and go find all the sights. Walked out of our hostel and practically right into the Mirabell Gardens, where the children and Maria run around singing "Do-Re-Mi."
So, OF COURSE we had to replicate all the scenes from the movie...look familiar??
Crossed over the bridge to reach Altstadt and hit Rezidenz Platz and the Salzburger Dom where Maria marches through on her way to the von Trapp House singing "I Have Confidence."
Saw the inside of the cathedral, walked around the squares a bit, and then made our way up to the Festung--the old fortress on the top of the mountain. We hiked up to it so that we didn't have to spend money taking the cable car up...but then when we bought our ticket at the top, the price included the ride...oops. The Festung was pretty interesting, we got audio tours and got to learn some Austrian history and see STUNNING views of the surrounding city and Alps from the top.
After the tour we visited the Marionette Museum and saw some old Austrian stuff...
Then made our way back down the mountain and continued our quest to see the film locations! Next we came across the Abbey! Basically every place we went, we had to ask ourselves--IS THIS FROM THE MOVIE!?!! And someone would say that they thought so...and we'd just go with it. I watched the movie two nights ago though, and we indeed get to all the important places.
We continued our quest to find the von Trapp House. We walked and walked and walked and walked and walked, and ran into a nice Austrian lady who explained to us how to get to the house, and then we came across a little tire swing playground--Europe's really got the best playgrounds! So we took a little break and re-visited our childhood :) Then continued walking until we hit the main road that leads to the house, and then we found it, with the big lake! It's actually now a hotel and seminar/meeting place, but the gate was open...so we just kind of snuck in and walked around the grounds, and it was SO BEAUTIFUL!
Left the house grounds, and continued on our quest. We were searching for a way to get up to the hills where Maria sings...but we realized there was really no way to do that, unless you literally took a coach to the mountains. So as we trekked back to the city, we found a big grassy field with a beautiful view of the fortress, and just started twirling around and singing and taking myriad pictures--so we made our own hills!
Kept walking back to the Altstadt, exhausted and famished. Traveling is so tiring, especially for students who don't want to spend any money! We made one more stop, and found the place where the family hides at the end of the movie, and then we decided we really wanted ice cream...so we searched and searched, and FINALLY found a place. Made our way back to the hostel, got some Austrian Stiegl beer for happy hour at the hostel bar, rejoined with the rest of our party to take a breather.
I had bought a Lonely Planet Austria guidebook, so we looked in that and decided on a place to eat dinner. On our walk to Altstadt, we ran into Bonnie, who had gone to Salzburg separately, so she joined us for dinner and we had a big AJY family dinner!
After having a few crises trying to decide what I wanted to eat, we all had a lovely dinner and were completely stuffed afterwards. Made our way back to the hostel, chilled at the bar playing some cards and chatting before we made our way to bed after an exhausting day.
Saturday in Salzburg! All met for breakfast again, stuffing our faces as much as possible so we could make it until dinner without eating again. Quincy left early to catch a train to Munich, and Jinah and Grace headed our earlier than us because they had to catch a train to Berlin. The rest of us headed out a little later and caught a bus that took us to Schloss Hellbrunn, another filming location from the movie. It was another beyond beautiful day, so we took advantage by walking all around the palace gardens.
Continued our walk and found the famous Sound of Music pavilion!!! Where Liesl and Rolf sing "16 Going on 17" and Maria and the Captain sing "Something Good."
We were not yet Sound of Music-ed out, so we kept walking and found more flowers and fields and just frolicked more and sang and twirled in the fields on a lovely day! Brock seemed to be getting a little sick of all of us but Will was acting as a photographer of ANTM which was just hilarious.
And of course...had to mimic Julia Andrews!!
Made our way back to the palace. Decided to spend the money to go in, and rather sit at the little cafe outside the palace and enjoy some morning drinks :) Took the bus back to the hostel--the others got ready to go to the Salt Mine tour, while I packed up my stuff to head to Vienna! We all went to the train station and said our goodbyes and I boarded my train so travel across Austria to a new city...alone!
The results of my independent adventure coming soon!
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