in Salzburg

Had a good time in Vienna - the weather held out and I had a really sunny day to the point where i was able to walk around with a t-shirt.... sadly, it didnt last for my arrival in Salzburg because it is a cold and rainy here and has been all day.

In light of the rain and also because I havent done anything too touristy yet I decided to take the official Sound of Music bus tour around Salzburg... I figured it would be a nice way to see things without having to walk too much, and i am really tired of walking at this point... so I bought my ticket this morning and got on the bus.

It was a lot of fun, but it made me appreciate doing the backpacking thing and not being stuck on a tourbus on a contiki tour for the whole trip. I got to see all the sights from the movie and see some little towns on the outskits of Salzburg and in the lake region. The tour guide was perfectly kitchsy with just the right amount (meaning too many) of overrehersed stale jokes about silly things we passed and bits about the movie.

Its a great tour and there were definitely a lot of fanatics on the bus... sadly though his commentary did to a lot to dissolve illusions about the film. LIke how hollywood ruined it and that is why most austrians and germans destest the film (because the original non-musical german film was true to the story) and little things like how the Butler who sold out the Von Trapps in the movie was actually totally anti Nazi in real life and how Ralph the postman/love interest never really existed.

The best part was that we got to see the church where Maria and the Baron got married, and found out that they had to film it in a little town outside of Salzburg because the american movie makes came into Salzburg to film it in a church there, and halfway through filming it they were forbidden from working anymore in the city because they kept putting up Nazi flags everywhere for long periods of time without asking permission of the officials... generally the film was seen as a bit of a nuisance to the Austrian people I think. It was only released in German six years ago despite being in so many other languages around the world.

anyhoo, thats enough to ruin everyones opinino of the sound of music... all in all a good day. Tomorrow I am off for innsbruk where I am going to stay with some friends of the family. Should be a nice couple of days there.

- Chris

p.s. I am currently trying to start a photo album but it is private right now because im having difficulties getting it to work, so dont freak out if there is an album there that you cant see. Will be public soon!