Chill'n in Salzburg

9-9-2008

Today was the most relaxed day I’ve had on this tour thus far. Back home, sleeping till 9am is not sleeping-in. On a trip where I want to have every waking hour I possibly can, 9am is the new noon. Once Chad, Mike, Kris and myself grabbed a quick breakfast from the hostel kitchen Nazis before they took it all away, we gallivanted around Salzburg seeing what we could see.

We saw a panoramic painting a Salzburg by Johann Michael Sattler. The entire painting is in a little round room with 12ft high walls all around, freezing a frame in time of this great city. We checked out an art exhibit that traced the history of sin throughout western art. We bought some fresh fruit, found a stairwell that led to a courtyard overlook, and picnicked there. We stopped by a café to play rummy and have a drink. Then I did the coolest thing I’ve done in Europe to date: segwayed.

For a mere €15 I cruised up and down the Salzach River just people watching. Only, most people were watching me. Those things are suprisingly easy to get used to. 

My legs were sore afterward, but I think that’s because I was a little too tense. After a few more hours on that puppy, I would have been cruising around like Job Bluth (Arrested Development anyone?)

Later that night, we went to Hohensalzburg Fortress, the dominating castle overlooking all of Salzburg right from the center. There we saw a chamber music recital consisting of pieces by Haydn and the two Mozarts. It was truly a step back in time. Sitting, listening to two violins, a viola, a cello, and a fabulous horn soloist play in a room where people would have done the same in medieval times. Truly brilliant. While we were taking the cable car down from the castle after the concert, I chatted with the horn player and the first violinist. Both had studied at the prestigious music conservatory in Salzburg.

Following the concert, a few of us celebrated our last night in Salzburg by hitting up a few clubs: Blue Heaven (which we still think may have been a gay bar), Sega Club (where an Austrian who thought we were Mexican kept buying us shots), and eventually to a karaoke bar where the bartenders hand a micropohone over the bar and the singer sings from wherever he or she chooses. Salzburg = good time.

Ice in the Alps

9-8-08

"So Shawn, what did you do today?"

"Ohhh, nothing too exciting. Just hiked into a cave in the Alps outside of Salzburg and saw the largest ice cavern in the world. "

Typical European awesomeness.

For a tour we jumped on at the last minute, this excursion was one of the most awe inspiring sights I have ever seen in my life. From first stepping foot into Salzburg and gazing at the incredible landscape around me, I've wanted to see these

magnificent ranges around me up close and personal. I got to do that today. Not only see did I see them up close but I penetrated their exterior and hiked a kilometer into an ice cave. 

Every year when spring hits, the snow from the Alps melts into this cave. Cold winds enter into the cave and immediately freeze the layer of water seeping into the mountain to create layer upon layer of ice each year, until thousands of years worth of ice cover this mammoth cave. 

A short bus ride, a hike, a cable car ride up, and another short hike later, we were at the mouth of the cave. An extremely knowledgeable tour guide took us through the cave which gave the tour an added educational value which I always appreciate. But honestly, I was hiking into the Alps, which was enough for me. I didn't need to learn a thing and I would have been fine. But an education is always a bonus! 

Unfortunately, low light conditions led to poor pictures, but I'll post what I can as to share what I have experienced today. However, what made today (and most every day on this tour so far) great are the people I'm spending my days with. I knew one guy going into this tour, Chad, and the rest are basically complete strangers with the exception of getting to know them electronically via email. Now, I feel like I've known most of them for a lifetime. We are all in the same boat of willing to try new things, have new and exciting experiences, and go where, deep down, we may be afraid to go. But we're all doing it together, and while some may want

to go to Ice Caves, others an art gallery, and still others go on The Sound of Music Tour, at the end of the day we meet up and grab a pint together and share our days adventures. Which is exactly what we did tonight.

After a much needed nap (those caves were just overstimulating), weall headed to Shamrock, an Irish pub in Salzburg. We celebrated our day and anticipated the day ahead.

 Tomorrow sounds like it will entail a castle tour, some sinful art, and headlining the day is a symphony orchestra concert. I'm getting my sleep so tomorrow I can kick Salzburg's ass.  

We Got Cooler in Austria

9-8-08

We had a quaint little walking tour of Salzburg today. This pleasant old man took us around, we couldn't hear him half the time. The other half of the time we just sat in awe of the city around us. On the way back, however, a small group of us did a wee bit of window shopping, which eventually lead to real shopping. Now, Meredith, Kallie, Jim and myself are much more European, and hence, much more awesome.

Oh, and while walking we saw a baby. It had a wiener in one hand and a truck in the other. Instead of enjoying the wiener, this child ate the truck. What does this say about this little one's future?

A Rainy Salzburg Afternoon

9-7-2008

Currently, I am enjoying The Sound of Music for the first time in the International Youth Hostel in Salzburg. There's a room of about 20 of us watching the nightly 8pm showing. It's quite magical watching everyone get enthralled by this overly quoted/sung movie. Today was basically getting settled here. A group of us took a rainy walk around Salzburg, but tomorrow we'll be doing more walking. So for now, I'm going to try and not sing along to the rest of this film.