Friday 4 July

We were collected from the hostel at 9am, and joined a full coach of mostly oldies on a genuine 'Sound of Music Tour'. We went to various places around the city where filming was done more than 40 years ago,


and many other places around the city were pointed out as we passed. We then went driving through the countryside, past lakes, mountains and pretty houses



to Mondsee, where they filmed the vonTrapp wedding.


We had lunch there before coming back to town, and changing buses ready for the next trip.
This was back into Germany, (only about 20km away) to the salt mines. We dressed up in overalls,


and went on a little train deep into the mountain. We slid down the miners' old wooden slippery dips, went across an underground lake on a barge, and found out lots about salt mining.


After coming back into town, we went into the Mirabell Gardens, where much of the 'Do Re Mi' song was filmed,


and while wandering around, we noticed several men in national costume - lederhosen etc. We followed them and found a whole troupe of people on a small outdoor stage, and an audience gathering. So we waited for 15 mins, and then were entertained with instruments, singing and dancing.



What luck to find this good amateur performance happening for free. We stayed for an hour, but it was getting late, so we walked back home for tea.



Thursday 3 July

We left Vienna on time (8am), and retraced our route to Linz, before heading to Salzburg. The strip farming we had got used to seeing was still there, but the landscape much more undulating.



We reached Salzburg about midday. After lunch, we just lazed about for a bit, had a doze, and then walked into town.


The old town centre is a real tourist trap, full of Americans and Japanese, mostly buying Mozart kitsch and Christmas decorations (which I will investigate later).


We went up in a lift they have bored through the mountain, and came out in a nice nature reserve overlooking the city.


It was a pleasant walk, but it was getting late, so we will go in the castle another day. They have some very big mountains out the back of the city, and we will take some more photos later.


I wonder whether the mountains in the middle of Switzerland are as big - taking into account the base altitude of each place. I guess I will find out.
There was a thunder storm while we were having dinner at the hostel, which is most appropriate for Salzburg. But I didn't hear anyone singing encouraging songs about 'raindrop on roses', for tea I had schnitzel with kartoffeln grostl, not noodles, and no-one offered me 'crisp apple strudel'.