Rain and Shine: Salzburg

Our travel plans from here are basically a giant circle and a return to Budapest. This is for a couple of reasons. In the area, the Budapest airport is one of the largest, and so makes for easy access to connecting flights. Another is because there is a huge cost associated with dropping your rental car back in a different location than where you picked it up, so we might as well make this a loop. Sure, renting a car may not always be the most economical way to travel, but the convenience and flexibility it gives are huge bonuses as compared to trains and buses.

We set off to Salzburg from Budapest, a 5-6 hour drive. I’ve actually been to Salzburg twice, but was eager to return as Jessica needed to add Austria to her list. Sure, we could have gone to Vienna and saved several hours of driving, but Salzburg is just so perfect. Don’t get me wrong, Vienna is a truly stunning, royal sort of city, but it still has that big city feel, and I much prefer old cities where the heart of the city is easily manageable, close-knit and gives off the feel of a small town. Salzburg does just that. Plus, there’s the added bonus of the Sound of Music fun that I knew we’d both enjoy!

The drive was mostly on motorways, so fairly easy, despite some stormy weather. Our adorable loft Air B and B, could not be more convenient. The directions should say, “drive past the horse fountain, then drive through the mountain (don’t worry, there’s a tunnel with a partnering sidewalk) and take an immediate right.” It’s a five minute walk to town, and each time we go into town, we walk past the statue that the Von Trapps also pranced beside.

We wandered through the idyllic downtown, a pedestrian area with cobblestone streets winding between pastel painted buildings three and four stories high. It doesn’t take long at all to emerge yourself in Salzburg and cover the heart of the city, so, after a pub dinner of schnitzel, we did just that. Despite the fact of being a Saturday night, the town was quiet, respectfully enjoying itself as opposed to the raucousness that other cities emninate.

Sunday morning, the dreary weather continued, and the heavily Catholic town remained quiet and subdued. That didn’t stop us from wandering up to the Abbey where Maria had once lived, or strolling through the tents set up alongside the river where artists and merchants sold local and faraway treasures. I even found the store I’ve enjoyed twice before. A store filled, from floor to ceiling with blown eggs hand painted with every design you could ever imagine. It’s a true treasure trove, a stunning work of art, an almost fantasy world, especially when you realize the thousands of fragile designs surrounding you!

Almost ready to head in for a bit, away from the drizzle, the clouds parted and the sun shone in all of her majesty. The stars aligned perfectly, and this timing coincided with outdoor performances by some talented Austrians in a festival complete with sausages and beer (and cider!). Some of our favorite American songs were sung like “Walking on Sunshine” and “Proud Mary,” along with ones we did not know, nor could understand the language. Happening upon street festivals is one of the best parts about traveling to Europe in the summer, and one of the best surprises! 

The clouds returned after a couple of hours, and so, like other festival goers, we retreated for a well deserved relaxing evening. It may sound ridiculous for two people in a foreign country to revel in an afternoon on the couch while quoting Lord of the Rings to explain the German voice overs, but I must admit that it was needed and much enjoyed. When traveling for so long, we have to remember to give ourselves a break, just like we all find time to do at home. A dreary evening was the perfect time for us to do that, even when in Austria.