The Sound of Music Tour in Salzburg

As an awkward prepubescent girl, my two idols were Olivia Newton John and Julie Andrews.

Don't laugh.  What young girl didn't want to be "hopelessly devoted" Sandra Dee

or "a problem like Maria"?  

I had the soundtracks to both movies on big, black vinyl disks.
I would hide away in my room and play them over and over again dramatically acting out each song.
You know you've done it, too.  Right?  Anyone?

 Before our trip to Salzburg, I made sure to express (over and over) to TE just how important
 The Sound of Music was to my childhood.  After all of the conditioning and begging, he was sweet enough to indulge me in the cheesiest of cheesy bus tours The Original Sound of Music Tour.  We purchased tickets the night before from the hotel (37 Euros each) and were assured that we would be picked up the next morning at 9am. 

It was a Tuesday morning during off-season, so we didn't expect to be taken to a large bus and to see every seat filled.  Great minds.  It was a surprisingly young crowd. too.

The bus was clean and comfortable with a bar for beers, sodas and water.   We settled in for a four hour tour of all the local highlights from the famous movie.  

The music from the movie was played all along the way and we were encouraged to sing along, though I didn't hear anyone else.  They were probably singing under their breath like I was.  It was still early.   

Along with some really bad jokes, our guide was full of information about both the 1965 Hollywood movie and the real-life story of Maria and the von Trapp family.  Most Austrians have never  seen the movie, but it brings millions of people from all over the world to Salzburg each year. The movie is very much a Hollywood creation and wasn't even shown in Austria until recently.

The tour was one of the highlights for both of us.  TE hasn't even seen the movie and had no idea how the sites we visited fit into it, but you really don't need to know anything about the Sound of Music to enjoy the gorgeous views of Salzburg and the surrounding lake district.

 

Our first stop was the Leopoldskron Lake for a view of the Leopoldskron Palace.   If you know the movie, this is the lake where the children took an accidental swim.  The back of the palace was used in some of the exterior shots of the von Trapp family home.  The famous gazebo was once on these grounds, but too many people were jumping the walls to get to it, so they moved it. 

It's now on the grounds of the Schloss Hellbrunn.  Unfortunately, it's all locked up so we couldn't go in and leap from bench to bench like Liesl in the Sixteen Going On Seventeen number.  This gazebo is much too small to be the one from that scene.  It was actually shot on a film set at 20th Century-Fox Studios.

The Schloss Frohnburg Palace was the main building used in the exterior shots of the Trapp villa and is now a music university.  Along the front of the Castle is an alley lined with trees along both sides.  This was where the von Trapp children hung from the trees on their adventurous day out with Maria. 

After a few stops around the city of Salzburg, we settled back into the bus for an hour long trip out into the Lake District stopping for views along the way.  Breathtaking.  Gorgeous.  Fantastic.  Magical. There has to be more words to describe such beautiful scenery. 

We had about an hour in the lakeside town of Mondsee to visit the Mondsee Cathedral where the Captain married Maria in the movie.  The real von Trapp couple were married at Nonnberg Abbey in Salzburg. 

After visiting the Cathedral, we had just enough time for Schnitzel and shopping.  I've been wanting one of these beautiful Black Forest German cuckoo clocks for ages.  I think my mom had one when I was little and they're so beautiful.  On the bus ride back to Salzburg, the intro to So Long, Farewell came on.

There's a sad sort of clanging
From the clock in the hall
And the bells in the steeple, too
And up in the nursery
An absurd little bird
Is popping out to say cuckoo
(Cuckoo, cuckoo)

With my new little cuckoo clock resting on my lap, I might have had a moment.

I was suddenly that young girl again, completely charmed by a love story filmed in the most beautiful place and listening to music that carried me there.
Pretty special. Now I just have to figure out the best place to hang my little treasure.  

The bus dropped us off back in Salzburg right next to the Mirabell Gardens.  This was where many of the scenes from Do-Re-Mi were filmed.  Do you recognize the Pegasus Fountain and the steps from the song? 

If you are a fan of the movie, you will love this tour.  It was so much fun and exciting to see it all. 

I'm dying to watch the movie again.  It's been years since I've seen it.  

Have you seen The Sound of Music?  What's your favorite scene?

TWITTER | FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | SUBSCRIBE

*This is not a sponsored post.  We paid full price for the tour tickets.   And as usual, all photographs are mine unless otherwise noted.  

Favo(u)rite Things... Guest Post

When I posted my first Favo(u)rite Things post a few weeks ago,

I was contacted by a fellow American blogger who offered to do a guest post. 

She wanted to share one of her Favo(u)rite Things

that she has discovered since moving to the UK.

To be honest, I was a little reluctant to let her do this guest post,

because you see I've never even seen this show.  Ever.

But to each their own, right? 

So, here is my friend... Felena to share with you one of her Favo(u)rite Things.  

Hiya.  I'm Felena and I'm so happy to be guest blogging at Oh, The Places We Will Go.

I'm just dying to share with you one of my (not Selena's) very Favo(u)rite Things.  

Emmerdale! 

I grew up watching some of the best US Soap Operas...

Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, All My Children.

But, because I was usually at work during the day it's been years since I've watched soaps.

We moved over here in January and were staying with the in-laws

(just like Selena... what a coincidence?) and each evening at 7pm,

we gathered in the front room around the television

for 30 drama-packed minutes of Emmerdale!

I was instantly sucked into the stories and I've been watching it faithfully since. 

Drama...

drama...

and more drama!!

It runs every weeknight at 7pm and on Thursday you get a bonus episode at 8pm, too.

I love Thursdays.  

Emmerdale started as Emmerdale Farm in 1972.

It's set in a fictional village in Yorkshire

and follows the ups and downs of working class people just trying to get by.

Last week they celebrated their 40th Anniversary with a live show and a murder!

Let me tell you, you haven't seen drama until you've seen Dingle Drama!!

(The Dingles are one of the central families on the show.)

So, there you have it.

One of my (not Selena's) Favo(u)rite Things.

Emmerdale.  

xoxo

Felena

Well, there you have it.  Thanks so much, Felena.

Apparently evening soaps are quite big here.

Who knew?  I certainly didn't.

Like I said... never seen it.

xoxo

Selena

PS.  I just noticed the pics Felena provided seem awfully similar to pictures I've taken in our apartment.  We must have similar taste in TV and curtains.  Total coincidence.

 

My Favo(u)rite Things - The Great British Bake Off

I've decided to start a new weekly post series to go with I Spy Friday.

Since moving here I've discovered some wonderful new things...

food, words, shows and more.  Things that I never knew I was missing.

So each week, I'm going to share one of those things with you.

This week, it's one of my favo(u)rite new television programs.

The Great British Bake Off

I had this brilliant idea that once we settled into our new London flat, 

I would somehow transform into a domestic goddess. 

I would get up each morning and skip to the market to fill a basket with fresh produce.

Each evening I would produce a beautiful, healthy meal worthy of a photo spread.

I even have a special bookshelf for our cookbooks and my new Jamie subscription.

 

But, alas.  I've only rediscovered what I already knew.

I much prefer watching other people cook to actually cooking myself.

I do cook most days, but I find myself going back to the old easy standbys... 

tacos, spaghetti or frozen kievs.  Poor TE.  

I can cook a decent meal.

Mr. B declared my salmon the best ever!  (Made my day.)

I just have a little trouble with daily motivation.

So each Tuesday, we snuggle on the couch to watch The Great British Bake Off on BBC2.

It's in its third season and is watched every week by over 4 million people.

Each week, home bakers are put through three baking challenges and judged on the results.

Each week a top baker is awarded and someone is sent home.

Eventually the champion amateur baker is named. 

 

The judges are Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood.

They are the perfect combination of good cop/bad cop.

And they are constantly on the look out for "soggy bottoms."

It's basically an hour of stressed out bakers, sitting on the floor, gazing into the ovens, talking to their sticky buns and willing them to have a "good bake."

 It's a brilliant show!  And full of drama.

Is there enough jelly in that donut?

Is the pastry flaky enough?

Will the sixth batch of caramel turn out?

I love this show.

How about you?  Do you watch?

Do you prefer to be in the kitchen or just watch others cook?

xoxo

Selena

Pics are mine and this is not a sponsored post.