Österreich

We got into Innsbruck just after one o'clock Saturday afternoon, and after lunch across from the station we headed into town to wander. There were plenty of old monuments along the way, notably the arc de triomphe and several statues, and of course, mountains! The scenery in Innsbruck is absolutely breathtaking. We walked as far as the University before turning toward the river. There was a plaza that had been set up as a finish line for some sort of race, with a concert in the background. I was quite shocked to hear them playing country music! We listened for a while then headed into the tourist area.

There are plenty of year round shops filed with decorated eggs and ornaments, but being so close to Easter there was a special market set up in the street, selling mostly handmade bunnies and eggs painted with chicks and ducks. This same area was also home to some of Innsbruck's well known sights, including the golden roof and the birthplace of Leopold Mozart, father of Wolfgang Amadeus and a talented musician in his own right. In the area I also saw a traditional looking band, completed with tuba and playing something resembling polkas... We sat and listened for a little while before moving on. Plenty more statues and nice sights and we moved in to settle for the night.

Night time in Innsbruck let me accomplish one of my life goals: lying in a field there and staring up at the stars. I was hoping maybe it would inspire me like it did this guy...

Sunday morning we got on a train headed for Salzburg, hoping to spend a few hours there before heading to Budapest for the night. Salzburg is well known for being the birthplace of the younger Mozart, as well as the location where the movie The Sound of Music was filmed. We got there around 9:30 and tried to see as many of the sights as we could before leaving at one. We went through the Mirabell palace and gardens first, absolutely gorgeous and apparently used in the movie. Throughout the town we saw fountains, churches, gardens, squares, so many places that were not only beautiful and old but well known.

We went into the catacombs behind St. Peter's cemetary after wandering about near the fortress, a very solemn and moving experience. They were built into the cliff face, so it gave a clear view of many of the surrounding churches and monuments. Unfortunately, there was a lot of construction and maintenance work in the city, including on the Residenz fountain which was one of the main sights I'd wanted to see, after seeing photos my mom had taken when she went to Salzburg in 2000. I was a bit disappointed, but still managed to see a lot and have a good time.

We got on the train to Budapest later in the afternoon, first changing trains in Vienna. We got in a little late in the evening and had a hard time finding our hostel... But everything we've seen of Budapest so far has been amazing! The Danube river is just beautiful, and I can't wait to get up tomorrow and do some exploring!