Carpenter File 7: Bummmmin' Around Salzburg

Hanging out in Salzburg is fabulous! I find different corners of the city all the time. My favorite discovery up to date is the dwarf garden! It’s a little island or rather a fenced in hill you can only get to with a bridge. And there are about 15 statues of really funky looking dwarfs! There are a few above pictures! Then there is the absolutely gorgeous gardens that are next to the home of one the arch duke’s mistresses. They are so intricately patterned! I wish there was a higher place to take a picture of them. The Umbrella picture is of the top of the Hotel Stein. It is a fabulous place to go after concerts because there is a little restaurant up there that overlooks the entire city. The dinner pictures are of all a group of friends after we attended an orchestra concert of Brahms and Haydn in the Mozarteum (a lovely baroque concert hall)!
There is a market every Thursday morning in the central market square in old town. They have little venders selling meat, cheese, fish, bread, flowers, etc. It is so quaint and wonderful! I love to just go and walk around. The old town is surrounded by a small mountain rim. The small mountain separates old town and new town with a tunnel that goes through the mountain connecting them both. Last week I discovered some stairs that go all the way up the mountain. On top is an incredible view of the city! There are lots of trails (very populated area – not dangerous…[mom]) and some lovely trees. There is an old fortress wall, just a wall the fortress has long since been destroyed, that you walk along. There is a stone walkway that just goes on and on from which you can look out over the city!! It was such a fun afternoon of exploring. I didn’t have my camera that day but you can get a visual of the overlook from…of course the Sound of Music! It’s the stone walkway that Maria and the kids are walking down when she is teaching the how to sing.
Anyway, I’ve definitely fallen in love with this town and I’m so glad that I chose this program in a smaller city because I feel like I really know the area and I’m beginning to know the people. There is this incredible obsession with Mozart since this was his birthplace. At first I thought it was all for the tourists but now I’m seeing that the people of Salzburg are unbelievably proud of everything that has anything to do with the composure and it’s really quite fascinating. I’m reading several Mozart books for my music history class and I’m beginning to understand why everyone admires not only his music but his life in general. My first paper in music history class is on Mozart’s last year and the political and musical upheaval that took place at the time. I’m starting it now…which means I’m not procrastinating…so I actually enjoy it…can’t remember the last time I did that with a paper…Katie you’re laughing right now…Anyway I’m having a blast in Salzburg overall!!!