Salzburg, Austria. Saturday, 20th May 2017
Readied ourselves to set off by 08:40. Earlier, enjoyed breakfast at the cosy dining area of our Hotel, Hotel Ganslhof. Among the sweets was the local favourite - apple strudel; simply delicious! Armed with a map of Salzburg, we easily made our way to Mirabel Platz, the starting point of the world famous 'Sound of Music' tour. We had booked with Panorama Tours. Were met by a lively girl, who was to be our guide. She spoke in a sing-song voice, in keeping with the spirit of the 1965 Hollywood classic directed by Robert Wise, starring Christopher Plummer and Julie Andrews. I can still vividly recall having watched the movie with my parents, in Mumbai, some 40-45 years ago!
As the tour commenced with the guide's (Anna) chirpy commentary, the delights of Salzburg slowly started revealing themselves to us. We were gliding on clean, clear roads, between robust and exquisite structures, most of which had a small garden at the front. The lanes and by-lanes that branched off the main road matched their seniors for cleanliness and upkeep. The first stop simply took our breath away - we were staring at a huge, serene lake with two stately mansions peeping through the abundant greenery from opposite shores; to the backdrop of snow clad peaks !! Supremely sublime! Anna's witty commentary brought the 1965 movie alive. We could almost see the stern Capt. Von Trapp(smartly played by Christopher Plummer) frowning at the innocent Maria(emotionally portrayed by Julie Andrews) and the scared children as their boat capsised in the waters of the lake.
The tour next took us to the Gazebo where the famous song "I am sixteen..." was shot, only that the Gazebo was not the original one used in the movie. Salzburg is amazing ! The bus suddenly emerged at the river front - a most charming setting, straight out of a story book. The Salzach is a pretty, gently flowing river, flanked on either side by a promenade for pedestrians, parallel to which runs a track devoted to bicyclists, next to which is the motorable road and after that the mandatory row of stately buildings - residences, offices, hotels, everything! The river has many parallel bridges spanning it; one is named after the legendary musician Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart who was born here. It was difficult to believe that we were indeed in such a town - seemed more a case of Alice in wonderland; a dream !
Soon, we were travelling out of Salzburg, in the majestic Austrian countryside - verdant hills with seductive slopes, delightful dwellings of the lucky locals, sprawling pristine pastures with cows lazing and grazing, everything picture perfect! Our minds were in a whirl, not knowing how to absorb so much beauty, serenity and majesty at the same time! Have the Gods been partial to Europe - particularly to Salzburg? We could not help drawing comparisons with India - a country hopelessly lagging behind in all respects.
We stopped for an awesome view of lake Mondsee with its serene backdrop and later resumed the journey to Mondsee village. It was a mini town, hardly a village! Completely developed in all respects, as good as Salzburg. The villages in touristy spots back in India - Naggar, Patlikuhl, Raison and Manali, names that immediately spring to mind - do not lack beauty but appear hopelessly outdated and belonging to the cave age, when compared to Mondsee. We spent a wonderful, quiet time by the lakeside, still trying to soak in the incredible ambience. Enjoyed a Marzipan chocolate that we had purchased at SPAR supermarket, Budapest. Visited the church where the Captain marries Maria, in the movie. Left the wonderland and headed back to Salzburg. For the umpteenth time, we were completely bowled over by the sheer beauty of Austria.
On the way back we were shown a short video clip anchored by the late Charmian Carr (who had played the role of Liesel in the movie), showing the actual places where the movie was shot. The last stop was Mirabel Gardens where the closing sequence of the movie's most popular song 'Doe a deer...' was filmed. Once again, we almost saw the Von Trapp children prancing around the fountain! Anna was excellent and this added to the surreal experience. Unforgettable!
We lunched at a typical restaurant with outdoor seating, over draft beer, ginger ale and chicken burgers with fries. The burger did not have a cutlet which is the norm, but a large piece of grilled chicken. Great! We then strolled along Rainerstrasse and were greeted by the now familiar sights of pedestrianised cobbled roads with restaurants on either side choc-a-bloc with colourful Saturday crowds enjoying their food and drink on the sidewalk. Soon reached the river and allowed the scene to slowly permeate our senses. I fall short of words to describe the setting! We were on another planet. A leisurely walk along the river embankment followed, then stepping onto Mozart bridge for a while, then resuming our walk. To the next bridge. Leisurely and reluctantly retraced our steps to Hotel Ganslhof. It was 16:10 when we returned to the hotel. The day had been cloudy with just a couple of occasions when the sun had dared to peep through the clouds, but thankfully it had not rained, except for the occasional pitter-patter. Being rather tired, we did not venture out again. Our dinner was relished in our room and comprised paprika chips, bananas; and another delightful flavour - Milk Cream - of our favourite chocolate, Ritter Sport !
Nashik, 24th April 2021.
A note:
Most of my readers are my students and ex-students - the current generation - who might possibly wonder at the title to this write-up. Well, the title is the refrain of one of the epic's many songs, all of which had become immensely popular the world over; and I am sure, still are. The lyrics of the song are reproduced below:
" Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens Bright copper kettles and warm woollen mittens Brown paper packages tied up with strings These are a few of my favourite things.
Cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels; Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles; Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings; These are a few of my favourite things.
Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes Silver-white winters that melt into springs These are a few of my favourite things
When the dog bites, When the bee stings, When I'm feeling sad, I simply remember my favourite things, And then I don't feel so bad.
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens Bright copper kettles and warm woollen mittens Brown paper packages tied up with strings These are a few of my favourite things.
Cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings These are a few of my favourite things
Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes Silver-white winters that melt into springs These are a few of my favourite things
When the dog bites, When the bee stings, When I'm feeling sad, I simply remember my favourite things, And then I don't feel so bad."
Watch the video here: