per a recommendation (thank you ellen - it was well worth it!) i went on the Sound of Music tour early the next morning. for anyone that thinks that's cheezy, it was probably the best thing i could have done. got a discounted ticket from where i was staying, a ride to Hellbrunn, and a tour of the lakes and mountains region outside the city.
while we were waiting for things to start, i wandered thru Mirabell Gardens. this place is amazing!!! and it's even better early in the morning when hardly anyone is around so you can really see how impressive the work is. can't imagine how much effort goes into maintaining the grounds!
there are 4 statues like this one around the fountain, representing the four elements - fire, water, earth, and air.
the building in the background is Mirabell Palace, currently home to the mayor and municipal offices.
they also host concerts in the park. nothing was going on at the time tho...
i walked behind the stage to see what was there, and was immediately reminded of The Shining. realize it's summer, so for those w/o any imagination, picture this covered in snow and a madman w/an axe behind you...
on the other side i found more. this place is HUGE!
took a picture of this tree only cuz it looks like it's tired and lazy like me...
one of the highlights of the tour was getting a ride out to Hellbrunn Palace. it's a beautiful area that sits on the edge of the city. we were brought out there to see the gazebo used in the movie, which apparently was at someone's private residence until they donated it to the city to get rid of all the tourists that came to their backyard. Hellbrunn is also well known for it's Wasserspiele, aka trick fountains. mountain water shoots out of random places at random moments, and it's been doing that naturally for over 400 years. thankfully i didn't get hit otherwise my tour guide would have known that i snuck off for a bit...
the tour also took us out to Leopoldskron Palace, which was used as the back of the home in the movie. the lake it sits on was made by the original owner, who was a sportsman that wanted to fish in his own backyard. he even found a nearby water source to fill the lake, which is actually water streaming thru from germany. now it's used by Harvard for seminars with students living in the quarters next door. i have to transfer to Harvard.
after a few more stops we left the city for the village of Fuschl, which also happens to be the home of Red Bull's headquarters. you should see their building by the lake (sorry, couldn't get a pic). it's weird.
in Fuschl they have toboggan rides, and i of course had to try it. these are plastic contraptions w/a brake stick that you sit on as you sail down a windy route going as fast as you want to. to get to the top of the hill, they hook you up to a cable and drag you backwards on the toboggan. i turned to the guy connecting cables and asked, "is this safe?" to which he LAUGHED, hooked me up, and then said yes as i was being dragged away. talk about reassuring! you're only allowed to take pictures on the way up which is probably best. can't even begin to tell you how high i went and how much screaming i did on the way down...after that we went onto St. Gilgen, a village that sits on the NW side of Wolfgagnsee (Lake Wolfgang). Mozart's mother was born here, and it's quite possibly one of the most beautiful places i've ever seen. from an aerial view the lake looks like a number 8 cuz it narrows in the middle. couldn't get a clear shot of it cuz it was SO high up, but there's a resort at the very top of the mountain on the left that's accessibly by a wooden train. i've already decided i'm staying there the next time i visit.
after St. Gilgen we went to Mondsee, named after the lake it sits on, which from an aerial view looks like a crescent moon. in Mondsee is the church where the Von Trapp couple actually got married in the movie (the Abbey of Nonnberg is REALLY strict and doesn't even let hollywood inside - imagine that???). thot it was kinda funny that a british flag was flying outside of a church in an austrian town...Mondsee is like Pleasantville in color!
while there i tried to take advantage of the yummy austrian fare they had to offer, so i sat down at a cafe (purple building on the right) and ordered my verison of lunch - apple strudel and ice cream. i had no idea this thing would be so big - they brought it out on a dinner plate! and of course, i had no problem eating the whole thing.after eating my yummy food, we headed back into the city where i wandered a bit more and caught a train to prague.
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