Salzburg, Austria
The stretch of our drive when we left the Czech Republic and drove into Austria is the most memorable and most beautiful in my mind. Isaac started feeling a bit nauseous that afternoon & so we drove with the windows down for a good bit after crossing the Austrian boarder. The scent of cow farms blended with the mountain air and left me feeling enchanted by this beautiful land.
Salzburg was breathtaking. My favorite city of our time in Europe.
Mozart's home!
We stayed in a hostel overlooking the city (the building on the mountain above the city pictured below)
We ate dinner on Saturday night at Humboldt Stubn.
I ate this traditional *very* cheesy pasta with crispy onions and green scallions.
Sunday morning breakfast outside of our hostel.
Austrian church bells rang in the otherwise quiet city below.
"Gradually there crept into my mind the realization that God sees this all the time. He sees it, experiences it, knows it from every possible point of view, this and billions of other scenes like and unlike it, in this and billions of other worlds. Great tidal waves of joy must constantly wash over His being."
(pg 63 of The Divine Conspiracy; Dallas Willard)
This morning hour is not one I ever want to forget. I felt carried away in the beauty of this place; longing to linger at this table overlooking the city & listen to the deep ringing of the bells for the morning, reading & journaling & worshiping our Father for creating such a lovely place. Yet, also so excited to hike down into the city and walk the streets and enter the buildings.
I was so glad it was Sunday. It felt appropriate & made the morning even more special.
The Residenzbrunnen Fountain in Residenzplatz Square.
This is the fountain in The Sound of Music when Maria is on her way to the Captain's house singing "I Have Confidence."
It was so fun to visit that fountain after watching that movie so many times since I was a little girl. :)
We found the delightful Kaffee Alchemie - a sweet little shop with a kind barista and golden cups.
http://www.kaffee-alchemie.at/
http://www.kaffee-alchemie.at/
Alchemy; the philosophy who's aim is to purify, mature, and perfect certain objects.
"Those who have attained considerable spiritual stature are frequently noted for their "childlikeness." What this really means is that they do not use their face & body to hide their spiritual reality. In their body they are genuinely present to those around them."
(pg 76 of The Divine Conspiracy; Dallas Willard)
I am convinced that Austria has the most beautiful children in the world. :)
The baby girl - the barista's child - at the base of my chair as I drank my latte - smiling up at me with wide eyes - dark & sparkling.
The little blonde-haired boy with big brown eyes. He was wearing a blue shirt with a sailboat on it & a blue + white bandana around his little neck. Little white sunglasses in his hand. He was sitting in Kaffee Alchemie beside his mommy - his dad ordering their coffee. He was singing to his heart's content - at peace with himself and secure in expressing his joy to whoever wanted to hear. I loved that his momma did not hush him, but let him sing & swing his feet & be his darling little self. Child-like and full of peace. I had just been reading the day before of childlikeness in the Divine Conspiracy. Seeing that little boy stirred my heart further on in my desire to be secure and joyful and unafraid of what strangers or friends or family may think.
The little boy with yellow pants at the Salzburger Dom Cathedral after Mass - helping his momma to collect the books, trying to hide his smile at his pride for being given such a noble job. :)
Another angle of the fountain in Residenzplatz Square. We walked by it multiple times throughout the day and I think I took another photo every time. :)
We went to the 11:30am Mass at the Salzburger Dom Cathedral in Residenzplatz Square.
A nun sat down beside me. She offered a smile & for me to share her songbook when the Priest lead songs that were not on the provided paper. She was very kind. She wore a black and white habit and carried a black leather backpack.
Okay, I know it this is super cheesy - but there is no where else in the world that I would rather sit beside a nun for a service than in the place that The Sound of Music was filmed. :)
After the service, she handed me six gold-colored charms and some german literature - tracks I think because she could tell by my unfamiliarity with the service that I am not catholic.
Sitting there, in the beautiful & ornate cathedral beside a very plainly dressed woman. What a paradox, and yet so often found together. The two ideas: (1) living a very simple & plain & sacrificial life for the Lord and (2) the wealth & art & extravagance of giving God the very best and most beautiful.
The sermon was in German so I contemplated this as I admired the intricate murals, sculptures and light fixtures while following the nun's cues for standing, sitting, kneeling and singing.
Salzburg did seem touristy - but in a way that did not bother me. There were lots of street musicians and people in traditional dress. I enjoyed seeing people driving carriages or serving in the restaurants wearing leaderhosin and dirndl.
I loved seeing the mountains from so many different spots in the city. The thought that Maria went up to the mountaintop for a walk before mass seems way more realistic in person than it did in the movie. It surprised me that Salzburg is even more beautiful than the movie portrayed. They were not just showing the "best" parts of Austria - they were leaving them out because there was not enough opportunity for the movie to portray all the beauty!
Lunch at Zirkel Wirt.
I ordered Spinatknodel - a brown butter & parmesan spinach dumpling.
Mmmmm....my mouth is watering. It is nearly lunchtime right now & I wish that I could just eat those delicious spinach dumplings right now! They were so good.
Also, I ordered "lemonade" which I later learned was actually just soda - no lemon flavor. I was a bit embarrassed because I had tricked myself into thinking it tasted lemon-y. Haha!
Isaac ordered Pork with bread dumplings and sauerkraut.
After lunch, we separated and spent some time as couples. Isaac & I spent most of that time in the Mirabel Palace Gardens - which I am hoping to write about that garden in a separate post soon! On our last walk through the city, we passed through the Salzburg Sunday Riverfront Market. It was full of many little unique & beautiful items - we kept commenting, "____ would love that!"
We sat under the Fountain in Residenzplatz Square one more time - enjoying its shade while we waited to meet back up with Tyler & Laura. We had to rotate around the fountain a few times because of a thick mist the fountain was showering on us. I told Ike that I wish I could have told my eight year old self that one day I would visit Salzburg with my husband & we would sit under the fountain that Maria Von Trapp sang by. :)
My little self would have been full of joy, as I was then. Visiting Salzburg was a joy.
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