Salzburg
So…let me start.
Took a few print outs on Friday in the office. There was some last minute work that was to be done and hence we could not leave office by the 4:40 shuttle. Christian offered to drop us at the hotel. We had not prepared for the weekend as Thursday evening also had been busy. I had to buy my food stuff. So we asked to be dropped at aldi(shop next to hotel). We reached aldi by 5:15. I just had to pick up a loaf of bread. Deepthi wanted to buy some t-shirts. I got my bread and went to the hotel.
This weekend I had work. Shwetha(another girl who was coming with us to Salzburg) wanted to have sambhar made by me. She said she will come to my room. We could have dinner together and then we could leave from there together. So I had to make rice and sambhar.
I went to the room and spoke to mom, dad and sangu. And then again spoke to hubby and mom in law.
After this I took bath. Changed. Did some packing for the weekend. Made some sanwitches (just out of butter and dhania podi that mom had given). Charged the mobile and batteries and all.
It was time. I had to start making dinner. Else it would get late. I made rice, sambhar and some curry. This took sometime by which time shwetha was already at my room. Deepthi also joined in. we had dinner. Then I washed the vessels and cleaned up the kitchen.
We had booked a cab. So we finallty got into it and left to the station at 9:40 pM.
The train was there in no time. We were on our way to karlsruhe. Moitreyee and anupama (the other two girls who were coming with us to Salzburg) got into the train at bad shornborn.
All of us had enough warm clothing on as we knew that it was going to be pretty cold at Salzburg.
We got down at karlsruhe. Waited for the next train. Then we were on board the train to Salzburg. There was some confusion abt the train seat number and wagon numbers as 2 trains had been combined and people with reservation were standing (we did not actually understand what the confusion was). Anu realized that she did not have a reservation. But we got seats in one coupe. We just sat down. No one said anything and we managed it that way till the end of the journey.
In the middle of the night we were woken up by some passport checking german police. That guy looked suspicious. We had heard of people who were duped and the passports were stolen. Anyway…this guy was finally genuine.
We reached salzburg by 4:44 in the morning.
We were a bit too early. Nothing was open. We found paid restrooms. We went there to freshen up. We had to still wait. The information counter would open only at 8:45. so we went around to see if at least some coffee shops were open. No. nothing. So we were back at station. Put our bags on benches and went to sleep sitting there. We slept for abt an hour and a half. At 6:30 some ticket counter opened. But there we would not get the Salzburg card that we anted. This card would be both for transport all around the city and it would also cater as entrée pass to most of the important sight seeing places. We were planning to visit the ice caves. We knew that this was very far from the city. At abt 7 we started re considering our thoughts. Going to ice caves would mean almost going no where else. So we decided against it. Although it was supposed to be too good.
We ventured out of the station into a super market. Looked around. Then were back at the station at 8:45. as soon as the counter for information opened we just barged in. the lady gave us a map and a pamphlet abut the places to visit. We also got the Salzburg card. We felt that was the first achievement. We ran to the nearest bus stop to take the first available bus to helbrunn castle. Yes that was our first destination.
We reached there and it was raining. But the place was beautiful. The trees were changing colour of their leaves. It was autumn. We don’t get to see this season in India. The scenery was just awesome. We clicked some snaps and went to the castle. The castle was just a house kind of thing. But the main attraction here was that there were some hidden fountains that was built in those days by an arc bishop. This was a guided tour and would start at 10. we were there by 9:30. so we ran thru the castle (with some audio that they gave us that kept telling us abt each room). Then started the guided tour. Tho we could not understand the English that the guy spoke, we understood so much that the arc bishop had some hidden fountains built in to the place. It was fun. The guide would explain something and suddenly turn on the fountain. And the fountain could just be anywhere. Maybe from the roof, from under ur legs, from the walls on the sides…just anywhere. We kept getting wet. And people kept running away from the fountains. I once found myself stuck in between three fountains. I was not getting wet. But if I moved I would. People were all around me watching what I would do. I dint have a big problem as I loved getting wet…so just walked thru the fountain. I had anyway put my camera in as soon as we had entered so that it might not get wet. I feel I enjoyed more because of that as I concentrated on what was going on than trying to click a pic of everything. The four friends who came with me had clicked enough photos so I dint feel it necessary to take my own pics.
After this we again ran to the bus stop. Next destination was a cable car. Bus guy did not accept the Salzburg card as this place was out of the city. So we paid and got in. it was worth it. It was a cabin that went on ropes from below the mountain to the tip of the mountain. Too good view and awesome feeling. At the top we could get out walk on the mountain. Was cold. Wind blowing badly. There was a small restaurant. We had nice hot coffee there. Then took the next cable car downward. This was really a great experience.
We then took the bus to the city. This was called the old town. The city was too small. So buses dint ply too much in the interiors. Everything was 5 mins walk from each other. We reached the city by abt 12.
We walked to the church. We saw horse carts (those royal types). These are major modes of transport out there. The cathedral was really nice. Huge one.We also saw some men who had painted themselves and were standing on the streets making actions and stuff. People would admire that and give them money. They were really good at their expressions.
After that,
we went into a gallery. Here there were pics of different people, kids, babies etc sleeping. The whole gallery was filled with these paintings. I dint find it too interesting. What all of us really liked abt the gallery was the high fundu restrooms
we came out. All of them wanted to eat. I took out my bread. Which I had been eating now and then when I was hungry. Others went to a near by restaurant and got some burger and some other stuff and ate it.
Next we went to hohen slazburg castle. We had to see many more things and there was no time. So instead of walking uphill, we took the funicular. It was just a small cabin that would move like a train to the castle top. The view of the city from the castle top was very nice. I dint click too many snaps of the castle as Prashanth had already the castle from all angles. Inside the castle was not too interesting. Nothing much. A display of hand made puppets. Then a museum( very dry and boring historical stuff). So we again took the funicular down.
Next we had to go to the mirabell gardens. We decided to take a bus. But by the time we found the bus stop we actually reached mirabell. So we entered. The garden was huge and nice. But we were exhausted. Deepthi just sat in a bench. There was another historical museum. Moi and shwetha went in. anu and I went exploring the park. We were not interested in looking at the palace. We had seen many castles now and they all looked the same. So we just settled down in the park talking.
After sometime we all got back together and decided to visit the Mozart’s birth place. We went round and round in search of it. We reached it to find out that it was right opposite to the place from where we started. We went in and got to know that it was closed as it was 5:30 PM already and also there was some concert arranged so no entrée. On the way I had spoken to Prashanth. He had asked me to check out a pizza place next to the Mozart’s birth place. We did not find that. We got bugged. So we walked to one of the main streets of Salzburg( I don’t remember the name. it starts with G). this is like bangalore’s MG road.
We reached there. Settled down at a restaurant. I ordered an ice cream and anu ordered wine. Others were busy looking at some shops nearby. I had anyway decded against a shopping anything,. So I dint bother. we sat there for abt 1.5 hrs. then we paid and left. All shops were closed. It was 7:30. we walked in the street doing window shopping. Stuff was just too expensive..
We then went to the salzbach river. I forgot to mention this. The river flows right thru the old town. So when we first came to old town that’s what we saw. We sat on the river bank for sometime. Then we walked to the bus stop to go to the station. We took bus 1 to the station. This time we all had reservations. We sat down and just dozed off.
At 2AM there was going to be a shift in timings. The day light saving was being stopped and so we had to shift our watches to one hour earlier. Because of this we had some confusions as to what time will the train reach etc. it reached at 4:40 or so (actually given timings only…but was somehow adjusted to the new time shift…very difficult to explain…so just forget it). We had reached Mannheim. We then took the next train to walldorf. Took a taxi from the station back to the room.
I called Prashanth and spoke. I could hardly speak as I was so sleepy and dozing off.after talking to him I went to sleep. Slept for about 2 hrs. got up. Made some magi noodles and chutney(with amma’s chutney powder). Had it. Had bath. Cleaned up room kitchen and all. Got dressed. No one was willing to come out as they were all tired. So I decided that I will go on my own. And this time my destination was the sinsheim museum.
