Mark's 60th - Salzburg

We took the morning train from Vienna to Salzburg, and then the bus to the Radisson Blue Aldstadt, to find the charming picturesque Old Town at our doorstep. From the Hohensalzburg Fortress, a funicular ride away, we had a sweeping view of the town -- and the sound of pealing church bells. It was a wow moment, like the magnificent organ recessional at Salzburg Cathedral at mass the next morning. (Mozart played the organ here as a teenager, so the organist had big shoes to fill. He was also baptized here the day after he was born.) Mom was on my mind during mass, as she was on our walk through the grounds of tiny St. Peter's. The beautiful cemetery with its lovingly tended gravesites and the climb up inside the primitive monastery on narrow stone steps and tight passageways (cave-like) were so memorable. From the "windows" cut into the rock, we had incredible views of the rooftops and steeples of Salzburg. Nearby we found the concert hall, which is the home of the renowned Salzburg Festival. Then it was time to have dinner on the terrace of the Blue Gans Hotel a short walk away. I don't mention meals often, but our dinner of weiner schnitzel and salmon trout in creamy carrot sauce, after asparagus soup, was excellent. Our next day was taken up with visits to Mirabel Palace and Mozarthaus, and then strolling along the river past elegant houses framed by pruned trees like bonsai. It was easy walking through Salzburg's old streets with its elegant shop signs and al fresco cafes, but we did venture farther out once -- to the wooded area of the Von Trapp Mansion (now a hotel).