This past May I attented my Rotary District 1840's Conference, the exchange students from countries including Mexico, Ecuador, Venezuela, Argentina, Brasil, Finland, the US, Canada, Australia, Belgium . . . and probably some country I've forgotten. It was the last time we all had the chance to get together in the city of Bad Reichenhall, on the border of Bavaria to Austria. Having to say goodbye to friends you may never see again is slightly scary.
A few of us took the sunday afternoon and visited the city of Salzburg, Austria for a few hours - Mozart's birthplace (and the heart of classical music), a city nestled right into the mountains. The movie 'The Sound of Music' was filmed here too - although I have yet to meet a German speaking civilian that has ever heard of the film. Austria and Germany have very noticeable differences, and it's always fun to be able to take the train and 'hop' countries. In comparision to Germany, most Austrian cities I find in much lighter colors (I believe pale yellow, like Schönnbrunn castle, is their favorite), and older and more relaxed way of living with many cable cars still along the streets and the mountain-hippi-like austrians walking around barefoot once in a while, and slightly more trash ridden streets than the very orderly German ones. The people tend to be nicer whenever you intend on asking about a shoe or shirt or this or that, even if the dialect is difficult to completely understand. The Austrian dialect is very similar to the Bavarian one I have become used to, but they have a different set of vocabulary words which makes things more difficult. I actually ended up being really sick when I was there for a good while, so wasn't able to enjoy the trip as hoped. The morning before we had spent in a salt mine along the border with the other exchange students, given the salt production industry is very common in the small mountains there.
The city of music.
For Kari.
In front of Mozart's house.
Austrian cable cars.
On the trail of the filming of the Sound of Music.
Riding on a boat across a small lake inside the Salt mine in Bad Reichenhall.
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