by Wendy
This year is the 50th Anniversary of The Sound of Music – the beloved, iconic film with Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. You know you love it. The romance, suspense, technicolor scenery – and of course, catchy songs. April and I were kids before VHS tapes were ubiquitous, and it was a special event when The Sound of Music was on tv. We got to stay up late and enjoy fresh popcorn with melted butter (no microwave stuff) and during commercial breaks, likely twirled around in our nightgowns like Liesl. So when April and I went to Europe as college students, we decided to go on The Sound of Music Tour. Really. A bus tour of various locations in Salzburg that were used in the making of an American movie classic that we were told Austrians have either never heard of, or can’t stand. What fun!
We aren’t really the guided tour types, and this was the only one we did that summer. It was the late 90s, so we used a battered travel guide, recommendations from other travelers, and a pay phone to get information and make reservations. I also kept a journal from that trip, and I dug it out from the bottom of a drawer to reread my impressions of the tour and the city.
April and I took an early train from Vienna that got us to Salzburg in about 3 1/2 hours. We checked into the type of room we stayed in frequently, small but clean with a sink near the bed, toilet and shower down the hall. Some travelers from California were staying there and explained where to book The Sound of Music Tour in town. We purchased tickets for 2pm, walked around the city, and bought food to eat in the park. In case you are wondering what we ate: potato salad, watermelon, strudel with berries and cheese, giant soft pretzels. Since we were on a budget and always hungry, descriptions of food take up a good bit of my old journal.
I described the tour guide, originally from U.S., as sounding like Jon Lovitz. Apparently we thought he was funny, despite the fact that he kept flirting with us and other young women on the trip. Luckily he did not do this the entire time, but had interesting information to share as the bus wound its way through the mountains between stops, pointing out sites such as the Hohensalzburg Fortress and the Schloss Hellbrunn Castle. The scenery was incredible.
The Sound of Music movie backdrops we saw included: the statues Maria and the kids run past while singing, the tree alley where the kids play in their new outfits made of drapes (and the Captain and the Baroness drive past, stylish and unaware), the lake where the boat tips and everyone falls in, the gazebo that was used from the outside only (and according to the tour guide, was locked after an elderly fan got hurt while trying to dance like Liesl inside), the exterior of the movie von Trapp house, the Church altar that was used to film Maria and the Captain’s wedding.
There were a couple of non-Sound of Music stops as well – such as the option to ride a speeding sled down a mountain (April and I were one of the first to volunteer, and we did not fall off like others), and a break in a picturesque town square for apple strudel with hot vanilla creme.
We also heard a lot from the guide about how the American film is, well, basically very inaccurate. I’m not going to go into all of it here, but it’s good to know if you’re considering a tour. I don’t remember being surprised at the Hollywood embellishments, as I had been sharpening my cynicism for several years. But at the same time – I have a sentimental streak and something about this weird tour based on a movie we loved as kids was making both of us homesick. At that point on the trip we had been gone about 45 days, longer than we’d ever gone without being surrounded by family. I wrote in the journal that my eyes kept tearing up when they were playing songs from the movie on the bus. And there were travelers from other countries on the tour who apparently loved the movie and were enthusiastically singing along – very heartwarming.
In a way, The Sound of Music Tour reflected a lot of what we saw and felt in Europe. You visit these epic, amazing cities, steeped in history and culture. You see the iconic structures and buildings, you start to feel overwhelmed by the tourist sites, you feel like you’re barely scraping the surface, you wonder if you’re having enough of an adventure. Then you get a glimpse of reality. Sometimes you are interested, sometimes annoyed, sometimes charmed, sometimes nostalgic for what is familiar.
Besides the tour, our two days in Salzburg were spent checking out a Mozart museum and some of the many landmarks that are all around the city (Mozart’s house. Mozart’s Mom’s house. Mozart’s birthplace. Mozart’s dog’s house. Ok, I made the last one up). We had nice lunch of spinach dumplings and a baked potato with vegetables and roasted corn. We visited the Rupertinum modern art museum and went in St. Peter’s to light a candle. Salzburg is a gorgeous city, and we kept thinking we’d like to visit again in winter – it must be so picturesque with snow.
April and I were so grateful to be traveling with each other, but we did feel lonely sometimes. We were taking a midnight train to Switzerland, and I wrote that we were waiting until we got to the train station to call home so we would have something fun to look forward to. My Dad set up 800 numbers so we could use calling cards to check in several times a week– at one point we were on the road so much my parents weren’t entirely sure what country we were in from day to day. We loved feeling connected to our home even while so far away, and couldn’t wait to tell them our latest stories.
Me with April – still one of my favorite travel companions!
After our call we played cards and kept a cautious eye out in the train station. From what I remember, it seemed kind of dingy compared with the colorful, meticulously kept city of Salzburg. But other travelers take late trains, so April and I just had confidence like movie Maria sings about, and went ahead with our plans. It seemed pretty safe, with small groups of people, and the odd character here and there.
Unfortunately two females traveling alone often have to deal with unwanted attention, and that night a very drunk and leering man approached us. We sort of laughed at first, because by that point it seemed like if there was a weirdo around, the weirdo would find us. But then he sat right next to me, leaning forward to garble I don’t know what – it surely wasn’t polite. I turned my head to ignore him in hopes that he would leave. Suddenly an older gentleman started speaking harshly to the drunk guy – who protested. The older man scolded him again, and drunk guy slunk away. April and I did not know more than a few phrases in German, but we think the older gentleman might have said we were his daughters, or something like that. It was touching, and we were appreciative. Two younger fellows had been watching and started to clap and said “wonderbar” to the older gentleman, who left shortly after to catch his train. Then the two younger fellows sat on either side of April and I, which was sweet, but we didn’t have any other trouble.
The beauty of a city gives way to a curiosity about what’s beneath the surface. Sometimes it isn’t pretty. Sometimes it is revelatory. Sometimes it is a better story. Sometimes the unfamiliar becomes familiar – locals and strangers step in to lend a hand, and a simple gesture can make you feel a bit more at home. Regardless of language, location, and movie preferences, the world has a lot of kindness and decent people everywhere. Being lucky enough to experience this countless times during travel is definitely one of My Favorite Things.