SALZBURG:

If it weren’t for the immense unpleasantness of the night train from Salzburg, you’d all be waiting until tomorrow for the new blog posting.  However, lucky for all of you, we’re sleeping on three pieces of upholstered plywood that fold out of the walls while a strange Italian man (no English language whatsoever) sleeps on the fourth.  Did I mention it’s also hotter than the surface of the sun in here?  Adventure!(?)

Regardless, there’s still a great deal to show and tell about our most recent stop in Salzburg.  You know the drill:  pictures, then sarcasm below.

• When we arrived in Salzburg, we became lost on the public transportation system (which seems to be made entirely of number 2 buses on various routes) and found ourselves over the bridge in a part of Salzburg that greatly soured our initial opinion.  That side of Salzburg is responsible for the city slogan:  “What’d you do in Salzburg?  Wished I was somewhere else.”
• However!  Upon finding our way back across the bridge to our hotel in the Old Town, the entire town changed for the better.  Without the slightest hint of my usual sardonic wit, allow me to say that Salzburg is a wonderful place that anyone would be lucky to spend a few days in.  Not much longer than that, though, because you’d go broke (I tried to keep the sarcasm out of this, but i just couldn’t).
• What the Americans have done to wheat beer (I’m looking at you, Blue Moon) is an affront to the magical liquid that is good, fresh, Austrian wheat beer.
• Salzburg has deep rooted Sound of Music connections, which really gives the city an unfairly bad wrap in my book.
• Other than The Sound of Music, Mozart was born there, and they really, really push that on you.  For instance, I’m writing this blog with a mouthful of chocolatey Mozart Balls.  I’d be more ashamed if the regional chocolate in this part of the world wasn’t incredibly delicious.
• While we’re on the subject:  some German culinary word translates to “nut liquor” on all the menus.  It’s as funny the first time you see it as it is the last.
• A note to various eating and drinking establishments in this region of Europe:  please, for the love of God and all that is holy, turn down the heat in your restaurants.  Turning them into a poor man’s sauna is not helping you sweat off your beer calories.  It mostly just makes you feel like you’re going to pass out into your sauerkraut.

Short, huh?  Admittedly we were only in Salzburg one day and it was raining for most of it.  Sightseeing was limited to what we saw hopping from cafe to bar to cafe to restaurant.  Sorry about that.  Today, once we exit this hellish train, is day one of six in Italy.  Thus, there will be a greater quality of posting soon to come.

Fare thee well