Warning - super long post! But it's full of pictures! :)
It was such a joy to have my friend Alexis visit during my spring break in April. I have been looking forward to it all year!
Our second half was spent in Salzburg, Austria but we began our time in Budapest. It is still so strange and so incredible to me that I LIVE here! I do not ever want to take it for granted. God has given me an opportunity that I never sought out, to live in Europe and serve His little ones here. One of the greatest joys of this is the chance to travel and experience different cultures. I am so very thankful!
It was such a joy to have my friend Alexis visit during my spring break in April. I have been looking forward to it all year!
Our second half was spent in Salzburg, Austria but we began our time in Budapest. It is still so strange and so incredible to me that I LIVE here! I do not ever want to take it for granted. God has given me an opportunity that I never sought out, to live in Europe and serve His little ones here. One of the greatest joys of this is the chance to travel and experience different cultures. I am so very thankful!
The day Alexis arrived, we began with dinner and a walk along the river. The lights along the Danube river at night is still one of my favorite things!
Parliament up close with a beautiful full moon!
We also did the Ferris Wheel and enjoyed a beautiful view from the Pest side!
I introduced Alexis to the wonder of rose gelato. So good!
On Saturday, we headed to Diosd so Alexis could see my little yellow house...
and my school ICSB!
In between, we enjoyed lunch at Johnny's Bistro.
and the Terror House.
In the evening, we took a river boat tour...
Parliament at night (again)! My favorite!
We finished off the evening at Szimpla ruin pub, which is always a real experience!
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The next day, we had a morning tour of the city, including
I insisted on pictures at my favorite metro stop
(on the yellow line, which is the oldest on continental Europe)!
It's my favorite because when you come up
from the steps, you see...
This beautiful building!
This was one of my favorite things we did. Alexis and I both danced for years and we both still enjoy watching ballet!
The storyline of the ballet itself was very strange (look it up if you are interested!) but the orchestra and the ballet dancers were wonderful.
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Introducing Alexis to lemonade here - they are freshly made with all different types of fruits. Very refreshing!
Next we went to one of my favorite places, St. Stephen's Basilica.
It is so beautiful on the inside but my favorite thing is going to the top and enjoying a 360 degree view! So amazing!
That night, we saw Beauty and the Beast! Alexis had already seen it and thankfully was happy to see it again! What a wonderful movie, I absolutely loved it. And Alexis got to see what my movie experience here is like (audio in English with Hungarian subtitles). :)
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This is the part where I learned that the hills really are alive with the sound of music! The next day we took an early morning train across Austria, arriving in Salzburg at lunch time.
Did we watch"The Sound of Music" on the train ride? Yes. Yes, we did.
Note: if this movie means very little to you, you may want to skip the rest of this blog post! Haha! But really, the story behind the movie is truly amazing and it was really meaningful to learn more about it and see Salzburg with my own eyes.
We started off the day honoring Salzburg's most famous composer, Mozart. This is Mozart Wohnhaus, a house that the Mozart family lived in when he was older.
We also visited Mozart Gerburthaus, the home his family lived in when he was born!
I learned so much about Mozart, I definitely never realized what an incredibly prodigy he was from such a young age. I loved both of the houses, they were really interesting!
We took a break to enjoy some apple strudel - so delicious!
The rest of the day we explored more of the city, including
The Horse Pond - a filming location from the Sound of Music (SOM) :) It can be seen in "Do Re Mi."
Residenzplatz - seen in SOM in "I Have Confidence."
Then it was off to St. Peter's Abbey and
the St. Peter's Cemetery - it served as the model for the SOM set when the Von Trapps are hiding from the Nazis.
That evening, we enjoyed dinner and an opera concert at the oldest restaurant in Europe (established 803).
This was THE best meal of our entire trip. The beautiful setting, the dinner and the music made for an unforgettable evening!
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We started the next day like this...yep. SOM bus tour. It was an absolute must!
Schloss Leopoldskaron - the back of the house used in SOM
Frohnburg Palace - the front of the house used in SOM
The gazebo from SOM, now at Hellbrunn Palace - seen in "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" and "Something Good."
The church at Mondsee where the Captain and Maria got married (in the movie).
The SOM tour ended after Mondsee, but Alexis and Laura's SOM tour had only just begun. :)
Felsenreitschule (Rock Riding School) at the Festival Hall - this is a real place where the Salzburg music festival is held each year. It is where the real Von Trapp family performed before escaping from the Nazis (also seen in SOM)!
"Tea with jam, jam and bread!"
Winkler Terrace - seen in SOM in "I Have Confidence" and "Do Re Mi."
View from the terrace
Mirabell Palace Gardens - seen in SOM in "Do Re Mi." This was one of my absolute favorite things! The gardens are huge and so beautiful! We actually went by there twice, these pics are from both times!
That evening we enjoyed a Mozart concert from a string quartet at the Marble Hall in Mirabell Palace. In terms of the music we enjoyed during our trip, this was my favorite. Absolutely incredible musicians!
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The next day, we were off to a half day tour of salt mines in Germany.
Our super cool outfits! :)
The salt mine tour was full of miner's slides, several train rides and my favorite...
taking a boat across an underground lake!
The water was incredibly clear!
Next stop, the Mozart Chain bridge,
seen in SOM in "Do Re Mi."
Nonnberg Abbey - where the real Maria was a postulant!
That afternoon, we checked into Villa Trapp (not Von Trapp in Austria because the Captain lost his aristocratic title after WWI).
It's hard to choose favorites on a such an amazing trip, but this was a definite highlight! The house is absolutely beautiful!
It's hard to choose favorites on a such an amazing trip, but this was a definite highlight! The house is absolutely beautiful!
Oh you know, just relaxing on one of the Captain's benches! This one of the very few original pieces remaining in the house.
There are really cool pictures of the family all over the house!
The next morning we enjoyed breakfast in the lovely dining room. The house is so tastefully done, it truly feels like a home!
We had to do some singing/frolicking while we explored the grounds!
That evening we enjoyed dinner at Stieglkeller restaurant/beer garden. They have been brewing beer in Salzburg for over 500 years! So I had to try one in honor of my brother and my late grandfather (both brewery mangers). :)
The next day we went to Cafe Tomaselli for chocolate milkshakes for lunch as a last hurrah of our time in Salzburg!
What an amazing spring break! Alexis, thank you again for joining me on the trip of a lifetime! It was such a joy to see Salzburg with you and make so many memories traveling together!
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The next day we went to Cafe Tomaselli for chocolate milkshakes for lunch as a last hurrah of our time in Salzburg!
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