Salzburg - Hohensalzburg Fortress

We got up early and decided to beat the crowds and see the number one attraction in Salzburg: Hohensalzburg Fortress. We paid for the combo ticket that includes admission to the fortress as well as the ride up the funicular to the top. Definitely worth it.



The fortress was founded in 1077, and has been strengthened over the centuries. It was such an imposing presence, that no one dared to invade Salzburg until the French under Napoleon, at which time, Salzburg surrendered without resistance.



Going first thing in the morning is the best way to see it, as we had the fortress almost completely to ourselves. We wandered around the massive grounds taking in the large squares and many different sights.

Given the almost sheer cliffs, and very steep walls of the fortress, it is obvious why no one dared to try to attack it for so long.



The views from the fortress are amazing. You can see for miles. Even on a cloudy day like the day we were there, it has some spectacular vistas.









I bet the mountains are really lovely when they are topped with some snow.

Tony and I took the guided Audio tour of the interior of the palace, and we both felt it was a waste of time. The amount of security for the little that is seen, and even that was practically nothing.






Save your time, and just go to the museum where you can see the real lavish interior rooms. There are evening concerts held in the large reception room.




Another strange inclusion in the fortress complex is the Marionette Museum. Evidently, puppetry has a strong history in Salzburg.







Definitely unusual and somewhat creepy, but definitely worth a brief stop.









After wandering around the large fortress complex, it was time for a break. We had Topfenstrudel, which is like Apfelstrudel, but instead of apples, it is filled with a sweet cream cheese filling. Served with a vanilla cream sauce, it is absolutely delicious.




We decided not to take the funicular back down to town, but instead to follow Rick Steve's advice and walk down by using the long alternate path.








The sun had peaked out, and it was a lovely green walk through the park in the hills overlooking Salzburg.






Salzburg had been a walled city, and along the walk, you could see portions of the wall that were still remaining.




We also came across some wild raspberries that were growing along the side of the path, and these became a welcome snack to munch as we walked.

The views of Salzburg were beautiful, and though it took longer than if we had taken the funicular back down, it was a lot more enjoyable.





Before long it was time to eat again. . .



We saw a show on TV where they ate these cheese hot dogs called Kasekrainer. Tony is a huge hot dog fan, and to pass up an opportunity to try a huge cheesey hot dog would not be possible.



Believe it or not, I was still full from the strudel and I was not able to eat my entire hot dog. It was delicious. Kind of a Bratwurst with a slight cheddery taste.

There was a open air market going on, and Tony and I stopped at this stall where a man was selling schnapps. It seems that they make schnapps out of anything and everything. We tried several different types including: hazelnut, apple, and apricot. We ended up buying a bottle of the hazelnut to bring home with us. You can't visit Austria and not bring back a small bottle of schnapps.

Austria - Day 1 - Salzburg

We're on the road again. As usual, we are hopping on the bus to the train station to the airport. This time is was bus to Liverpool station and the train up to Stansted Airport. They may call the train the Stansted Express, but it stops 4 or 5 times along the way making the ride almost an hour to get there.

We are riding RyanAir, which after our trip to Stockholm last summer, I thought I'd never see Tony ride again. However, this time we simply paid the extra money to check our bags from the start.

We arrived in Salzburg Airport aka Mozart Airport without any troubles. The terminal was the Steigl Terminal named for the famous brewery in Salzburg that has been brewing since 1492. It is still privately owned. It's fun to think that a brewery is so vital to a community that they have an airport terminal named for them.

We hopped on the city bus, and were whisked up to the town center. This was certainly one of the easiest transfers we've done. In 15 minutes, we were there. Our hotel was the Elefant Hotel, which was right in the heart of things. It is a very nice hotel, and our room had a view of the fort/castle on top of the hill above Salzburg.

We rested for a moment, and then took off on a walking tour of the city. Our first stop was of course, Mozart Square to pay homage to the city's favorite son.

Directly facing Mozart on the Square is Demel. It is a famous Austrian chocolatier. They also are known for making the famous Sacher Torte, (a chocolate cake with Apricot Jam filling), better than the actual one served at the Sacher hotel. We knew immediately, that we were ready for a Cake Brake. It was delicious and not too dry, especially when eaten with some of the whipped cream. I knew I'd be eating more of it on this trip.

Tony and I wandered through the small streets and came across a cute Christmas store. It had all these piles of amazingly painted eggs. We found this really cute one that had some peti-point on it and bought it as our official Christmas Decoration of the year.

Looming over Salzburg and visible from almost every street is Hohensalzburg Castle. It was never conquered until Napoleon, and given its placement on the top of an almost sheer cliff, it is understandable.

Directly in the center of the large civil square between the new and old palaces, which now serve as the city hall is he fountain featured prominently in the beginning of the "Sound of Music" during the "Confidence in me" number. It is a beautiful Romanesque fountain reminding me a lot of the fountains in Piazza Navona in Rome.

We wandered into the large Salzburg Cathedral. Mozart had been an organist here and wrote some of his masses to be performed here.

It has a beautifully impressive interior with lots of plaster detail ornamentation.






The dome had been damaged in WWII, but has been completely restored.


A short walk from here is the St. Peter's cemetary, which was the inspiration for the cemetary set used in the Sound of Music film.

Parts of it come right up to and actuall burrow into the cliff face.

It is a very different style of cemetary from what we normally see in the states and from what I've seen in other parts of Europe.




In some cases, metal shields are used in place of a stone headstone.



One unique aspect is that family members are required to continue to pay rent to have their loved ones interned here. When they stop paying, the remains are removed, and the plaque is moved to the wall. I guess that is one way to keep people paying the rent.



We stopped for a quick break at the local farmers market, where Tony had the largest fig he'd ever seen. It was very tasty, and gave us a bit of a boost in our walk.




We wandered on to the royal stables where there is a beautiful fountain, that was actually used as the pool to wash the horses.





It made me think of how humble our system is for washing our dogs, and how we should come up with something similar for them. A joke. . .

Our walk took us on a big loop, and before long, we were back in the narrow alleyways with shops leading us back to our hotel. The fun traditional iron signs explain through pictures what is sold in the various shops for people who were illiterate.

Even McDonald's has a classic iron sign.





Salzburg's historic district is a very compressed easily walkable area. It makes for a very pleasant strolling experience.

That evening, Tony and I walked down to a restaurant called Barenwirt. It is known for cooking the best Schnitzel in town. We each had it and a good local beer called Augustiner Brau, which is made at the local Abbey. Schnitzel is basically a breaded and fried piece of beef or pork. Delicious.

For dessert we had the first of what would be many strudels. This one was made with seasonal berries. Yummy.


We also had to try the local after dinner drink, Schnapps. We each had a small Pear Schnapps with our dessert. Wow. You could start a fire with that stuff.

After dinner, we took a leisurely stroll back along the Salzach River enjoying the beautiful views of Salzburg. It was coolish and rainy, but we're kind of used to that by now.

BBQ in London

Tony and I have tried the 3 top BBQ places in London now. Two more traditional American BBQ style (a fusion of the 3 different regional distinctions) and a third a well regarded Argentinian style BBQ. We've had three fun meals with different groups of friends.


BoDean's is often regarded as the best BBQ in London. I've heard this from several people. We went there for Thanksgiving, but what impressed me most that evening was their Clam Chowder. We decided that we needed to return to try their specialty - BBQ.

BoDean's does serve good BBQ. One can see the redness from the smoking, and the meat is tender and falling off the bones.



I tried the BBQ Baby Back Ribs and the BBQ chicken. If I have one complaint is is that the portions were smaller than what have come to expect from a BBQ joint. The chicken looked small, and the half rack of ribs looked like they came from a baby pig.


We also tried the Baked Beans and the Cornbread. Also two classic BBQ side dishes associated with good BBQ. I thought he Baked Beans were good, but the Cornbread was AWESOME! Tony really loved the Cornbread. They do also have the best darned New England style Clam Chowder in the whole of Britain. I know, quite a claim, but I haven't seen it served anywhere else.




We've also tested Big Easy, a BBQ joint in Chelsea. They actually get their beef from the same provider who raises the beef for the queen. That's pretty cool.




Tony and I shared a half BBQ chicken and a full rack of Baby Back Ribs. I really liked their BBQ. I thought the meat was tender and that it was tangy and flavorful. Tony however found them to be lacking. So we split on this restaurant.



We also tried an Argentinian BBQ Steakhouse called Santa Maria del Sur that my man Gordon Ramsey recommended on his "f" word show. It really was delicious, though different from the classic US BBQ that we get to craving now and then.


Tony and I both had steaks, that was cooked perfectly on an open grill. It was a bit of a journey for us as it was all the way down in Battersea, but well worth it for something of this quality. Of the BBQ places I've gone to, I would most like to return here.

All this BBQ talk reminds me of the BBQ festival that Tony and I went with our friend Pete to in Santa Monica before we headed over.









It was a remarkable afternoon filled with numerous BBQ joints showing off their best wares from Ribs and Tri Tip to sides such as Baked Beans and Mac and Cheese. We ate so much BBQ, that I think we were going to burst.