First off, a walk through the Mirabell gardens. We’ve been lucky enough to score one of the few clear days- but the lack of cloud cover reveals a skier’s sun, which makes for fantastic glare and laser beam sunshine. Sunglasses and shady areas are a must.

It’s been awhile since I’ve seen Julie Andrews running around in a milk maid’s frock, but I’m told that some scenes from that movie were filmed here. Specifically, this is the part where Maria and the kiddies sing ‘Do-Re-Mi’ while dancing around and using the steps as a musical scale. I’m from a family of five kids, and I’ve gotta say that you’d never have seen us singing together and jumping on the steps. More likely, one of us would have been thrown into this fountain. Those were a few of our favorite things.

Just outside the garden. Stirring traces of the past abound in this part of the world.

Leaving the gardens, we head for the other side of town. This city’s got a lot of flat looking people standing about.

We pass on buying some sacher torte from Mr. Personality and head make for the Salzach. Time to cross over and check out some touristy goodness.

We’re barely even stepping off the bridge and we’re already met with our first dose of local cuisine. A member of a green-shirted soup patrol says something in German and then hands me these two packets. I take them, snap a photograph, and then have no idea what to do with them.

We’re not looking for Mozart’s house, but it would appear that we have wandered into the place that everyone thinks is Wolfgang’s birthplace. It would appear that we’ll need to be hanging a left to check out the digs.

Behold the birthplaces of the Requiem. From here you can only see the dude smoking the cigarette, but the base of this building is now a Spar. Could be worst- at least it’s not a McDonalds like Beethoven’s house..

This year we’re exchanging high Muslim holidays for cities filled with Christmas Tree Shop inspiration. Except round these parts, there are no bargains to be had.

Austria grows magic apples sporting tasteful tattoos.

Satan and St. Nick can purchased for consumption here at the Farmer’s Market. I am sure that there is a better explanation for this, but you’ve got Megan’s non-German speaking eyes as a tour guide.

We’ve got churches.

This one’s Franziskanerkirche (St. Francis Church) dating from the 1100s.

Skeletons all tucked nicely in to bed.  You see what happens when you take a tour of old constructions and get to make up your own explanations?

Every town in this part of the world is setting up their Christmas markets. Sadly, no hot wine was in the offing when we rolled through.

Uh-oh. We’ve got plexiglass covering statues. Looks like the handiwork of UNESCO…

I love the idea of chess! Especially chess that is being played next to a great gold orb that is all located at the foot of a great fortress.

If you were an alien who had just landed in Salzburg. You’d swear up and down that Mozart was a famous candy maker. His likeness is plastered on almost every confection you can buy in the city.

It’s a steep walk to the top, but hey, at least they’ve got wheelchair access…

The view at the top makes the vertical walk worthwhile.

Again with the pretzels. These things come in Texas size, and are filled and/or covered with various health conscious options.

The last entry had bread lobsters, now we’ve got bread ducks.

We actually grab pretzels and make that our lunch. We are very health-conscious people, but then again we went for a run this morning. We install ourselves in a neat café overlooking a square so we can watch the many Manic Panicked colors of passing Salzburgers.

And here’s that damn UNESCO handiwork again…

Mozart square. As far as my attention span is concerned, I’m reaching the end of my Salzburg attention span. I’m such an American in that respect…

The next morning, we’re getting ready to head back out in the road. Before we hop back into the car, we take a walk around a farmer’s market.

Advents abound, and we’re both loving the presence of Christmas. Even if it’s still too early for the malls to be playing nausea-inducing songs like “Wonderful Christmastime”.

Ye Olde Cheese Axe. I kind of wanted to order half of this wheel just to see the cheese man’s skills in action.

And speaking of action- I love the sale signs here: Aktion! It’s almost like you are being ordered to pick up whatever’s on the sale display. I opt for disobedience and head for the cooler section to pick up a Coke Light. Caffeine for the trip north.

And with that, we’re on the road again. For me, Austria was a bit of a blip- especially since we were there for only 48 hours- barely an airport layover.  So as you can tell from my lack of description in this blog entry- I didn’t do too much to expand my knowledge of this country while visiting. As we pull away and return to the land of no speed limits, all I can remember of Salzburg is that Mozart was a really fine chocolatier.