Austrian Hospitality

To recap where I left off in my post last night, the Salzburg night scene reminds me a lot of Athens in a couple of ways. Firstly, there are a good number of people out at night going to restaurants and bars - just being generally merry and friendly. Also, the buildings are similar in that they are built with older style architecture (though these are a lot older) and have more of a pedestrian friendly feel to them (unlike Atlanta). What is different, however, is that in Athens you do not see an 11th Century castle towering over the city with ancient walls, turrets, and keeps. You also do not have the pleasure of a powerful river cutting like a sword through the heart of this arcane town. Neither do we have such beautiful mountains, rolling hills, or 400 year old monasteries doubling as bier halls serving Currywurst. Nonetheless, I could not help but feeling more at home in this old city where the people are inviting, kind, and warmhearted.

This lies in stark contrast to the edgy feeling I get when in France. I say edgy because I always feel like I'm being watched, judged, frowned upon. But as much as I harp on France, I have truly enjoyed my stay there and grown accustomed to the people and atmosphere. France has its own treasures just as Austria has theirs.

So, to get back to last night, we had intended on doing a pub crawl, where we travel to 4 or 5 different historical pubs tasting their house specialties as we go. However, after settling into the first pub we came too, called Fridrich's I think, we loved it so much that we decided to stay! It was such a unique atmosphere inside. The ceiling was made out of half red brick and the other half brick that had been paved over and then painted black. It had a very worn, yet classy feel to it. Adding to the classical feel was the Roman arch shaped structure of the pub. By the walls stood glossy wooden high tables matching the grain and type of wood used in the old bar. In the very front of the bar was a regular rectangular, wooden table, which is where the five of us took up residence for the next 2 hours or so. Posters of old movies and artwork of local and international celebrities adorned the wall.

Instead of direct lighting, the pub used lights embedded in the molding running along the base of the curve in the arch as it switched to straight wall to reflect off of mirrors fixed to the ceiling right above each table. Other than these reflected light sources, there was no other real light. Though each light was a different color (but ours happened to be plain white light) it was cool because it gave the pub a very intimate feel. The light was just big enough to cast a soft glow over the whole table as the it shone like a laser into the middle. This had the effect of partially illuminating the faces of everyone seated at the table while drowning out those not in your party with the thin veils of shadowy darkness that surrounded the intense beam reflected above each table. Then if you looked around you could see each little table like an island with its one reflected, laser-like light. Also adding to the cozy, warm feel of the establishment was the small size. It was little bigger than an average hotel room, holding only about 20-25 people in a snug fit. It was also tucked away like a little cupboard into one of the many cobblestone paved side streets branching out from the Linzer Gasse throughout the old city.

The specialty drink of this fine establishment was a delightfully refreshing Vodka Grapefruit. It was really nice because the cold, tangy taste of the grapefruit was a great thirst quencher while the alcohol eliminated the bitter aftertaste that often accompanies the exotic fruit. The result was a highly satisfying beverage that pleased the palette and awakened the senses. I only had that one drink, but we stayed, talked, and sipped for almost 2 hours! Its amazing how time can flying when you have great company to help you enjoy an intimate atmosphere in a beautiful old city.

In fact, the Austrian hospitality, rich culture, gorgeous scenic panoramas, luscious hills and fields, and fascinating history have all combined to make Salzburg one of my favorite cities that I have ever been to. This morning at the Trumer Stube bed and breakfast (one of my favorite lodgings in the world, you really must go!), we had a such a great meal to kickstart the day. When we came downstairs after our great night on the town, we settled into the warm, friendly little booths setup in the converted living room space of this old house. There were probably only 5 or 6 tables in all in this quaint little room, but the tables were set with a nice white table cloth, silverware and little glasses for orange juice and cups for tea, hot chocolate or coffee. As we sat down, I could see the tender old couple and the daughter who runs the B&B happily greeting us as they prepared our meals in front of his in the kitchen only a few yards away. Its amazing because every time I see these people and their daughter, they are always smiling and greeting us with the most warmhearted, sincere smiles one will ever have the pleasure of receiving. It also doesn't hurt that their daughter, probably in her mid to late twenties, is a dark haired beauty made all the more attractive for her warm smile and caring demeanor.

In any case, the breakfast was fantastic! We were served great little omelets, with some delicious bread, butter and jam. They also offered us some hot chocolate, cold cut ham, salami and swiss cheese to put on sandwiches, and oatmeal. All in all it was a great morning. Now I must take my leave as we head out to explore the city some more. Stay tuned and I'll post more about our travels tonight!

Salzburg, Austria

Friday

May 28, 2010

Day 21

Salzburg and “The Sound of Music” Tour

What I love about Europe, particularly Central and Southern Europe from what I have seen thus far, is the natural blend of history and modernity. The ability to live in the past while living in the future. This is my dream! I love history but I also don’t want to lose myself enjoyment of living in the present. It also helps when you have a tremendous group of friends, like Blake Mitchell, Katie Kellogg, Jordan Overstreet, and obviously my brother to join you in all your adventures.

For example, usually sitting on a dark train next to a creepy homeless European might be awkward and uncomfortable. But when you have two other friends in the same car with you to talk to, jest with, and dream of the upcoming events, it simply becomes another adventure! During the whole 3 hour train ride from Vienna to Salzburg, Austria, all we did was talk and make jokes with/about each other as if we had been friends for a million years. They are truly great people, and I love getting to know people better. This trip has made me much bolder and more daring when it comes to meeting new people and doing new things.

Oh yeah, and never have I enjoyed or identified with a song as much as when all 5 of us together began singing Journey’s classic hit “Don’t Stop Believin” as we set out for Salzberg on “the midnight train going any place!” Not joking. We literally left the station at Vienna at 12am midnight and blasted Journey to the whole train, haha! So much fun!

As I mentioned earlier, the presence of friends make even the most miserable of trials become wonderful experiences tamed by the power of friendship. Such was also the case when the train dropped us off in the middle of a deserted medieval town (Salzburg was founded in the 11^th Century A.D.) with little direction or guidance. Normally, one would probably be scared if they were alone. But with our band of rambunxious, over-excited twenty-somethings we set out to conquer this strange new world. Boy what a trip it was trying to find our Bed and Breakfast this morning! It took us an hour and though we did not really make any wrong turns until a general bit of confusion when we got to within 100 yards of the B&B, the darkness, lack of familiarity, and the odd/non-existent placement of street signs only allowed us to wade through the old streets blanketed with the dark of night like ants trudging through molasses.

The most difficult part, however, was trying to find the B&B, called Trumer Stube Pension (pension is the German word for Bed and Breakfast) within the last 100 yards. The sign for the street on which it is located, 6 Bergstrasse, was almost completely hidden. Adding to our difficulty was the fact that the streets narrow and branch out like the Mekong Delta as we move closer to Old Town from the New Town side. You can imagine how difficult European streets can be when you account for the fact that city planners from the 11^th Century A.D. probably did not plan for the modern version of the town today. But we were saved from our distress by a kind young woman who came up and asked us, in English, if we needed help.

Now, up to this point, we have only been living in France. Don’t get me wrong, I love France. The views, the little cafes, the Cannes Film Festival, and some of the people, but on the whole I don’t think I have ever encountered a more judgmental, condescending culture than the French in the entire world! Whenever you walk by they know you are American (just as we can spot Europeans back in the States) and they will just stare at you with a look of “Why is that circus freak here?” Haha, such a weird experience. But hey, what kills you only makes you stronger right? And it helps to develop a thick skin. Literally, in restaurant row back in Juan Les Pins, there is a whole street dedicated to outside cafes and whenever we walk down there to our favorite sandwich joint (Masterburger) the entire street of people will turn their heads like bobble heads on a swivel to watch you walk down the street. Just weird.

So you can imagine our thanks and happiness when this kind lady walked up to two strange men (Blake and I were at the vanguard of the party navigating our way to the B&B) at 4:30 in the morning, by herself and wanted to give us help. Plus she was cute. 10 points for Austria and Salzberg.

After we got to our quaint, cozy Bed and Breakfast at around 4:45am, we immediately passed out from our tiresome trip.

Then we got up today at around 12:30pm and boy what a day we had. We crammed so much stuff into today that it was awesome. Today was a dream. Ok, imagine if you could cram like 4 apple strudels and 2 beignets into your mouth all at once (without gaining a pound of course) and covered in powdered sugar. Such an explosion of taste, awesomeness, and gluttonous satisfaction would be a good comparison to the enjoyment of all the things we did today. We literally seemed to do everything!

After showering and getting ready, we started off the day in a dream-like state as we found this little bakery with scrumptious desserts and sandwiches (and low priced too!) right across the street from our Pension (Bed and Breakfast). Austin and I got this massive loaf of croissant bread turned-icing pastry, plus two sandwiches, plus two waters for only 11 euros! Then we boarded the bus at 2pm to begin our tour of “The Sound of Music.” The 4 hour drive was absolutely breathtaking! Not only did we go to all of the famous scenes where “The Sound of Music” was shot, but learned a ton about the real history of the Von Trapp family and Solzberg as well. It felt like we got to see everything Salzberg, nature, and history had to offer in one trip. We saw beautifully serene lakes, pompous palaces, roaming landscapes and fileds of wildflowers, old churches and monasteries, Medieval towns and homes, and even the birthplace of Mozzart!

Some of the notable places we went were Lake Monsee (where kids riding their bikes) and the Monsee Church (where they are married), St. Gilgen (beautiful mountain lake panorama view), The Mirabel Gardens (“Doe, Ray, Me” song in the gardens), the Hellbrun Palace, and tons of other places. Just an incredible experience that I will never forget.

After the tour, we walked around the luscious, impeccably groomed Mirabel Gardens, and then wandered the city a bit. It was so cool because old stone walls covered with plants, weeds, and other vegetation, along with the massive castle over looking the city and other medieval constructions made me feel as if I was in two places at once. It was like I lived in both the past as well as in the present.

Following this perusal of the city, the experience that came next was one of my favorites of the entire trip. It combined history, with beautiful art and decorating, with fantastic food, and a sampling of the Germanic culture (which includes both Germany and Austria; both speak German). I love German/Austrian food! And we can lump them together kind of because for a large part of history they have been one country whether under the “Holy Roman Empire,” the Prussian Empire or the Third Reich of the Nazi regime in World War II. Anyhow, we went to the largest Bier Garten in all of Austria. We also went to one of the oldest monasteries in Austria. In fact, these two are one in the same. Founded in 1621, the St. Augustine Monastary has watched over the spiritual health of Salzberg for almost 400 years from its perch atop a hill overlooking Salzberg and the Salzach River, which divides the ancient city into two parts (Old Town and New Town).

When the monks are not praying and serving God, they are brewing some delicious beer and serving it to the locals. It was absolutely fantastic being able to see this cool old monastery, and beautiful paintings while also getting to experience the distinctly Germanic culture of the Bier halls. But one of the parts that I have liked a lot about Europe is how differently Europeans approach alcohol. Yes there are some tables made of table tops mounted on old fashioned wooden kegs, but these pubs are nothing like the bars we think of in the states. They are more like restaurants rather than a place to party. Also, Europeans drink alcohol really only with dinner. The Germans, Austrians and other Europeans consume for the purpose of complementing the many delectable tastes presented to the palette of your tongue by the (in this case) hearty diet of the Germanic people.

And boy what a finely crafted cuisine the Austrians and Germans have brought into this world! It is truly the diet of manly men. This diet is characterized by such hearty meats as Bratwursts, Currywursts, meatloaf, and steak. Add to that a large portioning of potatoes and sauerkraut (cooked, fermented cabbage) and you have the makings of a great meal. Then just wash it down with some fine beer and you will leave completely satisfied.

So as you can imagine, once inside this amazing place, we did the only thing we could do – eat the most German food we could. Tonight I had some fantastic Curry Bratwurst topped with sauerkraut, washed down with beer and finished off with fresh, crisp, warm applestreudal. Wow, I could not have imagined a much better meal. Though I had never had any of the items that landed on my plate, it was simply fantastic with each food or drink complementing and balancing out the others. The warm, stringy, somewhat bitter sauerkraut vegetable was great for balancing out the very hearty, meaty Currywurst. As for the beer, it was served in this awesome stone mug that made me feel like I was a king sitting at the wooden banquet table at the heart of my medieval kingdom. And the thing is that in Europe, there is no pressure to get drunk or crazy drinking alcohol. It was nice just to be able to appreciate the drink for what it was – a refreshment made to complement and wash down food. Finally, we topped the meal off with a delicious, warm applestreudel for dessert. Needless to say, I love the German and Austrian food.

So far, this trip to Salzberg has been one of my best experiences this summer. I mean when you put great food, great people, grand historical sites, wonderful cultural expriences, and a little bit of danger, uncertainty, and spontaneity in to the pot, you get a fantastic trip.

Now we are out to hit the town again through the concierge recommended pub crawl encompassing some of the oldest, most historic homes and pubs in the city. You will definitely have more posts and pictures to coming from Austin and I in Salzberg and the rest of Europe. Our experience has been surreal, almost like a fairy tale so far. Thanks to all my family and friends who have supported me and made this trip happen! It has been a life changing experience already and I have you all to thank for that!

P.S. – I am sorry I haven’t been able to post anything since leaving home. The combination of all day excursions to the Cannes Film Festival, the lack of internet at our French residence, and the constant work in review writing and marketing presentations has occupied almost all of my time (and no sleep is not included in that list, haha). But never fear, I have found some time to journal in my paper notebook in between traveling and downed internet. So in the coming days look for me to type up and post these journal entries as well as some pictures. Y’all are the best and I love you guys!

The "Tale of Two Hodges"

An Introduction to Our EuroTrip 2010

So for anyone who is unlucky enough to feel obligated to follow this blog (i.e. mom, dad, grandma and grandpa, other family members, etc.) I hope you enjoy some good ole' stream of consciousness writing because that is what I plan to do on my blog or as I now affectionately call my own "pundit's podium of ponderance" (that by the way is an alliteration!). Not so sure if that last word is a real word...but who cares its a blog and everyone knows you don't have to be a real journalist or English major to write a blog! So over the next 3 months, as the band of brothers (that's Austin and Me!) traverses the treacherous terrain of the Ole' Country, I will be using this blog to journal about our travels, experiences, thrills, chills, and anything else that comes to mind while traveling.

Now, we plan to do a great many things during our 3 month stay in Europe this summer, and it is our hope that by the end of this trip we will have a great many stories to tell as we plan on holding ourselves to doing at least 1 crazy, spontaneous, slightly insane thing per day! We also would like to end up writing a book about our travels whether it be a fiction adventure or non-fiction tale of two brothers wondering the European countryside together. Of course that is all in addition to documenting the trip with a book of pictures and these blog entries, etc.

So if any of you have any requests for something that you would like us to do, a place you would like us to go or see, any random act of craziness that you think would make a good story, or any other such wanton frivolity, then please allow us to be your "Avatars" as you live vicariously through us! I think that would be fun wouldn't it?! In fact, for those of you following along, I would request that you post at least one fun and ridiculous thing you would like us to do or one thing that you have always wanted to do that you would like us to do for you. And we can take pictures, video, etc. and make all your wildest dreams come true! (well maybe only the PG 13 ones, haha).

If I haven't lost you yet, then again I want to say I hope you enjoy our written and pictorial recounting of the "Tale of Two Hodges" in the months to come! As for me, its off to finals studying, then packing, and then Cannes, France, on May 8th. So for now its Bon Voyage until France!