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!