Do-Re-Mi

The hills are alive.........

with the Sound of Music.........

The Sound of Music is my all time favorite movie. I still probably watch it 5 times a year (who am I kidding? at least 10). My favorite memory is watching it with my mother whenever I was home sick from school. My dream in life was to head to Salzburg and take the tour. Finally, in the spring of 2005, my dream came true.

Our trip to Salzburg had a rough start. Nina realized at the airport ticket counter (circa 6am) that she had forgotten her passport back in Oxford. She had a lovely day of traveling back and forth and I decided to head to Salzburg by myself. Later in Salzburg that day, I accidentally got on a regional train (not the local I was looking for) and found myself headed to the city of Attnang-Puchheim about two hours away. We were determined not to let our little mixups get in the way of the glorious day ahead.

The bus tour is in the morning and is amazing. It takes you to all of the big sites (minus the graveyard), and even plays clips from the movie. This is the tour website: http://www.panoramatours.com/salzburg-Original-Sound-of-Music-Tour.aspx.

I would consider it one of the top ten days of my life.

However, the tour also shocked me and changed my life forever. Towards the end of the tour, the guide warns you he is about to tell you some secrets behind the movie and psychotic worshipping fans like myself should plug their ears. If you take this tour, I beg you to do this. It is devastating to learn the true story and how much Hollywood changed it for the movie. For example, they did not escape by climbing into the mountains to Switzerland after a daring escape from the Nazis. If you climb the mountains in Salzburg, you actually cross into Germany. In reality, they just hopped on a train behind their house. Maria was the strict one. Captain Von Trapp died two years after they escaped. I cant go on.

But hey, at least they give you a pack of Edelweiss seeds on the way out.

Warning: you are about to see some serious cheesy pictures. I can assure you that not only did we do all of this and more, but we sang at the top of our lungs the entire time.

This is the bridge they run across on their way to the mountains to learn how to sing. Unfortunately, it is closed to foot traffic otherwise Nina and I clearly would have recreated that scene for your viewing pleasure. 

These would be the trees that the children dangled in their new play clothes as the Captain drove by with the Baroness and Uncle Max.

Fun fact: they actually used two houses to film the movie. This is the back of the house. Unfortunately, it is winter so the lake is frozen over. Otherwise, Nina and I may have rented a canoe and paddled up to the house (hopefully not standing up and tipping it over). 

It's good to know Nina and I aren't the only fans with issues. The gazebo was moved from its original location because it was on private property and the owners were sick of dealing with trespassers. Unfortunately, an 80 year old woman tried to reenact the famed "16 going on 17" song by leaping from bench to bench and fell and broke her hip. It is now locked. Sad.

Reenacting Do-Re-Mi

This would be the church where Maria and the Captain were married. (Also known as the first scene on the second VHS tape. Do you now believe I am a superfan?)

How do you solve a problem like Maria?

The graveyard where the Von Trapp family hid from the Nazis is not on the tour. Nina and I just happened to stumble upon it as we were walking around the downtown area to our delight.

If you shake the gates, you hear the unmistakable CLANG CLANG from the movie.

One more thing: ROLPH PLEASE.

This is how I imagine I looked throughout the day. 

For your viewing pleasure:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtLIAWAI0EA