Twainfecta's Blog: Twainfecta's Log: Part II (Salzburg

Salzburg – If you’re a ‘Sound of Music’ fan at all, this is the place for you. Here we cruised the lush gardens and sparkling fountains of the Schloss Mirabell, and strolled through the very cemetery where the Von Traps made their quick escape. Lah Dee Dah. In all actuality, though, Salzburg was very cool, and not just for the thespian types. We got to see the birthplace of Mozart and one of his houses, though apparently he despised Salzburg, feeling that the residents didn’t appreciate him and that the town couldn’t even provide a decent opera house, so he took the first train to Vienna, so to speak. Strolling the banks of the Salzbach River and taking the scenic €2 elevator ride by way of the 5-story parking garage (even though I could have ridden it for free since I snuck past the gate with a pack of Chinese tourists but then let my conscience get the better of me) gave me a good sense of the picturesque layout of the city and its impressive baroque architecture.

Cesky Krumlov – A brief stopover en route to Prague, the Cesky offered mediocre seafood, speedo-donning Czechs in river rafts, an overabundance of specialty souvenir shops, and “trash ice” (their translation of shaved ice). But for all its inconveniences, C.K. was quaint beyond belief (rivaling Intercourse, PA), and the cool weather, the flowing river, and the surrounding castles and cottages just took you instantly back in time…and you didn’t want to leave. After trekking up the steep trail to catch a superb view of the city, Crato decided he didn’t feel like walking back down so he offered Des 20 krohn to piggy back him all the way down (fooling Des with the 20:1 USD exchange rate). Interestingly enough, Crato was the one who sustained injuries in the treacherous ride.

Prague – This had to be my favorite city of the whole trip. The St. Vitus Cathedral had an incredibly ornate exterior and an even more detailed interior with stained glass windows made out of 20-some-odd thousand pieces of glass. The walk down Charles Bridge was “a walk to remember” with its countless catholic statues and adornments. This was one of those places where I could just lean up against a wall with the right book and relax for hours. The astronomical clock in the city square added a nice touch and the looming threat of being pick-pocketed by the Gypsies at any given moment made it all the more exciting [I tried to reach for Sue’s purse here posing as a Gypsy but she wouldn’t have any of it. I quickly regretted trying]. One of the nights we dined at a nice restaurant with a view of the city, and a nice piano and keyboard. Our waiter, a young Czech fellow, started doodling around on the little Casio keyboard (I think I recognized the sound loop as Samba 27). He was just one-fingering it and trying to jam out. No one wanted to look at him, thinking it might cause embarrassment or something, but Des and I peeked over and when we made eye contact he did one of those neck-shrug and grin things. Other than that he was a total pro. Once the regular pianist came in and finished his set, my mom took the reins and Dvoraked all over his face with Symphony #9 (From the New World). Though he did come back and counter with the Loveboat Theme.