Ort (place): Salzburg, Österreich
Tour: the official “Sound of Music” tour by Panorama Tours
Datum (date)/Zeit (time): Mo. 27. April, 9.30-13.30
Hostel I stayed at in Salzburg: Yoho Int’l Youth Hostel (26. Apr.)

“Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start…” So sang our tourguide, Trudi/Judy, a British lady with a British sense of humour in traditional Austrian costume – a dirndl, to be exact. Our bus was filled mostly with young adults – the ones that were too proud to sing, unfortunately.
We visited:

• setting for the Von Trapp Villa
  • Schloß Leopoldskron (back) – now an American institute…grr! That was my dream home! 😛
  • Schloß Frohnburg (front)
• Mirabell Gardens – where the kiddies sang “Do-Re-Mi”
• Mondsee Basilica/Cathedral – where the wedding scene was filmed (the couple was actually married in Nonnberg Abbey)
• Mondsee – gorgeous scenery!
• Gazebo in Schloß Hellbrunn (now a private Gasthaus – guest house) – originally put up in Leopoldskron…’til the singing tourists upset the American scholars.

We saw:

• the original Von Trapp Villa – sold in 1938 before the family fled Austria and ended up in USA *never used in film
• Nonnberg Abbey – founded in 714 AD

We learned about…

• Christopher Plummer (Captn. von Trapp)’s singing voice was replaced by Bill Lee
• the real Maria von Trapp was an extra in the scene where Julie Andrews sings “I have Confidence”
• the movie was set a little later than the actual events

“So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night!”