Ich liebe Salzburg!

It is the end of our third day in Salzburg and we have done so much stuff that it feels like we have been here for a week. We just got back to our hostile after seeing Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake at the Grosßes Festspielhaus performed by the Russian State Ballet. The costumes, sets and dancing were so beautiful and I enjoyed it very much. I am always in awe of the dancers skill and the endurance it takes to perform. Earlier today we went to the Fortress on the hill above the city. From there we had a really pretty view of the city and the Alps near by. There was snow on the tops of the mountains and it gave me hope that we will get a little snow while we are here. Yesterday we had a guided walking tour of the city which included Mirabell Gardens, which was beautiful even in the winter. We also went the the Mozarteum which is a very prestigious music conservatory. It was such a fancy old building, I can't imagine how awesome it would be to go to school there. We also saw Mozart's birthplace which has been turned into a museum. There were some really amazing things there like his violin from childhood and a replica of his favorite harpsichord and some letters he wrote. It was really surreal to see all of that, especially the violin. We also went the the Cathedral which was very beautiful. I enjoyed seeing the five (five!) organs that Mozart, his dad Leopold and Michael Haydn played. Last night we went to a dinner concert at the oldest resturant in Europe. The food was great and so was the music. The musicians were dressed in period costumes and they performed pieces from Mozart operas. I'm looking forward to our last day here and then on to Vienna!

On the way from Munich to Salzburg

Mirabell Palace

Concert hall at the Mozarteum

Mozart is everywhere

Lots o' cuckoo clocks

The Cathedral

Little marionette Mozart and his mini harpsichord

Beautiful Salzburg