Sandy Supposes....

Salzburg Strolling, Stumbling

PROMPT: Salzburg, Austria...busy day of tours

         My feet and I were prepared for my hiking today. We perused Salzburg from the ground. In theory, we walked where famous Austrians once stepped, and saw what they once gazed at. I'm betting those people would've enjoyed our choice of footwear; sneakers.

          Our guides, or fuhrung this morning greeted us in period costumes from 1765. They were living, breathing embodiments of people known to the Mozart family. Dienstmagd Tresel was a kitchen maid, and sometime nursemaid assistant who dealt with the young classical composer Mozart on a daily basis. She was an insider. Tanzmeister Spockner was employed as a dancing instructor to the young aristocrats of Salzburg. He was also a close friend of Mozart's father,Leopold. Dancing was an integral activity of the Archbishop's court. We met these gilded guides at Mirabellgarten. Wow! This lush and colourful garden was ornate, and structured with precise patterns.

         During our stroll, we visited Mozart's childhood homes. We were assured that Mozart began composing classical music/musik when he was four-years old. These homes have been preserved as museums that house his instruments, and compositions.

         We lingered at the Schloss Esterhazy, castle of the Esterhazy princes who were patrons of music. They hired/commissioned Joseph Haydn to be their very own in-house kapellmeister, or composer/conductor. He produced many operas, and hymns. This area is known as Eisenstadt, or Haydnstadt.

         My culturally-expanded brain needed a respite, and it found refuge in Mini, a Viennese restaurant serving Hungarian food. The atmoshere was perfect for relaxing and unwinding with my fellow explorers. It was a small, cosy venue with unhurried staff. My goulash and beef cheeks were to -die- for -delicious. I never had considered that beef cattle had cheeks, and I'm presuming hopefully that these were the facial kind of cheeks. Hey, I know British relatives that eat cow nose and tongue...shrug. My gluteus maximus cheeks enjoyed their languishment with great company. Bier bolsters friendships. I felt the gemutlichkeit with my freunds/friends. Some, were blubbering, "Ich liebe dich." My high school ami, Lorraine, is correct; German is a guttural language, and thus doesn't lend itself to romantic declarations of love. Alas, it does not seduce as French, Spanish, and Italian do... I know, I know, the German can't help it, but "ich" which is pronounced as "ick", and then "dich", which is 'dick" leaves much to be desired.. Certain my brisk bustle through Salzburg had incinerated the clingy calories, I savoured a chocolate mousse. Its decadence was well worth it! Reluctantly, I bade mein freunds Auf Wiedersehen, and ventured out into the dark strasses/streets of Salzburg.

         I anticipated this evening tour all day. It was meant to be a chance to shiver and shake while hearing chilling stories. Yeah, a ghost tour. Our guide/ fuhrung, Sabine, obviously enjoyed herself. She was being asked to titillate and terrorize tourists. She regaled us with tales of 17th-century witch trials. Sabine spoke of a "hexenbulle", a script from 1485 that supposedly explains how to protect one's self from witches. Huh, I thought it was as simple as refusing their offer of candy. Or is it never harass a witch, or hexe? The nacht/night was suitably dark and somber...spooky. Sabine was a showperson. She created a spell/zauber of her own as she led us to the Waagplatz, or town hall, and the New residence where she wove a tale of tod/death; torture chambers, and executions. She claimed these sites were haunted, or frequentient. Maybe they are...they do seem to have a dark, violent history. Oh, alleged witches and sorcerers had their hair shorn, and they were bathed in holy water. So, basically they were cleaned up, groomed, and made to appear preentable?

          Why do we get scared in the dark? Hmmm, I researched. This sounds plausible: people have evolved to possess a check and limiting mechanism against recklessness. Basically, it's a vital survival response. We learned to be more vigilant at night because of our fear of possible or imagined dangers concealed by darkness.

         I don't want to name names, or point quivering fingers, but some of my fellow backpackers can be scary when they first awaken craving hot coffee. Oh, the horrendous creaking and groaning they generate is frightening as well.