Schnitzel and Beer Tents

Saturday was my last day in Germany, and I spent most of it in Austria. So I guess it was my last day in Europe, at least for a little while. Wanda and Gert took me down to Salzburg, music capital of Europe. The old part of the city is closed in by cliffs and a river, with a magnificent castle built on the mountain. It’s beautiful. Salzburg is the birthplace of Mozart and today is home to the Julliards of Europe.

Mozart's Birth House

First things first, Wanda and I huffed it up the hill to the top of the cliffs so we could go in the castle. The Hohensalzburg Castle has been around since 1077. Obviously, it’s been changed and added to over the years to get to where it is now. It is also one of the biggest and best-preserved castles in Europe, so if you’re looking to come explore some castles, I would highly recommend this one. There’s even a cable car to get you to the top if you don’t feel like huffing it.

Afterward, we walked right on down through the cemetery featured in The Sound of Music and on to St. Peter Siftskeller, the oldest restaurant in Central Europe. It’s been around since 803 – that’s 1200 years! And I tried my first schnitzel there. It was quite a delicious experience. Not only was the food great, the service was excellent as well. This place has still got it, even after a millennium.

We took a stroll down the main street to walk off all the food we just ate and stopped to try some of the Mozart chocolates (clearly we were really concerned about eating too much). You can find these in almost all the shops, although if you want the really tasty ones, find the shop with the blue ones. It’s right on the end of the street, near the mountain. We crossed over into the new part of the city to see the Mirabell Palace and Gardens. The palace was the summer home of the archdukes living in the Hohensalzburg Castle, even though it’s only like a mile away from the castle. I didn’t notice any significant climate changes. Anyway, this place seems to be a popular site for wedding pictures, and probably receptions as well. There were two couples taking pictures in the gardens. This place also offers an amazing view of the castle, if you’re interested in snapping a good photo.

We went back to Neuötting pretty early, like around 2:30, so I could rest up. Wanda had arranged for me to go to the local festival, which is like a mini Oktoberfest, with the daughter of some good friends. Her name is Valeria, which is actually Italian, but her dad is Italian so that makes sense. Each town has these little festivals, although at different times. They reminded me of our county fairs, except everyone was dressed in dirndls (pronounced dindles) and lederhosen. They typically last a week and have carnival rides and booths and food stalls. The only difference? Alcohol. The main attraction of these festivals is the huge beer tents where people go to listen to live bands, eat dinner, and drink huge steins of beer (there is also a wine tent for the more sophisticated). Since the drinking age in Germany is 16, there is a tent where the majority of the younger crowd goes. That’s where Valeria and I went. We sat down, ordered a pretzel with cheese and a stein of apple juice, and were promptly joined by a German boy. Neither of us knew him and he didn’t understand English. Good thing Valeria could translate. As an aside, she speaks English very well, and she actually came over with Wanda last year and lived in Big Fork with a couple families. She is also very sweet. I enjoyed getting to know her. Anyway, he randomly came and went and was highly entertaining (he insisted he is always like that, and was not drunk… yet). As the night moved on and people started getting drunk and the band started playing better music, people started getting up and dancing on the tables. So of course I joined them on a table of my own. What I didn’t realize is that everyone else was on the benches, not the actual table, so after one song I was asked to get down by security, haha. It was fun anyway and makes for a good story. What did I learn from all this? The Germans know how to have a good time.

Our random buddy, Mike.

I promise that's apple juice!!!

I can’t believe how fast my time in Germany went. To Wanda, Gert, Carina, and Toni: thank you so much for your hospitality and for showing me around your beautiful country. I know I got to experience the best of Germany because of you. I had so much fun and enjoyed getting to know you all a little better. I will be back the moment I am able!