The Hills are Alive with... Rain

Dear Dear Friends (bah - dit - tuh - dum - duh ["hotel song" anyone?]),

I arrived in Vienna today on from Salzburg, and, yes, the hills are still there. In fact, I had a series of "Sound of Music" songs stuck in my head for the two days I was there.

So I woke up after my first night to a rainy day. It rained until noon, and then there was a break. Naturally, my optimism led me to believe it would be a good day for a three hour hike up the Unterberg past the ice caves to a plain on top where I could behold the hills in all their beauty. Well the bus ride to the bottom of the mountain went fine, and the first hour hiking was actually pretty enjoyable, but optimism cannot tame mother nature. Luckily, as the downpour began, I noticed that all the trees had wet trunks except for one strong evergreen tree down the way. I figured that the dry tree would be my best bet, I totally felt like Bear Grylls because I stayed dry, and made it down the mountain alive. I could have also felt like Survivorman if I wanted to, but I would have had to stay in the rain and build a shelter and then try and fish but not catch anything.

On my way back to town I stopped to see Schloss Hellbrunn, where part of the legendary "Sound of Music" was filmed. I got lost in a little town at first, and then decided I didn't mind being lost because the town of Anif was so pristine in the mountain mist - so I wandered - and after an hour or two happened upon the castle.

Anyways, not alot happened in Salzburg, but I wanted to let you all know that you should visit it, especially if it is sunny - i'll certainly come back some day.

Twenty, going on Twenty-One,

Thomas