The hills are alive

If you’re not a Sound Of Music fan, then I suggest you stop reading right now, and have a nice day.

Ever since I was like, I dunno, 7 – I’ve always loved the musical and dreamed about visiting Austria and meeting Maria and she would take me on adventures, save me from thunderstorms and teach me how to pull down my curtains and make clothes. There was a point in my life where mother made myself and my two siblings line up and sing Do-Re-Mi to our house full of Austrian relatives, and then I think I went off the whole thing for a bit, only to emerge as a 15-year-old singing and dancing in our Sound Of Music high school musical. So yes, I am in Salzburg, and yes, we know that upon arrival in a new place it’s crucial to do the most important things first. For example, when Dice first arrived in Boston, within two hours of her stepping off the plane we were at BHOP. Within one hour of arriving in Salzburg (okay, two hours if I’m honest, - I got lost) I had already booked my Sound Of Music tour. We have our priorities set straight.

Church where Maria Von Trapp and the Captain married in the film

Scenic Austrian drives 

Four hours of Sound Of Music fun awaited me. Our tour group was somewhat lively. Did we sing all the songs from the film as we bounced around the city of Salzburg, before heading out into the Alps? Absolutely. Our British tour guide was (surprise surprise) somewhat of a SOM enthusiast, and despite giving the same tour on a daily basis, she loved it.

Get this, I thought I could escape Harvard once I left the States, but apparently not. This is the Leopoldskron Palace and the lake, which forms the Captain’s back yard in the film. But you can’t do tours right up to the door because, guess what – Harvard owns the Austrian palace. You know, just for annual seminars, and stuff. No biggie. Trust Harvard to purchase a famous and very iconic and expensive palace for lectures. Honestly. 

The Palace that formed the Captain's backyard with the lake

Hellbrunn Palace and the gazebo 

Unfortunately the Pavilion has been closed for years now, but you can still get married in it and stuff, with permission. Unfortunately some SOM enthusiast wasn’t 16 going on 17 but rather 60 going on 61, and she tried to make the jump, but had no Rolf to help her….so she fell and broke her hip. Hence the closing-business commenced.

Those hills are alive

Random - but Red Bull (Austrian invention) headquarters. In the middle of  the Austrian Alps

Remember Gretel? Poor little Gretel? She was only 5 when they filmed, and she used to get terribly grumpy on set, after long days and countless scenes. And she used to cry, apparently. A lot. But lucky for them, the film crew realised that hot chocolate and chocolate cake cheered her up. So hot chocolate and chocolate cake were always on hand for when Gretel got grumpy, and she used to eat copious amounts of it, too. BUT come the last few months, she had gained a whopping 8 pounds in 6 months, and the last scene of the film, where they’re climbing the mountains out of Austria? It was suggested that the Captain should carry her on his back, and he like, blatantly refused because she was too fat…and made a comment about her being ‘built like a tank’. So they got a double. Poor 5-year-old Gretel had gained too much weight. I inquired as to whether the child grew up to have some serious self-esteem issues, but she went on to be a model.

Salzburg lake district

Who knows

We heard all about the real Von Trapp family, and their story is what the film and musical is based on. They ended up settling in Vermont, with a themed restaurant and inn, and literally trips where they’ll take their visitors out into the Vermont countryside, throw on some Lederhosen and Dirndls and sing with them, #americansellingpoint

Where Maria and The Captain married in the film

Mondsee district

This is where all the children were hanging out of the trees and waving to The Captain as he drove up to their 'house'

I realised I could have linked around about 200 videos to show all the places that I’ve seen, or walked through, or skipped down singing ‘I Have Confidence’, but let’s face it, of the half of my fan club that would have read this post, only half would have made it to the end, and I reckon of that half, only one person would have watched the videos. #georgette

And anyway, the hills are alive, and they call me on this fine day.