Lindzburg

Salzburg felt like home to me. It was another city that I had no problem loving almost immediately. The feeling was warm and exciting, and I think there was a lovely balance between the old and new there. The only qualms I might've had about it was that they milked Mozart for all he was worth. However, it was Mozartwochte (the annual Mozart festival), so that might've have something to do with it. The tourism in the town might've been a bit obnoxious if I weren't benefitting from the artsy shops and trinket stores, and the unique experiences that catered toward sharing the fun of Salzburg with visitors. I also can appreciate that the city is doing so well because of the tourism economy, and without tourism it might not be doing as well, so I was happy to experience some of that for the sake of the city.

One of the highlights of the entire tour was probably more or less a tourism opportunity and possibly another reason to entice visitors to go to Salzburg. The gondola outside of town led a large group of us up to the top of a peak where we could overlook the city from a staggering height, and where we could have a panoramic view of the Swiss Alps. There was plenty of opportunity for skiing and snowshoeing too, but I ended up trekking it up the hills to one of the main lookout points in my slippery rainboots boots. The view was life changing. There was so much about Salzburg that I was so busy experiencing that I didn't take too many photos or write it all down. I plan on returning to Salzburg again as soon as I can because it was an incredibly charming and beautiful city that made music feel accessible to me, and had so much opportunity for fun and beauty there.

Once again, a little photo dump with a brief bit about the photos...

Lillian took this at the top of the hill that we hiked up after we rode the gondola up to the peak.

We created Snowbear on the ledge of the Salzburg fortress and legend has it that he remains there to protect the city and will until the end of time.

After our incredible tour (given to us by the kindest and most joyful woman in Salzburg I'm certain), I returned to the cemetery alone and when I got there all of the bells in the city were going off while I listened to music on my headphones. It felt like *a moment* for me.

Another *moment* at the top of the world.

This was the view from the gondola right as we rode above where the clouds broke. It was amazing to go from a cloudy grey day to the snowy and sunny bliss that we found at the top of the mountain.

We went to mass in one of the cathedrals in town and it was funny for me to remember how high church operates after having not been to mass in so long. Even though it was entirely in German, I could understand what was going on.

Anika, LeighAnna, Lillian, Parker, Snowbear, and I at the fortress that overlooked the city. :)

Sexy M&M spotted on the love lock bridge. I hope she's happy wherever she is. <3

I'm so incredibly grateful to have experienced the trip with Lillian and Parker. These two people single handedly made the whole trip so much better, and I feel like that feeling is reciprocal between the three of us. We took this picture during a snowy night walk after a Mozart Aria dinner on the first night we were in Salzburg, and it felt like another beautiful moment that reminded me to be thankful for the kind, intelligent, silly, and generally incredible people I got to share this with. Love you guys.