Yesterday we arrived at our 4th country. The land of Bruno, Hitler and Joseph Fritzell. Not a good start but also our first city of Salzburg is ofcourse the city of The Sound of Music or the Von Trapps. Now let me tell you about disappointment. I was told as a child that The Sound of Music is a true story, and I believed my lying parents. In reality and lets quote Maria Von Trapp herself here "its (TSOM) is a fabulous story, its just not mine". Lets compare.
The Sound of Music
Maria is a crap nun and ends up being forced as governess to captain von trapp a proud retired naval officer who has no time for kids but is always away on business in Vienna. Maria finds his softer side, teaches the tone deaf kids music and singing. The nazi party try to force Cap VT to become an officer, and being Hollywood he is the only Austrian of the time who hated the Nazi party, so they run away hiking across the Alps to freedom.
The reality.
Maria was a teacher first, then a nun. She was only required to give music lessons to one of the kids. The nazi party were to blame for a lot of bad things, but not the von trapps singing. Also there is no real evidence that they wanted him back very badly as an officer, certainly he was never forced as the film suggests. In any case Maria and Cap VT married 10 years before the Anchluss (annexation of Austria). He wasn't so much retired from the navy. When the Austro-hungarian empire became reduced to land-locked German Austria he lost his job as navy's are only good for countries near the sea. His money and property was inherited from his first wife. He took the money out of sound British banks one day and put it in Austrian banks which failed. Too proud to work for a living, Maria took it upon herself to make the family professional singers. The house they lived in, was big but due to poverty they lived in a top apartment and rented the rest out to students. Lastly the film ends with the family hiking the Alps to safety. In actuality they hiked as far as the nearest train station and caught a train to Italy, then to Britain then eventually to America. They weren't outcast from Austria in fact they returned there to do a few shows later.
That aside such a lover of the film I was, I couldn't help but try and find the places where they hung out at least in the film. Yesterday I found Mirabell Gardens in the centre where they did the Do Re Mi bit, skipping round the fountains etc. Today we took a bus ride 4km outside the city to Hellbrun Manor which formed part of the film. Where Maria first arrives singing "I have confidence" rings the bell and shakes hands with the butler. I also had a picture took in front of the gazebo, you know the song "you are 16 going on 17....I will be over controlling of you the only way a member of Hitler youth can be" (or something like that). The back garden scenes are a completely different manor. Quite obvious really as the front is shamelessly Orange and the back white.
Getting away from TSOM, Hellbrun Manor is an amazing place with much more to offer. The trick fountains, which should will ensure to get you wet as the art was to spray everyone by surprise in the humour which works so well only in Germany. Also a little walk into the hills within the grounds you come to Steintheater. A theatre made out stone as the German name suggests. An amazing day out.
Tonight it is Sound of Music night at the hostel (why not), so we are to avail ourselves of that and settle a few arguments on location filming with Sarah (I hope). Salzburg for me was all TSOM. However, away from that it is a beautiful city which when sunny (yesterday) the way it sinks in around more snow capped peaks and green hills makes it kind of special. Quite small in size and it appears walking it is easy. Although we reused a bus card by not validating it. A tip when travelling Europe, buy the ticket and don't validate on the bus. When / if confronted play the confused only speak English tourist, although you probably never will be. This is of course dishonest... but so is charging 50c for the toilet.
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| Plummer and Andrews lot |
Maria is a crap nun and ends up being forced as governess to captain von trapp a proud retired naval officer who has no time for kids but is always away on business in Vienna. Maria finds his softer side, teaches the tone deaf kids music and singing. The nazi party try to force Cap VT to become an officer, and being Hollywood he is the only Austrian of the time who hated the Nazi party, so they run away hiking across the Alps to freedom.
The reality.
 |
| The actual green card scroungers |
Maria was a teacher first, then a nun. She was only required to give music lessons to one of the kids. The nazi party were to blame for a lot of bad things, but not the von trapps singing. Also there is no real evidence that they wanted him back very badly as an officer, certainly he was never forced as the film suggests. In any case Maria and Cap VT married 10 years before the Anchluss (annexation of Austria). He wasn't so much retired from the navy. When the Austro-hungarian empire became reduced to land-locked German Austria he lost his job as navy's are only good for countries near the sea. His money and property was inherited from his first wife. He took the money out of sound British banks one day and put it in Austrian banks which failed. Too proud to work for a living, Maria took it upon herself to make the family professional singers. The house they lived in, was big but due to poverty they lived in a top apartment and rented the rest out to students. Lastly the film ends with the family hiking the Alps to safety. In actuality they hiked as far as the nearest train station and caught a train to Italy, then to Britain then eventually to America. They weren't outcast from Austria in fact they returned there to do a few shows later.
That aside such a lover of the film I was, I couldn't help but try and find the places where they hung out at least in the film. Yesterday I found Mirabell Gardens in the centre where they did the Do Re Mi bit, skipping round the fountains etc. Today we took a bus ride 4km outside the city to Hellbrun Manor which formed part of the film. Where Maria first arrives singing "I have confidence" rings the bell and shakes hands with the butler. I also had a picture took in front of the gazebo, you know the song "you are 16 going on 17....I will be over controlling of you the only way a member of Hitler youth can be" (or something like that). The back garden scenes are a completely different manor. Quite obvious really as the front is shamelessly Orange and the back white.
Getting away from TSOM, Hellbrun Manor is an amazing place with much more to offer. The trick fountains, which should will ensure to get you wet as the art was to spray everyone by surprise in the humour which works so well only in Germany. Also a little walk into the hills within the grounds you come to Steintheater. A theatre made out stone as the German name suggests. An amazing day out.
Tonight it is Sound of Music night at the hostel (why not), so we are to avail ourselves of that and settle a few arguments on location filming with Sarah (I hope). Salzburg for me was all TSOM. However, away from that it is a beautiful city which when sunny (yesterday) the way it sinks in around more snow capped peaks and green hills makes it kind of special. Quite small in size and it appears walking it is easy. Although we reused a bus card by not validating it. A tip when travelling Europe, buy the ticket and don't validate on the bus. When / if confronted play the confused only speak English tourist, although you probably never will be. This is of course dishonest... but so is charging 50c for the toilet.
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