Did the Taranusauruses make it back safely to their hostel last night? Yes, of course; this writing proves it. After getting directions several more times, they finally found a flight of stairs that led up the little mountain. The path was well-lit but still creepy due its deserted state and also because it is located in a thick forest.

They were up and ready to go before their roommates stirred and before the hostel’s free breakfast was served. The next hour was spent failing to find a post office, but they did patronize several bakeries. Raul and Lauren were the first to arrive at the meeting point for Fräulein Maria’s Sound of Music bicycle tour. If you look for them on Facebook, there might be some pictures of the Taranusauruses from today.

Two dozen people showed up for the popular tour, and so they were split into two groups. Their guide, Rupert, was experienced and entertaining as he took them past several locations featured in the musical. It was a nice way to see Salzburg. The first half of the tour took place in the Old Town of Salzburg, followed by a relaxing ride through the picturesque countryside on its outskirts. The entirety of the route afforded stunning views of the mountains near Salzburg. The rest of their group was comprised of a young couple from the Midwest, a family from South Africa, and four young Taiwanese.

After the bike tour, Raul and Lauren took a leisurely walk through the Old Town, following the self-guided walk in their guidebook. They took in all the major sights, including the massive Salzburg Cathedral, a restaurant where Charlemagne is said to have eaten in 803 A.D., and Getreidegasse, the historical commercial center of the town. On that street, Raul sampled several homemade spirits at a century-old establishment named Sporer. The spirits were delicious (lecker!).

They decided not to attend a concert since they are leaving early in the morning for Switzerland and instead, wrapped up the evening with dinner and completing their preparations for the next day’s trip to the train station from the top of the mountain. They bought stamps for postcards and later realized that the woman had charged them double. Their expectations for recompense were low, but they returned to the shop anyway. The woman was immediately apologetic and grateful to see that they had realized her mistake and returned. She corrected the charge and even offered a bag of chocolates as a token of apology. The chocolates are delicious (lecker!).

Republik Österreich