SALZBURG makes my heart sing - and it's not just because the hills are still alive with the sound of music.
Sure, we did Panorama Tours' Original Sound of Music Tour, which has been Salzburg's most popular tour since the 1967 film was released.
We heard all about the real Von Trapp family's story and the "poetic licence" Hollywood took in the film (incidentally, The Sound of Music was the first movie our mothers took us to see on a big screen as five-year-olds so will always hold a special place in our hearts).
Most importantly, we went location spotting and relived a dozen different memories from the film including: the "backyard" shots behind the Palace of Leopoldskron in the glorious Lakes District; Liesl and Rolf's "I Am 16 Going On 17" gazebo now in Hellbrunn Palace; the jaw-dropping opulence of the Church of Mondsee where the Baron and Maria were married; the St Gilgen village opposite Schaftberg Mountain and azure-coloured Lake Wolfgang that feature in the opening sequence; and Mirabell Gardens opposite the tour bus terminal where Maria and the children sang Do-Re-Mi and danced around the fountain.
But that was only the start of two amazing days that had us begging for an encore before we even left.
Salzburg's population is 150,000 but 300,000 tourists come to visit annually, and they can't all be coming to do the English-only tour (in fact, we were told most Austrians hate the Hollywood version).
Walk the cobblestone streets and alleys ways of the Altstadt (Old Town) with its specialty shops and upmarket boutiques, look up at the castle and its wall remnants, step inside and see the church interiors, stroll the banks of the Salzach River, sit down to people-watch in an al fresco cafe and you'll start to understand why.
Share a table under the trees with a giant bread pretzel and of course a couple of steins at Austria's largest bier haus and biergarten, Augustinehaus, that holds up to 2000 people and you'll really feel like a local.
Salzburg also has a rich arts culture and as the birthplace of Mozart (on January 27, 1756), you must do what the locals do and immerse yourself in the music.
The Mozart Concert Dinner is a great way to enjoy bite-size pieces of opera between three tasty courses inspired by 18th century recipes in the chandelier and candlelight ambience of the majestic Baroque Hall (Barocksaal) of St Peter's Restaurant (Stiftskeller), which claims to be Central Europe's oldest restaurant, first mentioned in 803AD and where the Mozart family dined.
The Amadeus Consort - a female and male singer with a strings quintet, all in period costume in the age of Mozart - brilliantly perform arias, duets and overtures from Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro and The Magic Flute as well as A Little Night Music (Eine Kleine Nachtmusik).
The music is very important to Salzburg, so they celebrate it every evening in this dinner concert.
And with a menu of white lemon soup with curd cheese, rosemary quark dumpling, great of roasted capon (game bird) with a red wine glaze with herb and pumpkin dumpling, semolina strudel and vegetables from the Padre's garden, and semi-frozen parfait of forest honey with two sauces, our tastebuds were singing, too.
Lesson of the day: Cobblestones and high heels don't mix. The heels get caught in the cracks between the "stones", and the surfaces are an ankle injury waiting to happen. Sensible shoes are always warranted. Unfortunately, flat soles and sandals don't go well with after-5 wear.
Cats in Europe count: 2
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