The answer is Salzburg. Its the fourth largest city in Austria and is the birth place of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a fact that the Austrians celebrate with the production of millions of Mozart chocolate balls which are available for sale in most shops and of which we have consumed a number today. Its other major claim to fame is that it was used as a backdrop for The Sound of Music and whilst there is much sound around me as I update this blog, it is the incessant rain beating on the roof that is causing the noise rather than Julie Andrews singing Doh Reh Mee!
We hadn't included a visit to Salzburg into our itinerary and were actually lucky today as we ventured early into the old city to take in the sights before the weather deteriorated. It is a very compact city dominated by its Hohensalzburg Castle, one of the largest in Europe and first commissioned in 1077. The view below is taken from the castle's battlements. Other than the castle it is overrun by cathedrals and churches and it was fascinating this morning to enjoy the tradition of good Austrian folk dressed in traditional clothes and Sunday best heading off to put a word in to whoever or whatever watches over us.
Clearly the Austrian Alps affect the weather pattern greatly here and we do not expect respite from this rain for some days. It makes the decision easy for us to pack up early in the morning and continue our journey South towards the sun and the sea of Croatia.
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