I slept well – even through a freak thunderstorm that blew through overnight. It had woken up Kuniko and she took some dramatic videos of the lightning and rain outside our hotel room. Glad we weren’t out in it!
We got up a bit earlier than the average tourist to try to catch some of the sights. First he we headed to Old Town, and it was a much easier walk when we didn’t have to worry about the heat and sun. On the way we passed a downed tree that had fallen in the storm, taking with it a set of signal lights. It must have been a big one!
In terms of sightseeing we had seen almost all the buildings we wanted to check out, except for two: the church graveyard and the fortress on the hill.
I was busy taking lots of pictures so I left the navigating to Kuniko, and she used her Google map application to guide the way to the graveyard. I followed, enjoying the cool weather as the path looped around the church and then starting going up steps. At the top of the steps was a gentle slope going upwards, which we followed while slowly losing our breath. Before we knew it we were halfway up the hillside, as joggers and people walking with dogs passed us going the other way. I was sweating pretty good now, and wished I had thought to bring a towel.
Google still had us climbing this hillside, and we ended up walking right up to the entrance of the fortress, which had just opened. The staff at the ticket counter was expecting his first sale of the day, but we just turned around and went back. We had wanted to check out the outside of the fortress but we weren’t really looking to go inside and tour the rooms.
So that was how we made it to our second objective and how Google decided it was time for vigorous exercise early in the morning. We had lots of episodes where Google pointed us the wrong way – this was the sweatiest one.
We went down the other side of the hill, capturing pictures of the city and the cathedrals under the fortress. The Sunday church bells were ringing and it was a nice moment to stop and listen. Along the path there was a little shed with a window high up, and a tiny ladder leading from the ground to the window. According to the sign there was a cat living in there who uses the ladder to come and go – how cute!
Around the next bend we passed the local brewhouse carved into the mountainside, Stiegl. It looked pretty old and had beautiful doors – more of a tourist destination than a brewhouse but it looked nice. Big Asian tour groups were starting to appear on the streets and the funicular was starting to run up and down the rails – too bad we went up the hard way.
Finally we found our way to our original destination, the cemetery was hidden behind one of the larger churches, and it was worth the effort. Each grave was really like a garden – somebody really is taking care of the plots. There was a tiny church in the middle of the graveyard and some of the graves looked ancient. It was really quiet there (maybe thanks to Google) but I’m glad we found it and could enjoy looking around.
Nearby was a historic restaurant called Cafe Tomaselli. We stopped in here for omelettes and Prosecco, and it was a nice break. The interior felt very old fashioned. The staff were all old friendly guys who delivered the food on silver trays and cloth napkins. The cakes were all stored in a display case nearby and a poor customer was trying in vain to get someone’s attention so that he could take away some desserts. We timed our visit well as the church services were still going on – I’d hate to imagine how crowded it must be during the post-church rush.
Later we visited the Mirabell Palace grounds, which was very nicely laid out and colorful. After visiting Schonbrunn Palace it was a little unfair to compare Mirabell – I thought it was nice but not really impressive. Also, we were stuck out in the heat and we needed to find more shade. We ended up going to the same cafe as the day before for another Bellini Spritz. I wasn’t feeling great so I had just a passion fruit juice with soda water, and it really hit the spot. The cafe was really busy – a line formed for people waiting to eat and drink there, so I felt a little pressure to get moving.
We headed back to the station, which was just as busy as before. We noticed that they had put a giant container out in front of the station, which had been converted to house toilets for the public. It seemed weird to see people lining up to enter the container – and it didn’t smell very good either.
We took a little siesta back in our room – rotated the laundry around for even drying, and then headed back towards Old Town for dinner.
One of the sights we often passed going back and forth between our hotel and the Old Town area was a couple of shops all run by middle eastern owners. A barber, an Asian restaurant, a pizza place, and a convenience store. Outside there were clusters of middle easterners hanging out, and most of the customers were also the same ethnicity. I only mention this because it was the second city in Austria that we came across these blocks, and I wondered if there was some reason why we’d notice it in Austria more than other countries on this trip.
It was still super hot, and we stopped on the way for a cool down at a bar that promised several wines by the glass. I also ordered a big bottle of water to drink with the wine, and it was nice to cool down. The place was playing classic rock, and it had a nice view of the plaza outside. These kinds of places are all over Europe and it is no big deal to have a drink and just relax and kill time there. No pressure to order more or move on, which is pretty nice.
Dinner was at a traditional place in Old Town called Sternbrau. We sat outside in a square underneath a shady tree, and there were lots of tables out there mainly filled with tourists. Since we were tourists as well, it seemed natural to eat there. Mainly we were there because the signature dessert dish of Salzburg is sold in a size that is more reasonable. But before dessert we ordered up some food and wine. Kuniko had a goulash that was quite good – another big rich meaty dish. I had a cheese plate and a sausage/bologna plate covered in pickled red onions. I think mine was actually two appetizers – I was getting tired of these monster main courses. It was actually refreshing to eat them – even though Kuniko accidentally ate the butter thinking it was cheese. It was the same mistake we made back in Estonia – why hide the butter within the cheese?
Finally we ordered the dessert – Salzburger knockerl. Usually served in a big pan it consists of three mountains of sweetened soufflé, usually with some fruit sauce. We knew we’d never finish a dish that big so we came to this restaurant as their menu featured “Salzburger knockerl for one”. After ordering there was a long delay – the other food had come out quickly so we were starting to get worried.
Kuniko was concerned and asked the waiter (who was replacing our original waiter – maybe it was the end of his shift). The waiter checked our order and said that the dish takes some time and we’d just need to be patient. No problem – we’ll chill and wait.
Less than two minutes after he told us that he showed up with the dish. I’m glad we asked about it.
And it was indeed just one mountain peak of soufflé, but it was exactly the same size as the traditional three peaks – just one huge mountain instead of three big mountains. It was sweet, delicious and it came with a bowl of raspberries and sauce to go with it. We couldn’t finish the dish as hard as we tried, but I think we did OK. I certainly know that anybody that finishes it alone probably needs to be checked for diabetes.
Eventually the bill came, and as Kuniko was picking up the tab I indicated to the waiter that he should present the check to her. He punched in the total from the bill into the little machine, and asked us the now familiar question: “Would you like to add a tip?” I was very proud that Kuniko replied with a simple “No.” She used her card to pay and we left. I didn’t like the tipping situation where the staff looks right at you and asks for a tip – it seems to be using social pressure to force money out of you. Very weird, but Kuniko did the right thing.
So then we walked slowly back to hotel, now that the sun was setting it was easier. I was really losing steam and so back at the hotel I took the last of my travel aspirin and tucked into bed early. It was only about 7 pm but I needed to get some rest and build up my appetite for Budapest.
