Depending on the train, it is only 1 1/2 to 2 hrs. from Munich to Salzburg so we didn't need to rush around this morning. We slept in (7 a.m.!!) and had a leisurely breakfast and still made it to the station for the 10:22 train to Salzburg! I do enjoy train travel - especially when the scenery is mountains and forests and lakes. Dodging upcoming trees is a major challenge when taking photos on a train so I don't have time to deal with glare!
We were in Salzburg just after noon and our hotel is a short walk from the station. After settling in and getting our bearings, we headed out to explore.
Mirabell Gardens is just a few blocks south of the hotel. To me, it is most famous for the "Doh, re, mi" sequence in The Sound of Music. I couldn't believe I was actually standing there - on the steps where the children sang! I went through the song (surreptitiously, of course!) and marched around the fountain, seeing the movie playing as I went. 
The grounds were spectacular. Not only were the gardens a mass of colour, 
but the beds were shaped into curves and intricate designs. 
Even just dirt ready for planting looked attractive!
We stopped at a little cafe just outside the gardens for some apple struedel with vanilla cream. We decided to start doing a survey of apple struedels in Austria!! Delicious!
I like how so many of these cities cater to pedestrians in certain areas. We crossed the Salzach River on a pedestrian footbridge and were in the old town....narrow streets, old storefronts, painted facades and ornate trim. The signs could be a photo journal in themselves!! Some of the streets are much as they were during medieval times.
I haven't counted how many churches and cathedrals I've visited on this trip but I still find it hard to resist passing one by. Regardless of one's religious beliefs (or lack thereof!), it is hard to enter these buildings and not feel a sense of awe at the ornate interiors and incredible architecture.
There are 42 Catholic churches in Salzburg and they all seem to be lavishly decorated. The steeples dominate the skyline and add a distinctive flavour to the city.
Today when we were out, all the church bells began to ring at once. Truly the definition of cacaphony!! It was hard to carry on a conversation but I've grown to love the sound of church bells ringing.
Mozart seems to be just as famous as Julie Andrews here in Salzburg! 
His birthplace and former home are both museums now and the souvenir shops offer everything from keychains to fridge magnets to umbrellas to chocolates to jolly jumper toys with his name and image on them. There are also concerts at various sites on a regular basis. There is a carillon (35 17th century bells) in Mozartplatz which plays three times a day and often a Mozart composition.
While there is a "sameness" to these cities, I am still finding the unique and unusual. Salzburg has horse baths - as Rick Steves calls them "the 18th century equivalent to the car wash"!! It must have been quite a sight!
There is also a wonderful horse fountain that could entertain for hours!
We found a little Austrian restaurant in the heart of the city and enjoyed an amazing traditional dinner - roast leg of pork with potato dumpling and sauerkraut for Dad and me and cheese dumplings with crispy fried onions for Mom. I was quite full by the end of my meal and Mom and Dad shared a crepe filled with ice cream and covered with chocolate sauce. It's a good thing we are doing lots of walking every day!!
It was a beautiful walk back to the hotel with the sun setting over the river. The gardens were peaceful and everything looked soft and restful. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day!
