Salzburg

Salzburg was the most stunning place we've been in terms of natural beauty. During the train ride there we passed by the Alps. They're not always visible, but our travel was chartered during a clear day. I could hardly believe how big they were and how the range just kept going. In Tacoma Mount Rainier is often visible and is of comparable size, but it's an isolated mountain. To see so many together was a breathtaking sight.

The main castle of Salzburg is built on a mountain overlooking the city and is lit up at night. This makes it visible from anywhere in the city. There's a river running through the center of town with bridges built over it. This made me miss Prague! The same outlook was there, and it even had some lit-up notable architecture of its own. I really enjoyed the nostalgia for another place that I had seen not long before.

The occasion for coming to Salzburg was Mozart Woche, or Mozart Week! Mozart had worked in Salzburg at the beginning of his career, albeit unhappily. He much preferred Vienna and headed there as soon as he could. But this focus on Mozart allowed Salzburg to focus their main industry on tourism after salt was no longer wildly profitable. Refrigeration rendered it unnecessary after a long period of people getting rich off of the natural resource. 

We saw some of the best performances I've ever seen during this week. During an evening of chamber playing we got to watch an oboe player that had the most remarkable tone. He was extremely soloistic and played almost delicately. Oboes have a bit of a reputation for a sound that pierces through the tones of most other instruments, but he found a way to tame it somehow. I've never heard anything like it and suspect I might not again for a long time.