I Went to Salzburg and All I Got Was a Mild Stick Beating From a Demon

The crowd parted rather quickly, loud enough for me not to discern between screams of awe and laughter. I saw a shaggy-haired demon heading towards me, staring venemously with tiny, rubber, black dots--eyes. I panicked and turned rapidly to follow my friends, but the demon had found his target. He grabbed my arm and lightly hit me with a stick. The crowd was amused but quickly closed in again. The demon disappeared, the sound of his stick hitting the sidewalk the only marker of his presence.

No, the Alpine yuletide does not involve public humiliation. I had walked right into the middle of an old pagan tradition: men dressing up as demons and running around with sticks, hitting people. Welcome to Christmastime in Salzburg, Austria, a tiny valley town alive with history and beauty, surrounded by the Alps, and at this time of the year, decked out in Christmas markets, which warm the December chill, and weird traditions.

So I was lucky enough to be properly initiated into Salzburg, but despite the title of this post, that wasn't all I did. The highlight of my weekend in Salzburg was the Sound of Music tour, a four-hour endeavor that took me to all the classic film's principle locations: the lake, the houses used as the front and back of the Von Trapp residence, the gazebo, and St. Michael's church--from the wedding scene--which is located in the small town of Mondsee just outside of Salzburg. It was amazing, as well as mildly surreal, seeing all the places that had existed only on my television for thirteen years. However, my favorite part of the tour was seeing the Austrian countryside through the windows of the tour bus as it rolled down the autobahn.* I saw rolling green fields, the towering Alps, glistening lakes, and small houses dotting the uneven terrain. I had the opportunity to get off the bus and take pictures of the town of St. Gilgen--and Wolfgangsee, the lake--and Mondsee, which is one of those charming Alpine towns that only seem to exist on postcards.

Salzburg itself is a charming Alpine town, the likes of which also appear on postcards: old European buildings, churches, orange-lit Christmas markets selling traditional glühwein (hot spiced wine) and stollen (Christmas bread), and the ambiance of local authenticity. Despite modern times, Germanic tradition seems to be deeply rooted in Salzburg. St. Nicholas walks around, distributing peanuts and candy to children, the demons float through the crowds with their sticks, carolers sing on the steps of the Dom Cathedral, and vendors at the market dole out--for money, of course--every handcrafted good imaginable. The Christmas spirit is alive and well, and despite the evening chill, I'm happy to be there among the demons.

*highway

In Case I Overdose on Quality Cheese and Chocolate...

I would like to throw several words your way before parting with my beloved keyboard for almost a week to traverse through a small, albeit exciting, portion of the Alps region. Technically, that was the first order of business, but I will expand on the topic. Tomorrow evening, I leave for Zürich, Switzerland (I'm obsessed with umlauts, but that one really does belong there). Switzerland, to me, seems like a veritable wonderland of beauty, with little streets and quaint houses, all situated around water, with the snow-capped mountains looming in the background. I have wanted to visit Switzerland for quite some time now. Apart from being in love with its beauty (I've only seen pictures, but if Google images convince me, can you imagine what the actual country will do?), I find Switzerland's melange of cultures and languages fascinating. I will come back bearing stories of this seemingly mystical place, along with the more tangible treasures that are cheese and chocolate.

The wonderful thing about Europe is its proximity to everything else in Europe, so while in the Swiss region of this spectacular continent, I will also be visiting Salzburg, Austria. Six years ago, I had the opportunity to see Vienna, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I am sure Salzburg will be just as wonderful, especially because I will be going on the Sound of Music tour! Considering I was raised on that splendid film, I am horribly excited. Doe, a deer, a female deer...

Third order of business? I'm addicted to coffee. Perhaps I should create a separate bank account for java expenses.