June 25-26 aka SALZBURG!!!!!!!!!!!!

Salzburg is one of the most amazing places I have ever been!!!! So we set off early Saturday morning at like 5:40 so that we could get to the train station by 6:07 when the train left. Rebecca and I were running a little late because we both suck at getting up in the morning and because I had forgotten to print our hostel information. So we hurried to the train station, but not a problem. We made it in plenty of time. Then we took the train from the station by the base to the main train station in Stuttgart, which in German is Hautbonhof. At the Hbf, (That's the initials for it) we went to the platform where our train was supposed to leave. Of course we were excited, and of course we were extremely tired still from getting up so early and being out so late, so we failed to notice that there were no other people waiting at our platform, or that there was a message in German appearing on the platform sign, or that the train still wasn't there five minutes before it left, (which long trains always are if not with more time). That is to say that we didn't know our train had switched platforms and we totally missed it. This sucked immensely because we might as well have slept in another hour, but on the same hand, at least this didn't happen when we had purchased a reservation for a train (which is a reserved seat. Austria isnt' as popular as some places so we didn't need one. We will have one for places like Paris and Prague, and all the ICE trains, which are the fastest ones). That would have been bad because we would lose the money for the reservation. So at least lesson learned early. We eventually made it on the train and it was a peaceful four hour ride. Slept a little, read a little, ate a little, overall peaceful. Of course I forgot my cheese and sandwiches I made so all I had was less nourishing food like snacks. Oh well, still was definitely better than nothing, or paying an arm and a leg for food on the train. When we got there at around twelve thirty, it was really grey skies, but at least it wasn't raining. We walked to all of the main places, Mozart's residence, statue and square, Mirabell gardens and palace, The fortress, the fountains, etc. The hike to the fortress was absolutely amazing. It is like at the very top of Salzburg, and it can be seen from anywhere in the city because it basically looks down upon it. Brigette, Leah, and I went on a tour of the fortress, and it had like all these amazing rooms (including a torture room) and from the top you had a view of the entire city. I thought it was absolutely incredible. Molly and I also booked a spot on the 9:30 sound of music tour the next day! All was great! When we had seen basically everything that needed to be seen, we went to one of the beer gardens to eat some food. Not the biggest fan of beer in general, so i got a coke light (their diet coke) instead. This is the point where Briggette realized that she did not have her wallet. She has one of the longer like hard wallets that are popular. We figure it probably got left when we were at the fortress. She had it out when we payed to get in, and then we don't think she put it back before we were taking pictures by the walls and stuff. At those points we were all just throwing our stuff down and taking tons of pictures. It could have fallen or simply been left, or taken. I'm not sure which. I don't think she found it, but while Molly and I went on our tour today, the other four went to look for it again and do other stuff. We ate at the beer garden and luckily found a table. There were quite a few food places and then you got a beer and filled it and tried to find a table in one of three big rooms. I tired to get a baguette from this bakery there, and this rude German woman snubbed and waved off both Molly and I when we tried to order because we weren't German. Molly ended up ordering from the other worker there, but I was too angry. I ended up getting this potato salad and fries from another place. I should have gotten the pasta salad that Rebecca got, because it was much better. I didn't like my potato salad at all. Fries were ok though. After all of this, we walked to our hostel. I would like to mention that by this point it was raining. Dark, raining, gross. Under normal circumstances, it would probably still have been light since the sun sets so late, but because literally the entire sky was covered with dark clouds, it looked like night. Thankfully, it was really easy to get to the hostel and it was only like a fifteen minute walk. I had booked the hostel for five, and then Leah joined our group, so we had to sneak her in. Thankfully this place was huge, so it wasn't a big deal at all. Along with this, our room had six beds. The sixth one wasn't made, since we were only booked for five, but Leah just refolded everything in the morning, so yay! That was lucky that no one had to share beds. This place was called the Meninger Hotel, and it was super cute and clean and awesome. Definitely one of the nicest hostels I've stayed at. Went to bed at like eleven thirty, and got up at one thirty to check in with Sam. (One of the draw backs of being a director is that I have to wait for my counselor to check in with me and then I have to check in with Sam. Meaning I have to get up or stay up to do so unless she texts early. So lame). None of our counselors for us directors, who happened to be traveling together, checked in with us. Emily checked in with Molly, some of Molly's people checked in with Briggette. There was just confusion, and it was not fun. We were not happy. They know to check in with us, this is why we all have cell phones. Yes, they are traveling with eachother, but they still have to check in right. Spend the fifteen euro cents on a text man! Not that big of a deal. And then three of the girls, Emily, Mary Beth, and Allison, couldn't get into their hostel. They waited until one thirty in the morning to check into their hostel, and there weren't beds left. I'm not sure if they booked it wrong, missed check in (which for most hostels ends at midnight) or what, but they were like freaking out and chaos ensued. Thankfully they ended up finding a place nearby and all was solved, but still. Sigh. Got back to sleep, and woke up around seven thirty. Sadly to grey skies still. The sun was definitely being smothered by all of the clouds. Getting ready was pretty pleasant although the weather was terrible. We checked out without issue, and Molly and I left Briggetter, Leah, Erin, and Rebecca to go to the salt mines while we went on the Sound of Music Tour!!!!!!!!!!! We had to run because we were running late, but we made it in plenty of time! Despite the fact that the weather was awful, I had so much fun seeing where everything was filmed, and learning about how much special effects and cutting and pasting there was in the movie. Singing along was probably my favorite part though, I'm not going to lie. Ironically, our tour guide was from Washington. How coincidental is that. Auburn, Washington. But she was a great tour guide. We saw the house they lived in, the Gazebo of 16 going on 17, the lakes, the church they got married in, and about everything else you could think of. We learned the real story about the Von Trapp Family too and stuff. Like that Marta was actually named Maria too, but they changed her name for clarification. And that their Yodeling was a type that sounds more like a chant. And that Maria was really a good nun, and a bad nanny and stuff. It was really interesting stuff. We found out that the group of four who we had left missed the salt mine tour or something so were either going to go home or to Munich for the rest of the day. I felt kind of bad, but I'm so glad we went on the tour. I am really wanting to watch the movie again and like watch for the places I have been!!!!! Now I am back home. On part of the train ride home I sat across from an older couple from Spokane Washington. small world right? And Molly and I got back around nine. Poor group of four are still on a train. There was a suicide or something on the track of the train they took and they were stopped for a long while from what I have heard. At least they didn't see it from what I understand. And then 10 people who had been in Munich this weekend like got on the wrong train or something and went the wrong direction for a long while, so they won't even be back until midnight. I'm thinking with all the chaos that happened with like checking in and being responsible and stuff that there are going to be some people written up this weekend, which is deserved. Oh. Forgot to mention that from the moment we stepped on the train and the entire train ride home that the sky was perfectly clear, maybe like two clouds, blue skies, scorching sun. Of course lol. Oh well. Paris next weekend! Hoping for sun!