Yesterday, Saturday April 25th, I went to see the statue of Johannes Brahms in Resselpark, which is located just outside the Ringstrasse (celebrating its 150th anniversary this year).

Statue of Johannes Brahms in the Resselpark

While Brahms lived in numerous apartments during his decades in Vienna only one of them remains. And it is has been repurposed years ago so it  is not available for touring. The picture below shows the exterior:

Afterwards, I walked part of the Ringstrasse then prepared for the Vienna Philharmonik Concert at 3:30 at the Wiener Musikverein, generally considered one of the very best concert halls in the world acoustically - also, very beautiful.

Interior of hall

Entrance to Wien Musikverein

After the concert I decided to return to my apartment by walking along the banks of the Danube River. While it isn't the clear blue you expect form the Blue Danube waltz by Strauss, it is an impressive river that clearly is a hub of activity in the city.  The water was flowing quite rapidly, as one would expect at this time of year since this is peak snow melt time in the Alps. Below are some pictures:

Danube runs right through the middle of the city.

Crowds gather to watch the sunset

The "Danube Beach"

Another busy day in Wien...

One of the things I was most looking forward to was visiting the graves of some of the great composers who lived and are buried here in Vienna; so, this morning I went out to the Vienna Central Cemetery (the second largest cemetery in Europe) and saw the final resting places for Beethoven, Strauss(es), Brahms, Schubert,and a marker for Mozart (he was buried in a commoners' grave in another part of Vienna and that has ben destroyed).

Beethoven

Schubert

Johann Strauss

Johannes Brahms (my favorite composer)

I then returned to central Vienna, merely one block from St. Stephen's Cathedral, to tour Mozart's apartment. Once again, it was thrilling to realize that I was walking in the very house the where Mozart lived and composed. They do not allow photography inside but here I am outside the entrance.

I'm the tall, thin, young man in the middle of the picture.

Went to the Vienna State Opera last night to see Madama Butterfly.

Sorry, but I've hit a major glitch. My computer has officially died on me. Unfortunately, all of the photos that I have downloaded from my camera are on the computer. And therefore, I no longer have access to them. Oh darn!

I'm back!!! My laptop's battery died, not the laptop. So, back to the opera...

I saw Madama Butterfly at the Vienna Opera House. Opera was terrific but the house itself realy is the star.  An extraordinary building with an unparalleled history. Built in 1869. My seat was in the 2nd row.  So, after carrying my opera glasses almost 4,000 miles I didn't need them.

Taken from my seat

Looking at the rear of the hall

There is a young boy who plays the 3 year-old child in the opera who stayed up waaaaaay past his bedtime since it's 3+ hrs.long. But he probably slept in this morning, but not me...

I was out on the tourist trail early. I couldn't wait to climb the 343 stone steps up to the top of the South Tower of the St. Stephan's church (by the way, it's exactly the same number of steps down -those Renaisaance designers really knew their stuff!)

After a much-needed breather, I headed off to see the Lippenzaners at the Spanish Riding School. 

 

Bid farewell to Salzburg this morning after a nice breakfast with my host family - delicious pate. Maybe that explains why I didn't see Mr. & Mrs. Duck this morning? 

Train ride from Salzburg to Vienna really wasn't memorable nor very picturesque but only took 2+ hrs.  When I arrived at the Vienna AirBnb apartment I was horrified to read that my apartment was on the 5th floor. After pate and wiener schnitzel I was concerned about my cardiac fitness and wondering if I had enough time to lug my bag up 5 flights of stairs beofre the opera tonight at 8:00 - to my relief, there is an elevator, so no dietary restrictions required.

No pictures of Vienna yet but I will post some from the opera tonight. Let me know if any of you want me to tweet live from the opera.  

This is a panoramic view of what our tour guide yesterday described as the "best view in all of Austria". I don't know if that's true or not, but it certainly impressed me.

Last night I had dinner with 3 Stonehill students studying abroad here in Salzburg. Loneliness can be expensive!

This morning I was awakened by a clatter outside my window. Here's what I found when I investigated - Mom & Dad were squabbling.

Later, I went to the Hohensalzburg Fortress, which dominates the landscape. It was built by the archbishops of Salzburg over a 600 year span. Apparently, it was a good thing to be an archbishop in Salzburg during that period. In any event, see the video above for the view from the top.

Then, onto the Dom zu  Salzburg, the central cathedral consecrated in 774 by an Irish Abbot, Bishop Virgil. Pretty impressive dome over the main altar.

Next, I went to what I expected to be the highlight of my time in Salzburg - a pilgrimage to Mozart's birthplace.  When I arrived I was greeted by a tour guide telling me that the house was closed for three days while they repaired/updated some wiring in the building! So, all I have are a few photos of the exterior.

Yesterday was devoted to "All Things Musical".  I took a four-hour "Sound of Music" Tour in the morning.  Do you recognize any of these scenes?

The Gazebo - although it has been relocated and is actually much smaller than the one used for the interior scenes.

From the back of the von Trapp house where the boating scene in which Julie Andrews and the children fell into the water. But, it actually is a different estate used only for the scenes shot looking away from the house. Still, pretty spectacular.

This is the church where the interior shots of the wedding scene occurred. The church is actually located outside of Salzburg in the Lakes Region.

I spent the afternoon visiting the house where Mozart was reared and was treated to an unexpected live performance of 5 of his piano compositions - ON A FORTEPIANO THAT MOZART ACTUALLY USED, BOTH FOR PRACTICE AND IN PERFORMANCES!  This alone made the trip worthwhile.

Arrived in Salzburg this morning. Amazing views of the Alps and the area surrounding Salzburg. Look carefully at the picture below and you can just barely make out Julie Andrews singing and dancing in the hills at the upper left.

Approaching Salzburg

The Hohensalzburg Fortress, a dominant feature of the town's landscape, is directly outside the entrance to the house I'm staying at.

View directly outside house

Shortly after I arrived at the house, a town-wide festival (I assume in my honor) began immediately beyond the back yard of the house - traditional costumes, music, and food.  Great fun!

So excited to be leaving this behind...as I head off in search of "The Great and Wonderful" Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs. 

As I prepare to leave to meet the  "Great and Powerful" Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs, this is what I'm leaving behind: