These are a few of my favorite things

Salzburg is wonderful.  After a rainy and gray first evening, we had wonderful weather today and this town has quickly claimed a spot on the list of my favorite places I've ever been.  This morning was the much anticipated Sound of Music tour, and it was everything I hoped it would be.  I'm not usually one to sign up for anything involving a tour bus, but from the very first glimpse of the bus the tour was inviting.

The tour was great, visiting sights not only in Salzburg but also out into the countryside and surrounding lakes region.  Even without the movie references, the tour was worth it just for the scenery and sights that I would not have otherwise seen.  And our tour guide had charm and a sense of humor that was the perfect balance of corny and actually funny.  If you haven't seen the movie the pictures in this post might be lost on you - but I strongly recommend that you find a copy to watch as soon as possible.

Among the highlights of the tour were the gazebo where young Liesl and Rolfe have their romantic duet, the church where the wedding was filmed, and the gardens where Maria taught the children to sing "Do Re Mi."

I realize that my obsession with the movie might be more than a little bit dorky, but it was hands down one of the best tours I've ever taken.

We spent the rest of the day exploring old town Salzburg.  There are so many beautiful churches and buildings in Salzburg that you can't even turn your head without seeing something else that you want to go in or take a picture of.  I could spend weeks exploring this town.  We even bought fantastic street art from a Croatian artist who had set up a stand outside one of the churches.  Everything about this place has been pretty much perfect, and I'm actually a little sad to be leaving already tomorrow afternoon.

I'm now two weeks into my trip with one week left to go.  Words cannot explain how happy I am to have done this.  Aside from seeing amazing sights, I have been more calm and stress-free than I can remember being in ages.  I'm still not sure what life has in store for me, but this trip so far has been a fantastic first step in bringing me back to the happier person I used to be.  Hopefully the next week will be a continuation of the same.  For now, I'm embracing the words of young Maria Von Trapp (or more accurately Rodgers and Hammerstein) :

What will this day be like? I wonder.
What will my future be? I wonder.

Either way, I'm excited to find out.