When we went to Salzburg, we knew more about The Sound of Music than about Mozart. Now I’m mildly embarrassed about that, but when we went, I was just plain excited.
Everyone wants to talk to young Indian backpackers, and conversation with a co-passenger from Vienna to Salzburg was natural. She told us she lived in Vienna and travelled to Salzburg regularly for work, so we asked her our excited questions: how easy is it to buy apple strudel? Is it a speciality of Salzburg/ Austria? What is schnitzel? Do you eat it with noodles?
Vastly amused, she answered our questions before asking us why our questions were so pointed.
We told her about the famous song from The Sound of Music, a little surprised that she had not heard of it.
“Yes, yes,” she replied. “I’ve heard of the movie, I think. But not many people in Austria know it. It’s the story of many Austrians during the war.” She hinted gently, “Salzburg is more proud of Mozart than the English movie.”
We ate our apple strudel and went on the Sound of Music tour, but also made it a point to find out about a little more about the musician.
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