Austria Anyone?

My sister Paige has her birthday the day after mine so this year we decided to take a birthday trip together. Hyrum's parents watched the twins for us so all we had was baby Julian to take care of. It turns out he is a very good traveler. He nurses pretty much anywhere, on park benches, in museums, in the car, on top of mountains...he's pretty easy going as long as he gets his food:)

We headed down to Austria for a few days in Salzburg and then over to Hallstatt. Salzburg was beautiful. I had been there once before but only for a few hours so it was great to spend two whole days wandering around the city. There are so many cathedrals to visit, it seems like there is a new one to explore around every turn. We happened to be there for Palm Sunday and it was a real treat to be able to sit in a cathedral for Mass. They had a choir and some very good soloists performing as well as the organ playing for a good part of the Mass. We also got to see the procession of people heading to Mass. Everyone was dressed in their very best Austrian outfits. It was so cute to see the children dressed in their Austrian clothes. Everyone had a Easter palm that they carried with them in the procession and there was even a band that was all dressed up and marching with the procession. The cathedral bells were ringing all morning and it was such a unique experience. We just don't have things like that in the US.

Hallstatt was wonderful and relaxing after being in the city for a few days. Our little guest house was right on the lake and we had a balcony that overlooked the lake. It is still pretty quiet here because the tourists don't come until May or June so Hallstatt was fun just to walk around and enjoy the beautiful scenery. All of the houses are built on a pretty steep hillside because Hallstatt is nestled between the lake and the mountains. I highly recommend this little gem of a town if anyone is headed to Austria.

Oma and Opa were so nice to watch the boys for us and we really loved the freedom of being able to walk around without two five year olds complaining about being tired. It was a real treat for Hyrum and I and we really appreciate being spoiled so much by his parents!

It was so wonderful to drive into Austria and see the mountains. There are a lot of hills around where we live but no real mountains.

The largest cathedral in Salzburg and the one we went to on Palm Sunday for Mass

"The hills are alive, with the sound of music..."


Hyrum being silly in Salzburg


Paige being silly in Salzburg (don't worry it was just a yummy Austrian soda called Almduddler)
Of course we had to visit some Sound of Music sights. Behind us is the house they used for the backyard shots in the movie. It was a beautiful day so we walked all around this lake and enjoyed the birds singing and the wondeful sunshine.


It was so fun to walk around the narrow streets in the old town of Salzburg

Salzburg

The ferry boat on the lake in Hallstatt. That is the town of Hallstatt behind us.

Paige enjoying the view from our balcony in Hallstatt

My very good traveller. Julian was just an angel the whole trip!