Schloss Leopoldskron and the Meierhof

Well after the delicious hostel breakfast, we headed to the Schloss Leopoldskron for the Salzburg Global Seminar.

The seminar is in its 58th year and students attending our session were selected from private and public colleges and universities in California, Louisiana, Texas, and Florida. Our instructors span the globe, with faculty who are American, Israeli, German, Indian and Austrian.

Throughout the week we discussed significant issues facing the world with emphasis on how we can approach cohesive understanding and empathy for other cultures, particularly through reflection about ourselves. It was an enlightening experience to say the least.

Here are some pictures of the Schloss (palace) and Meierhof (stables) where we lived. The property was built by archbishop Leopold and later owned by the famous theater director and founder of the Salzburg Music Festival, Max Reinhardt, who worked hard to restore the palace to its former glory and make it a home and venue for entertainment.

Reinhardt remained in the United States after the Nazi invasion, while the Schloss was occupied by the Nazis until the end of World War II, when it was returned back to his estate.  Schloss Leopolskron became home to the Salzburg Global Seminar in 1947 when Reinhardt’s widow, Helene Thimig, offered the founders, Clemens Heller, Scott Elledge, and Richard Campbell use of it for their first seminar. 

The Salzburg Global Seminar program aims to bring leaders from across the world together for the pursuit of enlightenment and peace. Half way between the United States and Russia, it was once a neutral meeting place for high-ranking officials from both countries at the height of the Cold War. Today, it continues to host world leaders, academic minds, and college students, all of whom are pursuing a higher purpose and state of being. The luxury of the palace and the relaxation that the Schloss and Meierhof provide, really do allow for creative thought and open mindedness. It is a place for whom an appropriate motto was selected: Pure Inspiration.

 

Vienna State Opera: The Barber of Seville

 

St. Stephen's square on the way to the opera. You can see the restored mosaic on the roof.

 Thank you Rick Steves, actually thank you Mama, for recommending cheap ways to see the opera in Vienna! I managed to do it both ways tonight. I sat with other Vienna natives and international tourists to watch live stream of the opera in the open air and then spent the second half of the performance in the standing only nosebleeds in the sumptuous interior. Both versions of culture on the cheap were fantastic!

The Barber of Seville en plein aire

The Vienna State Opera interior

I can imagine what it must have looked like when the emperor and haute ton were in attendance.

        

Breakfast at the Hostel

Our first full day in Austria began at the Yoho Youth Hostel, which served a cheap and amazing breakfast for 3,50 Euro.

When breakfast is this good, I know it's going to be an amazing trip. Yay vitamin juice, European yoghurt with muesli and make it yourself sandwiches with fresh baked rolls!

Here's hoping every other meal will be as healthy and delightful!!!

Labyrinth at the Dom

After a rather good dinner at our hostel, our group set out to investigate the city at night on a very special mission:

Crossing the river by night. You can see carriages that often take tourists around town.

To cross the main street we went through a tunnel with incredible street art

But alas, horse drawn carriages and street art were a second to the evening's highlight.

Our first night in Austria became a magical one because it happened that Salzburg was having a once-a-year, all churches open until midnight event.

The Dom (cathedral), which is at the heart of the old city of Salzburg and one of the city's crowning jewels, hosted an incredible tea light labyrinth before its central altar.

The experience of the cathedral at night, with only candlelight to give the grand interior light, was magical.

Here are some photos of Salzburgers and tourists alike walking the labyrinth:

The facade of the Dom

A woman in period dress making incredibly spiritual music using opaque white glass bowls filled with water

 The labyrinth with a view toward one of the side chapels (a group is placing their candles in the center)

For those who wanted to walk the labyrinth, small beeswax candles could be purchased for a few Euros at a suggested donation. Holding the candle after lighting it, one enters the labyrinth and proceeds slowly through the carefully set out tea lights. The idea is to purify the soul and meditate as you walk. Believers and non-believers, Salzburgers and tourists, all walked in reverence and silence. It was beautiful to behold.

In the center of the labyrinth is a box filled with sand where the candles carried by people who chose to walk the labyrinth are placed. Women and men (young and old), as well as children, and individuals with disabilities (I saw a man in a wheelchair) all participated. It was deeply moving and uplifting. And a magical way to begin our journey in Salzburg.

The slow and careful journey through the sacred lights

Tea lights!

One of the church women is relighting a candle. 

All in all it was a beautiful event and a blessing to be able to see it on our first night in Salzburg. May the rest of our journey together be as spiritually uplifting and happy.

First Afternoon of Sightseeing

Well, now we found ourselves in a hostel and feeling a little more human. With coupon vouchers for our breakfast and dinner in hand, we stashed our stuff, took a few beats to unpack, and call loved ones, then headed out to see the Mirabell Gardens.

Salzburg is pretty as a poem. The colors are pastels and striking against the blue or grey sky.

My bunk bed (the top one)

The day was overcast and quite cold, but the Mirabel gardens were beautiful. Here are some pictures!

After the gardens we stopped at a little market that sold cold cuts and cheese, as well as olives and exotic sweets. I bought German bread and really yummy cheese!

To find a bit of warmth on the way home we stopped by a coffee shop and had hot chocolate or Mozart coffee, which came with whipped cream and a Mozart ball!

After dinner tonight we head out to the candle lit labyrinth at the Dom (the city's cathedral).

Leaving on a Jetplane...

Well, after a brutal semester and busy season of work, I'm off to Austria and Germany for the Salzburg Global Seminar, followed by a museum hopping adventure in Salzburg, Munich, and Vienna!

While our tickets were a gift from the university, the travel itinerary was stressful; altogether we flew on two airplanes, rode by bus and train from Munich to Salzburg, and then walked on foot to our hostel- all within the span of 24 hours.

Here are some highlights from up in the air:

San Francisco, the Bay Bridge and Treasure Island

The East Bay

Cloud Formation on the way to Philadelphia

US Airways terminal at the Philly Airport

Chicken Dinner! Amazingly good. I have to say, my low expectations of US Airways were completely unfounded!

 And what would dinner be without a movie? Finally, watched the last Twilight!

Breakfast

Germany

Munich Airport! Good morning Europe! Here's to the start of another great adventure!

 I know it will be a good one if we're in a land where the central train station has such a cute children's waiting area! :)