A TRIP OF A LIFETIME
We were bitten by the proverbial travel bug earlier this year when we received an invitation to attend the baptism of twin infant cousins on June 1st. We have been extremely fortunate to have visited Italy, both in our youth with our parents and together as a married couple. However, we thought that instead of visiting relatives in Sicily and Abruzzo like we always do, why not add a new destination to our usual itinerary?
Having watched many a “Rick Steves’ Europe” program on public television as well as The Sound of Music over the years, we decided on the country of Austria and narrowed our cities to Vienna and Salzburg. After a bumpy beginning to our travels (bad weather delayed our departure out of Newark, NJ and made us miss our connecting flight in Frankfurt, Germany), the city of Vienna welcomed us with open arms. The city is a fascinating blend of old and new, particularly its architecture and sprawling pedestrian boulevards.
The Vienna Opera House was just around the corner from our quarters, pension Suzanne. Locals and tourists alike gather outside the opera house on Friday and Saturday evening during the summer to watch the latest productions – for free! We enjoyed snippets of Gioacchino Rossini’s La Cenerentola and Verdi’s La Traviata and admired the sophisticated attire of opera lovers on their way to and from the theatre. Saint Stephen’s Cathedral is situated about a mile away, where we climbed a breathtaking 343 steps (yes, we counted!) inside one of the spires to get to a 360- degree panorama of the city. Such cardiovascular workouts and frequent walks justified our indulging in Viennese treats like Weiner Schnitzel (a close relative to “cotoletta alla Milanese), Sachertorte (which was disappointingly dry) and Apfelstrudel (which was out of this world!).
Salzburg, while rainy and foggy during most of our stay, was still an absolute dream-come-true for us! The city is divided into “new” and “old sections by the Salz River. “Salz” means salt in German, and the area surrounding the city is rich in the mineral. We couldn’t resist taking The Sound of MusicHallstatt Excursion, an 8-hour minivan tour of the major sites from the 1965 Rodgers and Hammerstein classic and a picturesque Austrian village, respectively. We were worried that our very limited German-speaking skills might be an issue during our trip.
On the contrary, many Austrians speak English and Italian which came in very handy during our hotel and restaurant experiences. Our stay in Sicily the following week brought family and friends together for the aforementioned baptism; we also experienced our first Festa della Repubblica there on June 2. We attended a civic ceremony in downtown Messina where attentive spectators listened to notable officials and military personnel share their remarks.
Our visit to Tindari, site of the sanctuary that was erected in honor of “la Madonna Negra” (the Black Madonna), is a regular pilgrimage stop for us. While Tindari is quaint and reflective, Taormina (a frequent and popular stop for many cruise ships) is loud and touristy….but real gelato for just one euro and peoplewatching in the piazza is priceless! Our last week of the trip, spent in Abruzzo, gifted us with time well spent in nature, including a day trip to the lake town of Scanno within the Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo.
We learned that it is the only naturally formed lake in Abruzzo. We also visited one of the surviving “trabocchi,” ancient fishing constructions made of wood, along the Adriatic coast where they serve as monuments to the past but also can be reserved to enjoy incredible seafood meals freshly prepared by local chefs. Side trips to Francavilla al mare, Fossacesia, and our favorite beach (Lido “Morge”) rounded out our trip. Alas, after 3 full weeks, we were simultaneously sad and glad to return home.