“Let’s start at the very beginning,
A very good place to start.”
Is there anyone who doesn’t love The Sound of Music? When I was a kid, I remember sitting around the TV with my family watching it and singing along with the music. We owned the official movie soundtrack, and my sister Gwen and I spent hours poring through the booklet that came with it, full of pictures from the movie and behind the scenes. And on a family trip to Vermont when I was eleven, not only did we have dinner at the Trapp Family Lodge, we met the real-life Maria Von Trapp. Gwen and I raced across the park to meet her, then stopped abruptly upon reaching her, speechless in the face of true celebrity. She was gracious and kind enough to carry both parts of that conversation.
I’ve been lucky enough to take the Sound of Music tour in Austria twice in my life. The first time was when I visited Salzburg in 1987 between stints at university. (A special shout-out to Ruth and Jenn, both of whom I met on that trip.)
And we visited as a family in the summer of 2006. By this time I had two daughters who loved the movie too (they’d been watching it since they were babies) and I had even converted Andrew into a super-fan.
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| The gazebo from Liesl and Rolf’s “Sixteen going on Seventeen” scene. The girls would like me to remind you that this picture was taken four and a half years ago, and they are much older now. |
The first thing we did when we arrived in Salzburg was sign up for the “Sound of Music tour”. And we visited all the major scenes from the movie: the facade of the Von Trapp residence, the Do-Re-Mi bridge, the chapel where Maria and the captain got married. We even enjoyed a plate of crisp apple strudel when we stopped for lunch.
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| Remember the gnome from Mirabell Garden in the Do-Re-Mi scene? |
We had a lot of fun in Salzburg. We visited the Mozart museum, took a funicular to the fortress overlooking the city, and caught a performance at the Salzburg festival. But the high point was borrowing the movie from the front desk of our hotel, and watching it that evening, squealing with excitement when we recognized a place we’d been that day. And we sang just as loudly and earnestly as I did when I was ten years old, watching the movie with my parents and Gwen.
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| Unfortunately, interior scenes in the Von Trapp residence were filmed in Hollywood, and so I was unable to photograph my family in the “So Long, Farewell” pose. |
Next week: another moment on a trip that was inspired by a movie!
How cool is that? I didn't know they had a tour of the Sound of Music! Ok, now those songs will be in my head all day 🙂 What a great trip!
What beautiful memories you are creating for your family! I remember watching The Sound of Music when it used to air about once a year on television. My sister and I were always excited because we pretended to be the child we were closest to in age.
Edelweiss still makes me cry. 🙂
Such memories. I studied in Austria … well…a long time ago and was enchanted by Salzburg.
I've seen the movie and read the book. I loved it! Austria is a beautiful place. I went many years ago.
Lucky! Sound of Music is my all time VERY favorite movie.
Great place to visit! You're so lucky. I love the movie but never read the book.
What a great tour. To be able to see places from such a classic holiday movie. I recognized that gazebo immediately. Love that you and your family got to experience it together!
Oh I'm so jealous! The Sound Of Music is hands down my favorite movie. I will have to put this on my "trips to take" list.
oh this looks like fun so they don't grow out of the I am a big girl thing he he
This post seriously gave me goosebumps. That is the effect that movie has on me, any time I am flipping channels and find it on TV, whether it's just starting or halfway through, I stop flipping channels and become engrossed, and wait for the goosebumps to settle down. I can't wait to have kids and raise them loving this movie the same way, and if I could ever visit Austria I would LOVE to take that tour! Thanks for this wonderful post, it brings back wonderful memories!
I have watched this lovely movie a number of times. The first time was in Johannesburg at a local cinema, with my mother and sister. It brings back a lot of tender memories of the past.
Yay! A shout out! I'm honoured… and I totally remember it. 🙂
Ruth, I was hoping to find a photo of you and me in front of the gazebo. All I found was a picture of us in the Netherlands wearing those Dutch hats. I don't know which of us would have been more embarrassed if I'd published that one. (Don't worry, I never will.)
I did the tour also back in the 90s when I backpacked through Europe and London for 6 months :):), talk about memories!
Great family memories. I love the Sound of Music. We also had the piano music and rarely give it a rest. I'm sure my mother was ready to burn it (the sheet music, not the piano… well maybe the piano too) after a few weeks.
Mimi
The Sound of Music is one of my favorite all time movies. Even after all these years, I still get teary eyed watching some of the scenes. Love the music. What a fun trip this must have been.
What a lovely memory! I can't wait until my daughters are old enough to enjoy the movie. My son might like it too, but right now, he just loves anything with superheroes!
I watched that movie a gazillion times as a kid! So cool that you got to go on a tour! If I'm ever in Salzburg I'm going to have to sign up for that!
That sounds like such a wonderful trip. I always feel a bit sorry for people who are too cool to immerse themselves in visiting places from books and movies they've loved. I want the full experience! My dream trip is to the Lakes Country, where I will cast aside any pretence of adulthood (it's a shaky facade at best) and live my own version of Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome.
What a great trip! Sigh, one day…
I love The Sound of Music too, and recently bought a DVD so the girls could watch it. Instant hit 🙂 Hubby still not convinced though.
What a fun post! I'd LOVE to visit Austria!
The Sound of Music is one of my absolute favorites! I cry every time I even speak about it (let alone watch it). Even my brother admits to becoming teary-eyed over it! Such a moving story, on so many levels. Even as a child, before I understood the political aspects, I did get the courage and betrayal. How amazing to have met the real Maria!
I never liked The Sound of Music but my sister did! She would watch it over and over again. I think it's pretty neat you went on the tour – especially since you love it so much!
The Sound of Music! Such a wonderful movie and you are so lucky to do the tour twice! Your photos look like so much fun! I have an award for you on my blog. I hope you will accept as you so deserve it!
I have done this tour and I loved it, in all its cheesiness. Sad to learn that the beautiful house was just a frontage they used, and they didn't actually film in that house.