Salzburg, Austria

Salzburg, Austria

The morning I woke up for the airport, I was thinking about movies filmed in Austria like The Sound of Music and Amadeus. I soon realized I was having a freaky allergic reaction to something. My eyes were very very swollen, top and bottom lids. I looked like the Elephant Woman, with fuchsia-colored saucers around my eyes. This has happened to me before, so I didn't think it would be a big deal. I took a Benadryl and hustled to get to the airport, but I was embarrassed by people double-taking my eyes, so hid them behind my glasses (which I normally only wear on the computer). I met up with the Art Director and our boss at the airport and we’re ready to go.

We transferred early morning in Dublin and I got to walk across the tarmac…. So technically, I’ve set foot on one of the Mother Lands!

After the first leg of the flight, they eye thing became quite dramatic. The flight attendants supplied plastic bags filled with ice, which I held up to my eyes the entire flight. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO lucky for me, I was seated right next to an English-speaking physician! He agreed it is an allergic reaction. He was super nice and able to talk me off the ledge, as I was beginning to worry about vision, etc. He gave me advice and made me feel better. Basically his answer … it’s back to the allergist for me (memories of childhood!) to find out what is giving me such severe reactions.

Salzburg I’m sure was lovely upon arrival but I was so freaked out about my eyes that I don’t even remember the drive to the pharmacy. I got some drugs, chugged them and went to bed at 7pm.

The next day, my situation looked about 50% better, but my eye area really hurt. Hid them behind the glasses again and went to work…. woh, woh…. Not a great start to this shoot.  The club lounge here was beautiful…. It seems the client has saved the best for last. From the lounge, there was a view of the city's white castle which is from the year 1030 and sits on top of a hill. It is one of those sites that reminds me how rediculously new America still is.

We went for an afternoon walk after scouting. Salzburg it is super quaint and idyllic. It is nestled around a pretty river with many bridges and houses built into the rocky mountainside. There are green, rolling hills, a white castle atop one of them, Mozart’s house is there, etc….. pretty amazing. I don’t speak a lick of German, but manage to find some food. After work, the crew wanted to go find Austrian beer and grub. I ordered traditional goulash and a “dumpling”, which is basically the hugest matzoh ball I’ve ever seen. It looked like a little brain and tasted amazing!

Dumpling (please note the scale to the mug):

Goulash. The real deal:

Apple Strudel in the home of apple strudel!:

By the end of day three, my eye is getting better and people aren’t staring anymore, so I am pumped and starting to dream of gnocci……. these trips are turning out to be workworkwork and then.... dinner. So dinner time is the reward and often the only time we get to see a bit of the towns we're working in. And this also means my blog is turning out to be a food blog!

Quaint little Bavarian restaurant (please note, the preztles hanging there):