14 day Quarantine period in South Korea

The morning after my arrival, I was greeted with a phone call from the local government office. They had assigned a social worker to me for all my questions. I assumed he was in charge of all the international travelers quarantining in the area. He informed me about my do’s and don’ts during my quarantine.

1. I was not allowed to go outside.
2. I was not allowed to have guest over.
3. I was to perform a temperature check every morning and evening.
4. I was to keep my GPS on at all time.
5. If I don’t move (If my GPS does not detect movement) for a certain period of time, I would get a random phone call or a visit.
6. If my phone dies, the social worker would come check up on me.

Since I was planning on staying at the house by myself for the next 2 weeks, these were not a problem. He told me that the emergency kit will arrive the next day (2nd day of my quarantine) and that it would have information packets as well as the materials I would need. I didn’t have a thermometer and asked about #3 and he told me to just write in 36.5c in the app and in the notes section, write in that I didn’t have the thermometer yet.

He also asked if I needed food for the time being and I answered yes. He couldn’t tell me what type of food it was over the phone but told me it would be something I could cook with just the microwave. He assured me that all the materials will arrive the next day and I could start doing the temperature check as soon as it arrives.

Later that evening (1st night of quarantining), I received a text message, stating that I was Covid – negative from yesterday’s test. Even though I tested negative, I was suppose to stay under quarantine since there was the 14 day incubation period.

On my 2nd day of quarantine, as promised, all the materials were delivered to the house. It was delivered by the local office and they dropped it off in front of my house and called me to come out and pick it up. They had 1 big box and a small shopping bag. (On the box, it says “We can overcome Covid-19 if we are together” and it was from the Disaster Relief Foundation)

In the small shopping bag, there were the information packet, hand sanitizer, thermometer, extra masks, and hazard-marked trash bags. The information packet stated the rules again and had information about what to do on my last day. It was all in Korean. I assumed since the people who could quarantine outside the facilities are people with family in Korea, they would speak Korean. I do hope they have English versions available for 2nd/3rd gen. Koreans who are coming in to visit family. It also had official government forms with my personal information, stating how long I was to be quarantined at the written address. They were very thorough.

I was also surprised at the trash bag they provided. Normal trash bags in Korea are white or blue but this was bright neon orange. It also had the hazard sign on it. It made me feel like I was contagious and dangerous lol

As for the box, it was packed with food! There were rice, guk (soup), juk (porridge), and some side dishes. I was actually surprised at the amount of food. It looked like they made the effort to gave different variety of food so people don’t get bored and what to bolt out of their quarantine.

My father had to quarantine in August but he did not receive this box. I believe only foreigners get the food assistance and the content differs from family size and which district you were quarantining under. My father’s friend was under quarantine during the same time but in a different region and his box was more luxurious(?) than mine. I have been told that foreigners who are quarantining at the facility might get daily meals instead of pre-cooked food assistance.

I was actually just thankful to have free food for the duration of my stay. What I received above was my meal for the next 2 weeks. Of course since my parents lived hereby, if there was something I wanted, I texted the food to them and they came and left it on my doorknob. There are also lots of food delivery app in Korea and almost all types of food can be delivered. During quarantine, you can also order delivery but you cannot order food that would require you to return the dishes (aka. Chinese food). Just watch out for this.

And now that I got my thermometer, I had to check myself twice a day. My app would go off if I didn’t check myself on time. Usually the alarm would go off around 10 am, warning me that I have not submitted my morning checkup. And the evening one went off around 7pm.

The app itself is really easy to use. When you first download it, you have the option to select the languages. I picked Korean because that made it easier for the agents at the airport to set it up for me. (I had some issues downloading the app). When you need to submit your temperature, the circle would be red. You would tap the circle and the 2nd page opens and asks for your temperature as well as indication for symptoms. At the bottom of the page, there was a space for notes. Once submitted, it would take you to the main page and the circle would be blue. Simple.

They also provided me with a semi-therapist? The lady who called me was from a local community center and that she was in charge of my mental health/status while I was under quarantine. I’m guessing that a lot of people started to complain and maybe get depressed from being alone for 2 weeks. She asked questions about my wellbeing, mostly about my mental health, how I was holding up being alone, and if I needed anything to make me feel better. I told her I want to see people and be outside and she recommended that I put up the window curtain and talk to my parents from a distance. Not sure if this would help any elderly people under quarantine. But it was a nice gesture. She called me once a week but told me that if I felt anything, I can call at anytime.

After 2 weeks, I was FREE!!! On my last day, I got a final call from the same agent as the first day, and he went over my exit strategy. He told me that I need to take all the trash out in the orange bag and stray the inside and outside with the hand sanitizer. I was also suppose to re-wrap the orange bag with white/blue trash bag. Since I didn’t have any, I asked where I can get them, and he said I didn’t need to do it and that it could just be thrown out.

At 12pm, I was going to walk free, IF I didn’t have any symptoms. Luckily, I did not have any symptoms for the duration of my quarantine and I was able to just go. I had to keep the windows open in the house I quarantined at to circulate the air and the house had to be fully cleaned 24 hours after my departure.

It felt so nice to leave the house and I cannot wait to explore Korea!

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Flight to South Korea

Hello readers! I’m currently in South Korea due to some personal matter and I just want to say that I’m amazed at the length the South Korean government is trying to take to make sure everyone, residents of Korea as well as travelers, are safe during this pandemic. In this post, I will summarize my trip from San Diego to Busan, and the process at the airport to my trip to Busan.

Flights. There wasn’t a direct flight to Korea from San Diego so I had to take a domestic flight to Seattle for a transfer. For internationally flights, I usually try to get to the airport 2 hours early and use the lounge if I’m left with lots of time. My first flight was using Alaska Airlines. I tried using the kiosk but since I was connecting to an international flight, I had to use the desk. The agent was super friendly, spoke clearly through the mask, and helped me check in. There was no line so I thought maybe there isn’t a lot of traveler. Boy, was I wrong. Once I was in the terminal, that is where I saw all the travelers. The stores and restaurants were full and lively. The lounges were all closed so maybe that contributed to the busy terminal.

There were signs on the airport terminal chairs on which seat to leave empty for social distancing. And solo travelers were abiding by the signs but family/friends traveling together were sitting together. The area near by gate was crowded and I figured that the flight might be full and I was correct. Every single seat, including the middle seat, was taken. The airline provided limited service in air for safety and requested that everyone on board keep their mask on during the flight. The crew walked around and if there were people who lowered their mask, they politely asked them to put it back on correctly. Luckily, my flight did not have any passengers who argued with the crew and it was a peaceful ride.

Once at Seattle, I had to check in with Asiana Airline for my international flight. They told me that I would have the whole row to myself and the flight was very empty. While checking in, they asked me to sign a form called “Agreement to Facility Quarantine”. I explained to the agent that I was staying in a place that my parents have prepared. The agent told me that I would have to explain my situation once in Korea but to board the flight, I would have to sign it. So I reluctantly did. The form had information on the 14 day mandatory quarantine measures, including the cost. After I signed the form, I was able to get my boarding pass.

There was only 1 lounge open (The CLUB at SEA) and they were also doing their best to social distance. For instance, all food was pre-packed and the food area was roped off. You had to ask a worker for the food and they would put it on the side table for you to pick up. They also had blue ropes on chairs to indicate which seat to keep empty for social distancing. The choices for the day were hummus with veggies, pita, cheese, fruit, and soup. The lounge was also empty when I visited and I was able to relax and stretch a bit before the long flight.

Because of the low number of passengers, the boarding process seemed short. And as mentioned before, I had the whole row to myself and the row in front of me was also left empty. The crew on board wore mesh covers, gloves, clear glasses, and masks, fully covering up for safety. They also asked people to keep their mask on at all times, excluding meal time, and to stay in our seats as much as possible.

I thought they would have limited services, similar to domestic flights, but they had regular service. They handed out their regular amenity, thin slippers and toothbrush and tooth paste. They also provided 2 meals (first meal was bibimbap! My favorite inflight meal. 2nd meal was chicken and potato) with drinks and came around frequently with trays of water and juice. I asked them to fill my water bottle and they were able to do so in the galley.

For entry documents, they added 1 more: Travel Record Declaration. They document had QR codes to 2 apps to download for the duration of my stay in Korea. I filled the form with my normal answers (eg. writing my parent’s address in the “address of residence”)

Once off the plane, there were 4 checkpoints leading to the baggage pick up area for international travelers. The 1st checkpoint was to download and setup the app. Since the Travel Record Declaration form had 2 QR codes, I assumed we had to download the 2 apps but it looked like they condense the app to one and only needed to download. There were banners with the correct QR code and an agent helping people download it. Once the app was downloaded, the agents at the checkpoint helped me fill in the information and told me not to exit the app because it will refresh and clear the information.

At the 2nd checkpoint, they verified the information written in the Travel Record Declaration form and the quarantine app. Since I was quarantining at a place my parent’s setup, I couldn’t use my parent’s home address but had to write down the address of where I would be under quarantine. They also called my parent’s to make sure the address was correct and to check if I was in fact their daughter. Once you pass, you got a Health Screening Certificate for the next checkpoint.

The 3rd checkpoint was the regular arrival checkpoint. They took my picture and fingerprints here and handed me the Entry Confirmation. Normally, it would end here but since I was not staying at the Quarantine Facility setup by the government, I had to go through one more checkpoint. At the 4th checkpoint, they asked for Family Registration Form (가족증명서), an official government documentation that verifies the immediate family tree. This was something that I only found out once I got to Korea and had to ask my parents to send it to me quick. Luckily my dad had a copy of it in his phone and he was able to send it to me right away. Please prepare this before arriving at the airport!

After the 4 checkpoints, I was free to claim my bags and left the area, only to find more checkpoints. There were 2 agents, fully covered, collecting the Certificate and asking where I would be quarantining. There were multiple areas that were directing people to different airport exits for different regions. Since I was going to Busan, they told me to go all the way to the end and follow signs for the KTX train. The international travelers who were staying in the Facilities were given lanyards and taken to a waiting area for their own bus.

The KTX area for regions outside of Seoul was on the other side of the airport so it was a bit of a walk. And on my way to the designated area, there were several restaurants and cafes that were open. I usually pick up my sim card at the CU convenient store and luckily, it was on the way. If you are staying in Korea for short period of time, I would recommend the sim card here and you can preorder for pickup from their website. Plus, grab some snacks and drinks! The convenient stores in Korea are definitely worth a visit.

Once at the designated area, there were more agents here asking where my final destination was. I told them Busan and they told me to wait for the next bus to take us to the train station. They told me that usually the bus operates 20-30 minutes but the there was a union strike that made it 40-50 minutes. And since the bus was coming from terminal 2 (half full), it can only take 15 people from terminal 1. Luckily, I was the last of that 15 and was able to get on the next bus.

They packed the transportation bus full and took us to the Gwangmyeong train station, which was about 40 minutes away. We entered from one side of the station and it looked like they closed the area to the public and was only using the entrance for international travels. Once inside the station, we had to purchase 2 tickets: the bus transportation from the airport (12,000 won) and the train ticket. My ticket to Busan was 54,000 won and I could not get on the earliest train and had to wait a little less than 2 hours for the next train.

TIP: In the waiting area, there were vending machines but not a lot of choices. A lot of it was empty since I arrived later in the evening. So please visit the restaurants/cafes/convenient stores inside the airport because taking the bus to the train station!

When we boarded the train, we were told to not worry about our seat numbers and just take any seat inside the train. There were 2 carriages that were only for international travelers and we had so much space. Everyone was good about keeping 6 ft apart and sat in various seats and we were told to keep our luggage on seats were weren’t using (I think they were trying to use luggage as indicator for spacing).

Once we arrived at Busan airport, we again separated into 2 groups: a group for people who had someone picking them up and a group for people who needed taxis (duribal). My mom was already at the station so I got in my respective line. We were led to the testing area and had to fill out more forms. We had to write down our contact information, our quarantine address (even if it was a hotel), and emergency contact. This was where I got my first test in Korea. They did both the throat and nose swab and told me that I would get my results tomorrow.

Once the test was over, an agent had to escort me to my mom’s car and gave her warnings about the quarantine. My mom and I were not to touch each other, we had to keep our masks on in the car, and she could only drop me off at my quarantine location. We followed the rules and she dropped me off and left promptly. If you were to take a taxi to your next location (quarantine location), there were duribal taxis waiting for people.

I arrived in Incheon around 5:30pm and got to my quarantine house at 1am. It took a long time but I was glad that they were taking the measures to keep everyone safe.

[Day 24] Things to do in Hallstatt and off to Vienna

I had a pretty packed morning scheduled. I had booked a train to Vienna at 3:07 pm so I needed to be make sure to get on the ferry before then. I made a quick breakfast with the materials from yesterday’s shopping spree. It was really nice to have a kitchen!

I left the apartment at 9am and headed to the Luggage Depot. There were several places to storage luggage in Hallstatt and this was one of them. They opened at 9am and was close enough to the ferry pier. It was €5 for luggage and €3 for handcarry/backpack. I stored both my luggage and backpack here and luckily, they took card!

With nothing to hold on to, I ventured around town. There were several cute locations that seemed like photo zone. One was behind one of the restaurant and it was a small pier at the lakeside. You could see across the lake and see the other city, Obertraun. The air was cool and the peaceful atmosphere just made me want to sit here (and I did!)

Another one was up from the square. I was really aimlessly wandering and I found this spot was accident. There were signs pointing towards a set of stairs but I could not read them. The view of the city from up here was very beautiful. Again, since it was early morning, it was really quiet and I really loved that.

TIP: If you want a city view, I think this place and the postcard photo point are the best. If you want the lake view, the alley behind the restaurant would be the best.

Around 10:30am, I headed to the funicular. I bought by tickets for €38 euro and headed to the top. Do not throw the ticket away until you get back down if you bought a roundtrip ticket. I headed to the World Heritage View point first since it wasn’t very crowded. It was amazing up here! I highly recommend it! The view of the lake and the mountains were just breathtaking.

At the view point, I asked another tourist to take pictures and since the line was starting to form, I didn’t stay long. But right above the view point, there is a balcony that provides a similar view so I took lots of pictures here.

After all the photos, I headed to the salt mine. If you are on a schedule, you might want to do the tour first. They have time slots and limited spot for each tour. I was able to get in the 11:20am tour and it was about an hour and a half long. The tour was interesting. They gave us suits to wear on top of our clothes and had lockers in the lobby area.

The tour is so much fun! You learn about the history of the salt miners and how salt was formed and how it gets harvested. The tour was in German and in English. There were some jokes thrown and the guide made it fun for everyone. And the highlight. The miner slide! It was awesome! I wish I could have done it more than once. My top speed was 22.3 km/h and I thought it was pretty fast. However, our guide’s record was 42.6! Amazing.

At the end of the tour, you are given a small souvenir (salt) and a chance to purchase your slide photo. After the tour, it was already 1pm so I headed back to the funicular and made my way back to the city. I had some time to do some shopping so I looked around several souvenir shops and made some purchases. They have several handmade shops that were worth a look.

Afterward, I picked up my luggage and headed to the pier. The line for the ferry formed rather quickly so I suggest getting here early if you need to make the train. Since it was during the off peak season, the ferry did not get packed but I could see the ferry turning people away during peak season. I took a last look of this peaceful town and I hoped I could come back again.

Since it was only one platform, make sure you listen to the announcement before boarding the train. My train had a connection at Linz so I stayed awake till then. Once I got off the platform, I checked the info display to find where the next was going to be. I made memorized my next train’s number so it was easier to find the platform.

When I got on the next train, I was surprised! When I made the booking online, I couldn’t figure out how to book tickets with seat reservation. I had a choice between coach and regular and I assumed coach was the cheaper option. When I got to the coach 2nd class, it was a 6 seater compartment! And on the door, there was a sign that indicated that a seat was booked. The conductor came around to check people in and it was really cool! I have never been in a closed compartment train before. Since I had the whole compartment to myself, it was able to get to Vienna in peace.

Vienna was already dark when I arrived and I took an Uber to my hotel. I checked in as fast as I could and headed back out. My brother and sister-in-law surprised me with a visit in Vienna! This was a total surprise for me but I do love a good surprise 🙂

So we met up at Ulrich for dinner. My sister-in-law found the place and it was a good pick. When I got there, it was pretty late but the place was still packed. It was a cafe/bar type of restaurant and they had a lot of healthy options, including their drink section. I ended up getting their schnitzel and here, they made it with boar! Plus, they used pumpkin seeds in their breading to make it more “healthy.”

After a good meal, we went for a stroll. Most of the places were closed but we were still able to enjoy the Holiday decors and architecture. One that stood out was Domkirche St. Stephan (St. Stephan’s Cathedral). It was huge and very hard to miss. The tower and roof was what made this unique. It was too dark to see all the features of the Cathedral but even with a short glimpse, I was in awe. The design and colors of the tiles on the roof was really pretty and I wished it was light out so I could see all the details.

After seeing the Cathedral, we visited Zanoni & Zanoni for some dessert. Luckily, this shop was opened until 12am so we had some time to eat. We ordered ice cream shakes and cake and they were all really sweet. I mean, REALLY SWEET. And the portions were pretty big for a dessert. So if you are not that into sweet things, be prepared to share.

Since it was a surprise, we had to go our separate ways to our accommodation. But we promised to meet up in the morning for brunch. What a day!

[Day 23] Goodbye Salzburg, Hello Hallstatt

To make the most of my last day in Salzburg, I woke up early and checked out. I was able to leave my luggage at the hotel and explore the last bit of the city.

First, I headed towards Mirabell Gardens to find the Schrannenmarkt, a weekly market that is held at the square by St. Andrew Parish Church. The Market is held every Thursday and they had various booths from produce to artisan bakery.

The wrapped around the whole St. Andrew Parish Church so and is worth exploring! Since I visited the market early in the morning, there were lots of empty spaces but there were enough things for me to see and eat. The market is a great place to look around if you are intrested in local food culture. It seemed that during the Winter there isn’t a lot of treeses but it might get packed during the summer.

I ended up buying several baked goods from one of the vendors and headed to my last destination: the Hohensalzburg Fortress. To get to the Fortress, I had to take the funicular. Both the funicular and the Fortress were part of the Salzburg card. Since it was morning time (9am), it was relatively empty and the ride was pretty short. Once you get off the funicular, you are literally inside the Fortress.

This Fortress sits at top of a mountain and is visible from every point in the city. It is really hard to miss. And it is considered one of the largest medieval castles in Europe and I could tell! Just walking around the courtyard area took some time. There is an audio guide for the Fortress as well so take advantage of it if you want to listen to some history. There is also a restaurant here that provides an amazing view of the city and could be quite romantic.

It was nice to get to the top early in the morning because it was so empty! I was able to take all the pictures I wanted without having too many tourist in them. One bad thing about going up early was that even though the castle was open at 9am, nothing was open, not even the information center. Most of the things including the museums did not open until at least 9:30am so plan wisely.

We spent about 2 hours just exploring the castle. They had an photography exhibition so I was able to look around and they also had a marionette museum where you could see some of the puppets from the Salzburg puppet theater and also the backdrops. It was really interesting and I wished I could have seen a show.

After seeing the castle, I headed back to my hotel to grab my luggage and to head to my next destination. Before heading in, I visited an Asian supermarket named “Look! Asia Supermarket” that was close to my hotel. I wanted to grab some food for later. I was really starting to crave home food. I ended up getting some Korean chips and ramyun. It wasn’t cheap but I knew it was going to be worth every penny.

When I bought the Salzburg Card, I thought that my bus ride to Hallstatt was included. However, I had to buy a separate ticket for the 150 bus and for a one way ticket, it was €11. They do give change on the bus by if you do not have any euros on you you can purchase the ticket on the mobile app. I downloaded BusBahnBim mobile app to purchase my ticket.

I first took the 150 Bus to Bad Isch and from there, took a train to Hallstatt Station. Once at the station, I had to take a ferry to the city. Train was €4.20 and the ferry was €3 one way, €6 round trip. I would recommend sitting on the right side of the train to get a quick view of Hallstatt as the train approaches the station. As for the ferry, outside definitely had a better view for photos but if you are inside, both side gets a nice view but I personally liked the left side.

Hallstatt was amazingly beautiful. I only got to spend 1 night here but I think it would be better to spend at least 2 nights here. I arrived around 1:40pm and headed to my accommodation first. The apartment I booked really had a great view of the lake and mountain. But it was quite far from the ferry pier and there weren’t a lot of taxis (none when we arrived) and I couldn’t use any taxi apps. So I had to walk with my luggage. Also since it was an apartment, I could not keep my luggage here after check out time.

One thing that was recommended to me was the salt mine tour so I headed over to the ticket booth to buy tickets for the funicular and the salt mine. However, the salt mine was already closed! During the winter time, the salt mine closed early at 2pm so even if I did go up using the funicular, I wouldn’t be able to do the tour. Since the salt mine was already closed and the funicular was too expensive to ride twice, I decided to do it tomorrow morning.

Everything in this small city closed early so I decided to just do some sightseeing. Right next to the ticket booth, there was a trail leading up towards the mountain so I decided to go on a hike. It was a bit of a hike but the view of the city and the lake was well worth it. Plus it was really quiet and I was able to enjoy this nature by myself. There was also a waterfall that was visible from the city.

I did meet some other hikers that came up from a different entrance and they told me that you can actually hike to the salt mines! If you have time and love hiking, this might be good! Walk up and take the funicular down.

If you keep walking, you find a set of stairs that lead back into the city. The trail ends at the church’s graveyard and terrace. You can take more pictures on the terrace or if you take a left and keep walking, you can find the “postcard viewpoint.”

This was the photo point that you see in all the social media. It was really beautiful. They said that Hallstatt was the inspiration for Frozen’s Arendelle and I could see it. It was just picturesque.

There were lots of people here with tripods and many of them were waiting for the sunset and taking time-lapse video. Tip: If you want a good picture here, go early and get a spot. A lot of the photographers did not leave their spot for very long period of time.

Even though I did not take time-lapse video, I stayed until it got dark and saw the city light up and how the lake reflected the city. It was beautiful. But it got cold real quick! I had several heat packs but my hands were still freezing. So I headed back towards my apartment.

On my way, there was a supermarket that was still open. And since I had a kitchen in the apartment, I decided to get some more food for breakfast. The supermarket was relatively big and had lots of options. I grabbed some eggs, bread, and bacon and headed home. For dinner, I cooked the ramyun I purchased in Salzburg. The best remedy for a cold day for Korean = ramyun 🙂

[Day 22] Starting of 2020 with a bang

Another busy day! Today was my last full day in Salzburg and I wanted to make the most of it.

First, I wanted to start 2020 with a clean slate so I decided to “hike” Untersberg. I didn’t really hike it. I took the cable car up to the top. The cable car was part of the Salzburg Card so I had to take advantage of it. It was about 30 minutes outside the city and it felt really nice to get some nature in. I got to the station around 10am and it was pretty empty. The cable car operated every 30 minutes and they were very true to their schedule.

There were several people who had ski gear and when I got to the top, I realized that there were areas that people could ski and I thought that was so awesome. Once I got off the cable car, the view that greeted me was just breathtaking. To see such a clear view on the 1st of 2020 was a blessing. The top of the mountain was full of fresh snow, the sun was beaming brightly, and no cloud in sight. It was a perfect weather.

I fully enjoyed the snow and hiked a little to the top of the hill. I always love getting the aerial view of the city and even though we were quite far from the city, I could see it in the distance. After making a small New Year’s Resolution wish, I took the cable car back down and headed into the city.

My big activity for the day was the Sound of Music tour by Panorama. Sound of music is one of my all time favorite movie and since I knew it was filmed in Salzburg, I could not let this chance pass by. I did some research and decided to do the Panorama tour. They had 2 time slots (9:10am and 2pm) and made it easier to schedule.

They ushered us into a huge tour bus with the Sound of Music sign (hard to miss) and we were on our way. Our first stop was Leopoldskron Palace. This was the back end of the house with the lake. It was where Maria and the children rode the canoe. We were able to see the Palace from afar because it is a private property. But you could still see where the filming took place. As I looked across the lake, I could imagine hearing the children singing.

Currently, it is used as a hotel and you can make reservation. (I wanted to stay here but they had a 2 day minimum stay and during the Holidays, they had several days that were closed so I couldn’t get 2 consecutive days)

Our next stop was the Hellbrunn Palace. The Palace itself was closed since it was winter time but this was where the famous gazebo was rebuilt! The one from “16 going on 17”! They tried to keep the gazebo at its original location (Leopoldskron Palace) but too many visitors came so they had to move it. We could not go inside but just looking at it and touching the door knob made it feel so surreal.

After seeing these two places, we were back on the bus for a long ride. While on the bus, our tour guide, Michelle, gave us some information about Salzburg as well as some movie trivia. I did not know that Salzburg was the 4th biggest city in Austria and that salt was their #1 source of income. 2nd being Mozart and 3rd being Sound of Music.

And some fun facts about the film. Did you know that the children stayed at the Sheraton Hotel and they almost got kicked out? Why? Back then, people who wanted their shoes polished overnight would leave their shoes outside their door. The children would go and swap the shoes between the floors! What little rascals! Also, did you know that the Captain’s singing voice is not his? I had no idea! It was so much fun learning these fun little facts!

While on the bus, we passed by two big lakes, Lake Fuschl and Lake Wolfgang. Lake Fuschl was a resort town for the people in Salzburg and during the summer, it would be filled with people, swimming in the lake. We could not get a good view of Lake Wolfgang because the fog started to come in. But that didn’t stop Michelle from making our tour fun! We did some sing-a-longs with mama goat!

When we got to Mondsee, the fog was gone and it was just starting to get dark. It was about an hour drive so why did we have to come so far? The church where Maria and Captain von Trapp get married at was here. In the movie, it looked they it was part of the Abbey but since they could not film inside the nun’s abbey (Nonnberg Abbey), they filmed it at the church in Mondsee and some of it back in Hollywood.

Mondsee was a very small town but had some cute characteristics. If I were a local, it would have been a great summer getaway location. There was a lake that was walking distance away and several shops and restaurants. It was small enough to just relax quietly. We were given some free time to enjoy the inside of the church and also to explore the city.

Afterward, we were back on the bus and off to Salzburg. On our way back, they played a small documentary about Sound of Music and it was a peaceful ride back. Once back to Salzburg, they gave us the option of visiting the Mirabell Gardens but since I already visited it, I decided to opt-out and go off on my own.

It was already dark in Salzburg and most of the museums were closed but there was one that was still open: Museum of Modern Arts. Plus, it gave me a chance to use my Salzburg Card again. I was able to take the Mönchsberg Lift and I highly recommend this. It might be a nice place to see the sunset. The terrace provides a good view of Salzburg Palace and the city. I was able to relax and take in the night view on my own.

I was starting to get hungry so I headed back to the main street. I’ve been eating a lot of the local foods and was starting to miss American food. So today, I decided to try Burgerista, a hamburger restaurant. It was like a fast food place. You order at the kiosk, sit yourself if there are empty tables, and grab your food when ready. The food gets prepared once you order so I guess it a little bit more high-end than Mcdonalds.

They also had an English menu so it wasn’t too hard to order. I ordered the Meisterstuck and I really wished I could eat more since it was really good! They had several sauces for fries (and maybe the burger) and they were really good too. Definitely worth it if you are craving some home food.

[Day 21] New Year’s Eve in Salzburg

New Year’s eve. I knew most of the places would be closed due to the holiday so I had to make sure to check online to see if the museums and palaces would be open. I ended up spending a lot of time doing research prior to leaving my hotel room. I decided to mix outdoor adventures with some museum times.

First, I headed to Mirabell Gardens. This garden (and palace) is famous as the place where they filmed the “Do-re-mi song” from Sound of Music. You can see the Pegasus fountain and the gates Maria and the children sing on. Since it was winter time, the fountain wasn’t on and the gates were closed. However, you could still see and walk by the filming location.

After seeing the Garden, I headed to the Mozart Residence to learn about Mozart and his family. I grew up playing the piano and I really enjoyed Mozart’s pieces. Plus, I really loved Amadeus, the movie.

Mozart Residence looked huge on the outside, but the museum itself was relatively small. They had a Mozart Lego figure by the entrance, greeting the guests. The theme of the exhibit when I visited was about Leopold Mozart and on his background. It was interesting to learn about Leopold since I only knew him as someone who took Mozart around for concerts. I didn’t realize that Leopold was also an outstanding musician/violinist but his son, Wolfgang was the musical genius of the century.

After seeing the Residence, I walked over to Mozart’s Birthplace (Mozarts Geburtshaus) to learn more about Wolfgang Mozart. This museum kept most of the apartment intact and created a timeline of Mozart’s life. It was amazing to see the piano he played, the musical pieces he created, the clothes he wore, and more.

If you are a fan of Mozart, these two are a must visit sites for you! I really enjoyed learning about Mozart and his family and how they became celebrates in Salzburg and in other European countries. Both locations had audio guides and they were very useful since they described things in detail. However, they did not allow photos to be taken in certain parts of the museum so be aware.

After seeing the two museums, I headed over to the Salzburg Cathedral. The teal colored domes on these cathedrals are a must see. There were lots of people in line to get inside but the line moved quickly. The cathedral was much bigger than I expected. And the high ceilings and the arches were impressive. But my final destination wasn’t the Cathedral. It was the DomQuartier.

DomQuartier was so worth it! They were using the old residence of the archbishop and converted into a museum space. I’m so glad I dedicated some time to viewing this. They also provided an audio tour but I decided to wonder the halls myself. I did not know any of the artists here and most of the artwork here were either about the royal family or Christianity. But everything, every corner was worth a look. They also had a terrace that overlooked the Residenzplatz that was picturesque.

One thing. I did not know was that the Cathedral was part of the museum! You were able to see inside the cathedral from up top. I believe it is where the choir would stand during mass. Not a lot of people must know about this because it was empty! I was able to quietly people watch for about 20 minutes and just take in the beauty of the Cathedral.

For lunch, I headed to Gablerbräu. This was a traditional Austrian restaurant but a lot of it overlapped with Czech cuisine as well. I tried their “The Original: Wiener Schnitzel” and it was delicious! The meat was so thin and tender and mixed well with the cranberry sauce.

After a filling lunch, I headed to an overlook/outpost following the Kapuzinerberg street. The entrance was very close to the restaurant. At first, I wasn’t sure what to expect but the overlook provided a beautiful view of the river, the city, and the castle. For a great aerial view, I would highly recommend this place.

Also, while we were up there, we met the prangerstutzenschützen koppl for their annual shooting. New Year’s Eve was their annual event and I was lucky to catch them! The men of the group were very nice. I was able to meet with Wolfgang, one of the members, and he told me about how he joined because of his father. It seemed it was passed down from father to son. Family tradition.

They were dressed in traditional clothing and all carried a rifle. They let me hold one and it was extremely heavy! They weren’t actually shooting anything. Just gunpowder and paper. Starting around 3:30pm, more members were showing up and getting ready.

There were also ladies in traditional dresses and they sold shots of beer and schnapps. Wolfgang’s father gave me a free shot and it was delicious!

And starting at 4pm, from all different parts of the city fortress, different groups all started shooting together and it was LOUD! It wasn’t just once. They did it 3 times! (The one with the sword is Wolfgang!) It was amazing to watch a city tradition that only happens once a year. If you are in Salzburg during New Years, please, please, please, go watch this! (I will post a video in Instagram)

After the shooting, I decided to take a small break before heading to Mirabell Palace for the New Year’s Eve Concert. I wanted to experience some Mozart while visiting Salzburg and I thought it would be a great experience.

And it was! They were very true to being the City of Mozart. Instead of modern instruments, the musicians used traditional instruments. For example, instead of the piano, they played the Harpsichord! It was fascinating and I fully enjoyed the concert. The concerts were relatively cheap but the music was top notch.

After the concert, I walked towards Residenzplatz to get ready for the fireworks. Around Residenzplatz, there were several concert stages and there were bands playing 90s pop songs. There were also several booths selling food and alcohol. They were only taking cash so I couldn’t buy anything. If you want to enjoy some music and food before the count down, this place was it.

Since I was excited about the fireworks, I asked one of the police officer where was the best place to view the fireworks and he told me to go to Kapitelplatz. There were already a lot of people hanging out in the square. It was much quieter here with no stages or booths. Just people. I waited here until the countdown.

However, there was no countdown. I looked at watch and even 10 seconds before the new year, there was no sound. Maybe there was a countdown at one of the stages but the fireworks just started. It wasn’t as big as I hoped but it was always nice to see fireworks. There was no music or any celebrations. Just people watching the fireworks quietly. It lasted about 8 minutes. What really bugged me was that no one was wishing anyone Happy New Year! They all just watched and left. It was quite bazaar to me.

After the fireworks ended, I walked back to the Residenzplatz and wished I stayed here. Right after the fireworks ended, they must have started the Waltz in front of the main stage. I wanted to watch but by the time I ran over, the song ended. They only do one song so if you want to see the New Year’s Waltz, stay by the main stage! I asked one of the locals and they told me that during the day time, they teach people the waltz if anyone wants to join. So if you want to learn the waltz for the New Year’s dance, you can!

[Day 20] Off to Austria

It was time to say good bye to the family. They were headed back to the States and I had one more destination to head to: Austria. To be more precise, Salzburg. We all packed our things, said our goodbyes, gave each other hugs, and headed our separate ways.

My bus to Salzburg was at 10:30am and it was going to take about 3 hours. I purchased my bus ticket via Omio and it was about $17 usd. I got to the platform about 15 minutes early and there was already a line. The boarding did not take long and I was lucky enough to have an empty seat next to mine.

I took a nap most of the way but woke up when we crossed the border. They stopped the bus and an officer came on board and checked people’s passports. They did not scan any passports but just did a quick scan to see if they had a valid visa.

Once we were at Salzburg bus station, I was really confused. They dropped us off at some parking lot! It wasn’t what I was expecting. There was a bus stop and I waited until the time that was on the schedule but the bus did not come. I ended up calling a cab and taking it to my hotel.

I booked a place called Bergland Hotel and it was nicer than I expected. The staff were friendly and it was about 15 minute walk from the heart of the city. There were several restaurants and shops nearby and a bus station into the city less than 5 minute walk away.

After checking in, I decided to walk to the information center in the city. I needed to pick up my Salzburg Card that I was going to use during the duration of my trip. This walked out great for me since I planned on going to several museums and other tourist attractions. During the winter time, some of the attractions were closed but they reflect that in the price.

When I got to the information center, it was packed! There were people picking up their Salzburg Card as well as people making reservation for concerts. Due to the Holiday season, everyone seemed busy. It took about 30 minutes for me to pick up my card.

Once I picked up my card, I headed to my first location. The house where the Sound of Music was filmed: Schloss Frohnburg. This wasn’t included in any of the Sound of Music tours and I really wanted to see it. I used Google Maps to find the buses going towards the area. Google Maps was very useful in Salzburg in finding bus routes and schedule.

The first thing I noticed when I got closer to Schloss Frohnburg was the wall that surrounded the house. It was where Maria sang and ran! The second thing I noticed was the music coming from beyond the wall. And I noticed the reason why when I got closer. The building was now a part of Mozarteum University and there were students practicing.

I kept walking towards the main gate and I saw the house. It was amazing to see the front end of the Sound of Music house! I was able to reminisce about my first time watching the movie and falling in love with it. It was exactly how I remembered it from the movie. The gates were open but since it was a private residence, I couldn’t dare go in.

After taking some photos, the sun began to set so I walked back towards the bus stop and headed back to the city. While walking around, I did some shopping and ended up at Cafe Sacher. I did not realize that the cafe was inside a hotel but it was easy to find. I really wanted to try the Sacher cake since people were raving about it.

I got really lucky with timing and was seated right away. The cafe was really fancy looking and the atmosphere was very romantic. I was told that ordering here could take some time so I took my time looking at the menu. I wanted to try things that were unique to the cafe so I ordered the Sacher torte and the sacher melange (espresso with milk and whipped cream). The cake was very rich chocolate cake and the drink was also very sweet. If you like chocolate cake, I would recommend trying the Sacher Torte for sure!

[Day 5] Off to Seville

Our last day in Barcelona. We were lucky that our airbnb had a late checkout. We left our luggage and headed into the city for the last time. A lot of the places were closed on Sunday and because of this, a lot of cafes had lines out the door. So if you had a place in mind, make sure to make reservations!

We ended up at a Korean style cafe called Bing Bing Cafe and it was pretty legit. They had several bingsu flavors that are authentic to Korea which was pretty rare. We wanted to try some bingsu but we were here for brunch. And their brunch menu was also pretty good. They had several different bowls, smoothies, pancakes, hamburgers, and more. I got their poke bowl and it wasn’t too bad. If you are looking for something with a kick, I would recommend the Benedict Thai.

After our brunch, it was time for us to head to the airport to fly over to our next location, Seville. The check in line was long but we were able to check in online and only needed to tag our bags and send them off. The check in desk lines were long here so please check in online before coming to the airport. After we checked out bags, we headed through security. Weirdly, the line for the security seemed long but moved really fast.

Once we were inside, we headed to one of the lounges to relax before boarding our flight. There were several lounges but we settled in Canudas VIP Lounge. They had a decent food selection, mostly finger foods and snacks, as well as their drink selection. One thing about their drinks were that they were all bottles and you could not take them with you. It was weird to see glass bottles but also felt fancy.

When you are at the lounge, just check the time of your flight gate frequently. The airport is rather large and it might be at the end of the terminal. We had to run at the end and we were practically the last ones on board. But we made it to Seville safely.

We took an Uber to our airbnb and the driver could not get us to the front of the house. He ended up dropping us off a block away and told us which way to walk. So if you plan on bringing a lot of luggage, ask the airbnb if a cab can drop off at the front of the house.

Once we settled in, we started to look for a place to eat. We were pretty close to all the major attractions and had an array of restaurants to choose from. We didn’t want to go too far so we ended up at place called La Bartola. It was a small bar and we were lucky to have gotten the last seats at the bar. And this place was really good! They had an extensive wine list and a full list of tapas. Again, we wanted to try everything so we ordered one of each. They did have several tapas that also had meal size available. One that we really wish we got the meal size was the pork cheek stew. Carrillada Iberica con Parmentier de Patata. This was so good. We definitely need more. Everything here was good and I would recommend it. It is small so make reservation if you would like to try their pork stew!

With the travel, we wanted to be at our best condition the next day, so we decided to relax at home. We bought some snacks and wine from the local store and headed home. Nice day to relax a bit.