Villa Trapp

Wow, what a long day!  It started out really early because we had to get out the door to catch the train.  We had a great time exploring the wonders of Rome but we were not too upset to leave our "hotel" behind.  We checked out and walked away feeling free and ready to move on.

The first leg of our trip was on a train heading to the northern part of Italy.  This ride was full of rolling hills with lots of fog and pretty patches of green.  It took us about 3 hours to reach our destination but it went by quickly because the train was really comfortable.  We did run into a rough patch when Snookie boarded the train (ok, so it wasn't really her but it sure looked like it:  bump-it, crazy nails, lots of bling, talking the ear off of the lady next to her) because she wanted us to switch seats.  Kenny and I were originally across from each other but ended up next to one another after it was all said and done.  Luckily she got off before we did so we didn't have to put up with her for the entire ride.

After that part of the journey we had to rush to get food and then find a bus that would drive us to the next train station.  We almost didn't make it because we followed the signs to where the buses were supposed to be but as luck would have it our bus was sitting directly in front of the train station.  We were eventually able to find it and hop on at the last second.  We were stuck there for the next couple of hours but luckily we both slept at some point along the way which helped to pass the time.  It was interesting to see the change in the weather as our drive continued; instead of fog all around us we began to see snow.  Once we crossed the border into Austria it was white as far as the eye could see.  It was pretty cool to drive through the small mountain villages (I think we drove through the Alps) and to gaze at the pretty scenery all around us.

Once the bus dropped us off we had about 30 minutes until our last train.  After waiting we boarded and it was another couple of hours until we arrived in Salzburg.  As the train sped through the countryside, it began to snow; I was entranced and watched out the window for the majority of the trip.  Even though I loved seeing the snowflakes fall to the ground, I'm glad it wasn't snowing when we came to our stop.  When I stepped outside I wanted to turn around and run back into the warmth of the train.  I must say that I think I've now experienced a new level of cold and I'm not sure what I think of it.  It's refreshing at first and then your appendages go numb and it's all downhill from there.

The only thing that kept us going at that point was knowing that we were about to reach the Von Trapp house, or Villa Trapp as they call it.  For those of you who don't know, Kenny and I have always loved The Sound of Music.  When we decided to come to Austria, I did some research and was able to book a room for three nights in the family home.  I was beyond excited as we approached the house even though it was dark outside and I couldn't really see anything.  Walking through the front door was like taking a step into history and it was fantastic.  Even better was the fact that we received an upgrade when we checked-in...score!  We are on the ground floor in the room of the oldest child and it's definitely miles above where we just came from.  Right now I'm sitting in the main room on the ground floor and all around me are tables, chairs, and other pieces of furniture that were used by the family when they were living here years and years ago.  I'm so happy to be here right now and I think it's a highlight of the trip for both of us.  We're going to take some time to explore the grounds in the morning when there is light out and after we get some much needed rest.