My Favorite City Thus Far

As promised, here is the summary of what I have actually been doing over the last couple of days. The night of the 3rd, after I arrived in Salzburg and had a chance to wander through the old town, I came back to the hostel and heard there was a film showing. What was it? Of course, the Sound Of Music. I will concede that some people go overboard with "the hills are alive" references, but it was nevertheless really neat to watch such a good movie just after I had visited several of the landmarks that are featured in the movie. Even if musicals aren't your thing, I think there are certain movies that transcend genres and really capture the joy, heartbreak, and beauty of our lives. It isn't my very favorite film, bit it is certainly a good one.

The next morning I groggily woke up at the very early hour of 5 o'clock and boarded a train to Zell am See, Austria. I arrived in town two hours later and transferred to a bus that took me another couple of miles into the heart of the Alps. I got off at Kitzsteinhorn ski resort and was greeted with steady winds and pretty cold temperatures. After renting ski equipment and buying a very warm jacket I took two gondolas and a chair lift to the glacier. It remains frozen year-round and amazingly had a very respectable amount of snow. The skiing was a little sticky but still good; unlike the mountains I have skied in the States, there were no glade runs, no bowls, no moguls and no long, sweeping groomers. Instead, I was met with a wide-open expanse of snow and surrounding rock. The view stretched out over the village of Zell am See to row after row of rugged, jagged mountains. There are no foothills here; the peaks seemingly materialize out of the ground and it was absolutely stunning. I can only imagine how much better the conditions are during the Winter season.

That night, I had a wonderful long talk with my family back home. It was great to catch up with them and I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation. I had yet an additional treat: I was able to have a wonderful Skype call with Ashley too. There is no substitute to seeing someone in person, but I was thrilled just to be able to hear her voice, to laugh and just talk (about both serious and silly things). For those of you who don't know, she will be joining me in Milan and it is difficult to describe how much I have been looking forward to it.

Yesterday I packed some sandwiches and had a picnic lunch in the old town. I wanted to go back and spend more time actually visiting the churches - there are at least nine within one square mile. Unlike many cities that have become sprawling metropolises with satellite cities, Salzburg seems to have retained much of its barvarian charm and is largely free from both the teeming swarms of tourists as well as the slightly junky stores and restaurants that plague so many big towns. Salzburg has character and personality. The old town center is still the heartbeat of the city and it is beautiful. My favorite spot was a bench in the center of Mirabell Gardens.

These were the prettiest gardens I have ever encountered. You may have seen them, for they are featured in the sound of music during the "doe, a deer" scene. The gardens were arranged in five main parts, all right next to each other and each featuring a particular type or color of flower. It is difficult to describe their splendor and beauty. I think it would be impossible for one to visit and not be struck for the brilliant riot of colors. My favorite was the rose garden. In contrast to most other rose gardens, this one had just one color and the flowers were planted in a long continuous stretch across a secluded courtyard. The roses were red, a rich crimson color and completely spectacular.

I am increasingly finding that words, while certainly helpful and descriptive, fail to adequately reflect situations or feelings at times. It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but photos also fall short in some areas. I could never hope to sufficiently relate how it feels to be humbled by the beauty of an Alpine panorama, or to be reminded how my life has been immeasurably blessed with relationships, friendships, and opportunities. This has been a journey of self-discovery in some ways, and God continues to remind me how good He is. He has given me reassurance and peace (very helpful on a solo trip across Europe!) and I have witnessed the strengthening of my relationship with Him.

It is a little scary to think about how little control we have over our own lives, but there is Someone in control. Life wasn't always promised to be easy, but we have God's assurance that it will be good. I continue to be reminded of this, and hopefully you will be too. The good life: I'm living it.