Pegasus in Salzburg

A chill was in the air this morning in Salzburg. I had a couple of hours before the train left so I walked down to the Mirabelle Gardens for a look.

Pegasus in his green pool

I went around the back of the building and found Pegasus the flying horse in a very green pond full of pennies, presumably thrown in by visitors hoping for good luck.

The castle building seems to be used by the city council now ( what a wonderful place to work!) and there is a large map of Salzburg inlaid in the reception floor. As you turn to leave the building you see the door is perfectly placed to show Pegasus at his best.

Looking out at Pegasus

Mirabelle Garden beds: M for Mozart
(and think of the maintenance work!)

Zweisimmen to Gstaad by rail

 Zweisimmen is half an hour by rail from Gstaad and I took the train there yesterday. It is a very curvy scenic journey up and over the hill.

Salzburg Elevation  = 424 m (1,391 ft)
Bern Elevation  = 542 m (1,778 ft)
Zweisimmen Elevation =  947 m (3,107 ft)
Gstaad Elevation = 1,050 metres (3,445 feet)

Zweisimmen to Gstaad by rail.

Now I have finally visited Gstaad I realise how lucky I was deciding to stay in Zweisimmen instead of Gstaad. Firstly that extra train change after a long haul flight would have been one too many. I would not have enjoyed the scenic journey.  But secondly,  Gstaad is like a large upmarket mall and I found it similarly sterile. It might be upmarket but it is not relaxing ( well perhaps it is for people who love shopping.)

Pretty Gstaad

Visitors were a mixture of Swiss in hiking gear and internationals/locals shopping in the swanky shops. Middle Eastern folk were noticable by their presence, carrying large shopping bags.

Art ...

Art too

I visited two art galleries which were full of the type of art made in workshops according to an artist's directions.

In short, I found Gstaad tiring and alienating. Good for a concert perhaps, but not for a holiday.

Salzburg

Salzburg is extraordinary.I arrived on a hot train at about 4pm ... checked into the hostel, then walked in the direction of a park marked on the map. It seemed like a good place to escape the heat. The garden was surrounded by a high wall with gates. This garden was behind the wall. I expected persons with white powdered wigs to appear from behind the bushes. Persons with powdered wigs would certainly have liked this tea set in the window of a shop just along the road from Mozart´s birthplace.
No doubt they would have loved these baubles as well. They are 3D baubles, miniature sculptures though the photo does not show it.