Thank you, St. Rupert

Move over Verona, guess who just took your place? Oh gosh, this incomparable Salzburg! This friendly, clean, orderly, historical, vibrant community has so much to give. Today was a long line of Hallmark moments, punctuated frequently by bucket list check marks. The aforementioned St. Rupert is the patron saint of Salzburg, and today was his big party day. A serendipitous event for us, because we had no knowledge of that. After waking to the pealing of church bells,I walked the 40 minutes into the platz (just like a piazza), and there found thousands of happy people in festive dress and beaming demeanor, all celebrating this special day. Austria at her finest. The women wore their best dirndls, and how beautiful they all were. Exquisite lace and deep emerald green velvet over eyelet, capped sleeved blouses were showcased and worn from the toddler to the dignified elderly. Leiderhosen were sported by the handsome Austrian men, usually embroidered and made of high quality suede. Beergardens were already active before noon and the woodsmoke from the Bratwurst vendors added to the party atmosphere - the line ups were long but jovial. Dave was thrilled with his Brat, mustard and 'kraut and accompanying bier. There was a midway with carnival-type rides for the children, and the hoots of laughter echoed over the crowds. We stayed for quite a while, wandering the platz under the Cathedral and then to the adjoining ones, Mozart's birthplace, and all of the quaint and orderly streets. Despite the thousands of people milling about, there was a sense of respectful camaraderie, and my few stumbling attempts at conversation were met with big smiles and instant conversion to English. I felt welcome. As always, we gravitated to the beautiful walks alongside the river, and today one side of the river was filled with vendors. Their tents went on for at least a kilometer and it was sooooo tempting to stop at each one and check out their wares. Beautiful wood carvings, leather works, Christmas ornaments, clothing, soaps, perfumes, sketches. It was a feast for the senses. The pedestrian bridges that crossed the river are frequent and afford scenic stops along the way, and the Italian tradition to affix a 'love lock' continues in Austria. The incredible Mirabelle Palace was a beautiful place to spend a little time on a park bench, and oh, the gardens! About four hours later, we elected to return back to our little Residenz, one of the nicest I've ever seen. You never really know what you'll wind up with when you rent through Booking.com, even though you try to set a fairly stringent set of requests. But this one is amazing and, may I add, has only 8 steps to enter! Gah it is so nice to be back on a ground floor! We have only 4 more days here, and that is far too short for all there is to experience. Tomorrow there will be another day spent en pied and one of the highlights will be a recital at the Cathedral just before noon. From there, exploring the old town, then a climb to the Salzburg Fortress and to the hills beyond. Oh, and a much antipated visit to the Augenstiner Brewer, infamous for live music, cheap food and great beer. Weather is holding beautifully, cooling down to the low 20s. Fall is in the air here, although the trees are only just beginning their graceful changes. I wish it would all slow down.