Ah, Salzburg. Sitting this morning with a dense coffee and equally intense pastry at my favorite joint, Tomaselli’s (opened its doors in 1703) on the square… a Segway back to a wholly different world from South America…. As 4 Segways cruise by on this pedestrian territory. I am reminded when I drove a Segway through the halls in the California State Capitol when the folks came asking for special legislation to declare the Segway a vehicle different from what the motor vehicle laws define. Took it up and down stairs, out onto the K Street mall (we head for pedestrian paths it seems)…. There are many reasons why Salzburg remains one of my favorite cities—that combination of history defined by the tiny streets, old architecture, people friendly mix but not too stuck in the past. Sophisticated and “country” at the same time as folks in high fashion blend with Tyrolian hats, heavy wool suits, even lederhosen. Modern but not stressed, quaint but not musty, intimate but not in your face, livable (at least for tourists who don’t actually have to live with the high costs), fastidious but not free of litter either, especially the unconscious smoker detritus. The parade passes by. Every corner of the earth is represented in peace, even happy, as the conforming Tyrolian uniforms mix with burkas, Hasidic Jews, Japanese tours in both traditional and Western garb, African robes, and of course jeans and T-shirts. The city and its people have aged well. Street performers, dancers, human “statues”, musicians, vendors, horse-drawn carriages all flow in the parade. Past glories obvious. Past sins hidden. Some couples huddled over their coffees are intent in their eye-to-eye conversations while others sit 20-30 minutes without a word and without eye contact…. Quietly comfortable communicating with their partners in silence or storming internal fury—lives of “quiet desperation”? Who knows….. its all in the story of the parade. Perhaps the reason I feel this way toward Salzburg is this is the place where I fell in love with Bunny. Our saunters in gaiety and in silence, through these narrow corridors, dancing to rock & roll in the plaza on ice and in the snow, sitting on the bank of the river…… no particular place to go, just enjoy each other’s company.
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thebunguycord 