When I was a boy, my aunt Megan took me to see The Sound of Music musical at QPAC in Brisbane. I remember being immersed in the Von Trapp story as I watched Lisa McCune and Bert Newton perform on stage - they were big names back then! Little did I know it then, but at the same time a redheaded girl somewhere in the Northern Suburbs of Brisbane was probably watching the same story being played out on film by her beloved Julie Andrews. She watched it repeatedly; almost religiously... so much so that the singing dame was up there with Betty White as one of her favourite actresses of all time! Fast forward a few decades and a marriage later... When that redhead and I got the opportunity to go to Salzburg and see the town where it all began and to walk the streets used in the filming of the movie we both had such a strong affinity for; needless to say we jumped at the chance.

Knowing we were booked in to "Fraulein Maria's Bicycle Tours" the following day, we thought it'd be best to refresh our memories on the film before riding around town spotting the various film location. We did, and could proudly brag to the other tourists that we had seen the film more recently than anyone else. We got more than a few odd looks. Regardless, we enjoyed the next 3-4 hours cycling around the town, learning about the history of Salzburg and the Von Trapps and reenacting some of our favourite scenes from the film. This was one of the Suitcase of Dreams experiences we set out to fulfil, and it was thanks to Megan, Chris and the kids that we could enjoy the evening.

We were still happily in the clutches of a Sound of Music frenzy when the sun rose the next day. Having heard rumours of "The Hill" (where Julie Andrews twirls and the Von Trapp children are taken one day for a picnic) being on the outskirts of a nearby alpine village; we naturally set off to see if we could get there. After a short train ride to nearby Hallein, we began the long uphill hike to the small township of Mehlweg - during which, we actually hiked across the Austrian-German border... pretty cool right?! As we ascended the scenery gradually opened up from quaint, lush village scenes to magnificent mountain vistas. As we finally trudged up The Hill we realised that it was not only worthwhile for its significance to the movie; but this was genuinely a breathtaking spot! The 360° views allowed you to see mountains, little Bavarian lodges and rolling hills in every direction, and we later realised that we were very fortunate to have the clarity we did. Many a pilgrim has made their way to that hill, only for low-hanging cloud or dreary weather to obscure those famous views.

We were further indebted to Mother Nature when she held out for us just long enough for us to complete the 10km downhill walk to Berchtesgaden, where we jumped on the next train amidst pouring rain and headed back to Salzburg. It was with heavy hearts that we had to say so long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye the following day.