Exploring Salzburg independently

So as promised (or perhaps threatened), in this post I'm going to write about how I spent my free time in Salzburg. There wasn't really enough of it, I found, although that's always a hazard when you book any kind of group travel experience. And if you want to explore areas outside the major cities - which I definitely did - I think a package tour like this one is the way to go. I don't drive and even if I did, I'm not sure that I'd be very well-placed to learn about and choose the highlights I'd be most interested in seeing in the time I had available.

As mentioned in my last entry, my free time in Salzburg more or less began following the afternoon we spent in Berchtesgaden. Wandering along Rainerstrasse, I came across a great 2-storey bookstore. Newer stuff on the ground floor and sale books (often considerably reduced) upstairs. There was also an extensive array of those inexpensive paperbound classics published by Reclams Universal-Bibliothek. It reminded me of my university days!

https://firmania.at/salzburg/buchhandlung-motzko-platz-der-bücher-inh-mag-gerlinde-steiner-426368

A couple of doors away, there was also an interesting-looking children's bookstore. I looked in the windows but didn't stop to browse. Then I found a Billa grocery store in the basement of a modern-looking but basically utilitarian shopping mall:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/BILLA/@47.8104204,13.0424485,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x47769079f49784f3:0xf8d6bc8dc87a1d63!8m2!3d47.8104204!4d13.0424485!16s%2Fg%2F1wnbwvd1?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDkzMC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

It was the perfect place to pick up a few supplies for impromptu meals and snacks in my room. I wish I had discovered it earlier. But the next day I had a full day to explore. Thursday is market day in that neighbourhood so I set out bright and early to check it out:

https://www.salzburg.info/en/events/events-calendar/schrannenmarkt_event_12184438

I bought a few things there. A container of raspberries, which were just HUGE: as big as most of the strawberries you get here. Some fresh bread and some cheese. And even when there was nothing I was interested in buying, it was great to window-shop (stall-shop?) and see what the individual independent vendors had available.

By this time, the shops were opening up for the day and I strolled along Linzergasse:

https://www.salzburg.info/en/sights/squares-streets/linzergasse

I took numerous photos of things along the way, with my pocket-sized Pentax point-and-shoot (it actually has other features too, like video), focusing on quirky details that you wouldn't likely see on postcards or in guidebooks). I did do some shopping here too. At the Tracht store Almwelt:

https://www.salzburg.info/en/travel-info/infos/almwelt_az_301628

... I bought myself a short-sleeved white eyelet blouse.

At this music store:

http://musikladen-salzburg.at/lp-cd/

I bought 4 CDs, focusing on their Austrian section and items I'd be less likely to find back home.

Then I continued my journey to the Museum der Moderne:

https://www.museumdermoderne.at/en/exhibitions#c283

I made my way through most of the exhibits and even input my own very basic little drawing into the Art-o-Mat:

https://dynamic-media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-o/2f/b0/89/47/caption.jpg?w=1400&h=800&s=1

... and twiddled a few knobs and dials to get the AI bot to manipulate it ... with interesting results. I got to take home both my original and the one that AI had embellished.

Then I went out to the restaurant on the terrace for a lunch break ... and a spectacular view of the city!

After lunch, I wended my way back to my hotel.

I opted out of the farewell dinner, as I was booked on a 6AM flight out of the Salzburg airport, which was going to make for a punishingly early morning even by Salzburg time, and a punishingly long next day as it's 6 hours later in Ottawa. Also, I still needed to take a short nap, pack up my stuff and finish up food that I still had in my hotel room.

But overall, it was a great trip!