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“I have confidence in confidence alone, yes I have confidence in me!” Today I took THE Sound of Music tour through Salzburg, Austria, and some surrounding areas where filming occured. It was another one of those times where I looked at where I was and what I was doing and rejoiced with how blessed I am.

The city of Salzburg is about 150,000 people, and about 300,000 come every year specifically for the Sound of Music. 70% of the jobs are in tourism. So…. it’s probably a good thing Hollywood filmed there for their city. Ha. I want to get some fun facts out of the way before I show you pretty pictures of me… oh yeah and cool things from the Sound of Music.

The first child was a boy, not a girl. Maria came to the family to be a governess for only one child, who couldn’t go to school after a sickness. The kids basically tricked the captain and Maria into marriage. Maria didn’t actually love the captain when she married him, she loved the kids, but grew to love him over time. Also, the VonTrapps fled to the train station… and then on to America where they landed in Vermont. Not over the mountains. The real Maria is in the Sound of Music in the beginning, when Julie Andrews in dancing in the square, Maria is a little nun in an archway.

The Sound of Music holds a really special place in my heart. Obviously because it’s a good film, but I also fondly remember watching this movie with just me and my Grandma Audrey when I was little. The tour was an incredible experience today, and also made me miss my Grandma.

THIS is where they filmed all the scenes from the backyard! And when the children and Maria fall into the lake, this is the one. It’s a beautiful palace too. However, this is not the house you see in the movie. They couldn’t get the right camera angles, so they shot at an entirely different location. Also, any scenes from the terrace with Uncle Max and the Baronness were here.

This, would be the front of the house. Thank goodness for my super fancy new camera and it’s zoom. We didn’t even get to stop here. Psh, that’s a really cool spot. Lame.

This is the wedding chapel where Maria and the captain got married. It’s also situated in a tiny town, that seems to me like an authentic Austrian town.

It was here where I had my first ever Apfel Struddle. (like in the song, my favorite things, just so we are clear). Let me take a pause here to tell you about an incredible group of people I met. There were 8 Texans on the tour with me (or I should say 7 and 1 from Chicago). It was a group of adults who are in the area to celebrate their sons wedding. These people took me under their wing today, and I couldn’t be happer that they did. Since the tour was a sing a long tour, I sat with them and we belted our little hearts out. They took my pictures in front of everything that I could have asked for and more. God was working through them so that I could have an awesome day. I even had lunch with them after the tour. We are now facebook friends and everything. It is amazing some of the people you meet when you kind of have to. I couldn’t be luckier.

This is the Mirabell Gardens, where the scene of Do Re Mi was shot. This is probably beautiful in the summer time, as it was quite lovely even now.

Now every time I watch the movie I will get to look back at this trip with love. And be all like, “OMG I WAS THERE” basically every ten seconds. I was nerding out the whole time and don’t regret anything.

Now for a special treat, and a moment I know you’ve been waiting for…

I am 16 going on 17… But I don’t need a man telling me what to do… just so we are clear.