Do you prefer Mustaches or Torture? Salzburg likes both!

Hello again! It's about time I posted something new here. I has been over a year... Welcome back! (or welcome, if you've never poked around this photo blog before)

Quick catch-up: I use this blog as a virtual scrapbook, challenging myself to put up some pictures of my wanderings (mostly outside of the US) both for my own memories and to actually do something with the pictures I take. Plus, If it amuses folks like you, all the better!

So a year and a half ago, my dad and I took a trip around central Europe a bit and I got a little sidetracked in posting. Here I am, picking up where I left off, which happens to be...

SALZBURG!! Birthplace of Mozart, setting of the Sound of Music, and simply a beautiful city in Austria. 

First, let us take note of the wildlife, most notably the unicorns. 

Also giant ladybugs.

And men in lederhosen and classy hats playing polka music. Obviously.

Then, we'll move to a graveyard, where stone headstones are way too boring, and elaborate metal sculptures are in high demand.

If I were buried in an Austrian cemetery, I'd want to be with the family of Dr. Dopf. They are obviously really good at balancing things on their head while flying.

This is Dad. He's climbing a weird cavelike hallway at the back of the cemetery. What will he find at the top?

Just a FREAKING KICKASS VIEW of Salzburg, mountains, and awesomeness.

Next it was museum time. (no wait! don't close the tab! It's a cool museum!)

See? A cool door! 

Ok, sorry, just a door. I can do better. 

How about very well-mustached war figurines! 

This guy's hat/mustache combo leave little need for a face, apparently.

The obvious winner of the Mustache-olympics is this fellow, who opted for quantity over symmetry.

If mustaches aren't your thing, perhaps invisible soldiers are!

Oh no! That invisible soldier has shot a very slow-moving cannonball at us! Run!

Whew! Safe! Time for a musical interlude from non other than a REALLY OLD BASSOON! (EMMA LOOK!) (Emma is my sister. She plays the bassoon. That's the one on the right. I sort of wish she played the snake, because that would be badass.)

Did you enjoy the brief musical interlude? Good. Because it's torture time. Seriously. They had some messed up torture devices in old timey Austria. Like this make-you-look-like-an-idiot-for-public-ridicule mask.

Actually I kind of want that. You could do some sweet theatre with a mask like that. Or this one!

On the less desirable side is this...umm... spiked...chastity belt.

...I'll just leave that there.

ON TO PUPPETS!

That's Mozart.

This is that guy from "Rudolph and the Island of Misfit Toys." I think.

And this guy? He's goofy.

Not Goofy. Just goofy.

Ah, how nice was that trip to an Austrian Museum? It was inside the Castle which you can see on top of the hill in this photo:

Yup, those are the gardens from The Sound of Music. I think. (I've actually never seen the movie all the way through and, like I said, I'm a year and half late posting this so I've forgotten a thing or two. Give me a break!)

I'll end on a high note with something i DO know: That Salzburg has very strict views, particularly ones against bicycles. And Pedophiles.

So that's good. Hi-five, Salzburg!