Bob Brown

Most of what I said in my first installment describing my recent trip was positive. But, there was a few negative experiences. The most negative experience involved a Sound of Music tour in Salzburg. I had read favorable comments about the tour so we decided to go. The one we took was the Gray Line version. <BR>My conclusion, which is seconded by my wife, is that the tour was a waste of time and money. The trip lasted 4 hours and consisted mainly of drive by visits or uselessly short stops. For example, the tour took us to the town of Mondsee, which is the location of the church in which the wedding ceremony was filmed. We were there a total of 50 minutes at lunch time. The bus had to park on the edge of the town, so walking in from the bus used up about 15 to 20 minutes of the available time. Well, I opted to eat and see church briefly. As a result, I was the last one back to the bus, which prompted a comment from the guide about the tour schedule. Taking a good look at the church would have meant skipping lunch -- or having had the foreknowledge to bring along some food. <BR>We also wasted about 40 minutes at some little town that had no connection with the movie as far as I could tell. I don't know why we stopped there except to see if someone would spend money in one of the shops. The time could have been much better spent at Mondsee. An extra 35 minutes there would have enabled everyone on the tour to see the church and eat. <BR>It was ironic that we had so little time because the guide kept touting Frau Braun's apple strudel at a little cafe in Mondsee. Well, who the heck had any time to eat it??!! <BR>Up until this experience, my general practice has been to avoid canned tours. Well, I learned my lesson. Never again will I be conned into a canned tour without knowing the full battle plan in minute detail. <BR> <BR>The second downer was the train, the Maria Theresa, from Zürich to Salzberg. It was a hot ride because the cooling system was pitiful, and the windows were sealed shut! Buying a first class ticket did not help at all in that respect. <BR>The third problem grew out of confusion at Gare de Lyon trying to find TGV 21 to Lausanne. As it turned out, there were two different trains on the same track, with no indication that I ever saw that this was the case. The first train was the TGV to Zürich via Bern; snugged up right behind it, but way down the platform, was TGV 21 to Lausanne. It never crossed my mind that TWO TGV trains would be on the same track and leave the station within 10 minutes of each other. So when I looked at the destination of the first one, it read Zürich. So where was the train to Lausanne? I went dashing back to the information desk to ask. <BR>Well, had I walked farther down the platform I would have seen a second locomotive with a string of passenger cars pulled up snug to the Zürich train. It wasn't that way last year when I took the same train. So by knowing too much, I ended up knowing too little. Anybody else ever see two separate trains of considerable length lined up snugly front to back on the same platform?? <BR>

Mary Sue

Bob, we took that same Sound of Music tour a few weeks ago. I had the same comments you made, particularly about Frau Braun. They couldn't have been more obvious about kickbacks! This was the only tour we did and I thought it was pretty much a ripoff. We could have done most of it ourselves and spent time where we wanted to. Was your tour guide's name Andy, by any chance?

Bob Brown

Hi. Mary Sue. About the Sound of Music tour, I do not recall our guide's name; perhaps I have suceeded in erasing it from my memory. But I can describe him. He was about 40 and an American with an Austrian mother; he was also married to an Austrian woman, which was why he lived in Salzburg. He also made some comment about being from Florida. <BR>He had a rather glib, but phony dramatic way of presenting trivia about the movie. I recall that after he led us into Mondsee, and recited for the umpteenth time that we had to be back at the bus by a specific time, he dramatically spread his arms and said "You're freeeeee." Right, free for 40 minutes! <BR>I wish I could summon up a few more expletives to do justice to this egrgious rip off. About the best I can do is to relate a story that goes back to the depression eara about a farmer who had a reputation for being the most expressive curser in the area. The yarn goes back to the depression era. A visitor came to town and some of the local boys decided they would show off the verbal skills of the farmer. Knowing that the man came into town on Saturday afternoon for supplies, they waited until his wagon was full of goods. Then they loosened the tail gate so that the load would slide off of the wagon it started up a steep hill just outside of town. When they saw the man start home, they ran ahead and hid in the bushes along side the road about half way up the hill and waited. <BR>Their plan succeeded and the goods slid off of the wagon. The farmer got off and stared at the mess. The fellows expected to hear a herculean blast of profanity. Well, the old guy just stood there, scratched his head, and said "I can't do it justice." Well that is the way I feel about that particular tour. <BR>I lack the vocabulary to do it full justice. I could resort to vulgarities and profanities, but it would not be in character nor would it properly express my feeling over what I feel is a diabolical con game that preys on the unwary. Let's just say that I got "took" and will not forget it. Those folks will get a very negative recommendation from me for the rest of my life and I will express my opinion at every opportunity through whatever medium of communication becomes available.

Kristin

Bob -- I wanted to comment on your problems with the TGVs. We spent three weeks in France in May-June. It was a wonderful trip and we loved France. But the TGVs caused us several problems. The worst was the first, if I am remembering correctly, one we took. Our reserved seats were supposed to be in car 18. The train came in and there was no car 18. In fact, no cars above 10. Over the loudspeaker, they said, take the comparable car -- for 18, take 8; for 13, take 3. Being less than proficient in French we didn't understand this, but were able to ask others in line and got on the right car.But that was not the end of the problem, because apparently they had oversold the seats. We did get to have a seat (thank heavens), but it took a while to sort it all out. Similar things happened on several of our TGV trips during the three weeks, so we got a little gun-shy about riding them. It wasn't much consolation to have a reservation on one of them -- except I guess we assured at least of riding on it -- and we never had to stand, but some people did! So hearing your story reminded me of some of our experiences. Again -- we loved France, but didn't ever feel secure about the next leg of the trip -- if if was on a TGV! <BR>

Jeff

Hi Bob, <BR> I too went on the Sound of Music tour and had the exact same tour guide you did. He was very hokey and at times somewhat rude. His wife was Austrian and he was in his 40's. <BR> I liked the church at Mondsee, but as you said it was quite rushed and I didn't eat the streudel. However, I had wonderful streudel in Innsbruck at the Golden Roof. <BR> I was in Salzburg in May and it was in the 90's and I was very surprised. I loved the city, but I could've easily skipped the Sound of Music tour and been just as happy. <BR>

Bob Brown

I was glad to read some comments that reinforced my perceptions. I also was a reminded of the fact that I wrote the note while still suffering from jet lag. <BR>I don't usually make such bad errors in <BR>matching verbs to the subject of the sentence. Oh well, Anna (high school English teacher) probably needed to shift positions. <BR>However, the more I think about the Gray Line Sound of Money [sic], the angrier I become. <BR>I will not, however, let it detract from my visit to Salzburg. I was there for several days as a young man, and the old city had changed very little. <BR>I can balance out the very negative experience of the Sound of Money tour with quite a few positives. <BR>One was the tour of the Festspielhaus complex. We got to go back stage and everything. The old stage that is cut into the mountain with rock portals surrounding it is one place that sorry tour did not take us; yet it to me is the enduring symbol of Salzburg's musical heritage. Our guide was tremendous, speaking to a mixed group in two languages: English and German, and cutting from one to the other without missing a beat. Then there was the trio of young musicians playing in the square that kept me glued to my spot for quite a few minutes listening as they whipped through Rossini overtures with applause producing virtuosity. They were good!! <BR>And then there is the memory of Robert Dürnli at the Golden Duck who worked hard at his job and kept things moving. <BR>He was truly skilled at his profession. <BR>He even put up with my German with a cheerful smile and helpful corrections. <BR>Thanks Robert. You made a good trip even better.