As I write this post, I am in the middle of a short concert trip to Salzburg, a city that I lived in for a few years. Summer has definitely arrived early here, and this means that I have really been enjoying walking around the city in between rehearsals, as I used to, and that there are lots of other people enjoying being outdoors here as well. Perhaps because of this, I have been thinking a lot about how it really was to live in a place like this, and if I would ever come back.
The best way I can think of to describe Salzburg is as a fairytale city. With the fortress, the old crumbling buildincgs, beautiful bridges and awesome surrounding mountains, it is gorgeous view wherever you look! I think the lifestyle of its inhabitants somewhat matches this - this is not a hectic and stressful modern city like London or Paris. The pace of life here is gentle, the people are very civilised and it is generally quiet and peaceful. In fact the only noise to really disturb the serenity is the sound of the church bells every hour!
I think for me, at the time of my life that I lived here, i.e. my undergraduate student years, I enjoyed this lifestyle. It was a perfect setting to really concentrate, work hard and be inspired by the beauty of the city. Also, as Salzburg is such a small city, friends were always just around the corner - I never had to worry about taking trains or tubes to get anywhere. Another great thing was that I also really got to know the city well too - I know all the best pubs and bakeries and the people who work in them!
Having said all that, I can also definitely say that there were times when I really missed the frantic hustle and bustle of a big city. Sometimes I was annoyed by the quietness, especially as a twenty-one year old, when I just wanted more variety and more going on.
Looking around the city now, it's kind of hard for me to believe that I actually lived here - it doesn't feel like a real place for functional lives. I definitely remember feeling a bit of this on the day that I moved here, when I had to figure everything out about moving into the apartment and buying simple things that I needed, like household or electrical items. It was very difficult, and made me realise that things that are so easily available to us in big modern cities are just not here. It's almost like Salzburg is a beautiful museum exhibition town, so pretty to look at but not for living a real life in.
I absolutely loved my time living in Salzburg, it was truly a gift, and I love to come back and visit. It will always hold a special place in my heart, and I honestly feel very happy when I am here! Would I live here again....? I can never say never - who knows what's around the corner, but for now I am enjoying my lifestyle in a slightly bigger city!
Labels: Thoughts, Travel
