Dhipa's blog

I love taking a stroll down the Salzach river in the middle of Salzburg. Sometimes I would walk alone on cold nights just to help digest my dinner and get a mild workout. The sound of the water rushing from the drains to the river is very calming as you walk along the river. Waterbodies are always mystical to me. The Salzach lake is where the water from the river goes to, Austria is landlocked therefore rivers don't flow to the ocean. Stunning sunset by the Salzahchsee (Salzach Lake) Ducks having one last swim before dark Cobbled stairs leading down to the river Not very artful graffiti along the way Nighttime view of the Mönchsberg, it's all the way up there with the tower Love my knee-high boots, perfect for autumn/spring Korean food at "Hibiskus"in downtown Salzburg- one of the best ever! Kimchi and pickles The meat is incredibly soft and succulent, paired with crunchy beansprouts Bulgogi at its finest

It is summer, it is Festspiele season and tourists flock the city like bees to honey. You can notice most numbers of high performance-cars on the quaint streets of Salzburg at these times.  At any given day, Salzburg does not experience congestion. However this time of year is somewhat exceptional. As you drive through motorways, heavy caravans with yellow number plates (you know which) stroll along traffic to enjoy the summer in the Festspiele-mode Salzburg.  Companion and I attended the Don Giovanni opera, our first opera ever. Not the worst choice :).  A setting in Italian middle-ages of a true Casanova who, well, tries to bed every woman. He encounters a talking statue which orders him to turn his life around, he vehemently refuses, then he falls dead. The end. Moral of the story: Have morals.  As the show ended, fifteen minutes of thunderous applause followed suit, praising the excellent show put forward. I had a preconceived notion that the singe...

GOLLING AN DER SALZACH FALLS Sunday morning couldn’t have started better.  Companion and I went to the Gölling waterfalls at the edge of the town. It is the source of the Salzach. The atmosphere was fairly calm and not super-touristy. We aimed to hike up the water feature at our pace. The final peak was indeed spectacular. Water gushed out the ledge and we could feel the splashes. The horse-tail punch bowl waterfall really blew us out of our minds! We took some time at the local cafe to try out some Topfenstrudel & Apfelstrudel. I gotta say, my Topfenstrudel was unexpectedly delicious. The Golling's majestic water display.  The long way down from the hike.  Scenery that is sold on pictures, I saw it up-close. Another postcard-worthy snap.  In the midst of exquisite beauty. Amazing rock formation underneath the Golling.

It saddens me to see the beautiful Salzach is experiencing tremendous water level increase and this has resulted to several deaths in the region. Once a place where hundreds of locals would sunbathe on the banks or just catching some sun while enjoying a cool beer has turned into a dangerous and inaccessible territory. I remember my walks with my charming companion to the city and passing by the bridges, snapping away at the amazing buildings alongside the river. Now the latest I hear is the cancellation of the famous art festival but I can't confirm on this. Here are some snapshots we took at a sunny day in one of the grey-est winter, sometime in March. Strolling alongside the Salzach Hot hot day! Still a cool day despite the sun An artistic snap inside the library at the Salzburg Uni Putting my coat on as it gets chilly

Aerial View  This is probably the second time I have been up to Gaisberg in three months. This mountain on the east of Salzburg is definitely one of the most favourite sporting areas for paragliders, mountain climbers, mountain bikers and other winter sports. Each time we were up there we noticed many paragliders, bracing through cold Alpine wind and temperature to reach their maximum thrill in the heights of this beautiful range of mountains. We went altogether around six people who were just as crazy as the the Salzburg rain. The weather was amazing as blue skies served as the mountain backdrop with the sun shining at our faces. This provided temporal warmth in the midst of minus zero degrees. The scenery includes a not-so-attractive giant antenna building at the top of the hill but the view below the hills was absolutely amazing. The valleys and tiny spots of village life is somewhat the most rewarding prize of the entire hike. Our friend h...

Salzburg, the place I call home for three months now, is one stunning beauty of its own. It possesses the underrated charms of quaint mountainous beauty, paired with the often silent birth town of Mozart. Of course, it was once a German territory and Amadeus himself was a German because of this territorial chronology.  Chilling out at Cafe Baltazar On the 'treppe' (stairs) upwards to the hilltop Wow, people actually live here! (Kapuzinerberg) Entrance to the stairway of Kapuzinerberg Panoramic view from Kapuzinerberg. I apologize for the foggy photo However, Salzburg is completely different from the likes of Vienna, Prague or other nearby cities. It has its perfectly balanced nature and modern lifestyles. One perfect hangout is alongside the Salzach riverbanks. The river flows from my residence in General Keyes road up to the city and I orientate my route to the city on foot with its direction. My companion and I hiked up the foothills and snap...

on the bridge overlooking the BMW Tower St Mary Our Lady's Square at Marienplatz Eating a pretzel on the train.  At the train station. Rocking the smirf beanie May the best village wins! With the beautiful Annika at Marienplatz Decor at Taj Mahal Indianisches Restaurant, Munich Typical Bavarian Marketplace Surfing enthusiasts will not give up just because it's under zero degrees! *in the middleof Munich! My my, it has been one of the most exhausting fortnights of my life! With our bags tightly packed,zipped and fitted unto the back of my travel companion's Mini Cooper, we jetted off to our first stop ---München otherwise known as Munich. Yes, this is where the famous Bavarian capital is located, but as international as it is, it is not the capital of Germany. It is a good hour and a half away from Salzburg. We manage to arrange a ride share with Paola, a Spaniard living in Salzburg after completing her Erasmus Mundus program...

As I put myself up as a Total Immersion Theory subject, there are several factors which I have not highlighted in the study and severe cultural hindrances that may have been overlooked. The first factor would be the extremely low temperatures during winter which may not be conducive for 'immersion' in a regular day-to-day situation. With the help of amazing friends here, I have always been a part of the social-circle with ease. I find myself in the presence of young,educated Austrians in their mid-20s in the midst of spending a fantastic evening out in town. It came as a shock for me to find almost all businesses (except restaurants)cease operations after six and nothing is open during Sundays. Only one mall exists in the entire city :EUROPARK. My first snow angel, in Salzburg Having a touristy moment at St Gilgen, Salzburg Amazing friends celebrating Silvester at the State Bridge, Salzburg Cottage/cabin style houses at the mountain on the way to Gaisberg!...