Unexpected guests

Adventuring rule #20: Stick around. There might be a parade. 

     At my nonexistent future wedding, I will anticipate a few cameras. Preferably in the hands of a professional photographer or my family and friends. Preferably not in the hands of a group of sweaty tourists, invading the church in the middle of the ceremony to impose their touristy selves on the most important day of my life. Apparently in Austria, this is not a problem.

     On a fabulous Sound of Music excursion, which throws about 30 tourists on a bus to visit the famous filming sites of the Julie Andrews musical, our final stop was the church at which the governess marries the captain. We are told, in no uncertain terms, that we are to view the church, look around at a shop and enjoy apfel strudel at a cafe and return to the bus by 5:15. Got it.



     So the crowd troops into this church though a side door, wanders through this tiny church shop and enters the main area. The building was smaller than anticipated, but the room is airy and open and beautiful. There was also a wedding going on inside. Yes.

     A man and a woman were kneeling at the altar, the priest was asking God to bless their union, and the tourists are taking pictures and looking around. These were private people. Their family was sitting in the pews to witness the important event. I felt rude, imposing like that, so I got the hell out and went to the cafe for treats. I guess when one marries in a world famous church, one has to anticipate those interruptions, but damn.

     A few minutes later, those of us seated outside at the cafe heard a marching band. Oh yes. A group of men dressed in lederhosen were playing instruments and parading around the square, followed by the bride and groom and their families. More photos, more videos, and all the while the couple just smiled and waved.

     A side note on fancy dress in Austria:

     Lederhosen is not worn as a joke. A grown man decked out in those leather shorts, suspenders and tall socks with little tassels is well dressed, especially if a lady in his party is also wearing the lady version, called dirndl. There is nothing sarcastic about it. The formal versions are worn to weddings and special events. My cousin and her daughter each have one costume and the teenage girl even has a set of lederhosen. I kind of (read: really) want one, but my trip budget did not allow for it.

     Back to the wedding: It was awesome. I took notes. In the future, I want no tourists, but maybe a band wearing leather shorts can be arranged. Also a parade. I can have a parade, right?

     Back to the tour: There were two highlights, aside from seeing the sights and singing with strangers. One was a joke cribbed from an Australian four year old.

     "Why do cows have bells around their necks?"
     "Because their horns don't work!"

     Classic.

     And a re-envisioning of the Do- A Deer song from the musical film created in a German style bar in Minnesota. Do is a German beer requested at a bar tended by Ray, according to an Austrian tour guide. Memorize this.

Do- A beer, a German beer
Re- The guy who serves the drinks
Me- The one I buy beer for
Fa- A long way to the bar
So- I think I'll have a beer
La- La la la la la la
Te- No thanks, I'll have a beer
Which brings us back to do (and so on . . . )

     Fabulous, right? Changes the whole movie. We now know what the governess has in her picnic basket, and why those kids kept singing all the time, and why they fell in the lake.

This is the lake. The building looks wrong because the movie used a different one for exterior shots.