Sunday, April 29, 2012

Europe: Sound of Music Tour & Edelweiss


Our tour guide super tiny on the right
Our Sound of Music tour guide, who was very impressed that I knew all the words to the sing-a-long songs (thanks to being in my 4th grade play & having seen the movie a kazillion times), enlightened us a bit on Edelweiss.  Yes, it’s an important flower in Austria.  No, the movie song is not an authentic anthem, Rogers & Hammerstein made it up.  Haha, brilliant - I can just imagine the bewildered looks the first few nutty American tourists got from the locals when they offered their enthusiastic rendition of a song they'd never heard before.

The backyard scenes
House used for the front scenes in movie
Wedding church












But what really intrigued me was the story she told about the symbolism of the Edelweiss flower itself.  Apparently it’s a tiny little flower that grows in the crags of the mountains.  And when a (probably lederhosen clad) lad decided he had found a young lass he wanted to woo – in order to impress her and prove his manhood, he would climb the crags and pick Edelweiss to present to her.  Sigh.  How romantic.  And straightforward.  I like it.  If a dude showed up on my doorstep with Edelweiss, surefire - I’d know he was interested.

"I have confidence" road
Inside wedding church

"Do-Re-Mi" on the garden stairs
My Edelweiss pendant
Still thinking about the story when the tour stopped for souveniers, a crystal pendant with tiny white flowers caught my eye.  The shopkeeper confirmed my suspicion that the flowers were Edelweiss.  So yep, I did, I bought my own Edelweiss - enough already waiting around for prince charming.  That’s not to say I’ve entirely given up on romance in my life, but thus far it’s been devoid.  And I view it kinda like those old 7up commercials with James Earl Jones, where he said, “Never had it, never will.” 

Painted bull as tour advertisement
Ya know, when I was a kid, I thought that was the stupidest add campaign I’d ever heard.  How were they ever going to get new customers drinking 7up if no one could ever drink it if they hadn’t already tried it?!  Haha, it was many years before it was explained to me he was actually referring to 7up not having caffeine, not someone never having 7up.

The gazebo, relocated  - "I am 33. going on 34..."

Anyway, back to the point - sometimes it feels like since I haven't yet experienced romance thus far in my life, I never will.  But not to worry, I love wearing my little Edelweiss necklace - it's a reminder to hope that someday my counterfeit token will be replaced with the real deal.  From a real dude.  Cross my fingers.

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