Summary: The story is set in the early 90s. Maria visits some familiar
places that bring back a lot of her past memories.
I want to express my gratitude to Jessica for her helpful suggestions and the encouragement I have received from her.
Chapter 1
Maria felt her heartbeat quicken as her plane was on the way to Salzburg. She had not been to Austria for almost 30 years, since the second honeymoon trip Georg and she took after their 25th wedding anniversary. But that had been light-years ago. So many things have changed since then. Her thoughts wandered through the years from the day of their wedding up to the day of her husband's death 10 years ago. She eagerly anticipated her visit to Salzburg and the reunion with her daughter Christine who had moved to Austria together with her husband after their wedding. Maria had not seen her daughter and grandchildren for a few years now. She missed them very much but understood that her daughter's life belonged to the place where the family originally had come from.
"It has been a few years now."She silently stated. In her spirit she felt like the 20 year old herself, the young girl so full of life, so fresh, so alive. She compromisingly remembered her doctor's words when she had told him about the trip to Austria. "Yes, I'm going to take everything very slow, I'm not the 22 year old governess anymore. No climbing trees, no hiking, or biking...even though I think I could easily climb up to the top of the Untersberg. No, I'm 75 year old now and my doctor was right. Time has flown by..." she went on and her thoughts brought a slight smile to her face on which each little wrinkle reflected a piece of history.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts." The announcement of the flight attendant brought Maria back to the reality. After drying off a few of her tears she complied and impatiently awaited the landing. Her heart skipped a beat when the plane finally touched the Austrian ground. "You won't get too emotional, you silly old woman." She thought trying to prevent her emotions taking over again.
"Mother, mother, here!" Christine waved her hands as she recognized the slim figure of her mother showing up at the gate and she quickly ran to her. Maria dropped all her luggage and flew directly into her daughter's arms. Both women had tears in their eyes as they held each other tightly.
"Oh, mother you are finally here." Christine said as she looked right into her mother's eyes. Maria gently touched her daughter's face with tears in her eyes.
"It has been a few years now. You look so beautiful my darling." Maria said as she took a hold of Christine's hands.
"You haven't changed a bit mother. You look great." Christine stated with delight upon seeing how youthful her mother was.
"Oh thank you, but you know my doctor says that I should take it slow. So the Untersberg is out of question." Maria said a bit disappointed.
"Now let's go mother, the children are so excited to see you. Your room is already waiting for you." Christine said and picked up Maria's suitcases. Maria didn't move for a second.
"Mother, is everything alright?" Christine's voice sounded worried.
"Oh, yes.... but I won't stay at your house tonight. I'm sorry....." Maria's words failed and a slight blush crossed her face.
"Mother, what are you up to?" Christine asked suspiciously. Knowing her mother very well she wasn't surprised by her mother's seemingly spontaneous plans.
"Can you take me to Hotel Bristol?" Maria asked a bit shyly.
Christine almost asked what her mother wanted to do in that hotel, but it dawned on her before getting into the question.
"Yes mother, I'll take you there."She nodded with a reassuring smile. She remembered being told that her parents' wedding reception had been held in that hotel and also recalled one of her sisters mentioning that her parents had spent their wedding night in the same hotel. Also, she knew that her parents had spent a few days in this hotel when they came to Salzburg on their second honeymoon. She understood how special that place felt for her mother.
"Thank you, it would mean a lot to me." Maria said.
"It's okay mother. But what shall I tell your grandchildren who are so excited to see you again?" Christine asked.
"I promise to spend the rest of my time here with you... just this one night. I simply need some time alone in this city." Maria smiled.
Christine nodded one more time and guided her mother to the car.
"So mother here we are.... if you change your mind...otherwise I'll be here to pick you up tomorrow at 10 a.m. Does that sound okay with you?" Christine looked at Maria questionably when she stopped the car at the hotel's entrance.
"Yes, darling.... I'll see you tomorrow.... and thank you." Maria said softly while giving a big hug to her daughter.
The bellboy approached the car to help with Maria's luggage. She felt a bit guilty for not joining her family right away, but she also knew that this little time alone would help settle her emotions and the memories that were surely going to surface. Looking up at the building as high as the top where the suite was located she took a deep breath and entered the hotel.
Her eyes took a journey in the lobby surveying all the scenery with the enthusiasm of the young Maria.
"Good afternoon Madame, can I help you?" The friendly tone of the front desk clerk woke her up from the dream.
"Oh yes, my name is Maria von Trapp and I have a room reservation for tonight." She replied.
The front desk clerk gave her a reassuring smile before proceeding with all the necessary forms and paperwork.
"Mrs. Von Trapp, enjoy your stay here. Your room, I mean the suite is located on the 7th floor. You mustn't miss the after dark view from that room." The front desk clerk said and handed the keys to Maria.
"I know.... my husband and I....." her words failed and she couldn't help blushing slightly."We stayed in that room a few years ago."
The front desk clerk responded with a smile. He couldn't help but notice how adorably embarrassed the elderly lady was.
A few minutes later Maria entered the grand suite and for a moment she was left breathless. The room was still beautiful, but surely it had been refurbished throughout the years. She looked around and an ocean of memories came back to her. When Georg and she had come up here after the wedding, her husband picked her up to carry her inside... she was so scared, so nervous.... The thought of this brought a smile to her face..... but she trusted him completely and the conclusion of the evening was a pure bliss for both of them. Her smile became even brighter at the memory of Georg trying to pick her up the same way about when they were here on their second honeymoon.... They both laughed at the absurdity of the situation....And now she was there on her own. Despite her loneliness she felt complete and content. Slowly she walked to the balcony door and with a small hesitation she opened it to take an advantage of the view. Salzburg was spread out in front of her. The town was busy and Maria realized how Salzburg had changed since their last visit there. The beauty of the town still astonished her as she looked around until her eyes found the Untersberg. She looked up at it with a longing gaze. "Wish I was a bit younger" she sighed. "About 30 years ago we easily made it all the way up there..." she recalled. Maria felt a bit tired, mostly due to the jetlag after the long trip but still she didn't want to take a rest. She set her mind on a walk in the city to visit some familiar places on her very own.
She took a long walk along the Salzach River, each stone, each footstep was marked with a bit of history. Some things didn't change, she realized. She surveyed the bridges and admired the beauty of the buildings while deeply breathing in the fresh Austrian air. Her walk led her to the cathedral, the Residence Platz. She stopped at the fountain for a moment and with a slight smile she recalled the afternoon of her going to the von Trapp villa for the first time. Her legs felt sore after a while, so she decided to relax on a cafe's terrace while enjoying the „Kaffee mit Kuchen" afternoon treat. For a while she sat there, watched the people and the busy street. Her memory wandered over to her days as a governess. How often they had been roaming about Salzburg wearing nothing else, but old drapes as her husband had referred to it. With delight she recalled the seven happy faces, how free and alive they had felt under her guidance.
She enjoyed this lazy afternoon fully, but then made up her mind to continue her nostalgia walk. Taking everything slow and easy she headed the Festival Hall. The auditorium was empty. With a slight reserve she entered the stage. Closing her eyes the applause of the people was echoing in her ears. "It's time to go back to the hotel". She thought. She was too tired to make it to the Mirabell Gardens, also it was getting dark already and the air became rather chilly.
Exhausted, but on high spirit she got back to the hotel. She ordered room service since she felt too tired to join all the others downstairs in the restaurant; also she felt a need for some privacy. It was completely dark outside, so she decided to take an advantage of the view. She remembered clearly how the fairly tale land had looked like. It met her expectations indeed when she finally saw it again. The stars were shining bright in the skies; the moon illuminated the town giving it a magical glow. Another thing that didn't change, only the company... she thought. She closed her eyes and felt her husband's arms going around her waist holding her close. Everything seemed to be so real for a moment. A soft knock on the door brought her back to the 90s... her dinner was delivered.
She sat at the dinner table long after finishing her meal. The soft candlelight created a very romantic mood in the room; only the right company was missing. She smiled at the memory of similar candle light dinners they had while on their honeymoon in Paris granting them the much needed privacy and intimacy.
She realized how late it was already... fulfilling her urge for a well deserved sleep she laid down in the bed. Her heart and her mind was filled with the events of the day and despite the painfulness of some of them Maria felt contentment taking over in her body. She was excited about the reunion with her family the following day; also she put together a visual list of things and places she was going to share with her daughter. After a few minutes of pondering she drifted off to a peaceful sleep.
To be continued....
Thank you for reading my story. Please leave a little feedback!
I want to express my gratitude to Jessica for her helpful suggestions and the encouragement I have received from her.
Chapter 1
Maria felt her heartbeat quicken as her plane was on the way to Salzburg. She had not been to Austria for almost 30 years, since the second honeymoon trip Georg and she took after their 25th wedding anniversary. But that had been light-years ago. So many things have changed since then. Her thoughts wandered through the years from the day of their wedding up to the day of her husband's death 10 years ago. She eagerly anticipated her visit to Salzburg and the reunion with her daughter Christine who had moved to Austria together with her husband after their wedding. Maria had not seen her daughter and grandchildren for a few years now. She missed them very much but understood that her daughter's life belonged to the place where the family originally had come from.
"It has been a few years now."She silently stated. In her spirit she felt like the 20 year old herself, the young girl so full of life, so fresh, so alive. She compromisingly remembered her doctor's words when she had told him about the trip to Austria. "Yes, I'm going to take everything very slow, I'm not the 22 year old governess anymore. No climbing trees, no hiking, or biking...even though I think I could easily climb up to the top of the Untersberg. No, I'm 75 year old now and my doctor was right. Time has flown by..." she went on and her thoughts brought a slight smile to her face on which each little wrinkle reflected a piece of history.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts." The announcement of the flight attendant brought Maria back to the reality. After drying off a few of her tears she complied and impatiently awaited the landing. Her heart skipped a beat when the plane finally touched the Austrian ground. "You won't get too emotional, you silly old woman." She thought trying to prevent her emotions taking over again.
"Mother, mother, here!" Christine waved her hands as she recognized the slim figure of her mother showing up at the gate and she quickly ran to her. Maria dropped all her luggage and flew directly into her daughter's arms. Both women had tears in their eyes as they held each other tightly.
"Oh, mother you are finally here." Christine said as she looked right into her mother's eyes. Maria gently touched her daughter's face with tears in her eyes.
"It has been a few years now. You look so beautiful my darling." Maria said as she took a hold of Christine's hands.
"You haven't changed a bit mother. You look great." Christine stated with delight upon seeing how youthful her mother was.
"Oh thank you, but you know my doctor says that I should take it slow. So the Untersberg is out of question." Maria said a bit disappointed.
"Now let's go mother, the children are so excited to see you. Your room is already waiting for you." Christine said and picked up Maria's suitcases. Maria didn't move for a second.
"Mother, is everything alright?" Christine's voice sounded worried.
"Oh, yes.... but I won't stay at your house tonight. I'm sorry....." Maria's words failed and a slight blush crossed her face.
"Mother, what are you up to?" Christine asked suspiciously. Knowing her mother very well she wasn't surprised by her mother's seemingly spontaneous plans.
"Can you take me to Hotel Bristol?" Maria asked a bit shyly.
Christine almost asked what her mother wanted to do in that hotel, but it dawned on her before getting into the question.
"Yes mother, I'll take you there."She nodded with a reassuring smile. She remembered being told that her parents' wedding reception had been held in that hotel and also recalled one of her sisters mentioning that her parents had spent their wedding night in the same hotel. Also, she knew that her parents had spent a few days in this hotel when they came to Salzburg on their second honeymoon. She understood how special that place felt for her mother.
"Thank you, it would mean a lot to me." Maria said.
"It's okay mother. But what shall I tell your grandchildren who are so excited to see you again?" Christine asked.
"I promise to spend the rest of my time here with you... just this one night. I simply need some time alone in this city." Maria smiled.
Christine nodded one more time and guided her mother to the car.
"So mother here we are.... if you change your mind...otherwise I'll be here to pick you up tomorrow at 10 a.m. Does that sound okay with you?" Christine looked at Maria questionably when she stopped the car at the hotel's entrance.
"Yes, darling.... I'll see you tomorrow.... and thank you." Maria said softly while giving a big hug to her daughter.
The bellboy approached the car to help with Maria's luggage. She felt a bit guilty for not joining her family right away, but she also knew that this little time alone would help settle her emotions and the memories that were surely going to surface. Looking up at the building as high as the top where the suite was located she took a deep breath and entered the hotel.
Her eyes took a journey in the lobby surveying all the scenery with the enthusiasm of the young Maria.
"Good afternoon Madame, can I help you?" The friendly tone of the front desk clerk woke her up from the dream.
"Oh yes, my name is Maria von Trapp and I have a room reservation for tonight." She replied.
The front desk clerk gave her a reassuring smile before proceeding with all the necessary forms and paperwork.
"Mrs. Von Trapp, enjoy your stay here. Your room, I mean the suite is located on the 7th floor. You mustn't miss the after dark view from that room." The front desk clerk said and handed the keys to Maria.
"I know.... my husband and I....." her words failed and she couldn't help blushing slightly."We stayed in that room a few years ago."
The front desk clerk responded with a smile. He couldn't help but notice how adorably embarrassed the elderly lady was.
A few minutes later Maria entered the grand suite and for a moment she was left breathless. The room was still beautiful, but surely it had been refurbished throughout the years. She looked around and an ocean of memories came back to her. When Georg and she had come up here after the wedding, her husband picked her up to carry her inside... she was so scared, so nervous.... The thought of this brought a smile to her face..... but she trusted him completely and the conclusion of the evening was a pure bliss for both of them. Her smile became even brighter at the memory of Georg trying to pick her up the same way about when they were here on their second honeymoon.... They both laughed at the absurdity of the situation....And now she was there on her own. Despite her loneliness she felt complete and content. Slowly she walked to the balcony door and with a small hesitation she opened it to take an advantage of the view. Salzburg was spread out in front of her. The town was busy and Maria realized how Salzburg had changed since their last visit there. The beauty of the town still astonished her as she looked around until her eyes found the Untersberg. She looked up at it with a longing gaze. "Wish I was a bit younger" she sighed. "About 30 years ago we easily made it all the way up there..." she recalled. Maria felt a bit tired, mostly due to the jetlag after the long trip but still she didn't want to take a rest. She set her mind on a walk in the city to visit some familiar places on her very own.
She took a long walk along the Salzach River, each stone, each footstep was marked with a bit of history. Some things didn't change, she realized. She surveyed the bridges and admired the beauty of the buildings while deeply breathing in the fresh Austrian air. Her walk led her to the cathedral, the Residence Platz. She stopped at the fountain for a moment and with a slight smile she recalled the afternoon of her going to the von Trapp villa for the first time. Her legs felt sore after a while, so she decided to relax on a cafe's terrace while enjoying the „Kaffee mit Kuchen" afternoon treat. For a while she sat there, watched the people and the busy street. Her memory wandered over to her days as a governess. How often they had been roaming about Salzburg wearing nothing else, but old drapes as her husband had referred to it. With delight she recalled the seven happy faces, how free and alive they had felt under her guidance.
She enjoyed this lazy afternoon fully, but then made up her mind to continue her nostalgia walk. Taking everything slow and easy she headed the Festival Hall. The auditorium was empty. With a slight reserve she entered the stage. Closing her eyes the applause of the people was echoing in her ears. "It's time to go back to the hotel". She thought. She was too tired to make it to the Mirabell Gardens, also it was getting dark already and the air became rather chilly.
Exhausted, but on high spirit she got back to the hotel. She ordered room service since she felt too tired to join all the others downstairs in the restaurant; also she felt a need for some privacy. It was completely dark outside, so she decided to take an advantage of the view. She remembered clearly how the fairly tale land had looked like. It met her expectations indeed when she finally saw it again. The stars were shining bright in the skies; the moon illuminated the town giving it a magical glow. Another thing that didn't change, only the company... she thought. She closed her eyes and felt her husband's arms going around her waist holding her close. Everything seemed to be so real for a moment. A soft knock on the door brought her back to the 90s... her dinner was delivered.
She sat at the dinner table long after finishing her meal. The soft candlelight created a very romantic mood in the room; only the right company was missing. She smiled at the memory of similar candle light dinners they had while on their honeymoon in Paris granting them the much needed privacy and intimacy.
She realized how late it was already... fulfilling her urge for a well deserved sleep she laid down in the bed. Her heart and her mind was filled with the events of the day and despite the painfulness of some of them Maria felt contentment taking over in her body. She was excited about the reunion with her family the following day; also she put together a visual list of things and places she was going to share with her daughter. After a few minutes of pondering she drifted off to a peaceful sleep.
To be continued....
Thank you for reading my story. Please leave a little feedback!