Salzburg: Trains, CEOs, and the Perfect Schnitzel

The train ride from Ulm to Salzburg takes just over three hours, which will be a nice change of pace from driving. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed the driving, and the manual gears and the "wrong" side of the road became the norm after a while. We made sure to book seats on this train, though—you never know how full they’re going to be, and you definitely don’t want to be standing for the entire journey.

Landgasthof Rechenwirt - accommodation's courtyard

When we found our seats, another couple was already sitting in them (lucky we booked). Leanne politely asked them to move, showing our tickets, and they were nice enough about it, sliding into the two aisle seats beside us. I had planned to just sit back, enjoy the scenery, and get stuck back into my book, James Patterson’s Alex Cross’s Trial.

Anyway, Leanne started talking to them—so much for my quiet afternoon! For the next three hours, we chatted with this fascinating couple who have spent most of their lives traveling and living abroad; they’re currently based in Vietnam. Originally from the Stuttgart area, they’ve lived incredible lives in dozens of countries while raising three children who are now in their late 20s and early 30s. The kids were educated through a mix of international schools and homeschooling. They were on their way to Croatia to catch up with their son and the train ride was over 10 hours, why wouldn't they fly?, apparently the wife doesn't like flying and reads up on airlines she travels with and looks at their disaster records (Jeez!) and if not good won't fly with them... I wonder who she checked out before boarding the train?

When Leanne asked what he did for a living, he explained he worked in accounts and sales for Mercedes-Benz. Apparently, Mercedes would simply ask if he wanted to move to a new country for work, and he’d just say yes! 

A quick google search later showed that he was a CEO and is now a CFO for Mercedes-Benz International. Who would have thought that these two humble people had the time to sit and swap stories with us for hours on end?

From Salzburg station, it was a quick eight-minute train ride followed by a short four-minute walk to our accommodation at Landgasthof Rechenwirt. The place is similar to a bed and breakfast, it's got the added bonus of two beer gardens and an on-site restaurant, with breakfast included in the stay. You can choose between a shared bathroom or an ensuite; we definitely opted for our own bathroom!

Authentic Austrian Veil Schnitzel and Apple Strudel

After settling in, we headed to the beer garden to relax with a few drinks before ending up in the restaurant for dinner, we hadn't booked so we were lucky to get a table as it seems a very popular with the locals as well. We both went for the schnitzel—veal for Leanne and pork for me. Austrians, much like Germans, don’t overcomplicate their meals with heaps of sides. My schnitzel was served simply with three boiled potatoes, a small bowl of cranberry sauce, and a slice of lemon. Again not smothered as they would have in Australia.

Both meals were absolutely delicious, and I happened sneak a glance into the kitchen and saw that all the meals were being prepared by either a Mama or Oma, picking and tasting the food as they went about their cooking; it felt exactly like the kind of food they’d serve from their kitchen in their own homes. For dessert, we had the homemade apple strudel and ice cream—another 10 out of 10!

The forecast predicts rain tomorrow, and we have a walking tour booked, but we’re prepared... sort of

Train from Ulm to Salzburg just over 3hrs