88CORPORATE TRAVELLER

AUTUMN 2015

89CORPORATE TRAVELLER

AUTUMN 2015

Establishing a spEcial bond - in the Austrian alpsby Scott Alexander Young

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90CORPORATE TRAVELLER

AUTUMN 2015

91CORPORATE TRAVELLER

AUTUMN 2015

isiting Salzburg, Austria, this Corporate Traveller correspondent thought hed spotted Daniel Craig - or Monica

Belluci or Naomi Harris. They had been filming Spectre the new Bond film in the Alps around Salzburg, and it seemed thered have to be cast and crew descending on either Salzburg or Innsbruck.

Any minute we expected to see the cavalcade of trucks and trailers that are part of any big budget film shoot, come rolling into town and pull up at the Zipfer Bierhaus, for a post shoot stein. This particular Bierhaus is a cosy place just around the corner from the Salzburg markets - and cathedral. As well as frothy steins of beer, they serve up scrumptious Central European pub grub. Its a convivial atmosphere, with off duty market traders talking football and the days ups and downs. Most of the

V film crews that weve met would fit right in here - and weve met a few. Perhaps the stars of the show may prefer to drink and dine somewhere with a more elite pedigree. How about The Stiftskeller St. Peter, a cellar restaurant with vaulted gothic ceilings, which is said by some, including its proprietors, to be Europes oldest restaurant?

Well, it was established in the year 803, in the time of the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne. In fact, he was said to be one of its first customers. These days, Austrian wines, particularly reds, are slowly garnering an international reputation, and it would be difficult to find a better place to sample them than Stiftskeller St. Peter, as accompaniment to dishes such as venison, suckling pig or rib-eyed stake. There are vegetarian options but this is comfort food at its best - in surroundings of distinction.

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But of course, any discussion of moviemaking in Salzburg brings us inevitably to the 1965 movie of the Rogers and Hammerstein musical, The Sound of Music.

92CORPORATE TRAVELLER

AUTUMN 2015

93CORPORATE TRAVELLER

AUTUMN 2015

Meanwhile if the reports are to be believed, Spectre is certainly an expensive production - said by snarky show business reporters to be running wildly over budget, with a projected price tag of some $300 million. That, as Mel Brooks once said: is more than I make in a fortnight.

Even among tent pole movies, 300 mill is a lot of clams. You see, I know something about the film business, and what I know is this. I am not a spy, but Ive played one on TV. Specifically, in the last 8-9 years, as a late starting/blooming character actor and bit part player, I was a KGB double agent in a mini series called The Company, and gave Ian Fleming a telling off as the Paris Intelligence chief in Fleming. You dont believe me? Look it up on the IMDB. Anyway, it seems safe to assume Salzburg will make the most of any and all Bond connections. We already know from the tabloids and the blogosphere is that Daniel Craig was flown out of Salzburg after an accident in the nearby mountains of Seevilla.

But of course, any discussion of moviemaking in Salzburg brings us inevitably to the 1965 movie of the Rogers and Hammerstein musical, The Sound of Music. Impossibly dated and cornball, yet still touchingly innocent - reminders that The Sound of Music is still big business in Salzburg are everywhere, in the souvenir stalls at the market, the specialist tours and most strikingly, in the citys skyline; because the town we see in the opening credits of the movie is virtually identical to the one you see today. And speaking of big business, Salzburg is definitely one of those places where the business of the town, is being itself - in other words, tourism. It was not always thus.

The reason that city skyline is so breathtaking is because centuries of religious architecture. In days of old, Salzburg was known as Rome of the North. That in its own way was big business too. The historical Prince Archbishops of Salzburg were very much like a Northern Papacy, almost rivals to the Popes in Rome. A typical

if visitors are not regular museum-goers, this one is worth it. Among other things, it brings home how cramped and claustrophobic life was, for all the powdered wigs and lace of the 18th century; just how close to the bone of disease, infant mortality and so on.

Mozarts music is already a miracle, all the more so once we consider that. Its also instructive to learn that Mozart, who died at 35, spent a third of his short life travelling by horse drawn carriage. The next time you think you have it tough because you must travel coach, remember Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

After a visit to the Mozart Museum on Getreidegasse its easy enough to find ones way to Caf Tomaselli. Founded in 1705, the Salzburg Tourism Board claim Tomaselli is Austrias oldest Viennese coffee house. Herr Mozart himself used to sip his java here, but these days, tourists aside; we get a good look at the ruddy faced, healthy and prosperous citizens of the town. Respectable without being stuffy was this amateur anthropologists impression and no fools either. The town of Salzburg subtly adapts to remain the tourist favourite it undoubtedly is, and of course Bond movies must shift with the times as well. After all, my last memories of Bond anywhere near the Austrian Alps were of Roger Moore wearing a bright yellow ski suit and (as he himself put it) a sickly grin.

Anyway, its great to see this publication suited and rebooted under the captainship of Bruce Laybourn, and to be on the masthead as European correspondent. Ill be back in coming issues with a peek behind the velvet rope at private members clubs, and later with a trip to Kings Landing (known to non Game of Thrones fans as Dubrovnik). Europe, the high life, and show business well you know what they say. Its a dirty job but someone has to do it

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Prince Archbishop of Salzburg during the Renaissance or Baroque eras might well keep high maintenance mistresses, control much of the salt trade, enrich himself and his family and decorate his suites in a style as lavish as anything youd find in Rome. Mozarts Archbishop patron incidentally, was one Hieronymus Joseph Franz de Paula Colloredo. Try saying that fast after a glass or two of Austrian red.

One way Salzburg stays in business as a tourist destination is that the hills really do come alive with the sound of music. That is to say, there is almost always some kind of music festival in progress in Salzburg, whatever time of the year. It gets one to thinking, who will do the musical score for the next Bond flick? I have a modest suggestion, but he died 224 years ago. During daylight hours in Salzburg, make a point of visiting The Mozart Birthplace Museum anyway. (This is where Wolfie lived until a teenager and is not to be confused with the Mozart Residence museum!) Even