12/14/13 – SALZBURG!

December 14, 2013

What an excellent day! It was the day we were getting on yet another train…to Salzburg! This was a 12 hour adventure. We met Julia at the train station (across the street from our hotel so I finally took some nice photos of our stately hotel!), at 8:15 and boarded our awaiting train to Salzburg. This was a really new and modern train…one of the most exciting things of the modern trains is that they have power by the seats and some free wifi, even if it is spotty because of remote areas and tunnels! This trip is about 2.5 hours but it was like nothing compared to what we’ve been through and Julia is so sweet and interesting…and she is sincerely interested in us too! She re-spoke of her time as an AFS student with my sister and brother in law (and nieces!) and it was as if no time had gone by at all…but it’s been 13 years! And she was sincerely interested in what we are all about as well! We just chatted the whole way there and, before you know it, we had arrived!

We found and rode the “hop on hop off” tour and did a complete “round” before we hopped off and did our own little walking tour. We had lunch at the Cafe Bazar which they informed us was the most famous place to go and where artists and famous people also go! It was great fun. We did not over eat because we wanted to save room to find this special dessert Salzburger Nockerl which was referred to on the train. It’s sort of like meringues with raspberries underneath but not totally like that! It’s sweet and rich and we split one 3 ways as the peaks are about 5 inches high and probably 3-1/2 inches wide and it came as 3 peaks! We found a place that served it later in the day and had coffee while we waited for it and then shared it all 3 of us! It takes about a half hour to make and, like a souffle’, not everyone can make them!

We saw the main fortress castle, and several other exceptional buildings and grounds including Mozart’s birth place and his palace, etc. And, we had to get the ORIGINAL Mozart balls!!! They’re a traditional sweetie invented of Mozart by a confectioner about 100 years after his death or something like that! The original company (Fuerst I believe they’re called) is in Salzburg as are many copiers. The originals are still hand made! So of course we had to have the originals!

We visited and shopped traditional sites as well as Christmas markets. We do love the Christmas Markets. They are very festive. We walked down one lane and were entertained by a piano player in the middle of the street! I think I video’d it!!! We even ended our day shopping at a little grocery market which is a fun thing to do in a foreign place…especially with Julia there to help decipher everything!

We arrived to our home train station almost exactly 12 hours later. I’ve showered and uploaded my pics..am supposed to be packing, which I’ll do while inputting the pics to this post! And then it will be time for bed…and then up early to head to the airport for 12+ hours of travel home. Not the best part of the trip, but necessary and we are ready to come home!

Time to plan for the holidays with family and friends, and to catch back up at work! I’ve logged in to the office every day, but having been as attentive to it as I have on past vacations!

I’m so glad we got to come to Vienna and Salzburg. And I’m also glad my friend Pat will now get to go home and meet her new Grandson….let the spoiling begin! 🙂

Our Salzburger Nockerl: