Austria

After Munich, we arrived in Salzburg, Austria. We also spent some time in Vienna and Innsbruck.
I loved Salzburg, I really loved it. The people of Salzburg are warm and delightful, and I found them to be very welcoming. I did the cheesy tourist thing, and went on the Sound of Music tour around Salzburg and the surrounding hills, which has long been a dream of mine, and I loved every moment of it. My only regret was that I didn't get to spend more time in Salzburg, but I will definetly return. I was upset to leave, which was surprising after such a short amount of time, but I just felt like I was supposed to go to Salzburg. I still miss it a lot. The food of Salzburg, and Austria in general, was lovely. Huge schnitzels, shredded pancakes, strudel, more hearty christmas market food, rich Goulash - so unlike any of the watery and bland dishes I have previously met, that also claimed to be Goulash. Imposters! The spaetzle served with the Goulash was tasty, and the Salzburg Nockerln is a dessert that completely blew me away. It is a giant souffle-type dish served as a set of 3 on a plate, with warm, pureed raspberries served on the side. For the two of us, it seemed like a bit of overkill, but I can proudly claim (or should it be shamefully?), that after a full meal, we still managed to have one of the Nockerln peaks each, and shared the third. I have a couple of recipes for this ones, so as soon I can muster the courage to try making it, I will post the results for everyone to see.



I wish I could say as many positive things of our time spent in Innsbruck. It's a beautiful city to look at, and I hate to say it, but I will never return. I found the people to be very cold towards us (even though we did try and speak as much German as possible) on numerous occasions, and it ruined the whole experience for us. Even the Swarovski Crystal World was a let down, just a few boring old displays, and a huge gift shop, though I did enjoy shopping there.
The one saving grace would have to be the Alpine Zoo. I came closer to so many beautiful alpine animals than I would ever have thought possible. I wish we had spent all of our time in Innsbruck here.

Vienna was ruined for me due the location we were staying in. A sleazy, seedy area and in a hotel that I stupidly chose because it looked quirky and it has featured in many Inspector Rex episodes. The staff (owners I think) were rude, the place reeked of cigarette smoke (including the breakfast area and lobby) and we were a long hike from anywhere even slightly decent. It was a doomed visit from the start, and I think I didn't give Vienna the time and attention it might have deserved. I will go back someday, and this time I'll even try to like it.