Well, all Europe is on holidays so the amount of people out and about is amazing!

I bought my ticket online last night for a Railjet train to Salzburg (it actually goes all the way to Budapest!). The return trip cost 💲275AUD for first class for an E ticket which is the only one accepted on this train.

The trip takes 1 1/2 hours each way and I allowed myself 4 hours to explore Saltzburg. Face masks are compulsory.

I am blessed that it is a beautiful sunny day with an expected temperature of 9C. I have not taken my Europe coat for this day trip but I am warm enough so far. If I get cold I will buy something to keep me warm. Everywhere indoors is heated anyway.

When I finally found my seat, a woman was very settled in it! I showed her my ticket and she moved to another seat .. then I noticed that she had to move again for someone else… scammer?

The train was quiet and my first class seat was spacious and comfortable. I was in the single side and the other side of the carriage had 2 seats together.

There are lots of people with luggage – some with huge bags. I guess that will be me on Thursday but for today it is lovely to travel unencumbered.

In the first class carriage, you can order food and drinks from an attendant who comes to your seat. I ordered a cappuccino but got a weird little coffee and a bottle of water 🙄He didn’t ask for payment until I finished the coffee. I gave the water back and paid around 3€ for the coffee.

As we approached the Alps, they were breathtaking although photos from the train do not do them justice. There was great internet on this train so I posted another blog while taking in the scenery.

Saltzburg HBF (Hauptbahnhof- train station) was full of people and I found my way out and onto the streets. I wasn’t sure where I was going but sort of followed the people.

The only snow that I had seen so far was on the alps as I travelled to Saltzburg. It was quite warm so my decision to wear 120 denier tights, a high necked t-shirt, my denim dress and a red cardi didn’t disappoint. I also brought my Uniqlo grey light puffer jacket and a grey scarf for added warmth, if needed and it was enough.

I managed to find the Mirabell Gardens, by instinct, where they filmed the scenes for the song DoReMe in the Sound of Music. There were many people taking photos. I then wandered to the bridge of locks which was part of the area that Mozart grew up in.

It was time to have something to eat. I found a traditional looking restaurant, called Sternbrau which obviously caters to tourists by serving authentic Austrian food. Luckily I was one of the first there because by the time I left, the place was full with a queue outside.

I chose a Dunkel bier (dark beer), a beef broth with cheese dumpling and a boiled beef dish with potatoes and horseradish (recommended by the waiter as a traditional Salzburg meal). It was good but there was a lot of beef that I could not finish. The waiter said that I hardly had any and sort of thought that I didn’t like it …. I reassured him but I felt that he thought it was wasteful. When I paid, he asked if there was something wrong with it again…. I think he was worried because I took a lot of photos of the food and menu, that I was going to critic the food.

I love that there were the obligatory dogs under people’s tables while they ate. I managed to sneak a photo of one.

Unlike me, I ordered a local dessert recommended by an old school friend who used to work in Saltzburg. It’s called a Salzburg Nockerl – described as an egg soufflé with raspberry sauce.

When another waiter put the dish in front of me, he said something in Austrian and walked away…. He was warning me that the bowl was very hot …. which I found out a second later when I touched it. It actually looks more like a pavlova but tastes like a soufflé.

People hang their coats and scarves on allocated places indoors. I can’t get used to leaving my coat so far away … but I noticed that others also placed theirs on the back of their chairs.

I was making my way to the Hohensalzburg Fortress when I stumbled upon the Salzburg Cathedral and the Christmas markets. Of course I had to have a Gluwein while I walked around, in some cases there were so many people that it was a challenge to get around them. The Gluwein was served in a ceramic mug and cost me 8.50€. When I returned the mug I got a 4€ refund. The stalls were many and varied, not as good as Frankfurt or Riga but probably I would rank them in 3rd place. There were many food and Christmas trinket stalls. I then realised that I was in the Aldstadt (old town) and wandered past old buildings with many designer shops.

With an hour left before I had to board my train I relied on my sense of direction and retraced my steps to the Hauptbahnhof. My train was a little late which gave me time to investigate where I should be on the platform to board my carriage. I did ask some staff and I was able to be in the right spot at the very beginning of the platform. The platforms are divided into sections A, B, C, etc. then there is a board that displays where your carriage will be for your train.

I was in seat 91 this time which put me going backwards but I could enjoy the scenery. The conductor asked to see tickets once the train is on its way. Mine were on my phone with a QR code that was scanned and confirmed. At no time did I have to use my passport to change countries – Germany to Austria and return.

Frustratingly, I could not access the wifi on this train. So after writing my notes it was time to sit back and enjoy the German countryside and the snow covered Alps as we moved along.

Trains are a good way to travel in Europe as they are fast, comfortable and you do not have to go through the screening procedures like in an airport. It was even better because I had no luggage today … so I looked like a local (until I spoke 😆).

I bought some supplies in the SPAR supermarket in the Salzburg Hauptbahnhof. My dinner of a pumpernickel sandwich with salami and cheese cost 2.39€ (about $3:80AUD) …. I also bought a bottle of Stolichnaya vodka 40% proof which cost around $27AUD.

My jet lag is better than I thought, I think because I used the melatonin tablets recommended by the doctor last night and I slept fairly well throughout the night with some broken moments but ultimately waking at around 7am.

I plan to do the same tonight, sleep when the locals sleep and wake up refreshed. Ha ha, as I write about this, I just saw an advertisement for Melatonin on the German television.

Tomorrow I plan to visit Augsburg and explore Marienplatz in Munich.

Guten Nacht.