17 December
We left for Europe today, travelling business class on Malaysian Airlines. Very, very nice and the second flight from Kuala Lumpur to Frankfurt was in a new 777, airbeds and all. Well worth the money when flying straight through. Our stopover at KL was uncomfortable in the Business Class lounge, probably due to jetlag, tiredness and impatience.

18 December
We arrived into Frankfurt airport ay 6.15am, straight through a very efficient customs, and onto the Skyline train to the Bahnhof (train station) below the airport. We donned our puffa jackets - it had started to snow as we arrived, and bought tickets (it does pay to speak good German) and boarded our train to Würzburg. Our specified seats were taken by an elegantly dressed, elderly woman who would not budge herself or her bags. We changed train at Würzburg, but ¼ hour later we are on our train to Bamberg. The countryside is covered in snow and looks magnificent to me! The trains are warm (opening our jackets gave us a sharp reminder that we needed a good shower!) and very clean.

On arrival in Bamberg, we took a taxi through narrow cobbled streets to our Hotel Zum Dominikaner, on Dominikanerstrasse in the Aldstadt (old town), the only hotel we have pre-booked from the internet. Light snow is falling. Our room is simple but clean and warm. A shower and a warm feather bed - we slept for three hours and woke for a walk and enjoyed the crisp air, the snow, the cobbles and the Christkindlmarkt (Christmas markets selling traditional wooden ornaments) in the Platz (square). Our first meal of Bratwurst und Brot mit Sempf (bratwurst sausage in a bun with mustard), and Ghluwein - standing at an outdoor table in the lightly falling snow and Christmas lights - just magical. We wandered to a Gasthof for an early dinner - joining a couple of young men at their table. My first request in German, asking for a glass of water resulted in the waiter asking a question, and I was lost!

19 December
We awoke to falling snow and white streets. Down to what was to become a typical Germanic breakfast for us - cheese, rolls, salami, ham, muesli, yoghurt, jam and coffee. Out into the Altstadt, well wrapped up and we walked all day. Bamberg emerged from WW2 with hardly a scratch; so most of the wonderful old buildings, beautiful buildings are originals. We tried to discover a post office to post a parcel for a friend, only two in all of Bamberg, a city of 70,000 - can't be right. A snowball fight out side the Bamberger Dom [cathedral] - we couldn't get in just then as they were bringing in the giant fir trees for Christmas - probably a dozen of them. Back to the market for Bratwurst, Brot und Glühwein. We took a tour through the Neue Residenz, a huge palace for the Bishop - tapestries, paintings, old potbelly stoves, ceilings, chandeliers and the winter Rosengarten from the palace windows. We visited a couple of brewery pubs and had lunch in one - more sausages mit Sauerkraut und Sempf. And after lunch, one of Bamberg's oldest chuches, St Gangolf or Obere Pfarrkirche - plain on the outside and dripping with gold inside. Finally, exhausted, we went back to the Dominikaner, ate in their restaurant - local fare, and into bed. Fantatstic place, Bamberg. Narrow, cobbled streets. I will miss the fairy wonderland of it all. We are off to Munich by train tomorrow.

20 December
We caught the ICE train to Munich, and scored a great hotel close to the station and the main city centre - Kings Hotel First Class. After check-in, we wandered into town a couple of blocks and into the Marienplatz and a huge Christkindlmarkt. More Glühwein and Bratwurst. Visited the Augustiner Brauhaus and met Renato, an older rogue Italian man who was currently chatting up one of the beer waitresses, Barbara. We arranged to meet him the next evening at 4.00pm.

21st December
Geoff took me on a walking tour of Munich, mostly around the city cenre. Starting in the Mareinplatz and visiting the Neues Rathaus and it's tower for the views. And the Residenz, where we visited the Schatzkammer der Residenz (Residence Treasury) and its mind-boggling treasures. Odeonplatz, the site of the Beer Hall Putsch by the Nazis in 1923, and now outside the Nationaltheater Muenchen, we saw Christmas trees for sale in the snow. Solid, neo-classical buildings. You can almost imagine the large red Nazi banners about to tumble down. Into the Viktualienmarkt, one of Europe's largest food markets. In winter, people crowd into the small pubs around the square for warmth and schnapps. Ended our tour at the Augustiner Brauhaus and Renato. Very, very entertaining - Bayern Munich were playing Hamburg SV in a soccer semi-final and the large Augustiner was full of supporters - standing on tables and singing soccer chants back and forth, trying to outdo each other in noise. Renato had saved us a seat. But off to the game they all went and quiet reigned again.

22nd December
Geoff took me on another walking tour - out to the Englischer Garten or "English Garden" - a large urban public park that stretches from the city center to the northeastern city limits of Munich, larger than New York's Central Park . All covered in snow. Just fantastic! The Kleinhesseloher See or Kleinhesseloher Lake was nearly frozen over. Very sore feet by the time we came out the other end and into Schwabing, and a very 'cultural' Christkindlmarkt. Our feet were so sore we caught a train back to the city, and our last meeting with Renato at 6pm.

23rd December
Munich to Innsbruck on the Michelangelo train, which runs between Munich and Rome. An Italian train and so much different to German trains - men in women’s toilets, smoking in non-smoking, unkempt train, and sooo noisy! Full of Italians, families of them. Scored a hotel right in Innsbruck‘s pedestrian-only old city [Altstadt ] called Hotel Weisses Kreuz. 500 years old and a 13 year old Mozart stayed here once. What an amazing place – another one! Beautiful painted or decorated buildings, market, cobbled streets and so on! The Christkindlmarkt is right outside our door in the main street, Herzog Friedrich Strasse. We found our favourite Glühwein store very quickly. Most of the buildings in this street were built in the 15 and 16th centuries. At the end of the street is the Goldenes Dachl [Golden Roof], with its 2657 golden copper tiles. We watched a concert of three bands, one in the balcony of the Goldenes Dachl, and the other two on other balconies close by.

24th December
Today a walking tour, visiting the Hofkirche, featuring an amazing set of 28 bronze figures – Hapsburgs and other dignatories, but includes King Arthur! (König Artur). Designed by Albrecht Dürer. And the Hofburg, Innsbruck’s imperial palace, dating from 1397. Its walls are decorated with portraits and paintings of Maria Theresia’s 16 children including Marie Antoinette. How the better half lived! We toddled to the top of the Stadtturm, built 1442-50 – a great view of Innsbruck, but we still can’t see the mountains. In the evening, we went to a great old restaurant for our Christmas dinner – celebrated on Christmas Eve. Four courses and it cost us $150.00. Very nice.

25th December
Today we took a bus to Hall, a small village just outside of Innsbruck and wandered around. Not much open, but found the Burgtaverner for a beer. Then back to Innsbruck. The Alps can be seen in glimpses between the low clouds. Wandered this afternoon, but nothing is open. Ended up at MacDonald’s in the Aldstadt for Christmas Dinner!!

26th December
Up at seven to another excellent breakfast here. Checked out and trundled down to the train station to catch our train to Salzburg. Left at 9.30am on the dot, an Austrian train. We travelled back into Germany a bit and then onto Salzburg. Found a hotel called Centro Hotel, clean, modern, basic, just on the outskirts of the city and an easy walk across the river Salsach. We went straight out for a wander around and to get our bearings. Bratwurst and Glühwein from a stall for lunch. Most places are closed as it’s Boxing Day, but a few are open. The place is swarming with tourists, nearly all Italian. Salzburg is a beautiful place with the Salsach River running through the middle. After a short nanny nap to rest our burning feet, we were up and out again.

We decided to go to the Augustiner Bräustübl, out of town a short walk and across the river. It is still a monastery and the monks have been running this huge beer hall for years. The monks dispense the beer into large stone mugs, and the side stalls sell food – we selected chillies, stuffed rollmops, cheese, stuffed gherkins, olives and pork belly. Delicious with our beer, a great place, relaxing, authentic. We decided to come back again tomorrow night with Ian, Geoff’s friend from England, who was flying into join us for a night. After a couple of beers, we left and wandered back over the river with all the lights twinkling and a very light snow falling. It was a great day in a beautiful city.

27th December
Today, after another bread and meat breakfast, we wandered the city. Staring in the Domplatz, we took in the 15th-century Dom with its three huge bronze doors. And visited the Residenz and an art exhibition there, ‘Winter Landscapes’ – well worth seeing. We visited more ornate and baroque church interiors, but the huge horse trough, the Pferdeschwemme, was interesting – built in 1700. And down the Getreidegasse, with luxury shops in medieval buildings, full of Italians on holiday clutching numerous bourtique shopping bags.

We walked to the Festung Hohensalzburg castle at the top of a steep cliff overlooking the Aldstadt. A steep climb and part of the castle was closed, but an excellent marionette exhibition was on show. We had lunch in the castle – Knödel and pork! We wandered back to the hotel and rested our legs, but back out again at 5.30pm and had dinner on an old Gasthof in the Aldstadt. More pork!

28th December
After breakfast, we wandered into town and organised rail tickets for Klagenfurt – trying to find a place in the mountains. But no luck yet, will try again in Klagenfurt.

Ian arrived at 2.15pm, we greeted him and then we walked through the Aldstadt. Ian has never been to Salzburg before. We had a Glühwein beside the ice rink, full of children. Ian seems a very nice family man, very proud of his children. Wandered into a local bar on our way to the Augustiner Bräustübl, where Geoff informed the bar ‘girl’ that he was Croatian, and she told him one of the off-duty bar people was Croatian. Fifteen minutes later, he was there, and Geoff had to tell him the truth. Embarrassing.

We moved onto the Augustiner Bräustübl and Ian was blown away by the place. So it was a good choice. After nibbles of pork belly and pickles, we then ate our a meal of pork belly and potato salad! Jo has now had her fill of pork for a while. After our fill of beer we wandered back through the falling snow to the Aldstadt and visited the Gasthof from last night, drank two bottles of wine and schnapps, and then waddled home to bed! A very late night for us – after 1am.

more to come soon...

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