CHRISTMAS PREPARATIONS SALZBURG

It's been a busy, busy day buying presents and wrapping, buying Christmas foods, paper plates, serviettes, etc. And also finishing off decorating the tree.















The Christmas bags are ready and waiting to be filled by Santa.

And we decided to buy a special Christmas tree decoration for each of our families so that each year they can remember it is from Salzburg. Little nut cracker soldiers - so cute.

I'm off for a Christmas Church service (10 pm tomorrow night is too late for me ;) whilst I think the rest of the family are going ice skating and I'll meet them there after Church. I dreamt last night that Jason broke his leg and I said "that's why I didn't ice skate Jason!" Fingers crossed it doesn't come true.

A SALZBURG CHRISTMAS DAY OF ARRIVAL

Arrving in Salzburg around 2 pm and checked into our awesome hotel/apartment, Wolf Dietrich, we set out with one thing on our minds.

Along the way we took in some gorgeous sights.















And reaching our destination, Der Salzburger Christkindlmarkt, we were on the look out for the main attraction, a Christmas Tree of course. It's our very first real tree and we had to pick just the right one.

Dave carried the bugger home and we added the first of our decorations purchased from Salzburg, tinsel. Tomorrow, we'll buy some hanging decorations.

It was a close call for Dave this afternoon who smacked his head into the sloping roof whilst plugging in computers. He was very, very lucky it didn't split open but left him with a good sized lump and graze. He grabbed a handful of snow from the window sill and applied straight away which reduced the lump instantaneously.

Dinner tonight felt like we were back in Italy again with pasta, pizza and soup.

More pictures from day of arrival here.

IMPERIAL CASTLE AND ST SEBALDUS CHURCH

I forgot to say yesterday that we bought some beautiful Christmas decorations from the markets including a big Santa Claus. We're gonna have the best dressed tree next year :)

Dave and Allan (Dave's Dad) visited the Imperial Castle 21 years ago so it was only fitting that we returned to one of the most important residences of the Middle Ages.

We were all really interested in looking at the weapons and armour of those times.















Dave said it all looked exactly like he remembered it.

The Deep Well was quite an eye opener, the shaft itself having a depth of 47 metres. Pouring a glass of water down took 6 seconds to reach the water in the well.

In the afternoon, whilst the children chilled, Dave and I visited St Sebaldus Church. A moving experience reading about its destruction in World War II and later, its restoration.

Our Nuremberg visit is just about over. After posting our treasures home in the morning we're off to Salzburg to settle in for Christmas.

Today's photos here.

T'IS THE SEASON IN NUREMBERG

Even if it doesn't snow in Salzburg on Christmas Day we've got the white Christmas we wanted. We headed straight for the markets mid morning. The sugar king got his first hit with some floss.















We bought Jason an early Christmas present. His first stein engraved with his name and the year.

Then hunger hit and it was dogs all round (Sofie, Dave and Jason). Now, that's what I call a dog - a 1/2 metre weiner.

The snow started falling making for magical memories. The size of the flakes were amazing and getting stuck in our eyelashes making us laugh.

Some supplies this afternoon and as I sit here writing I am blessed with the sound of laughter and happiness listening to a card game in action. Jayden's sitting on the floor with me playing his Nintendo and eating salt n vinegar chips and bopping along with me to Pink singing So What.

Today's pics here.

NUREMBERG

After arriving in Nuremberg and checking into Hotel Agneshof the big kids went for a look see at the Christmas Markets whilst the little kids watched a movie and played games on the computer. There was light snow falling all afternoon and what better way to warm up than a mug of warm mulled wine.















We've started gathering interesting food stuffs for our Christmas Day - nougat, honey bread, gingerbread, marzipan and others we're not sure what they're called.

Beer time and just behind our hotel is a little German pub. 1/2 steins first up, just to make sure the bier tasted ok ;)

Then the boys decided to be adventurous with a tasting plate of beer including schnapps. Other than a sip Dave doesn't do schnapps anymore - remember Switzerland?

We've just been out for a traditional German dinner - weinerschnitzels (kids), mixed grill (Jason), 1/2 duck, potato dumpling, sauerkraut (Dave), french onion soup (me).

Jas' crashed out and the rest of us won't be too far behind him.

Few more photos here.

I'VE GOT HIM

It was an anxious day yesterday awaiting Jason's arrival with flights, incoming and outgoing, being cancelled left, right and centre due to the weather (snow) conditions. Spoke to him at Kuala Lumpur and all was good, flight delayed 1 hour. Estimated time of arrival changed to 7.03 am this morning. A restless night waking every hour until at 4.15 am I rose to get ready and catch the arranged 5 am shuttle to the airport to wait for him. Watching the monitors - approaching, landed, baggage and then finally I've got him. Huge sigh of relief and we're now off to Nuremberg and the Christmas Markets.

ROVENIEMI SUNSET

Before leaving Roveniemi yesterday morning Dave took on the cold once more to snap off the last of our Roveniemi photos. He was eagerly awaiting the sun to rise as from the time it started to appear around 11.20 am there was a 40 minute window until it had fully risen and then started to go to sleep again. He's becoming quite the photographer.

11.22 am



















12.01 pm

Our flight was delayed only 30 minutes from Roveniemi to Helsinki but from Helsinki to Frankfurt it could have gone any way. Frankfurt airport had been closed all morning due to snow and we were told they had a 3 hour window with which to allow planes to take off and land, firstly clearing any backlog. An hour after scheduled take off we boarded only to have to sit in the plane for another 30 minutes before given the go ahead by traffic control for push back and take off. Whilst waiting around, Dave found these and Jayden then joined the reindeer eating Stark's.

We got in to our hotel room finally around 9.30 pm after waiting for the shuttle bus (once again in the freezing cold). We have two hotel rooms, interconnecting, which now look like a Chinese laundry after handwashing in the bathtub.

The car this morning, about 30 centimetres of snow covering.

We're now anxiously awaiting the arrival of Jason who has departed Sydney and shouldn't be too far from Kuala Lumpur now.

More beautiful sunsets and photos here.