So it is the day before the day before Christmas which is like Christmas eve here. Yesterday was amazing but I was exhausted. Slept all night in into this morning. Got up a little later than usual and headed down for breakfast. Was sort of a lazy morning all around. I did some updates and photo loads and then headed out. Since it was rainy, cool and foggy it was not a good day for the Untersberg or the fortress. I am holding out for a sunnier day. It was however a good day the head to the Stiegl Brauwelt (Stiegl Beer World) which is closed after tomorrow until mid January. I had missed it last time and it is an indoor tour so I decided to partake.
Now a Salzburg card here is available for 1,2 or 3 day availabilities and gets you into all attractions at least once for free as well as many other deals and free transit. The card gets you into Brauwelt for free as well as offering a beer tasting at the end of the museum tour and a free gift. Nice deal!
I happen to like this beer and buy it back home quite a bit. Since it was offered to me with meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner last time I was here, I developed an affinity for it. My pictures will take you through the brewery which was very interesting. At the end, in the restaurant I presented my ticket for my tasting...I thought I would get a little glass of my pick of the beers they brew there. Silly me, you get three full beer mug complimentary beers. I had one with a meal and then they really want you to use your free three so if you don't drink them there, they send you home with two bottles of nonalcoholic beer taken from the process of making the beer. And the gift in the gift shop is either another beer or a beer glass. I took the glass! But what a deal.
After that I headed back through town and to the hotel to drop my things off. It was late enough that the free coffee, tea and cakes were being served. As I sat down with my pastry and peppermint tea these two santas came in the front door dragging a little sled and singing very loudly at the top of their lungs. Apparently they do this every year around pubs and hotels at Salzburg and they spend all day pub hopping and meeting tourists and singing dirty carols (Christmas carols and popular music with alternate lyrics).
I moved on after a while and headed to the main Christmas market at the Domplatz there. There are a couple of gifts I wanted to pick up since stock is starting to get low and they close on boxing day. I was lucky enough to catch the glockenspiel. It only plays three times a day and has 35 bells. It generally plays a Mozart Jr or Sr piece. I took a video and will post it here.
After getting my items I headed back to this side of town, grabbed a quick dinner on the go and headed to the hotel. I will be turning in early tonight. Big days ahead for me. I have my Oberndorf Silent Night tour and service tomorrow, 6 course Christmas Eve gala dinner at the Stadtkrug and then the midnight mass at the main cathedral. Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. I am not sure when the next update will be as it will be late for me when I get back tomorrow and I have to be up early on Christmas day to head off on my sleigh ride through the mountain region to the Dachstein glacier. Hope you all have a safe, happy holiday!!!
