Winging it!

We got up this morning and decided to go to Salzburg. I looked at the tourist dept website and saw that they have a Christmas Market. We knew there's train to the city but we didn't know the schedule. So we decide to "wing it." Worst case scenario we miss the last train back to Munich and have to stay the night in Austria.

We had breakfast at the Hostel and then took a tram to the main train station. As we walked into the station we saw a train leaving for Salzburg in 10 minutes. Tried to figure out the automated ticket machine but even with the English menu there were too many options. I was afraid of buying the wrong ticket...so we went to the ticket booth to talk to a real live ticket agent.

We got the Bayern Pass which is a round trip ticket for two adults and two kids for €29 and the train was leaving in 4 minutes. So we booked it back to platform 21 and barely made the train. I'm talking the train started moving as we were looking for a seat!

The trip was about 2 hours and uneventful. The boys bickered over who got to watch the latest Star Wars Clone Wars episode on the iTouch and who got to read the first "Twilight" book.

From the station in Salzburg, Austria, we walked to the Christmas Market, stopping for a cappuccino. The first market was small, but had cool gluhwein mugs. The main market was about 15 minutes farther but worth the walk. Very large and lots of people.

We bought an ornament for our tree and Tommy got a new hat (you'll see it in the video.) Got some snacks - sausage with kraut, chocolate covered pretzels and bananas, gluhwein, chocolate apples, and some really good toast with bacon - and headed back to the station. Stopped a skate board shop and picked up some stickers.

We made the 1718 (5:18 pm) train which got us back to Munich at 1912 (7:12 pm.) We had dinner at the market in Marienplatz - pasta with cheese and ham - and then took another train back to the hostel.

The boys were done with showers by 2100 (9:00 pm.) We left them our cell phone and went downstairs for a drink. Right next to the hostel is this cool old biergarten. I don't remember the name, but they've been brewing beer since 1328!

Went back upstairs an hour later and got the boys to bed.

Bud