Christmas in Salzburg - The Final Chapter

Two hours later, I found myself sitting in contemporary restaurant as smoke began swirling around me. Just like in France and other European countries, the government has yet to ban this nasty habit. It wasn’t overly obnoxious, but anything more than a wisp irritates my senses.

I wasn’t happy to be there. I was hungry for a wholesome meal rather than an experimental one. But Chris wanted to try it. And sometimes, you have to compromise. So there I was, trying roasted turbot with green peas – artichoke stew and seaweed in a corn meal cone served in a bud vase. Nine servings later, I was surprisingly full. There was no need to revert to plan B – finding the German Beer hall for more Goulash. Instead, we returned to the hotel for a good night’s rest.

On Sunday, having felt as though we’d seen enough, there truly was no need to revisit the market our last day in Salzburg. But since our flight wasn’t until 4, we felt obligated to return once more to our favorite Baumkuchen stand. Nagy gave us a free “Tree Cake” for the road as to thank us for visiting her booth numerous times as well as the inclusion in any writings on Salzburg (Feel free to contact Nagy at mineralien.nagy@gmx.at to let her know you’ve heard about her tasty treat and look forward to visiting her at 5020 Salzburg, Austria when you arrive). And since our bellies weren’t loaded with German sausages, we finally had the opportunity to eat a chocolate covered pretzel I had been eyeing for two days. The delicious baked good was the size of my head and tasted like a Dolly Madison Chocolate Covered Gem. The plastic textured chocolate treat was the perfect ending to our two glutonous days in Salzburg.

With so many activities and picturesque views from hilltop vantage points, there are unlimited incentives to visit Salzburg’s Christmarkekindl. But for us, it came down to food. Forget the crafts, the Sound of Music tour and Mozart’s home. Rather, head straight for the sausages, pretzels and Baumkuchen. After all, who needs an imported snowflake when you can load your luggage with “Tree Cakes.”