Bolger Family Travels: I Have Confidence

If it has been a while since you've watched the movie, "I have confidence" is one of the opening songs of the Sound of Music, which was filmed in Salzburg (because Salzburg is where the von Trapp family lived before leaving to escape the Nazis).

My confidence is that Salzburg is an amazingly picture-esque small city that has what, so far, is my favorite Christmas market. (We don't all share this view -- Carol and Torie's favorite is the same -- the market at City Hall in Vienna, and that certainly has a legitimate case to be made for it.)

I think I like the Salzburg market so much because it has a small town feel. The setting, like the Vienna market, is sublime -- the Cathedral on one side, classic buildings with arches all around. The market actually takes up two connected squares. There were large trains, and models of Krampuses.

We were not on schedule with the Krampus nights in any of the cities we were in, so we missed that show. To get a flavor for the Krampus, look at the costumes below. And, from Wikipedia:

In Central European folklore, Krampus is a horned, anthropomorphic figure described as "half-goat, half-demon", who, during the Christmas season, punishes children who have misbehaved. This contrasts with Saint Nicholas, who rewards the well-behaved with gifts.

Krampus are pretty scary looking -- leave it to the Austrians and Germans to scare the heck out of little kids at this time of year! (Check out the photo below)

Another reason to like the Salzburg market is that stands here sell beer along with gluwein. Sorry, but gluwein is not my cup of, er, wine, as it is sickly sweet to me. Oh, the mugs are great, and the concept is even better (drinking hot alcohol whilst roaming the markets), but the wine itself is dreck in my opinion.

It's okay -- if you like gluwein, we can still be friends.

We're saving a lot of money on food on this trip, as we are buying any combination of sausages such as Bosna or Bratwurst and chowing down. It's not the most balanced meal, but it is quick and hearty. Plus, those faithful readers of the blog will give Carol props for eating street food without fear of gastrointestinal issues. Of course, it doesn't take as much guts to eat street food in Europe as in Asia!

After covering the main market, we walked back through the city, festooned in lights, and came to the Christmas Market on Mirabell Square. Much smaller than the Cathedral Square market, we bought made to order Krapfen.

Despite the unfortunate name, Krapfen are a delicious type of large donut. In the States, cops would be hanging out at the Krapfen stall instead of at Krispy Kreme. Freshly cooked and hot, they are quite tasty. We bought a couple and grabbed a cab back to the apartment. It was a nice cap to a great day in Salzburg.