WINTER WONDERLAND

Sunday, I arrived home from spending the long Thanksgiving weekend in Vienna and Salzburg. I went with my friend Brittany and we stayed with a friend of hers who is studying in Austria this semester. I had already visited Vienna in the beginning of the semester on opening tour with GIF, but this time my experience was completely different because of the CHRISTMAS MARKETS!

Every year starting in mid-November, all sorts of craftsmen from all countries in Europe flock to Vienna to sell their handmade goods at the several Christmas markets that take over the city during this time of year. There are ornaments, candy, cookies, chocolate-covered everything, loads of coffee and alcohol drinks, trinkets, stockings, advent calendars.. basically anything that is closely resembled to Christmas and any type of chocolate treat are widely available, and they are all amazing. We went to five main markets in Vienna alone, and we spent a day in Salzburg where there were two more main markets. Both cities were entirely decked out in Christmas decor and we were actually there for the first snow in both Vienna and Salzburg! It was literally a winter wonderland. Every sidewalk, every street was lit up and tinseled to the fullest. It was so beautiful and it was impossible to not be in the best mood ever the entire weekend.

Each market had its own unique mug that was distributed with any hot drink that specific market was serving. So when you pay for your drink, you also pay a 2 euro deposit for the mug that it comes in, and when you're done, you can bring back the mug and get your 2 euro back, or you can keep the mug and have a cute and cheap souvenir! I kept one of the mugs from my favorite market, but I already broke it. Hopefully I can super glue it when I get back to Phoenix and be able to use it in our new kitchen....

Salzburg was by far my favorite part of the weekend. We took a 3 hour train to get there, and the ride was so beautiful! It was full of snow covered hills and christmas-tree-looking-pines. I fell asleep for most of it but what I saw was gorgeous.

I have to run off to class, but more to come later.. including lots of pictures. Ciao!