After a day out at Salzburg, we needed to relax. After all my 5 month pregnant self was exhausted; I wasn't that over enthusiastic, bustling with energy traveller that usually am. So we decided to visit a lake by the south of Salzburg: Zell am see.

One thing we understood that Austria, the land of lakes or 'Sees' never fails to mesmerize us with its glacial water bodies. We had toured at least twenty lakes till that time and each one had been spectacular. The beauty of the Austrian countryside is ineffable. Wooden houses with sloping roofs, windows bursting with colourful blooms, the greenest grass all around (as if someone has planted the lawn grass; God duh!), blue sky and hills all around. It was straight of a story book!

It had already started getting dark. We stopped at places where we saw cows grazing. The cattle were quite huge as per Indian eyes and were all over happily ruminating. Then we stopped at one of the fairy tale houses that caught our fancy. The owners were in the garden harvesting fruits. We tried starting a conversation with them but they knew zero English. I had learnt German and we tried to use it as much as we could. 

On the way we stopped at various turns, saw the sun go down and felt the dusk descending. There were apple trees everywhere; full with apples. In one of the parking there were too many fallen on the ground. Hubs just could not control himself from picking them up. After all they did not belong to anyone; the trees were public too. Those were the crunchiest and the juiciest apples we ever had!

Zell am See has ducks swimming in it (much like the other lakes too). It was really quiet and peaceful there. Since it was already evening, there was chill in the air but some locals and tourists were diving in the lake.

The drive along the winding roads of the Alpine countryside is one of the most unforgettable experiences from that trip.

 This post is a part of #BlogchatterA2Z 2023 

Vietnam is truly a foodie's delight. To say that our Vietnamese sojourn has been the ultimate culinary experience for me (rest of the family are vegetarians) would be an understatement. I had tried many new things (like clams and oysters and scallops) and many new dishes of already tasted delicacies (like prawns, squids,etc). If I try and document every meal that I had, then this post would become a never ending one. So I am trying to give a brief overview of what I loved and is indispensable for seafood lovers like me in this post.

GRILLED OYSTERS WITH SCALLION OIL (HAU NUONG MO HANH)

I had the best experience with trying out oysters for the first time because they weren't raw! Grilled and garnished with fried garlic, scallions and roasted peanuts! The best combination ever! Also, if you have ever tasted fish eyes (like of Rohu or Catla) oysters taste the same. (For the ones who haven't tasted yet).

SWEET AND SOUR CLAM SOUP (CANH NGAO CHUA)

I have always been apprehensive of clams, but I finally took the plunge. Cooked with pineapples and rosemary and cherry tomatoes and all, it was really a delight!

Scallop Tempura:

Give me tempura in any form and I will relish it. And the succulent scallops are a must if you love seafood.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls Recipe (Gỏi Cuốn) 

Well this can be loved by all provided you are open to having pork and seafood. Because the rolls are thin rice paper rolls and the stuffing is minced pork and squids and all. Served with a sweet and sour dip, glass noodles (vermicelli) and a bowl of very pungent raw herbs. I finished them all!

Vietnamese Noodles with seafood:

I opted for only shrimps and squids with my noodles and they were delicious! Of course the noodles were loaded with bok choy too.

Banh Mi

Basically a Vietnamese sandwich, this should not be missed at any cost! If you are a non meat eater, you can try and explain them to add egg instead. Vegetarian food is difficult and communicating with the locals is even more challenging!

Vietnamese Fried Tofu with Scallions (Dau ran tam hanh)

I love tofu and these were an excellent veg option for my family members.

Trứng Chiên Chay/ Rolled omelette: Again they were a delight and if you love eggs, go for it!

Deep fried Taro Balls

I am not a fan of Taro and I don't like this South East Asian delicacy.

Cải Thìa, Cải Chíp (Bok Choy)

OMG the amount of Bok choy I had during the entire trip; I hadn't had in my entire life! They add bok choy in EVERY SINGLE DISH. But who's complaining? I like it!

Goat Meat: This is a delicacy of Ninh Binh and I did not like it. It was rough, dry and chewy. Not at all upto my liking.

Egg Coffee and Coconut coffee: Coffee is an integral part of Vietnamese cuisine and they are special indeed! They use condensed milk in place of creamer and it's heavenly!

I was sceptical of egg coffee but it tasted like pudding! They serve it over hot water and you are supposed to stir the coffee and then drink it. Surely a must try!

Coconut coffee is a universal favourite. Imagine cold coffee in coconut milk and 100 times tastier. A definite must! 

 This post is a part of #BlogchatterA2Z 2023 

 Xmas in Europe is nothing less than a dream. After all this is the land of Christianity. I mean if you have travelled extensively in countries like Italy, France, Austria etc then you must have noticed that the density of the Cross with a candle lit in front is even more than the frequency of tiny ish temples in India. You can spot them in the unlikeliest of corners. Initially we were really fascinated when hopping in the Italian countryside. But gradually we started looking out for those corners. 

 Every nation has its own traditions and the Holiday season is special in every nook of Europe. Mind you, the days leading to Christmas are special; not the day itself unlike India. Because everything is shut as everyone is at home with their families. In fact in some places malls are closed on Sundays too. We learnt it the hard way in Athens, Greece . It was a Sunday and we went for shopping in the mall only to find out that every store except the food court was shut on Sundays. What a sheer waste of time and money.

 However Christmas in the Bavarian region is a huge affair. People start the preparation months in advance. And for that there is a bougie store for ornaments in Salzburg by the name: Christmas in Salzburg. Well this place is so widely known that I have heard that even Americans come down here to buy ornaments.

The ornaments are exorbitantly expensive with balls starting from 10 Euros. They all are hand painted, therefore it kind of justifies their pricing. We of course didn't have that amount of money to buy something so fragile. And that too whatever I liked was over 50 Euro. 

These kind of stores tend to scare my husband because he is always apprehensive of knocking something down with his backpack or camera.

So even if you are not looking for ornaments or not fascinated by this festival, you should definitely visit this store for its sheer brilliance.

 This post is a part of #BlogchatterA2Z 2023 

I have written about our first stop of Wachau Valley Durnstein and how quaint it is. Well driving from there, on our way to Gmunden, our final stop in the valley was Melk. Well for the uninitiated, the Wachau Valley is the wine country of Lower Austria and is basically a 36 km long stretch along the river Daube; starting from Krems and ending in Melk. Of course this quaint piece of paradise is a UNESCO World Heritage site and should not be missed.

Melk is a thousand year old settlement and is the place of Melk Abbey and monastery. The huge yellow structure can be spotted from a distance and would require a big chunk of time to explore. This place contains the remains of the first Austrian dynasty. Of course we were in a rush (we had squeezed this Wachau Valley excursion within our road trip) so we took pictures from outside and bade goodbye.

The Melk Abbey is a Benedictine abbey and is built on a rock; overlooking the Danube. That's why it can be seen from all around. As I have said before, you can take a cruise on the Danube along this entire stretch; or can drive through it (like we did) or can do a day trip from Vienna. Whatever is feasible, you can opt for that but you should not miss this at any cost.

If you are a wine lover, then this place is paradise for you. Not only the vineyards along the Danube are picturesque, but the wineries are so freaking cute too! We are teetotalers but never miss a chance to imbibe the local culture. The houses are quintessentially cute and I could not stop taking pictures!

 I am a big fan of free guides. Especially in European countries, where 1 Euro is quite a bit as per Indian standards and where you need 1.5 Euro to pee! We were scandalised when we were charged for the first time in Amsterdam! Even some famous churches require tickets to go iniside. That's why I always try to discover points of interest that don't need tickets or could be done at a minimal price. Some of my most loved guides are:

Budapest for free

Florence for free and many other guides.

So today I am sharing the many places that doesn't need any ticket or simply can be done at a lower cost but not entering inside!

1. Schonbrunn Schloss: In German language, schloss means a palace and you get palaces strewn in this region like peas! And not just any palace, these are literally HUGE! The Schonbrunn Palace is the most magnificent palace of Vienna and one of the most beautiful ones in entire Europe and of course the most visited spot of Vienna. While the external grounds are free, you would need tickets for special area like Orangery and all. But who needs those if the free grounds are as exquisite and vast like this! In fact if you want to explore the entire palace, you need a whole day.

2. Schonbrunn Greenhouse: Just adjacent to the Palace is a huge Greenhouse that looks equally marvellous . You should definitely take a picture from outside.

3. Vienna Zoo: Who has the time for seeing captive animals in a historical city like Vienna? But you will cross the gate during your visit to the Palace.

4. Rathaus: The town hall and the community centre are nothing less than Baroque architecture themselves. Definitely deserves a visit.

5. Hofburg Palace: I have mentioned before, you can stroll on the grounds and take pictures without going inside the museum.

6. Beleverde Palace: Again one of the most marvelous Baroque construction of that era. The miraculously manicured gardens always leave me in awe. Even Salman Khan movies have been shot here; the one with Ayesha Takia. No need to visit the museum; the external grounds would leave you in beauty haze.

7. Vienna Park: The park is literally enormous and there are a lot of cheap eateries outside. Ditch the restaurant if you want to save money. We bought vegetarian noodles and had a lovely picnic in the park.

8. St Stephen's Cathedral: An exquisite Gothic construction, the entire place left our eyeballs popping because it was so beautiful!

9. Old Town square: All the hustle bustle happens in the old town square. Cobbled streets, eateries, luxury shops and tonnes of cool activities; all are continuously happening. It was a Sunday when we visited and the city could not be more alive!

Vienna or Wien is one of most fascinating European capitals we have ever visited. And trust me, I am saying this after having been explored 24 countries and their capitals!

This post is a part of #BlogchatterA2Z 2023 

 Did you know that Bratislava is the smallest capital city of Europe? Well after its independence, it started carving an identity of its own. It's a charming city and we squeezed it in between our trip to Czech from Hungary. 

We stopped at Bratislava on our bus trip from Prague and our next bus ride was scheduled at 8 in the evening to Vienna. Basically we had less than 5 hours to explore whatever we could, with all the luggage (because the cloak room wasn't convenient) with me 5 months pregnant. This wasn't a babymoon, it was backpacking with a bump 😂

The bus stop itself has the Bratislava sign; which is so important (for people like us) to get clicked with. We walked to the old town from the bus stop. The Old town is a quaint 18 th century, pedestrian only place. Cobbled streets and exquisite architecture. Our first stop was the Blue Church. It was a true beauty and we were lucky to have listened to the ongoing mass. The entrance is free and this Hungarian Church of St Elizabeth is popular with the tourists and locals alike.

We then started strolling on the streets of the Old Town. It was evening and hence all the youngsters were chilling out. The vibe was relaxed and totally cool. We can never forget what it felt like, seeing all those cafes, jiving to the music playing.

We saw the Primate's Palace from outside (because time crunch! Duh!) The architecture of every Slovakian construction is magnificent. Then we saw the Michael's gate from a distance and the St Martin's Cathedral too. We then proceeded towards the most photographed thing of this city: Cumil.

Cumil, also known as Man at work is a brass statue of a worker peeing from a manhole. It's life size, and anyone can mistake it for a real person. There are so many theories surrounding Cumil. Some say he had been cleaning the sewer and had been peeping out to catch fresh air. While some say he's peeping from below to see beneath the women's skirts and so on. Whatever it is, Cumil is really unique. You can see hordes of tourists queuing up to take a snap. It's not much difficult to locate him; the crowd surrounding him can be easily spotted! 

The word 'Cumil' means 'watcher' in Slovakian language. There are other statues too, and these have been comissioned by the famous Slovakian sculptor Viktor Hulik in 1997, after the country's independence. The best way to find him is by foot. He's there is front of the Fishermen's Gate. This statue has lost its head twice because of careless drivers. So now he has his own sign 'Man at work'.

We then reached the Old town square where we had coffee and looked at the quirky souvenirs. Our final stop was the UFO Tower or the SNP Most.

The UFO Tower is an observation deck and also the symbol of Bratislava. The tower is 95 metres high and the elevator takes 45 seconds to go to the top. It offers 100 kms of line of sight from the top so it's definitely magical. However we didn't have time and hence could not go to the top. The SNP Most or Bridge is the world's longest bridge to have one pylon and one cable stayed plane. We raved over the entire area and kept on admiring the chill vibes of this city while walking back to our bus stop. It was one hell of 5hours of exploration!

This post is a part of #BlogchatterA2Z 2023 

This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’
hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla
in collaboration with Zariya Healings.