Nov. 19-20th 2016
Our flight to Amsterdam left Saturday from Seattle. We had an hour layover in Amsterdam and flew to Munich, Germany it was an hour flight. We arrived Sunday morning. We drove over to Erding and walked through the outside market for awhile. We went to the spa for the rest of the evening. It was a great way to end a long day of travel. We had been awake for over 24 hours. Relaxing at the spa was perfect. We slept about 12 hours and still woke up early enough to get a good start.
Leaving Seattle 
Nov. 21, 2016 Monday
We headed over to Nymphenburg Palace. For a long time the palace was a favorite summer residence of the rulers of Bavaria. King Ludwig the second was born here in 1845. We have been here before but didn't go inside. We then drove to Munich and spent the day there shopping and eating.
Our rental car
Considered the Grand Hall it occupies over three floors of the central pavilion of the palace. In the center of the ceiling is Helios in his chariot, accompanied by other gods. Greek Mythology Helios was the personification of the sun and his sisters the moon. He drove his chariot across the sky on a daily basis pulled by horses.
Nov. 22, 2016 Tuesday
We headed to Badgastine Austria, a small Alpine village. We headed to our hotel, so we thought! We got into town and saw a beautiful waterfall but that was about it. It really looked like a abandoned ghost town. We get that it was off season but this place looked like it had been abandoned for quite some time. The Thermal spa was all boarded up. It was very weird and kind of creepy. We finally found what we thought was our hotel. "Hotel Salzburgerhof" but couldn't find a place to park. I can't imagine what this place would be like in the winter with all the snow and all the tourist! The roads were very narrow and curvy and up hill. We finally just parked on the street and walked down to the hotel. The carpets were all rolled up and there were chairs piled high blocking the front door. We went into another door and talked to the receptionist. We told her that we had reservations and she said, "Let me see your reservation." She said, "We are closed for the season and don't open until the first of December!" Well come to find out there's another small village about 8 kilometers away from Badgastien called Badhofgastien. Both villages have a hotel called "Salzburgerhof." So now we needed to go back to the other village and find the other hotel! Oh the adventures of travel!
Once we checked into our hotel we ate lunch at a cafe which was about the only thing open. I mean ONLY! We walked around the village for a little bit. You can tell it's an absolutely beautiful little ski resort village in the winter but it was not quite open yet. At least it didn't look as run down and abandoned as the last village. They were getting ready to open the first week in December. You could see all the Christmas market booths and signs out and ready to set up. We went over to the spa which is just a couple blocks from our hotel and spent the evening there.
Once we checked into our hotel we ate lunch at a cafe which was about the only thing open. I mean ONLY! We walked around the village for a little bit. You can tell it's an absolutely beautiful little ski resort village in the winter but it was not quite open yet. At least it didn't look as run down and abandoned as the last village. They were getting ready to open the first week in December. You could see all the Christmas market booths and signs out and ready to set up. We went over to the spa which is just a couple blocks from our hotel and spent the evening there.
Nov. 23, 2016
We headed out for a day road trip to Hallstadt Austria. This is a place Michael has always wanted to come see ever since he saw a picture on the front of a magazine in the 70's. It is such a beautiful Alpine village set right on the lake. After we decided to drive to Salzburg since it was only an hour drive. We hadn't planned on going to Salzburg since we've been there several times before but it was so close and is beautiful especially at Christmas. We walked around the Christmas Markets and ate dinner there. Love Salzburg!
Looking out the window eating breakfast in our hotel
Nov. 24, 2016 Thursday
Happy Thanksgiving!
Another road trip. This time to Vienna Austria. While we've been to Vienna before there is still more we wanted to see, it has great Christmas Markets, and will be our launching point for a couple new locations in Eastern Europe. So here we are again!
It took us about 4 hours. Love the road trips in Europe! It's so beautiful. We walked over to the City Hall Christmas Market. What a beautiful place! We walked over to Karlsplatz Christmas Market next to St. Charles church.
Road trip to Vienna, Austria on the autobahn. Yes he was driving!
Hofburg Palace
Famous imperial chocolate making factory in Vienna. Founded in 1786 on Michaelerplatz.
Vienna Opera House
Nov. 25, 2016 Friday
We stayed in Vienna again today. We went to watch the "Lipizzaner White Stallions. They are such beautiful horses. The Spanish riding school in Vienna is the oldest but also the only institution in the world, which has handed down and practiced classical horsemanship in its purest form. It takes place in the Hofburg Palace, built under Charles VI. The horses take you back to the Austrian imperial period dancing to classical music like Johann Strauss and the Viennese Philharmonic Orchestra called "The Ballet of the White Stallions." It was very cool! For our granddaughter, Taylor, grandpa was thinking..." I WONDER what this horses name is?" (Family inside joke.)
Walking on the way to the Palace
PBS Video about the horses
We were so cold this lunch was so good but we could have shared one dish! It was so warm and cozy inside.
Nov. 26, 2016 Saturday
We walked from our hotel to the Belvedere Palace. It had a lot of beautiful architecture and art. They also had a Christmas Market there. We ate lunch at Cafe' Grienstetdl next to Hofburg Palace. We then continued our road trip next to Bratislava Slovakia. Our hotel was very nice and right across the street was the Christmas Market. We ate dinner at one of the restaurants. Did some more Christmas Market's and got some ice cream at a really cute ice cream shop.
We walked over to the Belvedere Palace past the beautiful Orthodox church again. We went inside and there was a wedding going on. We did not take pictures, didn't seem right to do.
We walked over to the Belvedere Palace past the beautiful Orthodox church again. We went inside and there was a wedding going on. We did not take pictures, didn't seem right to do.
Nov. 27, 2016 Sunday
We walked over to St. Michael's Gate. The only gate that has been preserved of the medieval fortifications and ranks among the oldest town buildings. Built about the year 1300. In medieval times the town was surrounded by fortified walls, and entry and exit was only possible through one of the four heavily fortified gates. The fortification in front of St. Michael's gate is closed off by a drawbridge over a moat. Later it was rebuilt in stone. Today under the gate there are luxury shops and restaurants like Christian Dior and Swarovski. We walked a little more through the Christmas Market. We continued our road trip to Budapest Hungry. We got there about 4:30 p.m. The"Boscolo"our hotel is absolutely beautiful! We walked up and down the main street. Budapest is very pretty!
Since 1997, when it was first embedded in the ground, it has become one of the symbols of the Old Town. The story of the man sticking out of a manhole is that if you touch his head your wish will come true, if you keep it a secret forever. He represents a typical communist era worker who is not bothered about the work he's supposed to be doing. There are a lot of other statues all over town.
I think this was a school just loved the building and the colors! It was right across the street from the "Blue Church"
St. Michael's Gate
Bratislava is known for it's many statues throughout the city.
We wondered what he was pointing at then saw his ear!
The "Blue Church"
Budapest in 4K
The"Boscolo"our hotel
Nov. 28, 2016 Monday
We ate breakfast in our hotel at the NY Cafe'. The hotel is beautiful. The hotels are based in Rome, Milan, Venice, Nice, Budapest and Prague. This one in Budapest was once a palace and was nationalized during the communist era. After the collapse of socialism, the palace was bought by the Italian Boscolo Hotels in February 2001.
We walked over to St. Stephens Basilica. We went up to the observation area near one of the towers. What a great view of Budapest and the Parliament. It was so cold up there and super windy! We walked around the Christmas Market there. I really liked this market! We bought a lot of things there. We ate dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe' right next to the market. After we ate we did some shopping in other shops around the same area. We walked across the "Chain Bridge" and took the funicular up to the castle. We had great views across the river, of the Parliament but it was so windy and really cold. We walked back over the bridge and went over to the Parliament building. It's so stunning especially at night. Pictures just don't capture it and how incredibly huge it is. We got hot chocolate across the street at the chocolate museum and cafe'.
We walked over to St. Stephens Basilica. We went up to the observation area near one of the towers. What a great view of Budapest and the Parliament. It was so cold up there and super windy! We walked around the Christmas Market there. I really liked this market! We bought a lot of things there. We ate dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe' right next to the market. After we ate we did some shopping in other shops around the same area. We walked across the "Chain Bridge" and took the funicular up to the castle. We had great views across the river, of the Parliament but it was so windy and really cold. We walked back over the bridge and went over to the Parliament building. It's so stunning especially at night. Pictures just don't capture it and how incredibly huge it is. We got hot chocolate across the street at the chocolate museum and cafe'.
The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 or the Hungarian Uprising of 1956 was a nationwide revolt against the government of the Hungarian People's Republic and its Soviet-imposed policies, lasting from October 23 until Nov. 10th 1956. Though leaderless when it first began, it was the first major threat to Soviet control since the USSR's forces drove out Nazi Germany from its territory at the end of WWII and broke into central and Eastern Europe. The revolt began as a student demonstration, which attracted thousands as they marched through central Budapest to the Parliament building, calling out on the streets using a van with loudspeakers via Radio Free Europe. A student delegation, entering the radio building to try to broadcast the student's demand, was detained. When the delegation's release was demanded by the demonstrators outside, they were fired upon by the State Security Police (A'VH) from within the building. One of the students died and was wrapped in a flag and held above the crowd. This was the start of the revolution. As the news spread, disorder and violence erupted throughout the capital. There is a monument on the Parliament grounds.
Nov. 29, 2016 Tuesday
Ate breakfast at the NY Cafe' then took the subway back over to the Parliament to see it during the day. There were soldiers marching and a military band as part of a welcome waiting to greet a foreign dignitary. There definitely was something going on because all day we saw police escorts and tons of black cars and vans drive by several times blocking off traffic.
We crossed over to the Buda side and hiked up the hill to the "Fisherman's Bastian" and the "Matthias Church". Great views across the river also. We took the bus back down the hill to the same Christmas Markets. We shared Hungarian Goulash, some really good bread, and hot chocolate for lunch. We got another Christmas Market Mug to add to our collection! We walked around town for a while. We visited the Opera House then took the subway to the spa for a few hours. It felt so good after walking all day outside! We were leaving and just outside the spa we were getting subway tickets back to the hotel when I looked down and my wedding ring was gone! All I could think of was it could be anywhere in that pool! We went back in and had to go back through the entrance. (Which you can only get in with your wrist band, which we had already turned in.) The ladies finally trying to help us in Hungarian finally understood and let us back in. (It seemed like forever) I decided I would first check the last place I was, the bathroom. It was just lying on the shelf! I'm NEVER taking it off again to wash my hands. We were sooo lucky! We took the subway back to the hotel and ate dinner at TJ Fridays.
Someone important??
Szechenyi Spa
Nov. 30, 2016 Wednesday
We ate breakfast our last time at the absolutely beautiful NY Cafe'. We drove over to "Memento Park." "Memento park" is where all the socialist statues are kept. These statues were spread throughout the city to remind the people who was in charge.
We are now headed back towards Munich with a stop over in Vienna as we wind down our trip. In the morning, we head back to Munich for the last two days of our trip. It has been a wonderful adventure as every trip is with Michael by my side. He is a genius when it comes to planning trips and getting to where we want to go.
Our last three days in Munich will be a breeze shopping eating, the spa, and Christmas markets! We really loved Budapest but we really love Munich especially at Christmas! We checked into our hotel in Vienna and went over to Schoenbrunn Palace. We took the tour through the palace then visited the Christmas Markets on the grounds. We went back to the hotel to thaw for a bit then took the subway back into the main city center in Vienna to go to the Christmas Markets and shopping.
Dec. 1, 2016 Thursday
We ate breakfast at the Cafe' across the street from the hotel "The Renaissance Wein in Vienna. We continued our road trip back to Munich where we will spend the last couple days. We checked into our hotel, ate dinner and went to the spa for the evening.
Butcher taking a whole pig to market. You don't see that every day.
Back in Germany!
Dec. 2, 2016 Friday
We ate breakfast at the hotel and went into Munich for the day. We walked through the "Vhristmarketd" and the Christmas Markets. We also shopped in other shops in Marienplatz. We ate dinner at the "Rathskelle."
"Griswold's German style
(It is a German name after all right?)
Dec. 3, 2016 Saturday
We spent the day at the spa in Erding. It was 35 degrees out It was a perfect way to end a trip!
Dec. 4, 20176 Sunday
We flew from Munich to Paris then onto Seattle. We had a wonderful trip but it's always great to get home.
Flight to Paris then on to Seattle.
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