“How about Galette des Rois cake & tea?” the very chic and very French Myriam says to me one day when we’re deciding on where to meet up. My mouth immediately salivates and my mind goes into overdrive at the very idea of trying this iconic French pastry. Never heard of it? Please, allow me to explain. Eaten since the Middle Ages the Galette Des Rois or King’s Cake is a treat eaten in the New Year after the 6th of January to celebrate the Epiphany when the Three Kings visited the baby Jesus.

The Parisian version of the cake is made of a multi layered puff pastry filled with a layer of almond frangipane whilst the Provence version uses brioche. The top layers are patterned and baked to a beautiful burnished bronze. Inside is a single charm (a fève) which was put in to draw the kings to the Epiphany. It can take any form but religious symbols are popular. At the beginning, it was said that a bean was used and whoever received it was crowned king or queen for the day and was asked to buy a round of drinks so people who didn’t want to stump up for the round would simply swallow the bean. To avoid this, they started making the charm out of porcelain. Today plastic charms are used but the porcelain ones remain a collector’s item.

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Welcome Christmas cookies and fruit

After our two hour drive from Munich Airport to Salzburg, we reached Hotel Auersperg, a 4 star boutique hotel which features a blend of modern and traditional Austria. The rooms are given are in the new villa wing and are all very modern and when I walk in I see a welcome plate of Christmas cookies and fruit. It’s a nice touch as this is what a typical Austrian mother would prepare for her family around Christmas time.

A bakery in Salzburg

We’re experiencing what is known as an “old lady’s Summer” (Alt-Weiber Sommer) which means that the weather is unseasonably warm which will probably mean a distinct lack of snow as the temperatures peak at 12 degrees celsius.  I’m a little relieved as I am rather hopeless in the snow although snow capped photos would be lovely indeed.

Salzburg is a small, charming city in a sublime alpine setting. It houses 150,000 residents but every year also hosts between 6-8 million tourists a year and it is clearly a city that makes it’s living from tourism as witnessed by the groups of tourists and guided tours. The two main drawcards are of course composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart who was born in Salzburg and the Sound of Music film which was filmed in Salzburg.

Saint Rupert, Patron Saint of Salt

Salzburg means “Salt Castle” as they used to mine salt here directly from the mountain. Salt or “white gold” was precious indeed as it was the only means of preserving food at a time when there was no refrigeration. The best way to get around the city is with a Salzburg card which you can buy in 24, 48 and 72 hour blocks with the 24 hour card costing E22. This includes free entry into most of the attractions you’d want to see as well as transport.

Shopping street in Salzburg

It’s late in the afternoon once we’ve arrived. Tonight we are headed out to dinner at one of Salzburg’s most famous Hotels preceded by a quick tour of Salzburg. Our tour guide Martina is dressed in traditional Austrian costume and she shows us around the old and new areas of Salzburg. Night falls quickly here and when it does the beautifully lit streets almost come to life.

Guided Symbols

She tells us about all sorts of fabulous details like the guided symbols which date back to many centuries ago when people couldn’t read. To locate places, they simply looked for the symbol; the key is a locksmith, a pretzel is a symbol to the bakery and the beer barrel below is for a beerhouse. Can you guess which place this is below?

Guess whose guided symbol this is?

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I do love a good burger oh yes I do. What is it about a burger that gets people so excited? Is it the juicy bite when you sink your teeth into it? Is it nostalgia as you remember your first burger be it from a chain or a local takeaway? Is it the fact that you’re eating it with your hands or is it the ease of eating a complete meal within a bite? Or is it just the perfect juiciness to starch ratio that good burgers inherently have? When I strolled past Moo Burgers a few days ago I looked up and vowed to come back as soon as possible. This evening when The Second Wife, Gravy Beard, Mr NQN and I were seeking a place to have a quick catchup as the Second Wife was jet-lagged after an African safari, I knew this was the place.

One takes a seat and then orders and pays at the counter. We snag an outside table and watch the view. It’s a little hard to decide as there are burgers all over that are calling our names but we decide on a range of them. Of course we must have chips with the burgers and since we’re going with the whole burger and fries theme we also order some shakes. The shakes feature chocolate bars such as Moo Kat (Kit Kats), Milo Moo (Milo bar), Mad Cow (Oreo), Tammy Moo (Tim Tam) and Moo Teaser (Malteaser).

Berry Ripe Shake $6.50

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