​Beautifully decorated for Christmas, the old town square was filled with Christmas market stalls selling food and hot drinks with any kind of alcohol you might want. Prague's Christmas markets are rated as some of the best in the world. We were offered huge chunks of roasted ham, chestnuts and cider or mulled wine (this time with a shot of any spirit you might fancy), just to get you there quicker! Around the square groups of musicians got us all in the festive mood. An old saxophone player mesmerized crowds and a band got people dancing. The atmosphere was spot on!

Crossing the river Valtava, Charles Bridge is probably the most famous attraction in Prague. We headed to the bridge early on New Years Eve and lived to regret it. It seems everyone in Prague had the same idea that day and we met them all on the bridge. Pushing, crowding and cold winds made for a very uncomfortable visit. We resolved to return the following morning before the masses awoke with their sore heads! Second time lucky as we had the bridge almost to ourselves. A low fog hung over the baroque statues giving the bridge an eerie feel. We walked along checking out the artists displays and visiting the spots that had been used in filming Mission Impossible (while we were there like!). 

After the brief show, we knew we needed to lower our expectations slightly. I don't know what we expected from 600 year old moving figures but on the strike of the hour, two small doors open to reveal figures inside moving clockwise and presenting themselves at the window for visitors to see. It lasted a few seconds, the crowds waited a little longer in anticipation of something more - which never came. After a brief pause, we all dispersed laughing at ourselves. ​

One of the most fun experiences we had in Prague was our brief visit to the ice pub. Tucked away down an ally near Charles bridge, this was one for the bucket list. Visitors are asked to buy a €10 ticket which gets them one free drink and use of a thermal poncho & gloves (essential). In small groups, visitors are allowed to stay in the ice pub no longer than 20 minutes, presumably to prevent the ole hypothermia setting in!! Inside, everything is made of ice – walls, furniture, bar, glasses! It's kitsch but novel. Our drinks were served in ice glasses meaning we could smash them into a barrel when we were done, which turned out to be surprisingly satisfying. We sat on an ice throne and danced around ice sculptures. For those of us brave enough to remove a glove for photos, the results were cool! (lol)

​The statue itself dates from the 16th century and is a representation of Jesus. The crown is studded with diamonds and jewels and the infant is holding an orb which symbolizes kingship. It has been linked with numerous miracles. The superstition that leaving a statue of the child of Prague in the hallway / or outside, the night before a wedding to ward off bad weather has little to do with the history of the statue in Prague. Some Irish people believe that the statue of the child of Prague has to be beheaded and then the head had to be glued back on before it works as a good omen. Us Irish are funny folk. The only links that I could find are fairly tenuous. In 1555 the statue of the child of Prague was given to a Spanish lady as a wedding gift (there's the ole wedding link). 

Fed and watered we hopped back on a tourist bus to Schonbrunn. We knew we were losing time, it was 3pm and we intended to get the last bus back to the city. However, if there is one thing we learned about Vienna in high season, it is impossible to do anything in a hurry (be prepared to queue). When we arrived, the throngs of tourists were lined up at the ticket station. With our passes we had free entry but needed a ticket anyway. 

There was also a Strudle show which we felt obliged to attend – for all of you I mean, not for the free struddle! A young male pastry chef enthusiastically showed us the steps involved in making the perfect Apple struddle, the secret being that the pastry must be soaked in olive oil to make it extra pliable for stretching super thin, not to mention getting all those extra calories in there. We enjoyed a slice which listening to some lame jokes in German, we were also glad of the warmth. 

​Lucky for us, we arrived in Vienna on a Wednesday, the only day that the Albertina opens late each week. After escaping the queues in Schonbrunn we were happy to have some space and peace to wander around some of the best art work in the world. We made our way through the great impressionists - Monet, Van Gogh and Degas, to pre-expressionists Munch and Picasso and finally to more contemporary works of Warhol and Katz. There was a separate film stills section and the largest print room in the world. We also got to walk undisturbed around the state rooms (or the residence of the archdukes of the Habsburgs). We were kicked out a 9pm after a couple of hours but it was well worth the visit. 

​The riding school is the located in the Habsburg palace grounds and is the traditional riding school of Vienna’s famous Lipizzaner stallions who perform regularly. The school was first named in 1572 making it the oldest in the world. The horses are bred especially for the school in Western Austria. The morning session that we attended was not a performance but rather the public pays for admission to watch the riders in training with their horses. Each rider oversees one horse and they must ensure that the horse trains specific muscles to be able to perform certain moves (watch the video here). We watched the riders gently encourage the horses to keep their necks bent and shift their weight to their hind legs. It is said that the movements were originally developed to strengthen the horses body for battle. In 1918, the school opened performances to the public to help to pay for the upkeep of the school. Today riders come from all over the world to try to pass the entrance exam and become Lipizzaner riders in the school. 

​The room, although not that long is highly decorative. The ceilings are covered in 1730 frescos that would give the Sistine chapel a run for it's money. The walls are clad in rich wooden bookshelves which stretch from the ground up onto a first-floor balcony. Behind the walls of symmetrical books are secret doorways which reveal spiral stone staircases to the upper floors. Standing proudly in the centre of the room is a marbel statue surrounded by 4 baroque globes. Lining the parquet floor are glass cases displaying the most treasured books for visitors to admire. 

​Identified by the giant red banner saying FREUD that hangs outside the building, we buzzed ourselves into the stairwell of the Freud museum. Making our way up the stone staircase to apartment number 5 which was Dr. Freud’s home and office, we were again greeted by a queue! Up and up we went, past the apartment, winding up the stairs the queue continued. The museum had decided that due to overcrowding it was admitting just 4 people at a time and there were at least 40 ahead of us! With time pushing on we decided to wait it out. ​ The line moved pretty fast and it was worth the wait. The small but perfectly formed apartment was filled within information.

​Based on recommendations from friends we were lucky enough to secure a reservation months earlier in the Michelin star restaurant Costes for a special Christmas Eve (Hungarian Christmas Day). Not coincidentally, the restaurant was downstairs in our hotel, so we arrived early and were greeted with a glass of mulled wine. A series of aperitifs emerged plate after plate before we even started into our 5 course meal filled with elegant takes on local delicacies. Sitting for a couple of hours we must have been greeted by each one of the friendly staff with a festive happy Christmas and another plate of food. Thank God we were staying upstairs because after 9 courses of rich Hungarian fare, it was all we could do to get in the lift!

​We returned the next day to have a good look round and to go up to the dome at the top, for what we were told would be incredible panoramic views of the city. We bought tickets for the lift that went up. For once, I was delighted that it wasn't some rickety spiral staircase that would test my fear of heights and ultimately, despite my best intentions, prevent me from seeing the view from the top.

Up we went 6 people per lift to the third floor. We exited expecting to see a huge dome, instead we were greeted with another lift, this time 4 at a time…up again. The doors opened into the enclosed basilica dome where we exited to see none other than the usual rickety spiral stairs…Damn, I was out, as were the two French girls that shared our lift.

​Each year on Christmas Day the opera house puts on a show that attracts elite families and international visitors from all over. This year it was the nutcracker, a ballet performed by children and adults with huge talent, and very muscly legs! The most enjoyable element for us was admiring the detailed sets and beautiful costumes that were part of the fabric of the story (pun intended). The live orchestra played continually for an hour at a time without missing a note. The young children in the boxes surrounding us were mesmerized, holding their breath as Tchaikovsky’s melody filled the small opera houses and gave us a Christmas Day to remember. 

​We decided (cough…I decided) that we should spend a morning being pampered! We pre-booked a VIP couples massage, changing cabins and entry to the thermal baths on Stephan's Day for around €100pp. We checked in at reception, a huge circular room with tiled mosaic floor, glass ceiling and lined with sculptures of beautiful naked bodies…no pressure! An electronic key fob gives you access to all areas. We changed into swimsuits and found our masseurs. Two lovely ladies dressed head to toe in white. ​After an hour of relaxation we made our way (in nothing but swimsuits), back past the camera wielding tourists, through the public lobby (morto) and into the main swimming pool.

The complex is like a maze of underground tunnels with pools and baths around every corner. We took a dip in the 40C bath with only a few brave others …the masses were hanging out in the 36C bath.  Then we dropped into the Finnish sauna before hitting the icy plunge pool & heading away. The baths are so pretty with cherubs, mosaics and stained glass that we were tempted to stay there all day. 

​This market had a large Christmas tree at its centre surrounded by a children’s ice skating rink. While the children may have had to pay a few euros to live out their Disney’s “Frozen” fantasies it was free entertainment for the rest of us watching bundled up little kids fall, crash into each other, bust themselves off the outer walls of the rink or for some smaller ones, slowly and gingerly inch their way along with eyes firmly fixed on their encouraging parents. On the hour a 5 minute light show was projected onto the walls of the Basilica which was very impressive the first time we saw it. 

Herself was drawn to the deserts of course and the smell of one particular stall drew us more than others. Conveyor belt-like, these guys were churning out foot-long hollowed out doughnut type desserts filled with a flavour of our choice, melted chocolate, vanilla cream and so on. Revelers could watch the process from start to finish. The raw dough was rolled out into one long continuous tube, then wrapped tightly around a large wooden cylinder, like a rolling pin but longer, making sure the dough overlaps itself on every rotation and finally the dough is sprinkled generously with sugar. 

​We couldn’t help noticing the poorer citizens of Budapest, poking around the bins near the market or asking for some change from passers-by. One gentleman in particular stuck out for us. We first noticed him on Christmas day, a man in his 50’s digging aggressively in the bins around the market area. We passed him later again along the banks of the river, still whistling. He had an extremely loud and very tuneful whistle albeit he never changed his tune. We could hear him from several streets away as he repeated the verse and chorus to Wham’s “Last Christmas” over and over. 

​Keeping an air of luxury about our trip we decided to walk from our friend’s apartment to the New York café for breakfast. However, the luxury did not extend past the incredible interior architecture and painted ceilings. We queued for a free table with throngs of tourists behind barricades at the door. When seated...eventually, we ordered. An over priced breakfast of fruit, a selection of breads and an omelette for €45. Our table was too small to accommodate the ostentatious plates that held our drinks and the staff were nothing short of rude. The omelette had the wrong ingredients and the selection of breads consisted of croissants or sliced white bread! We did enjoy the view and being serenaded by the violinist but we left as quickly as we came.

​The first thing visitors must do after purchasing tickets is to pass through the security gate and metal detectors. Bags are manual inspected and visitors may be padded down by private security men in black bomber jackets and dark sun glasses. Once inside the building the men are asked to wear hats or if you do not have a hat they provide cardboard Jewish skullcaps.

​We had visited the catholic St. Stephen’s Basilica on Christmas Eve for midnight mass just a day or two before. We even went back to see it when it was quieter over the following few days. We could enter here at no charge and without any security measures. During midnight mass some older locals had motioned to the non-Catholic tourists to remove their hats while inside. The seats in the Synagogue were individual. Along every row was an arm rest between each seat and a personal compartment which opened to hold one’s prayer book. Men sat together on the ground floor and women sat upstairs, out of the men’s distraction. The Catholic pews were long and undivided. The difference between the two religions was striking, experienced so close together. 

​Although pretty pricey, Luxuslodge, a company run by Christine has three luxury chalets in the ski area of Annaberg Lungotz. The closest lift to the ski slopes is just 100 metres away.  All of the chalets offer panoramic views of the Bischofsmutze and Dachstein massive mountains. ​In reality, the chalet was a home away from home. Better equipped than any property we’ve ever rented, the chalet was warm, comfortable and impossible to leave. Christine kindly agreed to show us around on arrival, she explained how to light the modern glass fireplace, how to keep the outdoor hot-tub at a cool 40C day and night. 

 ​We did encounter our own treacherous and perilous undertaking when we had to walk across the actual ski path to make it to the only pub on the mountain. ​​We doned our thermals and our snow / hiking boots, our hats and gloves and we braved the wild outdoors, of this luxury Austria ski chalet resort. The sides of the roads were icy and slippery so it was enjoyable. We made our way to the side of the slope and watched locals literally fly down the ski slope. The kids in particular, were fearless as they launched themselves without sticks, off the slope clearing some 20 feet before zooming down the hill.

-​On our last evening we asked Christine to bring a Fondue kit so that we might cook a leisurely meal. As usual Christine went over and above our expectations, arriving at 6pm with a huge box of treats. Included in the ‘fondue kit’ was a bottle of Austrian wine, washed and prepped salads with a variety of dressings; four types of meat all pre-cut for fondu-ing along with a variety of different vegetables and dipping sauces. We spent the evening cooking, chatting about the wedding and relaxing. It was just what we needed and set us up for the rest of the trip. 
​

​Upon hearing that we were on honeymoon, Christine arrived back to our chalet a few hours after checking in, with a beautiful hand written note and a heart shaped cake. It was a lovely touch and served as a necessary reminder that this trip was different to the others we’ve taken, this is the only time we’ll ever be on honeymoon! Thanks Christine!

 From the Chalet office we booked a horse and sleigh going from Abtenau into the surrounding hills. Neither of us knew what to expect but we were optimistic. We took the bus for the 30 minute journey from the ski resort to the little village of Abtenau. Wheelie suitcases in tow we literally rolled into town. We were an hour early for the sleigh so we hit “Tony’s café” for a coffee. The little café was perfect for a quick stop, local, nice staff and an array of local dishes at cheap prices. We enjoyed a local hot chocolate and a warm bowl of goulash soup (tiny meat balls and veg in a rich tomato broth). 

​We arrived back half an hour before the next bus to Salzburg (herself is a genius at scheduling). Just enough time to pop back into Tony’s and grab a coffee, basking in a honeymoon well done…….. We also destroyed the poor woman’s café floor with all the mud and snow we tracked in from the fields. Whoops!

We visited both museums during our visit. They are chock-full of information, a lot of it unrelated stories about family members etc. In all it is a little overwhelming and we found it difficult to take in The volume of information as presented. However, we were struck by how early he showed his genius. Mozart began leaning the piano at 3 and composing by 5. He had completed his first symphony at age 8. Feeling in adequate yet?​

Mozart's work is still regularly performed in Salzburg theatres and his name and image appears on far more of the city's souvenirs than anything else. However, while the Salzburgians are anxious to play up this sophisticated heritage we couldn't help but notice that Monty Python's "Spamalot" was playing in the theatre less than a stone's throw from Mozart's residence.  ​

Mirabell Palace ("Mirabell" meaning admirable & beautiful) was built in 1606. It's gardens are divided into an orangery, now a palm house, a dwarf garden, with 28 funny looking dwarves, a rose garden & the Pegasus fountain. The gardens are designed in a geometric pattern and are lined with sculptures of Greek Gods. The Palace and Gardens the most popular tourist attractions in Salzburg and unsurprisingly considered the most beautiful baroque gardens in Europe. The most awe inspiring element, however, is the view of Hohensalzburg Castle - the fortress that dominates the skyline.

Mirabell palace & gardens were used as a backdrop for the movie when Maria & the children use the steps as scales when singing 'Do-RE-Me'.They dance around the fountain, pat the dwarf statues on the head and skip through the orangery. We recreated some of the scenes above :)

Renovated in 1732, the horse fountain was built to provide water & a bath to the court horses. The fountain or Pferdeschwemme is built into the side of Monchsberg mountain & is adorned with frescos & stone statues of the horses that would have graced its waters. In the movie, the foundtain provides the backdrop to a scene where Lisel meets Rolf 

The Sound of Music was a huge success, not with critics but with the public. It was loved across the world, everywhere except Germany & Austria where it was a total flop. To this day, many Austrians have not seen the film!  Following the steps of the sound of music meant that we got to know the city back to front. It is a small, walk-able old town, with a simple layout. It is 2hr 10min flight from Dublin. The airport is a short 10 min taxi ride from the city centre & Salzburg station can have you in Munich within an hour, Vienna within 2 hours or across to Budapest in just 5 hours! Highly recommended for ease of access & relaxation but be willing to part with your cash. Hotels & food are not cheap. For sights, invest in a Salzburg card - €40 for a strict 72 hr period but it gets you in free to ALL the key sights & public transport - a steal.

After getting freshened up, we wasted no time in locating ourselves a tuk-tuk that we could use for our entire stay. We ended up booking a middle-aged couple who drove around all day together. We were taken with the idea that the two wanted to work together, her speaking broken English with the tourists and he driving around to various sites. It was very sweet. We thought, if ever we find ourselves disillusioned with life, perhaps we will move to Ayutthaya, buy a tuk-tuk and drive around all day together in a little cabin made for two... 

Stop Twenty, Kanchanaburi, Thailand
(Written by Her)