It feels weird to be writing about Christmas on March 1st, but I’m relishing the opportunity to return to the memories of the sweet time in Austria for our family. Before this December, we didn’t really know much about the country (Except that the hills are alive. With the sound of music.) But when we arrived on a snowy Thursday evening, it was pretty much love at first sight. Or maybe it was second sight, since we had a kid vomit all over the back seat of the rental car just as we approached the border. Thankfully, it was all uphill from there. And not just because we were in the mountains.
When choosing where to stay for Christmas, we wanted something near enough to Salzburg that we could visit the city for church and Christmas activities, but not near enough to pay city prices. After much searching, we found a beautiful apartment with a well-equipped kitchen that looked (from the AirBnb photos) like a place I could cook Christmas dinner.
The town was called Gmunden (guh-moon-den) and, as the proprietor of the fabric shop put it when I stopped in for some supplies, “You are from Las Vegas, how did you even hear of Gmunden?!” It felt like we were the only tourists in the city over the Christmas holiday, and maybe the first Americans who had visited in years. It was a beautiful small town on an alpine lake, with mountains rising straight from the water’s edge and a butcher shop that still serves Grandma’s recipes. Our apartment was nestled in the old town, surrounded by shop windows adorned for the season.
The best word I can use to describe the people of Gmunden is “hearty.” The food was wholesome and substantial, the people were boisterous and full of good cheer and no snow or wind or sub-zero temperature would be cause to cancel the daily walk outdoors around the lake. We received a warm welcome from all who we encountered, and enjoyed every moment of our time in the small town.
We got to Gmunden just two days before James’ birthday and 5 days before Christmas, and went right into preparation mode. We stocked up on special groceries and even found a small tree to tuck our small pile of gifts under. We had to make a visit to the mall for a couple supplies, and folks, I’m here to tell ya… consumerism is alive and well in small town Austria. If there’s one thing in common across the world, it’s the desire to buy more stuff. We fought the crowds and the lines to grab a small lego set for our Middle Pea and didn’t linger. We also paid a visit to a local butcher, and thankfully one of the proprietors’ Granddaughters worked the counter and was able to help us through, since not s single other person in the shop spoke English.
On James’ birthday we took a cable car up to the top of a nearby peak and were rewarded with breathtaking views and a lit walk through the treetops. Then we visited the seemingly only restaurant in town that remained open during the holidays and enjoyed the large dog snoring on the floor nearby almost as much as the local food. We took a wander around the 10-stall Christnmas market on the square after dinner, and when people immediately greeted us in English, I wondered how they knew. Upon asking, I learned that it was because I smiled at them. Apparently not a very European thing to do.
We had the opportunity to visit a beautiful church in Salzburg twice during our short stay, once on Sunday and once on Christmas Eve. On our first visit we were delighted to find a string quartet leading carols and worship, and were treated to a beautiful rendition of Silent Night (just a few hundred kilometers from where the song was written.) The children got to run amok with the least organized children’s ministry we’ve experienced yet, and everyone left with hearts full.
We also got to spend one of our days in Salzburg with the family of a former co-worker of James’. Our kids are now adept at meeting new BFFs everywhere we go, and we’ve actually managed to remember the names of most of them. Penny had a comrade in arms to terrorize the tourists with, and the big kids had a toddler to follow around and coo over. We strolled through a church graveyard that inspired some scenes from the sound of music, and stumbled upon a cozy corner room in a castle filled with magic elves who helped the kids bake sugar cookies and do crafts while the parents were told to stand aside. Christmas magic at its finest. We all left the city feeling like our time there was too short, and we look forward to returning someday in the future.
We knew the kids would be in the feels over being away at Christmas, so we planned a big Christmas day surprise for them. We woke up to our sweet, beautifully decorated tree bathed in candle light. Presley had been crocheting some ornaments in preparation, and we created a few other small homemade ornaments. It was simple and beautiful and perfect. We exchanged a few small gifts and enjoyed our traditional monkey bread.
Then we hopped in the car and drove for an hour up the mountain, with the snow steadily getting deeper as the time went on. The kids had never seen snow this deep, and the excitement from the backseat was about to bubble over. We hopped out of the car at an empty sports field into several feet of snow. And…waited. Finally we heard the distant jingle of bells, and all jaws dropped as a horse-drawn sleigh came gliding around the corner. We hopped in and set off for a magical journey through the woods, with the sun glittering off the fresh layer of snow and a little Michael Buble playing in the background. By the time we got back to the car everyone was thoroughly frozen, and ready to head back home for our dinner of chicken parmesan.
Overall, Austria was the most naturally beautiful place we’ve experienced on this trip. A little bit like Alaska, with the mountains reflecting on the glass top of the lakes and unspoilt woods everywhere you turn. And any country in which we get to ride a cable car and a funicular gets five stars in our book. We can’t wait to experience the country sometime in the summer! We missed the family time and the events a whole lot, but we were also pretty content to celebrate the birth of Jesus in a quieter, simpler way. Who knows, maybe we won’t add back all of what we put aside this year.
Peapod on Purpose 