Welcome back to When Wine Calls “The Winter Grape Tour” and Part 2 of our memorable Christmas week in Seefeld in Tyrol, Austria.
We woke on Christmas Day to the most glorious bright blue-sky day. The view from our balcony was simply amazing with the snow covered mountains reflecting the sun in stark contrast.
We decided over breakfast that it was the best day to head up the mountains to the Rosshutte Bergbahnen ski fields located just behind the village and accessible via a cog railway and then up to the higher levels by cable car.
The view from the top was simply breathtaking with 360-degree views taking in the neighbouring Italian border where we had been on The Summer Vintage tour when we stayed at Salthaus in the Dolomites. It was surreal to soak up such an unbelievable view.
All the family frolicked in the deep snow that was across the mountains, and it was interesting to see that someone had constructed a large wooden swing at the top that provided an incredible backdrop to the surrounding mountains. None of us chose to attempt skiing on the mountain as it looked beyond our capabilities particularly since we were all leaving in a few days and no one could afford to pick up an injury.
Also, at the top of Roschutte Bergbahnen was a restaurant that enabled us to have all have lunch in a setting that photos do not do it justice – just breathtaking.
On return to the hotel, it was time for our Secret Santa that we had planned prior to leaving Australia to substitute having to bring bags of Christmas presents over in our luggage. William had bought a green Christmas jump in Australia and bought it over to wear for Christmas Eve. When he first wore it the family gave him heaps about the pattern on the front but it did not bother him.
What they did not know however was that we had also bought one of these jumpers as a secret Santa present, so when one of them opened their present and found the jumper inside there were gasps and laughter as each of them attempted in each round to ensure they did not end up with it – it was a really fun time with bubbles, of course, to assist before heading off downstairs for our penultimate dinner together in Seefeld. It was a great Christmas Day, albeit so different to those we had held in Australia.
For our final day we decided to catch the train down the mountain so we could spend the day exploring Innsbruck.
Innsbruck is such a pretty town with an array of colourful medieval buildings, the famous Golden Roof dating back to around 1500, and the Imperial Palace (even older at 1450), backdropped by the snow covered Nordkette mountains and the River Inn that runs through the town and where the city gets its name.
First stop when we arrived was to get our morning coffee and we found this unbelievable deli with every conceivable array of meats and cheeses but importantly a small coffee machine in the corner of the crowded shop that would meet our urgent need for caffeine. The owner was a Ferrari fanatic so hung the signature flag from the little bit of ceiling space available – quite an amazing shop.
In strolling around the town, we came across these amazing tall figurines in the street reflecting various book characters as well as hanging on walls of buildings – they were everywhere and provided a real novelty for tourists.
After taking in all the amazing architecture and a bit off shopping for the girls our focus went to locating a local café in the old town that served their famous apple strudel. it was incredibly good with cream and ice cream added so if you get to Innsbruck ensure you try this fantastic delicacy.
On returning on the train to Seefeld it was off to the town square and our final walk around the markets and of course, drinking Apfelwein at the various stalls. While lots of fun it had a touch of sadness as we all realised at that moment that our unbelievable time in Seefeld was coming to an end.
In the morning Pauline, William, Portia and I headed off first on our way to our next stop, Vienna. It was a sad farewell with the others walking down with us to the train station to give us a lovely send-off.
Willam and Portia would be spending time with us in Vienna and Budapest until after New Year before they headed off on their own further adventures in Iceland and Barcelona. The others were leaving later in the day all heading back to Munich. Melinda, Darren, Trinity and Lincoln were then travelling onto Prague and other part of Europe while Jane, Dougal and Miranda were flying to see friends in Finland. Everyone was scheduled to be back in Australia around the same time in mid-January.
It had been such an amazing week together and one we will cherish for a lifetime.
Bruce & Pauline
Tragic Footnote
Sadly, the final morning in Seefeld at the train station turned out to be last time we would spend with our cherished friend Dougal. He tragically and suddenly left us only a few short weeks after returning to Australia. Rest in peace Dougal. With all our Love.
When Wine Calls 
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