Christmas Day Festivities in Salzburg

It was the first Christmas in Seidler history that we woke before the kids did. Normally every year they are up at 4am or thereabouts ready to open their presents, we normally send them back to bed until 6am and then we get up but this year Ben and I were up chatting to the family before the kids had even got up.

It was lovely to share the morning experience with everyone in Australia, hearing about the lunch and fun back home while we were opening our presents and catching up on how their days had been. It did make me miss being back home and celebrating with everyone but I still feel very lucky to be here and to have such a beautiful Christmas experience in Salzburg with the cold temperature, the phenomenal Christmas spirit that is everywhere and from everyone and the newness of it all.

Jess and Dan were very happy with their gifts and Ben and I were also pleased with the favourites being a digital camera for Jessy, laser LED lights for Daniel, a leather bag for Ben and a cream and brown back pack for me, perfect for all my biking outings.

Once we had 10 minutes to chill it was off to the kitchen to start the cooking fun.

Daniel asked to do a breakfast this year, skip lunch and then have a big dinner which we were all in agreeance with.

We made the traditional bacon and eggs and sides as well as crepes with an assortment of fruit and whipped cream from brekky.

After Brekky Jess and I made the treats, including biscoff cupcakes and buttercream cupcakes and biscoff log cake and pavlova. They were then popped in the fridge and then we made a Christmas checuterie tree with meats and cheeses and pickles, and the cutest barata cheese and tomato and basil Santa face.

Once we had finished cooking and tidied up I was busting to get outside and see what Salzburg was like on Christmas Day. The kids just wanted to stay inside and go through their pressies and speak to their friends so Ben and I went to find a church to hear some choir music or carols but instead we found the most magical little Christmas hideaway that was so beautifully decorated it really brought home the Christmas cheer for me.

We put out the Santa face and the tooth pick chercuterie tree in the early afternoon which were demolished in minutes heartily.

Dinner was served around 6pm and was certainly unlike any Christmas Dinner we have had before. We all put in a suggestions for what we individually wanted and the array consisted of Mac and cheese, turkey breast and gravy, iceberg salad with pine nuts and avaocado, blood sausage with sauerkraut and mushrooms, chicken tenders with big burger sauce and chicken wings. There was no glazed ham or fresh prawns this year but there was the traditional pavlova which was so delicious and chewy and made me think of all the family eating their pavlova for Chrissy lunch back home.