Christmas in Austria 2012

My next photos are actually from Italy, but since it is Christmas, I thought I would put those pictures up.  Plus I am too lazy to go through hundreds of pictures.

First snow in Graz in October.  You can see it on the mountain.  I got out a little late in the day to really see it.

 Klagenfurt Adventmarkt

 View from Villach

 Krampus- und Perchtenlauf - Demon-like creatures, who are the companions of Santa Claus.  For those who have been naughty this year, there are whippings.  Quite persuasive if you ask me.  Much better than.  No presents this year.  Yeah.  Right.

Christmas Market in Vienna.  Frohe Weihnachten means Merry Christmas.

 Vienna, Church next to the hostel, at which I stayed.

 Hellbrunn Christmas Market, Salzburg

 I wouldn't want those trick fountains to go off this day.

 The grounds were open.  I don't remember walking around them last time, but that isn't saying much.

 Reindeer charity

 Downtown Salzburg.  University Cathedral and the Christmas Market.

 Herzlich Willkommen means Hearty Welcome.

 In front of the church this time.  I can't help but think of the Louvre with that glass structure.  It covers a statue.

 Rathaus in Graz.  That is the biggest tree that I have seen anywhere.  Apparently Graz is famous for it every year.  It stands right by one of the many Christmas markets here.

 Krippen Weg means Manger Way, which is right across the street from the entrance to the ice sculpture below.

 This ice sculpture changed every time I saw it.  December is sometimes too mild.  The previous pieces are hidden behind.

Then I made a cake.  I will never use that recipe for buttercream frosting again.  For those of you who speak German, I know Weihnacht is missing the -en.  There wasn't enough room.

This is what happened afterwards.  I though it was pretty funny.  Plus my Christmas present from Sha and Yiru. 

I might as well finish Budapest.  It is snowing.  Too bad it is not sticking.  Yet. 

 I had to do something until 4, so I went back to Buda hill.  There was some kind of festival, unless they do this all year round.  I listened to music, ate some food, walked around some more.

 Even the train stations are photo-worthy.  I arrived in this one.

I left from this one.

I guess I am finally done.  It only took me two months.  I am going to go out in the snow.  Ciao.

Yet another day in Budapest:

 Church in a Cave

 Buda Castle - looks like a Christkindlmarkt to me.

 I just thought this was cool.  This was in the Budapest History Museum, which ended up being free this day.  It was really cool, but I wasn't supposed to take pictures.  I snapped this one when they weren't looking.  The only part of the castle that looked like a castle was the dungeons.

 Right by Buda Castle

 Matthias Church

 Inside Matthias Church - They were renovating.  It needed it, as you can see. 

 Fisherman's Bastion - right outside the church

 Parliament through an opening in the Fisherman's Bastion

Still on Buda hill - I think this is what is left after a bombing or it could be an excavation.  I couldn't read the Hungarian.  No English this time.

 Another part of that.

Opera House - I tried to get a ticket for the premiere of this opera, but they wanted fifty euros.  It turned out to be a good thing, that I did not cough up the money.  They had an outdoor screening right outside.  So that is how I spent my last night in Budapest. 

For those who do not know, Budapest was originally two separate cities, one on each side of the river.  Buda was the aristocratic and Pest was for the common people.
The next day in Budapest:

 Parliament - Pest

 Matthias Church and Fisherman's Bastion - Buda

 Buda Castle - looks more like a palace to me, or a parliament.

 Outside of the Dohány Street Synagogue - Pest; I really wish I could have gotten a good picture.

 In the courtyard - Each leaf has a name of a victim of the Second World War.  More names are being added each year.

Also in the courtyard - There are four plaques, upon which the names of those non-Jewish who helped the Jews are engraved.  One of which was an ambassador, who disappeared at the end of the war, presumably to a Russian Gulag.

 Heroe's Square - Several Museums are on the extremities.  I went to the Museum of Fine Arts, which was surprisingly really extensive and valuable, and the Hungarian Agriculture Museum in the Vajdahunyad Castle, which was the most interesting museum.  It was more like the typical civic museum in Italy or the Landesmuseums in the German-speaking countries.  I did not just learn about domestic plants.  There was a bunch of history about people and culture.  I could have spent hours there, but I had to get to the Museum of Fine Arts for the English tour.  That was really boring, although the rest of the museum was not bad.  

Vajdahunyad Castle/Hungarian Agriculture Museum - I am still not sure if this is one or two buildings.

Same place, but inside - It would be nice if I could avoid taking crooked pictures, eh?