day 2.

We were up fairly early, stopped in at a cafe for coffee and cheese rolls for breakfast.

Visited the Rathaus (town hall) and learned lots about Charlemagne as well as how to 'fresco' and saw the best handbag ever - the purse of St Steven. http://www.khm.at/en/treasury/the-holy-roman-empire/?aid=7&cHash=63e0fb8ff9

Visited the Dom (Cathedral) which is magnificent outside but truly breathtaking inside, the interior, floor to ceiling, wall to wall and including the domed balcony level was jewel encrusted the style was quite Arabian and it was the most beautiful interior I have ever seen. There was fantastic stained glass, dramatic and modern - lots of post war restoration works. It was amazing.

We also visited an art gallery of which highlights were Socialist realism -photo realism photos of East German people. Going about their business mostly as is the way of social realism. Workers on their lunch breaks, small boys watching trains. They were all black and white and quite grainy. They looked poetic, despite the subject matter being mostly mundane.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/6596910/Roger-Melis-how-should-we-remember-Germanys-Communist-East.html this is about the exhibition we saw. There was a fun glass room which was like a music video where you stand inside and can see rows and rows of yourself. disorientating but fun to play in. and a whole room of stained glass too.

In between all this culture we pottered round the market some more and ate - Flammkuchen (like a very thin pizza) , folienkartofflen (baked potatoes) mit krauterquark (with herb quark - a German soft cheese), dampfknudeln (steamed do nuts sort of) with custard and cherry pancakes (but thick heavy pancakes more like scotch ones than crepes) . all super delish and super German. as well as white and red gluhwein and more eierpunsch.

I felt absolutely crap in the late afternoon so we went to the hotel for a wee rest and a bottle of beer we bought from aldi.


I sort of insisted that I was too tired to venture far and we should try the nice looking Italian restaurant near the hotel, It was a good decision and we stayed till 11 mostly thanks to the litre of wine!

The restaurant is called Vapiano: It seems to be an international franchise but it was nice and comfortable and didn't have a pork based menu. http://www.vapiano-international.com/vapiano/ They give you a little 'credit' card and when you order drinks at the bar or food from the counter, you swipe. the food is freshly made despite being self service and they have the good sense to give you a hand held buzzer that vibrates when your pizza i ready rather than you standing around waiting.

It was such a pleasant atmosphere no body made us feel rushed and we could decide just to go order aside salad or desert or coffee or ea at our leisure.We had great chat and a nice time and I for one though I think Marisa too - was glad that we hadn't trekked to the other side of town.

We had a glass of prosecco in a nice jazzy cafe that features performers though earlier in the evening before heading home to bed.