I thought I'd stop writing in this once I got to Bad Gastein but it turns out I have so much free time that I keep finding things to say. I mean, I have to speak English to someone.
Last night the hotel lady walked in smiling as I ate dinner and asked me 'Are you boring?'
I didn't bat an eyelid but smiled 'no no, it's ok. maybe tomorrow I'll be bored tho..' (you can't deny this town has about 10 shops and most aimed at the grandmas who travel here for health spa treatments). So she asked if I would like to go to Salzburg the next day as she's driving there and could drop me off.
heck yes please I would.
I did some research and discovered there is a big mall on the outskirts of Salzburg called Europark and got her to drop me there. On the way in I attempted German conversation and probably baffled her with my (lack of) grammar. These people are awesome tho.
I had a happy day buying secret presents for certain people and even decided to try real Paella at lunch (9 euros being the cheapest meal available at the time) served in the pan, and found it was kinda just like curry rissoto. Rice is pretty popular here. I was impressed that about every 4th mouthful was infused with this amazing smokey flavour. The other bits lingered between yellow-curry and a much richer buttery-oniony-salty taste. It was pretty good, however huge. I didn't finish. I then called the hotel and asked a message to be passed on that I don't want dinner tonight. Mainly because my stomach needs, just for once, to not feel full!
(Lucky for me a certain someone whose name starts with C and rhymes with Alum MacLeod sent me a package containing peanut butter today, so I won't starve. Miracle food!)
What I really need to talk about is, I bought 4 truffles at this sweet shop because its important for my research in chocolate making! I shouldn't say truffles. Because they were so much more...
One of them was called schwarzwaldekirschtorte (black forest cherry cake) and it was my favourite flavour explosion of the year. It was made to look like a little cake almost, with about 5 different layers showing. Each layer was made of a different flavour and texture to replicate a real gateau. The top layer of this tiny and beautiful thing was white, creamy and runny to the touch and it was the flavour of almond-rum-laced cream. The next down was a dark and dense chocolate cream. Dark enough to taste almost dusty. Mm. (ok not dusty, but i spent the last 30 seconds trying to think of the word and I couldn't). The next layer down was a white chocolate mouse and below that an AMAZING rose coloured ganache layer which was the cherry layer and i think was laced with cherry liquer. Underneath that a solid chocolate base.
That chocolate deserved the whole paragraph, don't complain.
The other ones I got were various coffee flavours although I thought they were more average.
Unfortunately none of these fragile little babies would ever survive the long trip in cramped conditions home to NZ. So I had to eat them all.
Last night the hotel lady walked in smiling as I ate dinner and asked me 'Are you boring?'
I didn't bat an eyelid but smiled 'no no, it's ok. maybe tomorrow I'll be bored tho..' (you can't deny this town has about 10 shops and most aimed at the grandmas who travel here for health spa treatments). So she asked if I would like to go to Salzburg the next day as she's driving there and could drop me off.
heck yes please I would.
I did some research and discovered there is a big mall on the outskirts of Salzburg called Europark and got her to drop me there. On the way in I attempted German conversation and probably baffled her with my (lack of) grammar. These people are awesome tho.
I had a happy day buying secret presents for certain people and even decided to try real Paella at lunch (9 euros being the cheapest meal available at the time) served in the pan, and found it was kinda just like curry rissoto. Rice is pretty popular here. I was impressed that about every 4th mouthful was infused with this amazing smokey flavour. The other bits lingered between yellow-curry and a much richer buttery-oniony-salty taste. It was pretty good, however huge. I didn't finish. I then called the hotel and asked a message to be passed on that I don't want dinner tonight. Mainly because my stomach needs, just for once, to not feel full!
(Lucky for me a certain someone whose name starts with C and rhymes with Alum MacLeod sent me a package containing peanut butter today, so I won't starve. Miracle food!)
What I really need to talk about is, I bought 4 truffles at this sweet shop because its important for my research in chocolate making! I shouldn't say truffles. Because they were so much more...
One of them was called schwarzwaldekirschtorte (black forest cherry cake) and it was my favourite flavour explosion of the year. It was made to look like a little cake almost, with about 5 different layers showing. Each layer was made of a different flavour and texture to replicate a real gateau. The top layer of this tiny and beautiful thing was white, creamy and runny to the touch and it was the flavour of almond-rum-laced cream. The next down was a dark and dense chocolate cream. Dark enough to taste almost dusty. Mm. (ok not dusty, but i spent the last 30 seconds trying to think of the word and I couldn't). The next layer down was a white chocolate mouse and below that an AMAZING rose coloured ganache layer which was the cherry layer and i think was laced with cherry liquer. Underneath that a solid chocolate base.
That chocolate deserved the whole paragraph, don't complain.
The other ones I got were various coffee flavours although I thought they were more average.
Unfortunately none of these fragile little babies would ever survive the long trip in cramped conditions home to NZ. So I had to eat them all.
