Two great places to eat...in Linz, Austria

Today was characterised by eating. It started, naturally enough, with breakfast here in the hotel. I was awake early, up and about writing for this blog, or at least checking over (and rewriting) bits of it and soon it was time to hit the shower and then make my way to the breakfast room.

I had peppermint tea, fresh fruit salad, a bowl of muesli and a raspberry yoghurt, plus a couple of tiny croissants and while I debated with myself whether to have the scrambled egg, I decided not to bother and instead hit the streets in search of a pharmacy (I'd run out of shaving foam and needed a new razor).

Night time in Linz. I walk home in between bouts of window shopping...

Jobs done I went on my merry way, conducted a bit of business and then found it was lunchtime so I started to search around for something to eat. You can read the full story about Das Bruckner Kaffeehaus by clicking here, but suffice it to say that I had found an excellent place to have lunch and left the establishment with a skip in my step. I might even go back there tomorrow if I get the time, but I've got to catch a train to Vienna so things might get a little tight.

Later I went in search of somewhere to have dinner and I stumbled across Bigoli Bar and Restaurant, a small, cosy establishment with a relaxed vibe and a great waitress – and by that I mean friendly, helpful and pleasant, a bit like the waitress at lunch time. The menu was in German, but she took the time and the trouble to translate and eventually I settled for cauliflower soup followed by the most tender duck I'd ever eaten, which was accompanied by cubed and sauteéd potatoes. The meal was made all the better by a non-alcohol beer and I sat there, reading chunks of Rory Stewart's new book, The Marches in between courses. It was the most relaxed evening ever, made all the better not only by the excellent food, but by the laid back vibe and the knowledge that the waitress was always at hand to answer any queries I might have. I enjoyed it so much I ordered dessert, which was something very similar to Tiramisu and just as enjoyable. In all truthfulness, I didn't want to leave. I could have sat there all evening drinking non-alcohol beer. Over here in Europe they're a million times better than in the UK and, dare I say it, far more accessible. In the UK it's touch and go whether the bar or restaurant you visit serves a non-alcohol beer, invariably they don't, or if they do, it's Becks Blue, not a bad beer, but over here in Austria there's much more choice and a superior quality product.

The most amazing thing about Bigoli – apart from the food, the service and the ambience – was the bill. It was only EUR30.40 (that's roughly £30). A similar meal in the UK would have set me back at least £50, possibly £60.

For the second time in a day I found myself walking with a skip in my step. It was dark and the Christmas lights and shop fronts lit up the streets. I stopped and did a bit of window shopping here and there, admiring watches and boots, coats and shirts in shops that were now closed until tomorrow morning.