Skiing in the Alps: Check!

Ever since I flew over the Alps on my way from England to Italy in high school, it has been a dream of mine to ski in them. This past weekend, I finally realized that dream.

I finished my intensive German course on Thurday afternoon, and an hour later I was on a train to Innsbruck. The ride was about five hour, but I had a compartment to myself most of the time and was kept occupied by the beatiful scenery as I zoomed through small villages and between mountains at nearly 200 kilometers per hour.

My compartment on the train to Innsbruck

A village along the way.

I arrived in Innsbruck at around 6:00 pm and met up with some friends who had gone the day before and were just getting back from a day on the slopes. I checked into the hostel they were staying at, and th eight of us went out to eat at an all-you-can-eat pizza and pasta restaurant. Needless to say, the small restaurant was quite overwhelmed by eight American college students and their appetites. The food was delicious, and after the first couple rounds the waitress caught on and started asking us what we wanted next as soon as she put our food on the table. The best part was that the meal only cost 5.90 euros, a very reasonable price for the amount that we ate.

On Friday morning we got up early and were picked up at the hostel by a ski rental company. They drove us to their shop and got those of us outfitted in gear, then directed us to the ski bus stop around the corner. Innsbruck is surrounded by eight ski mountains, all of which can be accessed via free shuttle from the middle of town. We got on the bus to Axamer Lizum just before 10:00 am, and after a 30 minute, slightly terrifying bus ride we reached the base.

It was snowing when we left Innsbruck, and when we got up to the mountain it ws incredibly foggy. On the bright side, the dense fog had deterred many other skiiers, and we had a lot of fresh powder to ourselves. However, it was a little scary riding up on the chairlift and not being able to tell the sky apart from the ground because everything was just white. I felt like I was going into the Twilight Zone.

The skiing was great, and way different than anything I had ever experienced. Since most of the runs are above the tree line, the whole mountain is pretty much open to exploration. There are some groomed trail, but you can also go off the trails to ski in deeper powder. This was my first experience with deep powder, and I fell about six times on my first run, but the snow was so soft that it didn't hurt at all.

After a tiring day on the slopes, we caught the shuttle back to town and arrived back at the hostel about an hour later. I took a hot shower, and we headed into town to get dinner. After walking around for awhile, we ended up at a kind of beer hall/restaurant, and I enjoyed a typically Austrian meal, a.k.a. Bratwurst and sauerkraut with boiled potatoes and a dunkel (dark) beer. We stopped on the way back to the hostel for a piece of Sacher Torte (delicious chocolate cake with raspberry filling between layers), and got to bed fairly early.

The next day we got up even earlier to catch the 8:50 am shuttle to Khutai, a ski mountain further into the Alps. We awoke to a sunny, completely clear sky, quite the opposite of the day before. I made sure to put my camera in my pocket, as I hadn't bothered to bring it the day before due to the fog. The shuttle bus ride was a little longer than the day before, and we arrived at the base of Khutai at around 10:00 am.

The bus dropped us off here, at the base of Khutai.

It was a beautiful day on the mountain, around 40 degrees and sunny the whole time. I had to unzip my jacket and take off my scark and hat because I got too hot. The snow wasn't quite as good as the day before, but being able to actually see the views made up for it. There were mountais as far as you could see.

Me at the top of Khutai

We skiied until about 1:30 pm, and then stopped for a lunch break at a mid-mountain hut. Since it was so nice out, we were able to sit outside on beach chairs to eat. I got split pea soup, bread, and a beer, and enjoyed both my food and the view.

The hut where we got lunch

Day 2 mountain lunch

Slope-side beach chairs

We skiied until the mountain close at 4:00 pm, taking advantage of the lifts, T-Bars and the gondola to reach almost every part of the mountain. We got on the shuttle bus at 4:15, and arrived back in Innsbruck about an hour later. We returned our skis, only to realize that we had worn our ski boots up to the mountain and therefore didn't have shoes to wear back to the hostel. Luckily, the guys at the ski rental shop were nice enough to give us a ride so we didn't have to take the bus in our socks. We got back to the hostel, grabbed our stuff out of storage, and headed straight to the train station to catch the 7:00 pm train back to Vienna. We grabbed some sandwiches and pastries to eat for dinner on the train. After eating we got a little bit of sleep, and arrived in Vienna just before midnight. I fell into my bed as soon as I walked in my door, and didn't get up again until about 11:45 Sunday morning.

All in all, it was a great and exausting trip. I'm glad I went, and am very thankful that I got to have such an amazing experience. Mom and Dad, however, might not be quite as thankful when they get my credit card bill...

Eis Laufen and A Viennese Valentine's Day

On Sunday night I finally got to go ice skating (Eis laufen in German) at the huge rink in front of City Hall. I bundled up and hopped on the tram with eight other students from my dorm around 6:30 pm. We arrived at our destination and were greeted by freshly-zambonied ice in ront of a beautifully illuminated City Hall, the smell of hot spiced wine and bratwurst, and, of course, American disco music. We paid for tickets, rented skates, and hit the ice. I don't really remember the last time I went ice skating, but it came back to me fairly quickly and I didn't even fall once! We skated for about an hour to an eclectic yet entertaining mix of American music, which at one point went directly from hip hop to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". The track that wound through the park was my favorite part. It started in the third rink and woud it's way through the trees back to the first rink. After the first hour, we took a break for a mug of hot spiced wine to warm up. The wine is delicious, and you can pay a two Euro deposit to use a real mug instead of a plastic cup. The Austrian's are so environmentally responsible! With our hands and bellies a little warmer, we skated for about another half hour before heading home. It was a great experience, and it even snowed a little while we were there. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures becasue as soon as I took my camera out of my pocket the battery died. I would love to do it again before the rink closes in March, so maybe I cna get some pictures another time.

On Monday I learned that American men are not alone in their Valentine's gift-buying procrastination. The holiday is celebrated in Austria much like it is in the U.S., with cards, flowers and candy, and of course a line of men at every flower shop between the hours of 4 and 6 pm.

The observation of this cultural similarity was only one of the things that made me smile on Valentine's Day. Another was the weather: it snowed! I haven't seen snow on Valentine's Day in awhile, so this was quite a treat. It was an extra-romantic type of snow, with big, fluffy flakes that made me feel like I was walking around in a snow globe (side note, I love snow globes). When I got home later that afternoon I went to the kitchen to make a hot cup of tea, and when I returned to my room I had a special delivery:

My Valentine sent me flowers! The bouquet came wrapped in brown paper and included yellow tulips and coral-colored gerbera daisies. I had to arrange them in a glass because I don't have a vase, but I think it still turned out pretty good.

The only bad part of Valentine's Day was that I could feel myself starting to get a cold. I had to stay home from class on Tuesday because I woke up feeling horrible, but I think I am finally starting to get over it (knock on wood). I had a lot of tea and soup and spent the evenings curled up in my bed watching movies and TV on my computer, so hopefully I will be better by the weekend.

I hope everyone had a Happy Valentine's Day, wherever you spent it!

Things I Love About Vienna, So Far

I've oficially been living in Vienna for over a week now, and have noticed many things I love about my new city. The first few days I was in a sort flu and jet-lag induced haze and didn't do too much, so there is still a lot I haven't seen. Of what I have seen/experienced so far, the following are a few of my favorites:

1. Public Transportation

Vienna has great, convenient public transportation that can get you anywhere within, and a lot of places outside, the city. The extensive network includes the U-Bahn (subway), buses, and my favorite, the tram (pictured above). From what I have seen, the trains are always on time and you rarely have to shove your way on. The U-Bahn is quick, convenient, and relatively easy to navigate. I haven't really used the buses yet, but I hear the night bus network is very helpful for nights out on the town (plus it reminds me of the night bus in Harry Potter). The tram is my favorite because you can see so much of the city while on it. I can't help but smile when I'm sitting on the warm tram watching imperial buildings and hidden side streets zoom by.

2. Street Food

Street food is something I love in most cities, and Vienna is no exception. There are a variety of street vendors, selling everything from Bratwurst to Asian noodles to hot, alcoholic punch, and it is all cheap and delicious. The train station right around the corner from my dorm is home to about six of these food carts, which I found out on Super Bowl Sunday are open 24/7. So far, I've tried a kebab and some noodles, both of which were filling, delicious, and only 3 euros. Next on my list is a Bratwurst.

3. My Yellow Walls

Yellow is one of my favorite colors, and the walls in my dorm room are a cheerful shade of buttercup. I thought all the rooms had yellow walls like mine, but then I found out that most rooms have white walls, which made me love my yellow walls even more. They just make the whole room feel a lot happier!

4. Explor-ability

I'm pretty sure this isn't an actual word, but this is my blog and I'm allowed to make stuff up. Anyways, I feel like Vienna is a very explorable city. It was recently ranked as the most "livable" city in the world, and is tops in safety rankings as well. I feel comfortable walking around Vienna and using the public transportation, and this comfort is conducive to semi-aimless wandering. Today, while everyone that signed up for the orientation program (which is pretty much everyone else that is here now) was off on a guided tour of the city, I decided to go explore on my own a little. I hopped on a tram towards the Inner Stadt (City Center) and got off at the Ringstrasse (more on that later). I walked around for a couple hours, snapping pictures, taking side streets, and ducking into a couple shops here and there. It was a lovely afternoon, which ended with a beautiful impromtu concert by an Asian choir in a courtyard of the Hofburg Palce I happened to be wandering through at just the right time.

5. The Ringstrasse

In the 19th century Emperor Franz Josef ordered the destruction of the wall surrounding the old city and replaced it with a grand boulevard now known as the Ringstrasse. It's a beautiful street with wide walking and bike paths and two trams, all surrounding some of the most important sights in Vienna. A walk or ride around the Ringstrasse will give you a look at the Hofburg Palace, Parliament, City Hall, and the Opera House, just to name a few. Within the Ringstrasse you can walk through the gardens and courtyards of the palace, and explore a labyrinth of cobbled streets winding between churches, shops, cafes and restaurants. The Ringstrasse is also great for navigation whilst exploring. If you can find the Ringstrasse (it's hard to miss) you can just follow it around in one direction until you find a U-Bahn, tram or bus station that is of use to you.

6. The Skating Rink at City Hall

Vienna's City Hall is amazing on it's own, but adding a public skating rink that is open every day all winter makes it even better. The rink is huge, with a large open area in the middle and a track that shoots off one side and winds through the trees in the nearby park before connecting back to the main rink. There is even a separate area for small children, with little penguin statues they can hold onto for balance as they learn to skate. A team of Zambonis keeps the ice fresh into the night, and the rink is surrounded by huts selling hot food and drinks. I haven't been skating yet, but I'm planning to go sometime soon at night.

There are many other things about Vienna that I love, or at least have a crush on, but they'll have to wait for another post and further exploration. Maybe by the time Valentine's Day rolls around I'll be ready to post part two.

Auf weidersehen!

The Superbowl, Vienna Style

I have watched the Superbowl every year of my life. This past Sunday was the first time ever that missing the Superbowl was even a remote possibility. Luckily, a number of bars in Vienna were showing the big game via ESPN America, thus the streak continues.

A bunch of students from my dorm were going to a bar in the first district called 1516 to watch the game. My roommate and I decided to go, but left a little later than everyone else and with only a rough estimate of where we were supposed to end up. We wrote down directions using the U-bahn, only to leave our dorm and realize it was after 12:00 and the U-bahn would be shutting down soon. Rather than risk getting stuck somehwere along the way, we decided to walk. We hadn't walked to the city center yet, but knew it wasn't too far and figured we could find our way with the map in my purse and the address we had written down. It was a nice, quiet walk, with almost no one on the streets at midnight on a Sunday, and in about 15 minutes we were on the Ringstrasse, the loop road that replaced the wall around the old town many years ago. We knew we were close, and started to let "instinct" take over for actual navigation, resulting in us very quickly getting lost.

We probably would have made it to the bar a lot easier if we could have resisted wandering and stuck to the roads we knew, but it was a nice night and the city was nearly deserted, presenting a unique opportunity for sightseeing. We took pictures with statues and walked by the palace, and before we knew it we had no idea where we were. We walked in what we thought to be the right direction, and ran into some Irish students who were going to watch the game at the Irish bar right across the street from 1516, so we followed them the rest of the way.

We got there a little late, but still in the first quarter. We watched the game in the upstairs of the bar, where there was a huge projector screen and multiple flat screen TV's. The place was mostly filled with Americans, many from our school, but there were also fans from a variety of other countries. It was a fun atmosphere, with fans of both teams (I wore a yellow shirt with a green scarf in support of the Packers). The only disappointing part was that, since we weren't watching on the normal American network, we missed out on the commercials.

The game didn't end until about 4:30 am Vienna time. Some students from our dorm left early, but I couldn't bring myself to miss the end. Everyone that stayed ended up just walking back (no one has really figured out the night bus system yet), and we didn't get home until after 5:00 am. My first (:30 am German class came early the next morning, but the experience of waching the Superbowl in a foreign country was worth it.

Go Pack!

I (barely) made it to Vienna!

A few days ago, I wasn't so sure I would be updating this blog from my new desk in my new dorm, looking out over a Viennese courtyard. On Monday, my last day in the States, I was horribly sick. I don't know if it was the flu, food poisoning, or something else, but whatever it was it was not at all pleasant. I feared I was going ot have to push my flight back at least a day, and maybe not make it for the start of my German course tomorrow morning. Luckily, on Tuesday I was feeling much better, still not great by any means, but at least well enough to get out of bed and onto an airplane. I ended up doing a lot of things at the very last minute that I had planned to do on Monday, and my packing was definitely more of a throw-everything-in-the-suitcase approach than I had hoped, but, after some reshuffling at the airport (my luggage was a few pounds overweight), I made it through security and to my gate.

And then the flight was delayed. At the time I was supposed to be leaving San Diego for Los Angeles, the plane was still in Los Angeles. The flight ended up leaving about an hour late, but I had a two hour layover at LAX and still had plenty of time.

Next was the longest leg of my trip, a non-stop flight from LAX to London. I ended up with a seat in the first row of the economy cabin, which came with tons of extra legroom. Finally, something went right. I was even able to eat a whole meal, a task I hadn't been able to accomplish since my mysterious illness. I watched a couple movies and got a few hours of sleep, and landed in London Wednesday afternoon (London time). I walked what seemed like a mile, once again not feeling very well, and was on my way to Vienna within an hour.

I arrived at the airport a few minutes late, and of course my bags were the last ot come out. My "buddy" from the University here, Lisa, met me at the airport and took me on the train to my dorm. I pretty much crashed as soon as I got my sheets on my bed, and didn't get up until 3:30 this afternoon. I knew I should have set an alarm. I went out to dinner with Stephanie, another student from UF, and then we got a few groceries for breakfast in the morning. I'm going to try to go to sleep early again tonight, and hopefully I will be feeling better tomorrow morning for my first German class. I'm hoping to see some more of the city tomorrow, and will post some pictures soon. Goodnight!