Innsbruck
I declare victory. Of course, we'll still have to see if it holds up at home, too.
Before the final entry, I figured I'd throw in an entry about my day in Innsbruck. I went on the 17th, in between two exams. Pictures will be up as soon as the Facebook uploader stops hating me.
After being up relatively late Sunday night, I got up at the crack of dawn on Monday to catch the 6:14 to Innsbruck. Had a fantastic conversation on the train with a guy traveling back toward Munich - talked a lot about the current state of America, and traded perceptions and opinions. Arrived at 10:44, and after a scant few confused minutes in the train station, ascertained that the apparently distant city center was only a few minutes' walk away - Innsbruck is *much* smaller than Vienna, so I'd misjudged the scale of the map. Walked over to downtown and dropped by the tourist center. Bought a map and a day card to get me on all public transportation and museums, and considered myself ready to go by half-past 11.
I then wandered around the old town for a while. It was....really small; I'd made two laps of it in the first hour. I got plenty of time to browse the row of tourist shops, and buy a Stocknadel for my dad and a stein for a friend who'd requested one. Found the Rathaus Galerie (Rathaus --> city hall), which was basically a small mall, seven stories tall. Went to the top and found the Cafe 360, a tiny little thing with balconies all around; got some great pictures. After wandering a bit more, I decided I was close enough to check-in time.
I went to the Cafe Munding, which is smack in the middle of the Altstadt (old town). I was fortunate enough to have been recommended it by a friend, otherwise I'd have been in the other one, a 45-minute walk away. It's a tiny three-room affair above a cafe, but it was awesome. I had a bedroom to myself, as well as a fully stocked and equipped kitchen, bathroom, and patio with view of Innsbruck. It was ridiculous - they even had one of those heated towel racks. I chatted with the lady who was checking me in, and confirmed my original list, adding a new item or two.
Heading out, I decided to go up the Hungerberg first - supposed to be a great view. Getting some *awesome* German kebap first, I walked over to the bus stop...which wasn't coming for another half hour (the bus, not the stop). I decided to walk. After a 20-minute walk up a hill and into the woods, I finally found the train station...which was curiously small and out-of-the-way. After some frustration with the turnstile, I just jumped it -- no one else was around, I had been assured that the card I purchased earlier would work for it, and I was not about to walk 20 minutes back just to try to find somewhere to buy a ticket. (It turned out later that the confusion was because I had found a midway station instead of the starting one - oh well.) I rode up to the little town halfway up the mountain. From there I took a ski lift, then another. At every step, I couldn't imagine how it could get cooler, but it did. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves when they go up - I couldn't possibly do the area justice, just like I couldn't stop taking pictures while I was up there. I met a random Croat who lived in Innsbruck, and we snapped some pictures, walked up to an observatory on the very top, and chatted - he told me to look him up if I ever was in Innsbruck again, and we'd drink schnapps.
After riding down, I spent the evening looking around at the museums, restaurants, and Christmas markets in the Altstadt. Bought some fun tshirts for myself. Spent a heavenly half hour in the deserted jesuitenkirche (church), listening to an invisible someone playing organ, thinking and praying. Went to the Cafe Munding and turned in my breakfast voucher for the next morning, since I wouldn't be able to use it. Got some coffee cheesecake and hot chocolate, which they let me make myself (as in, I got hot milk, a choclate bar and a dish of whipped cream, and got to combine them). I did the European thing and just sat for an hour or so, thinking and doodling. Had some excellent wurst (with sauerkraut and mustard) at the market while wandering. Went out to a bar or two later, but they're not nearly as much fun by yourself, so I didn't stay long. Made a few laps of the city late at night, drinking in the sights and Christmas decorations. Crashed and got a few hours sleep before getting up early for the train back.
I love the way the world looks early in the morning. The train station and the first part of the ride were amazing. Finished some papers on the train, and napped instead of prepping for my exam. Got back into town about two hours before the exam, and studied a little bit. But just a little.
That was Tuesday afternoon. I went to the Nutcracker at the National Opera House that night. It was amazing. The rest of the week has already been chronicled. I came home on Saturday.
Before the final entry, I figured I'd throw in an entry about my day in Innsbruck. I went on the 17th, in between two exams. Pictures will be up as soon as the Facebook uploader stops hating me.
After being up relatively late Sunday night, I got up at the crack of dawn on Monday to catch the 6:14 to Innsbruck. Had a fantastic conversation on the train with a guy traveling back toward Munich - talked a lot about the current state of America, and traded perceptions and opinions. Arrived at 10:44, and after a scant few confused minutes in the train station, ascertained that the apparently distant city center was only a few minutes' walk away - Innsbruck is *much* smaller than Vienna, so I'd misjudged the scale of the map. Walked over to downtown and dropped by the tourist center. Bought a map and a day card to get me on all public transportation and museums, and considered myself ready to go by half-past 11.
I then wandered around the old town for a while. It was....really small; I'd made two laps of it in the first hour. I got plenty of time to browse the row of tourist shops, and buy a Stocknadel for my dad and a stein for a friend who'd requested one. Found the Rathaus Galerie (Rathaus --> city hall), which was basically a small mall, seven stories tall. Went to the top and found the Cafe 360, a tiny little thing with balconies all around; got some great pictures. After wandering a bit more, I decided I was close enough to check-in time.
I went to the Cafe Munding, which is smack in the middle of the Altstadt (old town). I was fortunate enough to have been recommended it by a friend, otherwise I'd have been in the other one, a 45-minute walk away. It's a tiny three-room affair above a cafe, but it was awesome. I had a bedroom to myself, as well as a fully stocked and equipped kitchen, bathroom, and patio with view of Innsbruck. It was ridiculous - they even had one of those heated towel racks. I chatted with the lady who was checking me in, and confirmed my original list, adding a new item or two.
Heading out, I decided to go up the Hungerberg first - supposed to be a great view. Getting some *awesome* German kebap first, I walked over to the bus stop...which wasn't coming for another half hour (the bus, not the stop). I decided to walk. After a 20-minute walk up a hill and into the woods, I finally found the train station...which was curiously small and out-of-the-way. After some frustration with the turnstile, I just jumped it -- no one else was around, I had been assured that the card I purchased earlier would work for it, and I was not about to walk 20 minutes back just to try to find somewhere to buy a ticket. (It turned out later that the confusion was because I had found a midway station instead of the starting one - oh well.) I rode up to the little town halfway up the mountain. From there I took a ski lift, then another. At every step, I couldn't imagine how it could get cooler, but it did. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves when they go up - I couldn't possibly do the area justice, just like I couldn't stop taking pictures while I was up there. I met a random Croat who lived in Innsbruck, and we snapped some pictures, walked up to an observatory on the very top, and chatted - he told me to look him up if I ever was in Innsbruck again, and we'd drink schnapps.
After riding down, I spent the evening looking around at the museums, restaurants, and Christmas markets in the Altstadt. Bought some fun tshirts for myself. Spent a heavenly half hour in the deserted jesuitenkirche (church), listening to an invisible someone playing organ, thinking and praying. Went to the Cafe Munding and turned in my breakfast voucher for the next morning, since I wouldn't be able to use it. Got some coffee cheesecake and hot chocolate, which they let me make myself (as in, I got hot milk, a choclate bar and a dish of whipped cream, and got to combine them). I did the European thing and just sat for an hour or so, thinking and doodling. Had some excellent wurst (with sauerkraut and mustard) at the market while wandering. Went out to a bar or two later, but they're not nearly as much fun by yourself, so I didn't stay long. Made a few laps of the city late at night, drinking in the sights and Christmas decorations. Crashed and got a few hours sleep before getting up early for the train back.
I love the way the world looks early in the morning. The train station and the first part of the ride were amazing. Finished some papers on the train, and napped instead of prepping for my exam. Got back into town about two hours before the exam, and studied a little bit. But just a little.
That was Tuesday afternoon. I went to the Nutcracker at the National Opera House that night. It was amazing. The rest of the week has already been chronicled. I came home on Saturday.