Innsbruck has been a justifiably popular destination for many years but for me it will always be synonomous with the 1976 Winter Olympics. If anyone from my generation knows anything about Austria, it is probably the men's downhill gold medalist - local icon Franz Klammer. Accommodation and Food Stayed 3 nights at Pension Paula conveniently located very close to the start of the hike to Hungersburg and above. My own super quiet room, share bathroom, WiFi, and breakfast with the best coffee you'll find in Austria was 33€. The place is busy with guests from all over and the hosts are terrific. First meal was at an Indian restaurant buffet at Sahib without asking the price prior. Food was good and I did in fact pig out for sure but the damage was an unconscionable 15€. ... read more

That is supposedly the direct translation of Eisriesenwelt in the town of Werfen where I visited from Salzburg a few days ago. It contains the largest ice cave in the world. Also in Werfen is Berg Hohenwerfen, a medieval castle which, aside from the incredible setting in a narrow valley, puts on a very cool trained raptor show. Another easy day trip from Salzburg was to Untersberg although hiking to the top was by no means easy. That could have been the steepest hike I've ever done. And Salzburg itself was beautiful of course. I left Salzburg yesterday morning for the 1½ hour train ride to Bad Gastein where the weather has been cloudy with showers which is actually nice because I am beat from Sunday's hike. There are 2 peaks on either side of town ... read more

After the 1989 Velvet Revolution and subsequent 1993 partition of Czechoslovakia into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, it seems apparent that the Czech Republic took the nicer cities in Bohemia and Moravia while Slovakia got the gem of the Tatra Mountains. Hard to say who got the better deal. Spent a few days climbing in Slovakia's High Tatra Mountains National Park and checking out a castle. Today I arrived in Vienna. $1 ≈ 0.79€ Mt. Rysy I had previously contacted a guide through the Tatra Mountains Guide Service about day climbs of Rysy and Gerlachovský štít, the highest peaks in Poland and Slovakia respectively. Ervin called me at the pension after my arrival last Thursday and we established a pickup time of 7:30 am Friday morning which was nice as it allowed me to get breakfast ... read more

...at Arktic Fresh Food, home of the best hamburgers in Olomouc but more on that later. The rest of the Czech Republic after Prague was a mad dash through another popular tourist destination, the castle at Český Krumlov, followed by 2 subdued places in Moravia, Brno and Olomouc, which were practically devoid of tourists compared to Bohemia. Arrived in Kraków this morning on the overnight train from Olomouc. Very nice and comfortable ride in a 6 person couchette. Took a 2½ hour walking tour at 11 am after settling in at the hostel located at the edge of the Old Town. Tomorrow Auschwitz, Wednesday tour the salt mines and Kraków's Jewish Quarter, and Thursday down to Slovakia and the High Tatra Mountains. That's the plan anyway although I'm not sure how much longer I can keep ... read more

That would be Miami Beach, FLA. Arrived MIA ~7 am local time this morning, promptly board the Airport Express Flyer bus to Miami Beach, and was soon sitting down to breakfast at a deli that I frequented sometime in the last millenium. It used to be a strict Jewish deli. It is now Jewish-Cuban fusion but it works. I think the previous owner sold the business and retired to Florida where he was already living much to his chagrin. As a bonus the deli had multiple TVs showing ESPN highlights of the Boston Celtics resounding and pivotal game 2 road victory over the pesky Atlanta Hawks. A vintage performance from Paul Pierce (36 points, 14 rebounds) offest the loss of Rajon Rondo (suspension) and Ray Allen (ankle). Boston is now 5-1 this season without their opening ... read more