Hello everyone!
Here is an update on my activities since I last wrote! We have now been in Austria for 2 weeks. Since I last wrote, we began our semester at school and now we are already on Easter Break!! This is a break down of my week:
Last saturday we went skiing in the alps (Axamer Litzum) for the first time. It was incredible!! In a moment of infinite wisdom, Jenna and I decided to climb up to the top of a ridge, following an american friend's encouraging words: "don't worry about it! its only a little bit steep." A little bit steep turned into a lot a bit steep. Jenna cartwheeled down the powder covered bowl and I just about peed my snowpants. But it was definitely worth the treck. The powder was fluffly as ever and we had nothing to loose (except for Jenna´s ski pole which was never recovered).
Tuesday was our first day of school. Our walk to school involves a 15 minute leisurely stroll beside the Inn river followed by a 15 minute vertical hike to our classroom. Jenna and I were winded before we even began class! We blame it on the altitude.
Classes are structured very differently here. Each course consists of 5-6 days of class. Each class lasts for 7.5 hours per day and we are taking 10 courses. This means that we only have 44 days of class in the entire 5 months that we are here. However, it also means that we have to remain attentive for over 7 hours a day. This was problematic for us. We blame it on the altitude.
On Thursday night, we went out with our Austrian friend Dani and her classmates to celebrate the fact that they are going on exchange. She is going to Uruguay and we have met the girl that is coming to Guelph next year! We stayed out until 5 in the morning.
The next morning, Jenna and I awoke at 8:30 am to the sound of loud austrian knocks on our door. The cleaning staff promptly kicked us out of our rooms so that they could sweep our floor and wipe down our shelves. We were not too happy. The rest of the day was spent lazing around in our pajamas and basking in the fact that we were in Austria and had no commitments. It was easter break and we were about to embark on our first Euro Trip.
First, another alpen skiing adventure called. I set out at 8:00 in the morning to Kühtai. The sky was grey and there was fog on our doorstep. By the time we got to the ski area, the sky was a most beautiful shade of blue and the sun was hot. I returned after a half day of skiing, dripping with sweat and with a sun burn in the shape of goggles and a helmet. (Jenna tells me not to go into black light because my white sideburns and forehead will glow).
It is now Tuesday and we have been in Carinthia for 2 days. We set out on Sunday with Dani to visit her home and her family. It is absolutely gorgeous here. The Carinthian country side is like nothing I have ever seen. Her family is so welcoming and friendly. They have a small farm and we eat fresh eggs and drink fresh milk.
Tomorrow we will be in Slovenia and for Easter in Hungary. I hope you enjoyed reading and I hope everything is well back home!
Kathy
Austria's Flag
Map of Austria