The Schlossberg Roof Top Walk in the Home of Arnie

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Until now I do not think we had found our holiday spirit - our minds were still whizzing and whirring to the beat of the working week I think. In Graz we started to unwind and change our thinking a bit. We stayed at the Hotel Daniel, near the railway and tram interchange. The hotel was a funky looking place, modern and cheerful. The surrounding area was interesting, almost next door was the 24 hour, non stop sex show and numerous bars on the way to the tram/rail station. Aside from a few drunks, and some street people, it was ok.

Graz has a long history and is the capital of Styria. Also, it is the home of a building that looks very much like a bodily organ (perhaps a set of lungs), it is also the birthplace of Arnie (now Governor of California). They used to have a statue of Arnie in a park here, but removed it once he became Governor because California supports the death penalty and Austria does not.

This is an easy city to navigate, by foot or by tram. The old town centre is very picturesque, the Schlossberg (a large park on top of a hill close to the town centre) gives great views over the city and surrounding area. We had dinner in the "Bermuda Triangle" area, where all the bars and night spots are said to be located. This is a university town so the beers were cheap enough. At the bar we drank at, the beers were being served direct from a wooden keg (probably stainless steel with a wood outer lining). When a new keg was installed the bar staff played out a little ceremony while tapping the keg. They succeeded in spraying themselves and their work area with lovely fresh beer, then rang a bell on the bar to tell the drinkers a new keg had been tapped.

Our day spend walking "above the roof tops of Graz" at the Schlossberg was lovely. Listening to birds, soaking up some sunshine, laughing at the squirrels and enjoying the meandering paths through the park. Some of the sights on the Schlossberg included a gothic tower, a chinese pavillion, plus some fortifications. There are 3 ways to get to the top - walk, a lift, or a fernicular railway. We actually tried all 3 just for the heck of it!

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