We're in Innsbruck !

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I'd like to say that we arrived in Innsbruck sans problem. Instead, we arrived sans luggage. At least I did. And yet, I couldn't be more excited: Keith and I are back in Europe!

This is our first time in Austria. Having decided to spend New Years in Munich, we picked Innsbruck based off the fact that it was actually cheaper to get from Frankfurt to Munich via Innsbruck than to go directly. It just so happens that the scenery was worth the trip alone!

I had no idea how beautiful Innsbruck would be. I knew it was in the Alps, I knew it hosted the winter Olympics, and I had a vague notion that Tirol was quaint and picturesque. Still, I was very surprised with Innsbruck. From the moment we landed in the airfield (which was more or less a long driveway), I could tell that Innsbruck was different. It was so neat to just be able to alight from our tiny little prop plane that had just kissed the tops of Alps and walk into the airport (which looked more like a 1970s ski lodge than an airport). Everything was so casual, and so intimate. Maybe it had something to do that the entire town was hugged by gorgeous Alpine mountains.

We spent most of out time in the historic downtown area, which looked more like Italy with its brightly-colored stucco buildings than Germany or Bavaria. Most of the places were well within walking distance, since the town is so small. Originally we had planned to go up into the mountains to the Nordkette; however, without my luggage and a fresh change of clothes, we preferred to take it easy and stay close to the guest house we were staying at.

The single most awesome thing about Innsbruck though were the mountains. When we were breakfasting in our guesthouse's dining area, we could see the Alps pressing in on us. There was no way to not see them, their presence was what made Innsbruck the charming town that it is. And if we weren't looking directly at the Alps themselves, we saw skier after skier, heading to and from the slopes that make Innsbruck famous. Since we are planning on skiing in Germany, we enjoyed the joys of downtown Innsbruck sans ski pants and sore limbs.

Tomorrow we take a mini day trip to Hall, just a short S-Bahn ride away. I hope my luggage comes by then!

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