Blogs from Austria, Europe - page 257

Arrival in Salzburg After more time than necessary in Innsbruck we left our hotel for Salzburg. The hour and a half drive was quick on the highways. It was interesting that as we headed east the mountains became less and less snowy. In Salzburg itself there is almost no snow except on top of the highest peaks. Normally Salzburg has almost a meter of snow during this season. We hear about global warming all the time, but this is the first year I think we’ve taken it to heart. Our hotel is a pretty good distance from all of the historic sites and old town in the ‘burg. After checking in we set out on foot to explore a little bit. The closest point of old town is at least a third of a mile ... read more

Innsbruck not Innsbrook The Day After Christmas and All is Still Closed After checking out of Fussen yesterday, we took the quick hour and a half trip to Innsbruck in the middle of western Austria. Innsbruck’s main claim to fame in winter is the skiing. Because it is high season for skiing, e. g. between Christmas and New Years, the town has a ton of tourists. We arrived and checked in by 11am and set out about the town. From the hotel we have a short five minute walk to the old town of Innsbruck which is directly on the Inn River. As we arrived in the main part of old town we were surprised to find the Christmas Market still open. We had been told that Christmas Markets in the region close on the ... read more

So last week was my first week on the job and I have to say, it went quite well all things considered. I only had one emergency trip to the hospital which was in fact not a skiing injury but somebody falling through a glass door. It was all good though, no arteries severed and a few check-ups confirmed that it wasn´t serious. No more skiing for the parties concerned but such is life. I also had a second trip (well technically fourth if i include check-ups) to the hospital. One of the teachers unfortunately got off the ski lift too late and hurt her knee. Again, luckily nothing too serious. SO i think i got off lightly for the first week. And.... it was my first week of skiing! I went with the beginners and ... read more

Christmas time in Vienna is amazing. Aside from the beautifully lighted streets and various Christmas markets with the mouth watering scents of Brutwursts, roasted chestnuts and warm spiced wine, the hustle and bustle of the city on Christmas eve is extremely charming. On the 24th we walked to the Nasch market (about a 10 minute walk from the apartment), to do our Christmas dinner shopping and pick us a Christmas tree. The Nasch market is a huge permanant farmer's market. The vendors are mostly Turkish and there are Shawerma and falafel stands every few feet. It's a good place to buy vegetables, great cheese and spices. They also have homemade fresh ravioli that we have become addicted to. The Nasch market on the afternoon of Christmas eve was alive and kickin! Vienese had gathered in large ... read more

After emptying the flat and saying our goodbyes in London, we are now fattening up in Salzburg with sausages and Schnitzel. Merry Christmas!... read more