Day 2 we made our way by train to Innsbruck, Austria where we would be staying for the Christmas part of my trip. The train was fast, and I enjoyed watching the landscape change from flat farmland to the impressive, domineering Alps. We kept going through all these tunnels, and I kept saying "The mines of Moria" to Mags (LoTR fans get that I hope!). In Innsbruck, we headed to the hotel to check-in and find something fun to do for the afternoon. We ended up checking out this cute Christmas market that wound its way through the streets of the old part of the city.
After a while, we made our way back to make sure we would be there when Katie arrived. I was lying down, finishing Jane Eyre when Katie finally got there. She was travel worn and happy to be sure! She got settled, and we spent some time catching up before dinner. Traditional Austrian fare was on the menu tonight. I shared Katie's goulash soup, which was kind of spicy and scrumptious. Then I had some Spinach dumplings, which were like meatballs made of Spinach, which were soooo good and surprisingly filling. After dinner, we went in search of some Internet, which unfortunately we did not have at the hotel. Everyone else was still a bit jet-lagged of sorts, so we went to bed fairly early to be ready for fun the next day.
Day 3 began with some much loved Internet, cafe, and pastry from a chain called Baguette. We ate several breakfasts and lunches here throughout the trip, and it was affordable and delicious! We went and got our skis, poles, boots, and helmets to prepare for skiing in the afternoon. After a quick lunch all together, Dad, Mags, Katie, and I headed for the slopes. Because of the timeframe of when we were staying there, we got a hotel in town instead of at a ski resort. This probably worked better for food and sightseeing, but for skiing, it meant a 45 minute bus ride to any of the mountains in the area plus a walk to the correct bus stop. It was hot tiring work, carrying all of our equipment in our snow gear, but ultimately worth the effort.
The mountains were absolutely stunning. As far as the skiing went, I was a bit rusty, seeing how as the last seven years I have been trying out snowboarding. Lets just say that I am a little more risk aversive than I used to be. Mags was feeling tired and sick, so eventually Dad and Katie left us for the afternoon so that we could go our own pace. Mags and I had a great time catching up, lying in the snow, and doing a bit of skiing, I was really glad for my helmet, especially when I slid probably fifty feet down the mountain head first on top of it. I was definitely styling! The lift closed at four, so we caught the bus back to get ready for dinner.
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| Me, enjoying a little break :) |
This dinner was also amazing. In case you hadn't picked up on it, I really enjoyed the food I had on my trip. Sometimes I ordered something and it wasn't exactly what I expected, but it was usually delicious nonetheless. I love that it is so easy in Europe to to to a city and find restaurants that serve the foods that are generally traditional to their culture. Anyways, Mom, Dad, Jenny, and I split a giant collection of porks, sausages, potatoes, green beans, sauerkraut, dumplings, and love! It was sooo good! We forgot to snap a picture because it looked so amazing and we were so hungry, but trust me, this is simple food at its finest :) Funny story from dinner: out of the blue, Jenny turns to Dad and says, "Dad, do you miss Bobby?" She had no idea how timely and adorable this was!
After dinner, Mom, Katie, and I decided to walk around the Christmas market, while the others went back to the hotel. It was so beautiful with all the Christmas lights and pretty things for sale. We shared three desserts: a weird, yucky chocolate-covered thing, a sort of mini fondue with banana in melted chocolate in a waffle bowl, and a cotton candy! YUM! Then the real fun began... ;)
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