The one with the Sledding (2x)

Though we started the day with opening our stockings, Christmas Day didn't feel much like that either. The plan was to try to go ice-skating in the morning, but we didn't have much luck. First the buses didn't really seem to go in any semi-direct routes to where we wanted to go. We eventually decided to walk, but with Jenny, it was tough. We finally arrived, but it was definitely closed. Mom left to go get gloves for Jenny and see where Dad had gone (he was going to meet us later).

The rest of us waited for another bus, this time to take us up the mountain to go bobsledding on the Olympic track! We grabbed some lunch, and then Dad, Mags, Katie, Bobby, and I walked up the hill to come down the track. Man, you forget what the altitude does to you until you are huffing and puffing up a measly hill. Anyways, we waited our turn, and then it was 44 seconds of awesomeness! It was like a roller coaster but real life. I can't believe there are people who get to do that as their sport. It was AWESOME!! I highly recommend it for anyone who ever has the chance to go. Basically just checked that off my bucket list, not that I wouldn't mind going again! The only downside is that we spent five hours of the day for 44 seconds of awesome. It could have been more time effective for sure. Despite the shortness, we were wiped out, so we headed back for a nap before dinner.

Because we knew that everything would be closed for Christmas, we decided to make that our fancy dinner and ate at the nice Steakhouse in the Hilton. It was really good, and probably included the best vegetables I had in Austria. The only issue was that it took Forever! Maggie was feeling so bad that she gave up and went upstairs to sleep and Jenny was not feeling so happy herself. I had a juicy, perfectly cooked steak, slightly salty sweet potato fries, and spinach with shallots. It was so satisfying! After we went upstairs to eat some of the Turron, a Spanish chocolate that is popular at Christmas, that I had brought with me. It was dark chocolate and very good!

December 26th was our last day in Austria, so I wanted to cross one final thing off my wish list: I wanted to to tobogganing. Unfortunately, fate was against me :/ We found a place to go and figured out how to get there. We had returned our ski stuff, and Mom, Jenny, Katie, and I were waiting when suddenly it was apparent that Jenny was very sick. So Mom and Jenny were out and Katie and I decided to make our own way up. We get there and go inside to make sure that they have toboggans to rent. They do, so we go upstairs to see about lift tickets of some sort, and they tell us IT IS CLOSED!! I was pretty upset. The bus wasn't coming for another hour, so we went for a little walk up the slope. This is what it turned into...

Did I mention that it was raining? Because it was. By the time we finally got on a bus (we somehow missed the first one), we were soaked and not willing to take another bus up to another mountain to try again. Sadface. It happens.

The afternoon was spent by packing up all of our scattered belongings and going to buy some souvenirs. I bought some postcards to keep. I have realized that I am just not a souvenir person. I like my photos and a cute little postcard is nice, but I don't have room in my life or my suitcase for knickknacks. Dad and Bobby had gone skiing for the day in some male-bonding ritual, and they came back for dinner. Except that Bobby was leaking a lot more blood than should be okay from a gash below his knee that he had given himself with his ski. We added him to the sick and injured list, and Dad, Mom, Katie, and I headed back to the pizza place for another dinner. Katie and I split a salad and an awesome chicken spaghetti of sorts, but my real highlight was called a vodka bull. Now anyone who knows about me and vodka, knows that we DO NOT mix well, meaning I absolutely hate it. But in Austria, they make this sloe berry vodka that makes all your dreams come true. My drink tasted like blue raspberry cotton candy, and I, the girl who can taste a drop of vodka in a pool, couldn't even taste it! If you ever get the chance, TRY IT AND LOVE IT!!

Then came the goodbyes :/ I said good-bye to Mom, Dad, and Jenny that night and Maggie and Bobby the next morning, as they were headed back to the States. Maggie was supposed to continue on to Italy with Katie and me, but she was too sick. Since she has gone to the doctor, who confirmed mono, and we've thought a thousand times that she would have been miserable with us, but we missed her! It was a fabulous trip, and if that had been all for my vacation, it would have been enough, but lucky for you, it was only phase 1!!