Twenty Six: The Alps

The Alps

It makes me wiggly with excitement to think that I’m actually in the Alps! The drive in to Innsbruck was beautiful today. The mountains all around we’re perfectly snowcapped and it’s wonderful! Tomorrow morning we’re going to ski! In the Alps! THE ALPS! I cannot wait, it’s a dream come true.

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!

Twenty Five: The Sound of Music

The Sound of Music

On Christmas Day, we all went on ‘The Original Sound of Music tour.’ It. Was. Awesome. They drove us all around Salzburg to see the sites in the city and also outside the city limits. It was beautiful, and actually very interesting! I was shocked to realize how many liberties Hollywood took. I mean… I always understood that Maria was no Julie Andrews, but really! For example, you’ll recall the final screenshot as Maria, the Captain and the Children climb over the mountain? Well… that mountain is on the border to Germany. So, to avoid the Nazis, the Von Traps fled into Germany? Silly. Anyway, it was amazing, we went to see the Gazebo where Liesl and Rolf sing Sixteen Going on Seventeen and Maria and the Captain sing Something Good. You can no longer go into the Gazebo because some 70 year old woman was trying to frolic around on the benches like Liesl and broke her hip. Too funny. We also saw the church in which the wedding took place. And later we went on a Salt Mine tour, which was fun! On the bus ride back from the Salt Mines, we drove past the mountain on which Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest is situated! The tour guide over emphasized that the Eagle’s Nest is NOT where Hitler lived. The Eagle’s Nest functioned as a conference center and tea-house. His second home was somewhere below in a compound that was destroyed in the final bombardment.

Twenty Four: Stunning Landscapes

Stunning Landscapes

Though this is true in the United States as well, there are so many views that are simply breathtaking. I just love it! This is above the Salzburg Castle, looking out towards Germany, and the Alps. It just won’t be the same in Bloomington! I will miss very much looking out my window and seeing the Alps or the Black Forest.

Twenty Three: Castles and Palaces

Castles and Palaces

So one of the things I truly adore about Europe is the presence of Castles
and Palaces! We simply do not have these at home... and it is SO much
fun explore the outrageous grandeur! Bavaria is particularly castle
filled, especially with King Ludwig II's fairy-tale Castles. The one
pictured above is the second of those I have seen- the first was
Neuschwansien, if you'll remember. This one is modeled after Versaille
and is meant to be a tribute and monument to the Sun King of France.
Like Neuschwanstien, this palace was never quite completed as Ludwig
ran out of money... and mysteriously died. He also only lived in the
completed part for about ten days. It was truly spectacular though; the
Hall of Mirrors was just as impressive as Versailles, and actually it's
bigger by ten feet or so. It was also cool to experience all the copied
rooms and stuff with only a couple of people, as opposed to the hoards
of people blocking my views in Versailles. In any event, I love the
Castles and Palaces here. OH! And it's really cool because there are so
many, people actually live in many of them still! Typically not the
entire castle for a single private family... but WOW! I think I could
do that! I would be an excellent Castle Resident.

Twenty Two: Beer

Beer
We left Freiburg early this morning, and headed off towards Munich. We had a beautiful drive through the Black Forest, and saw a little bit of the German Countryside before arriving in Munich mid-afternoon. Mom may or may not have driven over 105mph- Garmin told us so! It was AWESOME! Tomorrow afternoon, we head off towards Herrenchimensee and Salzburg!
While it was only fitting to chose Kartoffelhaus to represent my last evening in Freiburg, it is truly only fitting to have beer represent my last day in Germany. Tonigh, we ended up at THE Haufbrauhaus. We had a lovely dinner (with beer, DUH!) in the HB restaurant and then went down into the beer hall post-dinner. Mom and I finished our beers, while Ben grabbed a second. It was a neat, as it was very reminiscent of Oktoberfest. The little band even played the Prost drinking song. I really enjoyed it a great deal.

When I arrived in Germany this past September, I could barely smell, let alone sip, beer without cringing. Tonight, I really enjoyed my liter of beer. It’s an interesting way to see how I have changed these past four months. Without becoming an alcoholic, (which is more than quite a few kids in my program can say) I am now able to enjoy a glass of beer. If nothing else, I think this is a wonderful thing to have gained from this semester!

Prost!