Austria

It feels like it has been a while since I had access to internet, and I am already in Vienna now, so I will try to catch up my 'update'. So I made all of my bus and train connections like a pro, which means I am pretty much home free from here on out except for getting to and from the airport in Paris. Getting from Rome to Florence after that will be a piece of cake! Phew, glad to put all those hassles behind me.


I spent just a few hours in Munich before heading to the nearby Dachau Concentration Camp, which was the first concentration camp built (1933). It was pretty intense, but I was really glad I went and had the opportunity to see it. I made a couple friends(?) during the day and then had dinner with them that night when I got back to Munich. Why is it that guys freely approach me and introduce themselves in every other country but America??? Very odd... I have run out of fingers now to count the number of times guys have initiated long conversations with me on this trip. P.s. One of these guys was how I imagine Ben would be maybe if he never became a Christian. Still cool and bearded, but lots of tats (tattoos), into hard core rock music, and slightly shorter. Anyhoo. Didn't like Munich too much - it seemed like everyone was there just to basically drink and party, so I headed south into the Alpine country to the little town of Fussen, and I fell in love. This town was isolated in the green countryside and very quant. There is just some part of me that really feels "woken up" when I get out of the city into these more remote places. I love it! I had "splurged" a little on my room there and it was the first night of the trip I was in a real hotel instead of a hostel, which meant my own room AND bathroom. I was really glad at that I had done that because after two weeks without much privacy, this luxury of something other than a dorm-style bed and a nice, quiet room was well appreciated. The next day I went to see the famous castle that inspired the Disney castle, and that was much more beautiful and remarkable than I expected, even with the overcast skies.

The rain and cold have followed me each place I have been, so I was grateful when I arrived by train to Salzburg, Austria and it was DRY. Unfortunately, I woke up the next morning to drizzles after what apparently had been a beautiful week, but oh well. My first day in Salzburg, I went to Hitler's Eagles Nest, which while very interesting, was not as striking as it would have been if the weather was clear. Still, it felt very odd to sit sipping hot chocolate in the same room that Hitler and Eva Braun entertained their guests. This is one of the only original Nazi buildings left standing by the Allies after WWII. Much to my disappointment, the tour company that was supposed to take me on the Sound of Music tour and Hallstatt trip the next day cancelled on me at the last minute. I think I had been looking forward to that very much for most of the trip, so it was discouraging at first. However, I have been remarkably tired, just from running to and fro places, going to bed late and waking early, and the thought of a morning where I might be able to sleep past 7am was tempting. So I slept in till about 8, then had a leisurely breakfast and VERY leisurely quiet time (which was a blessing), at which point it was going to be very difficult for me to make it to Hallstatt and back in time for my train to Vienna. So... I made my peace with NOT going to Hallstatt (saving it for next time!) and enjoyed a much needed respite by filling today with some slow wandering, journaling, and bench sitting by the river.

I just arrived tonight in Vienna and there are two Korean girls staying in the same room as me at the hostel, which is sort of funny, but I am happy to refresh my Korean, and hopefully they wont mind my TKD exercises in the room tomorrow morning... : ) Well now I have to run because I am almost out of time on the computer and I am out of change to add time. But I am doing well, although really really really looking forward to getting to Florence and staying put for a while. In some ways the days go by slowly as I look forward to that, and in some ways things are going by so quickly as I squish everything in!