Salzburg

On our first day in Salzburg we relaxed in our tiny apartment and stocked up on food. It was a good thing we got plenty of groceries because most grocery shops closed Christmas Eve (Thursday) and remained shuttered through the weekend. We enjoyed some home cooking as well as local sausages and cheese.

Matt and I explored the city center that evening, stopping for a beer at a bar with two rooms, one a pub with an older crowd, and the other a cocktail bar, with mostly teenagers. We could see from the pub into the other room and thought we saw Matt's long-lost twin. It was both eery and hilarious how much the Austrian Doppelganger looked like Matt, but we were a little disappointed when we got up close to see the facial differences. The next day the family went into the old section of Salzburg, stopping for coffee next to Mozart's old house, inspecting the Christmas Fair and eyeing the shops, most of them closed, aside from a gallery of old prints and drawings. We stopped in some churches as well to take photos. They were well appointed with greenery for the holidays.


What is this instrument called?That evening we went to midnight mass at the Salzburg Cathedral. While we didn't understand a word, the dual choirs were incredible. The mass ended with an outstanding Still Nacht performance with the entire church dimmed to candlelight only. It was definitely festive. Afterward, we walked with the locals as they fanned out slowly and quietly to their homes. In the morning on Christmas day, we set out to do some hiking around Bad Gastein, a popular ski area. It was raining lightly in Salzburg, but 30 minutes outside the city, we reached a light snowline. Higher up in the mountains we were met by much heavier snow. We checked out the resort area by car and winded around some truly treacherous roads overlooking massive canyons. The village was a true resort, and not a traditional Austrian town, but pretty nonetheless. We stopped to check out ski information in case we wanted to return the next day, but as the snowfall seemed to increase we thought better and descended from resort back toward. We backtracked to Dorfgastein, where the snow was still falling pretty heavily. We stopped for a meal at a beautiful restaurant in the village opposite a small ski area. The waiter spoke perfect English, but grovelled for his tip throughout the meal. I did enjoy when he made fun of Matt for ordering a child meal, which "Comes with a candy" he said. Matt ended up with a foot long hot dog sliced on a plate, which made me laugh even more, and a lollipop was delivered as promised. It was another delicious meal, although I can't remember exactly what I ate. I'm pretty sure my mom had Spaetzli for the fifth time on the trip, because I do remember finishing her plate as well as my own. We returned to the apartment and relaxed. The next day we got up early and headed for the mountains. Obertauern, reputed to have among the best ski conditions in Austria no matter the year, was our destination. The directions were confusing though, and I guided my dad through a series of wrong turns, one of which took us 20 minutes down a road too narrow and snow-lined for any sort of u-turn. We turned around in the parking lot of a decent-looking ski resort called Zauchansee. "Why don't we just go here?" Matt asked. I wasn't having any of it, as disgraced navigator, and I was determined to get us to Obertauern. So we turned around and 40 minutes later we were nearing the big resort. As we got closer we saw lots of cars leaving the resort, and others stopped on the side of the road where chains were added to the tires. We continued on and soon enough stopped on a slick hill behind a line of cars. At the head of the line was a convertible, fishtailing as it tried to make it up the hill. The car eventually turned around, but now every non-4wd car that had stopped needed a gang to push it through the same icy patch. A police officer arrived and sent every car withoug chains back down the hill, even as we tried to put them on while stopped. We gave up on Obertauern and another 40 minutes later we were back at Zauchansee. Matt and I rented equipment and skied while my parents went walking nearby. The snow was outstanding - half a foot had fallen the night before and we weaved between the marked trails in search of powder. The area seemed small, but we shared a gondola with a couple who explained how it was linked with several others by lift and by bus. We ended up finding plenty of snow and terrain at Zauchansee. We were rewarded with a few cliff drops and super-steep areas to make big powder turns. I scoped out one of the cliffs and didn't like what I saw. As I tiptoed around it, I lost my balance and on one ski, I slowly tipped over as I slid down the face, with my head aimed at a rock outcropping. It was a close call - close enough to make Matt seriously angry with me. I took some video with a digital camera of Matt dropping a cliff and making some steep turns. I fell a number of times in the morning, so after lunch, I rearranged my pockets to load both my ipod and camera in the same pocket to keep from landing on them in my next fal. I didn't break them on my next fall. Instead I lost them both; the pocket had seemingly unzipped itself and bequeathed my electronics to the mountain. I tried to retrace my steps, but searching for the exact same path through the woods was fruitless. It was an expensive day of skiing and I was sorry about losing the photos too - Matt was pretty upset about them. We still have the memories to go by though, and we returned to Salzburg for our last meal before leaving for Paris in the morning.

The day was overcast, but the city was still beautiful

What is this instrument called?

Views near Altemarkt Im Pongau, Austria

Innsbruck 12/19-12/22

The ride to Innsbruck began in a brief snowstorm, which tapered off. The ride was uneventful, until we reached the Alps. The roads winded through valleys next to shear cliff faces. There were long tunnels with spectacular views of snow-capped peaks waiting at the end, before the next tunnel began. There was avalanche protection in the form of huge concrete overhead awnings.

In Innsbruck, we were somewhat lost, but my dad spotted the Pension, our Innsbruck residence, from across the river, nearly a mile away. "Does that say Pension Paula on the building he asked?" He took some flak before we realized he was 100% correct. The pension was a bed and breakfast, but our first look at our room left us a little nervous. Quarters were tight to say the least, with one room, 3 beds and a chair and table at the center, with little space in between. Things have been known to get testy between the Bachmans, and confining spaces can stoke the flames. When we left Innsbruck, we agreed that it was remarkable we got along so well, and that the room was not so bad after all. Neither was the breakfast served by proprietor Herr Gunsch. I continued my hostel-bred habit of maximum caloric intake during a free meal, working from cereal to sandwiches and back again.

Herr Gunsch watches us leave. My dad read the sign from across the river, while driving.

After settling in and unpacking we ate our first and one of our best meals at a Gasthaus, a traditional Austrian restaurant. While I had been spoiled with delicious food all week in Lyon and Zurich, the rest of the family vociferously praised the meal. Afterward, we crossed the river ____ and visited the Christkindlsmarkt. Matt and I sampled the Hauspunsch, one of the many available heated beverages. We went to sleep early.

In the morning we headed into the city to check out the sights. While the city itself was pleasant but ultimately forgettable, the mountain backdrop was otherworldly.

Innsbruck







Inn River through Innsbruck, the city's name translates to bridge over the Inn (river)




The Golden Roof, Innsbruck's trademark tourist sight, was built as a viewing area for sovereigns to watch sporting events below.

We stopped for a coffee at a local brewery, where world cup skiing was on TV. Matt was instantly cured of his grumpiness - Austria is reputed to have good coffee. In the afternoon we drove to one of Innsbruck's many ski areas, Mutters, a pint-sized area, with a single gondola. We parked and followed signs to a hiking trail. The trail was a summer-time road, and snow covered, but not too challenging. Excitement was provided by tobaggoners - the road was also a toboggan path - who flew past at dangerous speeds, and almost side-swiped my parents on a particularly hairy hairpin. The trail crossed ski trails from time to time, providing openings for spectacular views, which became sunset views later on. We made it to a mountain restaurant, but the owner said she was closed. We lingered taking in the view as shadows engulfed the furthest peaks on the horizon.

Hiking in Mutters

After the hike we drove back to Innsbruck. We picked an Italian restaurant, where we were the lone diners. The Italian owner was very friendly, and not so busy, so he chatted with us during and after the meal. Italy is just south of Austria, but the owner complained about how cold it was, and indicated he preferred his native land. He called out my mom, "You no like the soup?", and she had no ready response - she really didn't like the soup. We hoped she hadn't gotten the cook in trouble.

Matt and I went out for drinks at a nearby bar and came back to the pension stinking of cigarettes. In the morning we filled up at breakfast and headed to Axamer-Lizum, one of the better-regarded Innsbruck mountains and site of the 1976 Women's Olympic Downhill. The views were incredible. Matt and I tried out some of the off-piste, while our parents watched from below. Aside from digging up some brush and rocks from time-to-time, we were skiing a few inches of powder on some really steep terrain. When I went back to Vermont a few weeks later, the mountain seemed completely flat. In Austria, the lifts actually went up.

The Bachmans at Axamer-Lizum

Top of Axamer-Lizum, the crucifix reminds us that this is not the Himalayas

The next day, we headed to the Stubai Glacier to explore a little and do some hiking. We checked out the ski area, but there wasn't much to see - only two side-by-side gondolas that disappeared up and over a ridge. We backtracked down the highway to look for a hiking trail when we spotted some people walking uphill. We parked and followed a road that lead to a hiking path. We switchbacked through steep pastures and ended up at a family-owned hotel/restaurant/farm. Past the cows on the right was the cozy dining room with only two tables.

This could be anywhere in Austria, but I think it's from hiking outside Fulpmes, near the Stubai Glacier

Matt and me outside the restaurant. The meal definitely came with a view.

On our last night in Innsbruck, Matt and I decided to really experience the nightlife. I made an ipod map of a few locations recommended on the internet, and we set out. We stopped at an Irish pub, for a drink, but the scene was a little too laid back. We checked out the next three locations on my map - all closed or unimpressive. As we stopped to look at the map, a late-twenties local asked us if we needed directions. We don't really know where we're going, we said, explaining our situation. He told us to follow him - he would show us a party. We ended up at the Hofgarten, an outdoor cafe in the park that had been covered and heated for winter-time use. There was a bar and dancefloor, both packed with the local crowd. We had a great time - Matt is a dancing machine, and had me laughing the entire time. German was the only language I heard, except when I was greeted by an Icelandic fellow redhead. "My brother from another mother," he shouted to me.

That night we went to the Buzzihutte, an excellent traditional restaurant where I had yet another rich, delicious meal. Located up a hill well above the city, the restaurant appeared to be a converted home. The clientele was local, and even featured a couple with their respective dogs at their feet.

In the morning we departed Innsbruck for our next destination, the land of Mozart, Salzburg.