Silent Night and Gorgeous Countryside

December 23, 2011

Obendorf, Austria

   After getting up early and stowing our packed bags in a locker at the train station, Kalifa and I bought two round trip tickets to Obendorf, a little village 17 km north of Salzburg, where the song "Silent Night" was composed and first performed.

   We had a little trouble finding the little local train, but an English-speaking lady kindly helped us figure it out. It was a slow thing with a bunch of excited 12 year olds on board, but the view of the snowy fields was gorgeous. When we disembarked 45 minutes later in Obendorf, we barely walked three steps before the same sweet lady came running over and asked us where we were going. When we answered that we were going to the Silent Night chapel, she immediately declared that she would show us the way. She started telling us the history of the village and the famous hymn, and continued answering our questions for about 15 minutes until we arrived at the bakery she needed to stop at. She told us to go straight and turn left at a certain street, and bid us farewell.

   That was one thing I loved about Austria; everybody was so nice. They were reserved enough that they wouldn't usually interrupt us and offer help, but the instant we asked, they were extremely friendly and helpful.

   When we arrived, the same group of 12 year olds was running around and peeking in the chapel, so we opted to go to the museum first. After paying a few euros to the smiling lady in the gift shop, we climbed the creaky wooden chairs to the top level. It was a small little place with only German captions and displays, but we still got an idea of what we were looking at. "This must be Joseph Mohr's dining room table (the writer of the hymn).... And that must be Franz Gruber's piano (song composer)."
   There were also a few interesting contraptions we couldn't quite decipher.

This was one of the things I couldn't quite figure out, but from looking at the pictures and a few familiar words in the description, it was some kind of medical contraption...

Aren't you glad you don't have to lug this guy around on your family vacations?

There were a few Christmas market stalls in front of the museum,. In this woodwork stall, the owner had everything he used to make his crafts right in the tiny place with him!

Just look at those tiny little mushrooms!

Afterwards, we went to the chapel. It was tiny, with just about 6 or 7 pews, and had pictures and history plaques on the walls. It was a sweet little place, but we wished we could have understood more of what we were looking at.

Check out my new boots!

  It was still early, so we decided to go walk around. We climbed up to the dike behind the museum, and were rewarded with a lovely view of a river encircled part of the village. We walked along the dike, then ran into a tall staircase that went up the hill and ended at a shrine of the Crucifixion. We decided to climb up there too, and found ourselves up in the open fields above the cities, dotted with just a few houses.

   It was gorgeous up there! The fields were rolling and green and the woods in the distance were so picturesque. After about 10 minutes of walking, we could make out a church at the far end of the road, painted yellow with the bulbous green spires pointing skywards. When we finally got there, we walked around it, before I decided just to test the door handle. To our surprise, it was unlocked! We heaved the heavy wood door open and slipped inside. It was completely empty and much smaller than any churches we had seen, but still very ornate. I couldn't help but wonder at the fact that this church could even exist, close to only about 5 households that could easily go to church in the village.

   We returned back to the train station and made our way back to Linz by the evening. It was nice to be back in a slightly more familiar place!

    I have to say, that day in Obendorf was one of my favorite days in Europe. It doesn't seem like much, but finding gorgeous, unpublished places on accident is one of the funnest parts of traveling. We didn't follow a guidebook's list of the Top 10 Places to visit or book a tour; we just found ourselves in a gorgeous, remote, local place. This was one of the times when I couldn't help but stop and marvel at what I was getting to do.

Going Home...

If only all my stuff was this nice and neat right now...

   I'm leaving in 2 hours. Almost all my stuff is packed, and I'm absolutely exhausted. I would write more, but I am running as fast as I can!
   I am so thankful for this year and all the blessings I have had. I didn't get to do some things I really wanted to do (Greece, Turkey), but I also got to do and discovered a great many things I didn't expect! (London, Hungary, Toledo, Venice & Verona). I am so extremely thankful to the wonderful teachers and friends I made here. I am going to miss them so much!
   But I'm even more thankful to all of my family for supporting me so much. It was so nice to know that I have people who care about me and want to help me at home. I can't wait to see all of you!
   And of course, I am most thankful to God. He helped me out in sticky situations, calmed my nerves (even on huge roller coasters!), and guided me. I am so thankful!
   All right, buenas noches a todos! I will see you, America, in about 24 hours! xoxo

Image Source

Hypothermia (Practically!) in Alpine Villages

22 December, 2011

   We asked Luther, the man who so generously gave us a free tour of Salzburg, if he knew some good places to go outside of Salzburg. He wrote down the name of two little villages up in the mountains, and the next day, we asked the girl behind a tour guide desk and boarded a bus. It didn't take long until we were driving through countryside buried under feet and feet of snow. It was so gorgeous! It seemed like a story I read when I was little. Even I stayed awake the whole time, instead of passing out after 10 minutes.
   The first village we went to was called St Gilgen. We tried to say it right, but we always made it sound like Gilligan's Island. St Gilgen is a summer tourist village on the edges of a lake. It's very small; slowly walking the length of the main road only took 15 minutes. There are a lot of hotels on the edge of the hotel, but once we walked up the street a little ways, we found ourselves among private houses.
  The problem was, of course, that it was freezing. The snow was blowing into our eyes and the wind tried to blow our tightly tucked scarves away. But it was so pretty! We kept on stopping and marveling that we were in Austria. In a tiny little village. In the Alps.

The little building in front of the church was a memorial to soldiers from the village who died in World War II. There was a wreath, a few burning candles, and a long list of names.

She's smiling under all those scarves!

I can't remember what this was... But I believe it was one of those small buildings with a statue or painting of a saint and some candles.

A festive gasthof (motel)!

   After waiting for a few minutes in a hotel lobby, where the girl was kind enough to ignore our snowy clothes, and munching on Snickers bars, we saw the bus pull up again. We hurried outside and climbed on. This time, the bus was carrying a bunch of school kids, on their way home. Our next stop: Fuschl (I believe that's what it was called!)
   We quickly realized that we really had no idea when to get off the bus. From watching the signs, we could guess when we actually got to the right town. But which stop? Which way to the Christkrindlmarkt? Which stall would sell applesauce krapfen?
   Finally, after several minutes of worrying, I turned to the girl in the aisle next to me and asked if she spoke English. She smiled and nodded, and told me which stop to get off at. "Do you know where the Christkrindlmarkt is?" I asked.
   "Yes. I'm going in that direction. You can come with me, if you like," she offered.
   "Wonderful, thanks so much!"
   We hopped off the bus and made our way through the snow. She was wearing a coat and boots, but only a pair of shorts paired with tights! Fashionable, but I couldn't imagine how she could stand it.
   Fuschl was the loveliest, most picturesque thing I have ever seen in my life! All the buildings had painted pictures on them, there were little fire braziers in the middle of the street, an inn played Christmas music across the Christmas market. It seemed less touristy than St Gilgen too.
   We found some krapfen, although it wasn't nearly as good as the krapfen we had in Linz. Maybe it's just a Linz specialty, like Linzer torte. I highly recommend both!
 

Look how charming!

This little guy was holding up a wall in the freezing snow!

Thank God for warm pharmacies when we were so wet and cold!

   Fuschl was the prettiest little thing I have ever seen in my life. But I was also so wet and so cold. We took refuge in stores, pretending to actually be interested in ridiculously priced sweaters and ignoring the irritated store owner, and took our time to buy cough medicine in the pharmacy. But we still had half an hour, so we stood under a covered walkway, walking the snow fall and thinking about warm socks and heaters. I have never been so happy to get on a bus! But despite the freezing cold, I was still so glad we went. I was convinced; Austria is one of the best places I can imagine for Christmas.

Forgot About These Pictures!

   I forgot to add these pictures!

Where? In Salzburg, Austria

When? 21 December, 2011

This is the Archbishop's residence in Salzburg. It's in a huge building right next to the cathedral. The building itself is so big that all of the archbishop's rooms, halls, and banquet halls only take up one level of the building. When we first walked in, we just walked up and up the massive staircases until we got to the top, where we dutifully paid our entrance fee and then found ourselves faced with an art gallery. Beautiful, but not the luxurious living quarters we were expecting. Thankfully, the lady was very kind and gave us the ticket for the actual residence for free!

I took this picture from the window of the Archbishop's residence. This is the Christkrindlemarkt next to the cathedral. The fountain base in the middle is covered up to protect it from the weather. Not as picturesque, but definitely smart!

Tomorrow, Off to....

One of the main spas in Budapest
Source

...Budapest, Hungary!!!

   One day last summer, I was reading brief European country profiles. I came to Hungary and lazily read through the bullet points. The only times I had ever thought about Hungary was when I was 10 and making stupid jokes. But as I skimmed the points, I suddenly saw something that made me sit up straight. "Head underground. The Mátyás Caves can be found right under Budapest, formed by thermal waters gushing through thousands of years ago." And according to the guidebook, they aren't just the lighted caves with graveled pathways and staircases; they're actual caves. With a "Sandwich of Death" and helmets required! Actual caving? In Europe? Count me IN!!!
   Budapest is also known as the city of spas. And since we're finally going to a country that doesn't use the Euro (well, we did go to England, but the pound is even worse!), everything is cheaper! I'm not sure if we'll go to that beautiful spa above (and I'm quite sure it won't be so warm and sunny!) but hopefully we'll be able to find a nice place to relax after squeezing through some underground passageways!

Ticket Home

Source

   I finally bought it!
   And I will finally return to the US on Thursday, May 31!

 At first, I was worried that I would have to pay a really high price to go to Seattle or Portland. But then I stumbled across an awesome ticket that goes straight to Pasco! For about $200-$300 less! I still have to figure out how to get myself plus 2+ suitcases all the way to Madrid to fly to Pasco. But it should be fine.
   I can't wait to get home! The idea of driving my car, familiar stores, regular food, understanding everyone, using the dollar (!!!), seeing my dog... It all seems so distant and exciting. Was that really me who did all of that? Can I really do that all again? Sometimes I wonder why I find myself feeling like that was a different person in a long ago age. But then I realize that this year is definitely the longest I've been outside the US by several months, not to mention by myself! And I can't wait for all the adventures the next 95 days will bring me!

Salzburg, Austria

   A word of warning if you ride the train between Linz and Salzburg. Do not be surprised if the train conductor warns you that the car you're in isn't even going all the way to Salzburg, and you have to squeeze your way through narrow aisles and dozens of other people standing in them to find a car that is going to Salzburg. And then if you find yourself riding the whole way standing up in the cold luggage area at the back of the car... Don't worry. It's because you didn't pay the extra money to reserve a seat; you were miserly and only bought your €22 ticket. But it's only an hour and a half! ¡No pasa nada!

How we ride trains.

   Once we arrived, we took a deep breath before stepping out into the bitter cold and crowd of Asian tourists and backpackers. We quickly found the tourist information where a girl with only the tiniest hint of a German accent showed us exactly how to get to your hotel and sold us our bus passes. As we rode the bus through the streets of Salzburg, I couldn't help but feel that I was in a new country entirely. Looking back, I now realize that was our first time navigating a new city completely by ourselves. And although that first day was a little bit confusing, we quickly got used to it, and barely thought anything of a new city after that.

   We checked into our hostel and enjoyed a couple glorious hours of Wi-Fi while we waited for our room to be ready. And then in the couple hours before sundown, we wandered around the city a bit.

So excited to be in Salzburg!

Oh, and on the bridge's side, you can see a bunch of locks. Lovers write their names on the lock, lock it on the railing, then throw the key in the river, leaving the lock with their names.

   The next morning, when we got up and looked at the window, we realized... It had snowed!!! Finally!!! We had been afraid that we wouldn't have any snow at all for our Christmas in Austria.

   Maria's sister (Maria is the lady with whom we stayed) knew a tour guide in Salzburg. Before we left, she called him, and just like that, we had our own personal tour of Salzburg lined up! We were a little worried about how we would recognize Luther. All we knew from a tiny cell phone picture was that he was tall; which in Germany isn't as distinguishing as it is in Spain. But as we walked down the pathway next to the river, a man stopped and asked if we were Vanessa and Kalifa. I guess our self-description as "a short semi-Asian in a black coat and a short, black girl in a purple coat" was helpful after all!

    We had such a fun time! Luther walked all over the city with us, explaining history, food, & customs and showing us a lot of places we never would have known about.

   We had such an amazing time in Salzburg! Practically every day, we were greeted a light new blanket of snow. Although it was so cold that by 3:30 every afternoon, we could barely speak and returned to our hostel as fast as we could. But the fairy-tale like castle on the hill (once you got inside, it was actually more of a functional fortress!), bishop's residence, sweet people, Christmas markets, and the mounds of Mozartkugeln everywhere... It was amazing!

St. Sebastian cemetery

Grave of Mozart's father and wife. Mozart himself was buried in a common grave in Vienna, according to the tradition.

St. Peter's Cemetery

The old horse baths. The riders would ride their horses right down the steps into the fountain!

Why yes, I did think of Narnia!

Such a fairy-tale scene!

Salzburg has a couple dozen churches, if I remember correctly.

This was a lovely, isolated church in the hills opposite the castle.

At the Christmas market in front of the cathedral.

I believe this is the place where Doppler first detailed his physics theory.

BEAUTIFUL view from the Hohensalzburg (the castle above Salzburg)

I took this photo for my dad, who has always wanted to see the Alps! They ARE just as gorgeous as you think!

The castle courtyard.

Although it was mostly functional inside the castle, the residence area was beautiful.

It looks like a closet from the outside. But no, it's the only toilet! What a luxury.

We saw several of these in Austria. I'm not sure what they are... Maybe a solar clock?