Western Europe: Austria

Howdy kids!

Just got into Pinswang, Austria this evening, which is in the Bavarian Alps on the border of Germay and Austria. The view from my room is friggin' amazing! I have an excellent view of the mountains, and it is so green here. The hotel I'm staying in is so wholesome that it makes me want to braid my hair and climb the hills to go yoldeling. Seriously, I thought this kind of stuff only existed in movies like The Sound of Music.

Before Austria, we stopped in Munich for three hours. We got to drink beer and eat a pretzel in one of the city's largest beer gardens. Even as a major city, I wasn't expecting it to look so historic, but I was pleasantly suprized. Just looking around, you could still tell that you were in Germay. I loved it! If all goes according to plan, I will be coming back to Munich for Oktöberfest '06.

After that, our group went to the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial. I've always heard that Germans do not speak of the horrors of WWII, but our tour guide quickly put this myth to rest (she grew up in Germany). The memorial is as powerful as anything I've seen or read about the halocaust.

This evening, we enjoyed a gourmet buffet of several food items I could not identify. In spite of that, this was probaby the best meal I've had in Europe so far. I'm certain that I've lost 5 pounds so far (from all the intense walking), but tonight's dinner probably changed all that. Tomorrow we go hiking into the mountains to visit a famous castle of one of the last Kaisers in Germany, and then we're supposed to go luge sledding if the weather permits. Should be fun!

Ok people, I know I keep saying this, but I promise I'll upload some pics at some point. None of the computers I've encounter so far have USB ports for connecting my camera. WTF Europe?!?!?

So until next time...

Good times!