Evan met me at the train station at about 5:00pm and we made the short walk to the University of Portland center where has been living and going to school since September. Even on the walk in, I could tell that Salzburg had a totally different vibe than any city I have been to thus far. It is very scenic and mellow, a far cry from the hustle and flow of the big tourist cities I have frequented in other travels. After showing me around a bit and stopping to shoot hoops in the courtyard, we went for a walk to one of the nearby parks and I got an amazing view of the mountains and the crystal clear river which was all beautiful. It was great to see free standing buildings and houses with yards and grass in non-designated public areas, not to mention, the sight and smell of all the lilacs in bloom only improved the overall tone of the city.
\The hills are alive...
Familiar...
That evening, we went to dinner at a popular local beer garden which was a very cool experience. We got some kind of wursts with mustard and bread and large mugs of an Austrian beer that they brew and although I am not sure what it was called, it was very good. It was a beautiful evening and the garden was very crowded so we stood around waiting for a table until a young couple motioned us over and invited us to sit with them. It turns out that the man was from Salzburg and the woman was from Berlin but had studied in Spain and spoke Spanish. In which case, Evan struck up a conversation in German with the man while I carried on a lengthy conversation with the woman in Spanish. Eventually, we came full circle and all ended up talking in English but it was really neat to be able to communicate on so many different levels. The couple had a lot to say and were very interesting to talk to, we talked about cultural differences and I also learned a lot about changes in Berlin and the continuous cultural integration struggles since the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was a such a unique and special experience to be able to sit with people from other parts of the world and be able to utilize the language I have spent the past months trying to master in order to connect with a girl not even from a Spanish speaking country. I also learned a few other important things that night: people in Austria and Germany really do wear lederhosen- it's not just a stereotype and although The Sound of Music was filmed in Salzburg, most Austrians really don't understand the hype and haven't actually even seen the movie (I, for one, was shocked, I guess they just don't know what they're missing).
Salzburg at night
The next morning, Evan and I took a train about 40 min outside of Salzburg but across the border into Germany to spend the day at these German baths. It is a little hard to describe but basically, there were a group of large indoor baths of warm saltwater that you lay and float in- a most relaxing and calming experience. Then, you can go outside to the bigger baths which are also heated and where there were various options including a whirlpool, jacuzzi-esque pool, hot tubs and a really cold "sweet water" bath to cool you off. While outside, you got the most beautiful view of the mountains which only added to the peacefulness and serenity of the atmosphere. I could have spent forever there had I not pruned up worse than a raisin after the few hours that we did spend there. After leaving, we went and explored the area a little bit before heading back to Salzburg. We went down by the river and waded in and were numbed by the frigid ice that somehow had managed to maintain liquid status. After dinkying around town for awhile, we got on a train and headed back for the evening to grab some food and go out for the night in Salzburg, where I so skillfully beat Evan at pool twice in a row (okay, I admit that Evan scratching on the 8-ball may actually constitute him beating himself more so than my actual pool skills..but hey, rules are rules).
Inside the baths, under water ocean theme
outdoor baths
Evan and I just taking a break
(because it was oh so draining...)
Not horrible to look at
slightly numb at this point
Saturday morning, we got on yet another train to head back to Munich for the day so I could fly out the next morning. We tried to meet up with Kenzie, Liz and Stephanie but we got a little lost and so we missed them at that point in the day. At any rate, we walked around Munich for a bit which was quite a mad-house on the main strip and made our way to the Hofbrauhaus, a famous beer hall. We went inside and it was super crowded and quite a lot to take in, but a very cool atmosphere. There was live German music complete with extremely loud Germans in lederhosen singing extremely loud drinking songs while pounding full pints of bier (German spelling). Evan ordered a liter of the Hofbrau Original and I got a half liter of what was called a Radler which was basically their version of a shandy. Both were very good and we finished our mugs off while taking in the scene. Afterwards, we went and explored the English Gardens and saw some locals surfing in the whirl-pool of the river and heard-tell of nudists who frequent German parks in warm weather but didn't actually see this phenomenon.
Germans at Hofbrauhaus beer hall
Taste testing
Surfing the river at the English Gardens
At about 6:30pm we went to my roommates' hostel and were lucky enough to actually catch them this time and after a round of introductions, we stepped out to get dinner and go out. We had one last Bavarian meal of a wurst with mustard (still good even after a week straight of them) and all tried some variation of German beers, I went with a Weiss or wheat beer this time and enjoyed it immensely. From there, we all went out together and spent the night dancing to a variety of American playlists with songs I haven't heard in awhile but could still recite all the lyrics to while getting our groove on. Overall, it was a very fun evening and a great end to a fantastic spring break. I couldn't have asked for a better time and truly enjoyed the culture and sights of every city I saw in very different respects.
Liz, Evan, and I
One last night of Spring Break 2011, It's been a blast!
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