Venice: The Beaten Track

You would think that spending a year in Austria with its rather central location would mean that I'd be off every school holiday and weekend hopping all through the continent...you'd also be wrong.

This past weekend's trip to Venice was actually the first time since arriving here in September that I'd traveled out of German speaking land. Well, I did go to Thailand over Christmas so I shouldn't be complaining too much. Through bad luck, felled plans, and financial constraints I feel as I have not been able to do nearly as much travel as I would like. Just another reason why I'm really, really glad to be in Austria for at least one more year.

To be fair, I've seen a lot of Europe on previous trips here. This year, I've been to Berlin, Vienna, Munich, and many other places in Austria, Switzerland, and Germany. To all of which I was extremely happy to return to! But still, I won't lie, my lack of new  inter-European travel on this tour was seriously grating a nerve.

Rachel and I had long talked about a weekend in Venice only to see our plans fall through several times. This time, we resolved, we shall prevail!

Friday afternoon, we packed up and hopped on the train to Villach. Liva and her kitchen full of amazing foods and smells were ready to meet us. A quick round of grocery shopping and it was back to Liva's to get ready for dinner which would also included several TAs from Klagenfurt and other neighboring towns. We had vegetable lasagna, salad, too many nutella cupcakes, and too much wine while playing Apples to Apples for hours. As soon as every one had left Rachel and I went straight to bed to prepare for the our 4:00am wake up call.

One Euro nightline later, we arrived in Venice at about 9:00am. We thought about taking the water taxi into town but decided to just walk and get a sense of bearings. 

Venice was once the seat of a powerful maritime republic that lasted for over a millennium. It is an  ornate and spectacular city with stunning architecture. It's also a place where I would really have liked nothing more than to turn back the dial on tourism by about 500 years.

Rachel and I got our tickets for the water taxi and after spending some time trying to figure out the rather complicated system, hopped on the next boat for San Marco. The weather that day was far from the sunny blue skies we'd be experiencing all week but it wasn't all bad, the horizon was streaky blue gray color which gave everything a bit of a moody and intense glow. Even with the rain, it was warm. It was just enough for us to be able to look beyond that signature rainy-smelly-European-city stink.

First up was a picnic lunch that we'd assembled the night before in Villach. After poking around San Marco, we joined a very very long ticket line for the Ducal Palace. The Palazzo was both the center of the Republic's administration in addition to the Dodge's, the ruler of Venice, home. We saw state rooms, courtyards, ornately decorated ceilings, sea and plaza views, and prisons.

After our palace tour we decided we needed a coffee break. I had heard from quite a few friends that the food in Venice was mostly horrible tourist fare. The more we walked around the city, the more I feared we would never be able to find a menu in less than five languages.

Finally, and to our supreme luck, we found a tucked away little place with a mostly Italian menu and in which actual Italians were eating. Rachel and I had both had the mussels, which were beyond amazing. Mussels + lemon buttery sauce + bread + prosecco = Heaven On Earth.

The rest of the day was spent wandering around the city, getting lost and walking in circles, drinking cappuccino and having gelato, and trying to figure out the supremely complicated water taxi system.

The more I travel, the more I find myself having a very low tolerance for the hordes and masses. Venice is pretty but I really could not have dealt with an additional day of crowds of people in San Marco. I don't even want to think about how bad it could get in the summer. We caught the Euronightlight at 9:00pm and made it back to Villach by 1:00.

Venice in 24 hours.....not bad!

After a wonderful and rejuvenating weekend of friends, fun, and new places it was back to Salzburg on Sunday evening. It's weekends like this that keep me going and are the supreme reward for dealing with teenagers all week.

Next up in my travel diary: Krakow!

I Finally Crack the Code: The Slim Europeans-Pain au Chocolate Paradox.

It's one of the age old ironies of life: How are Austrians (actually we can extend this to Europeans) so slim and fit despite the seemingly never ending cake, knödel, heavy food, chocolate, pain au chocolate?

I think I have the answer...

So before hopping across the pond to Salzbug I spent a good chunk of the last few years eating the college diet. Which meant everything from lowry biscuits to 2am taco bell runs. Do that times four years and by the end the dreaded freshman fifteen had set in and didn't seem to be going anywhere.

And I pretty much drove everywhere. Seriously, everywhere (that is, whenever I went off-campus or was home). I wasn't a total couch potato during these years but I wasn't exactly training for the next olympics either.

Here in Salzburg, I walk. A lot. Downtown, to and from the bus stop to school, along the river,  it adds up. In terms of diet, I guess I do eat healthier. Well, there is A LOT of supplemental cake and chocolate that finds its way in there. But mostly, what I cook for myself is not bad in terms of variety and healthiness.

So between the walking and the somewhat improved diet I found that most of the college weight pretty much just slid off without me having to make any major adjustments whatsoever. And believe me, I was extremely happy to see it go.

Then there's the fitness factor. I have had, shall we say, a rather tumultuous relationship with hiking a for most of my life. Making your way up the mountain while the rest of your family is marching up the summit like a herd of in-step mountain goats is not exactly my idea of a good time.

Sometime around the age of 15 I vowed that I was never, ever, ever, ever, going to go on a hike again. 

And then when visiting the parentals last weekend we went on a few hikes that, when done previously, I pretty much wanted to die. Except this time I didn't want to die, no, it was almost easy. And enjoyable! That's not the only time that I have been very aware of my sudden increased physical prowess.

Today a friend and I went on a 12 mile hike in Berchtesgaden, Germany and...it was great! I could have easily gone on longer.

So there's your answer to the question. It's pretty easy to say slim and in shape when your back yard overlooks a mountain range and half the grocery store isn't made up of the chips and candy aisle. Even if you supplement with apple strudel and cake on a weekly basis.

Some pictures from Berchtesgaden, Germany. Berchtesgaden is a little slice of Bavaria about 45 minutes from Salzburg with beautiful mountain views and a crystal clear lake, the Königssee. It was also a very popular Nazi hangout back in the day.

Finally....some sun!!

Winter Blues

I was informed by the facebook status of one of my friends today that Austria is currently experiencing its longest and dreariest winter since 1903.

I have become one of those people who complains about the weather NONSTOP. It is actually that bad. When you can count on two hands the number of days (or hours?) that you've seen the sun since October, you get a bit desperate. When it's April the 5th and you are out and about shivering in your winter coat, you start taking mental Hawaiian vacations in the middle of teaching a class.

My biggest complaint about the shit weather is there is nothing to do. The free ski bus is no longer running (ski conditions aren't exactly prime at the moment to begin with). You can't do anything outside, really. Unless you want to freeze. I've done all the (few) winter/indoor attractions that Salzburg has to offer.

I would have thought by now that I'd be prancing around town in my dirndl and having picnics in the Mirabell gardens.

The reality of this happening seems so extremely far away.

I admit to being in a really dumpy mood over the last few weeks and feeling like I've hit a bit of a wall. Every day at school this week has been an extreme slog. I'd like to enjoy living in the present again and not wanting to fast forward....

Speaking of fasting forward, I recently found out that I will be spending Year II as a TA in Vienna next year! I am extremely excited and feeling very fortunate to be able to do this again in my favorite city.

The other current stressor of the moment is that I need to find something for the summer. I decided to stay in Salzburg as I will have my apartment. I've got a few things possibly in the works so hopefully something will pan out...

I'm thinking a trip to the thermal baths in Bad Aibling is in order for tomorrow....