So we took the Nordketten Bahnen (the system of trains and lifts that go up the mountain range north of Innsbruck) up to the very top. It was probably the most beautiful scene I have ever seen. To the north we could see Bavaria, and to the south I think we could see Italy. The mountains went on and on for as far as we could see. There was ice from a glacier at the top and there was snow on the ice. We threw snowballs at each other. We also saw a herd of sheep. We took great pictures and a few videos to show you guys. I guess I will put the video on to youtube when I get the chance.
Even though we hate leaving Tirol, the most beautiful place in the world, we can't wait to come back and see every one.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
It's the end!
1 exam down, 2 to go. After today, Travis has no more exams at all. After our Anthro exam today, we are finally going to ride the chairlift to the top of the mountain. I feel like time has gone by so fast. I can't wait to get back, see my family and friends and relax in our new Knoxville home! This year is looking like it will be amazing. On the other hand, I will miss being in this beautiful place with my best friend. When we leave Innsbruck, we won't get to spend time together until September. I just keep reminding myself that in 10 months we will never have to do this long distance stuff again!! Thanks so much for following our adventures here--we loved sharing them with you. When I get home, and have a camera cord again, I'll put the best pictures up here for you to see! -Rachel
Monday, August 10, 2009
Venice was Incredible!
Rachel here, and I think Venice is my new favorite city. We got there on Thursday afternoon, and walked around for the rest of the night. It is undoubtedly the dirtiest city we have been to so far, but also the most beautiful. I loved that there were no cars, only boats. When we took the ferry out to Murano (an Island famous for it's glass blowing), I could almost imagine that I was in the Bahamas again. On the first night, we had some super good bruschetta and Travis had cuddlefish, which I am pretty sure can turn different colors. The next day, I did some major shopping and we ended up on Murano. We saw the best demonstration there. We, along with some other tourists, were herded into a warehouse, where an old man made a goop of sand into a horse figurine in about 2 minutes. I couldn't believe it. It almost made me want to be a glassblower again. (The first time was when I couldn't figure out what I wanted to major in, and decided for one night that I could possibly be an artisian)
On that same island, we ate at an 'inexpensive' pizza place. I was rushed by the waiter to order and ended up getting the Pizza Romano, which had ANCHOVIES on it. I hadn't read the entire pizza topping description and thought that there were just steak strips on it. Then I saw the hair-looking bones. I tried to eat one, but right when it hit my tongue, I nearly puked. So, I ate around the anchovies and Travis laughed the whole time.
That same night, Travis and I decided to go on a sunset cruise, a ride on the dirty ferry #2 that goes through the Grand Canal and out into some open water. It was a great idea-- we met some guys from America who essentially gave us a history lecture on the Grand Canal. Then we got to the open water just as the sun was setting. Perfect timing.
The next day, left Venice at 1 and got into Florence at 4. We kind of botched the train times, we were only in Florence for 18 hours! But we got the map out and Travis schooled me on some Renaissance scuptures. We saw the outside of the Duomo and Michaelangelo's David. We tried to get into the Uffizi art museum, where all those famous Renaissance artworks are, but we had to get out of line in order to catch our train. I've realized that if you don't just say 'next time' and shrug your shoulders about failing to see the Uffizi, you will feel bad and guilty. So...next time!
On that same island, we ate at an 'inexpensive' pizza place. I was rushed by the waiter to order and ended up getting the Pizza Romano, which had ANCHOVIES on it. I hadn't read the entire pizza topping description and thought that there were just steak strips on it. Then I saw the hair-looking bones. I tried to eat one, but right when it hit my tongue, I nearly puked. So, I ate around the anchovies and Travis laughed the whole time.
That same night, Travis and I decided to go on a sunset cruise, a ride on the dirty ferry #2 that goes through the Grand Canal and out into some open water. It was a great idea-- we met some guys from America who essentially gave us a history lecture on the Grand Canal. Then we got to the open water just as the sun was setting. Perfect timing.
The next day, left Venice at 1 and got into Florence at 4. We kind of botched the train times, we were only in Florence for 18 hours! But we got the map out and Travis schooled me on some Renaissance scuptures. We saw the outside of the Duomo and Michaelangelo's David. We tried to get into the Uffizi art museum, where all those famous Renaissance artworks are, but we had to get out of line in order to catch our train. I've realized that if you don't just say 'next time' and shrug your shoulders about failing to see the Uffizi, you will feel bad and guilty. So...next time!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Ritter Kuchl & Ötzi
We have had a pretty eventful past two days. The day before yesterday we were invited by our Austrian friend Johanna to join her for dinner at a place called Ritter Kuchl. Ritter Kuchl is in a town about twenty minutes away called Hall. At Ritter Kuchl you revert back to the ways and dress of the Middle Age. They dont have jousting or anything like that, but you do eat with your hands and a knife and are encouraged to belch and fart. It is a very small place maybe thirty people could fit in it at max and you have to make reservations for it because it is like a private party. I think there are about three people that work there and they make a few people dress up in Medieval garb and one person is knighted. When Johanna told our entertainer that Rachel and I were engaged, he made us dress up like jesters. It was really fun. It was soooo much food. You pay €22 for a huge four course meal all you can eat. It was really great. I got to know my Austrian friend Daniel better and we ended up going out to Limrick Bill's Irish Pub later on that night. Daniel had to dress up like a servant. He had to take his shirt off and wear a burlap apron and a viking helmet with bulls horns on it. It was a great time.
Yesterday we took a field trip to Bolsano, South Tirol, in Italy. I dont think that I have seen anything, even in pictures, more beautiful than Südtirol (South Tirol). Check this out and try not to cry because of how beautiful it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVFzw9QJegk
Im serious, it is hard for me to watch that and not get goose bumps and teary eyed. Did you know that Südtirol grows ten percent of Europes apples!? There are also a lot of vinyards there too. It is such a beautiful place. We went there to see something more than the just the beautiful scenery though. We went to see Ötzi, THE ICEMAN, THE GLACIER MUMMY! Google Ötzi, or just ask me when I get back about him, because the information is amazing but I dont feel like typing it right now. The Ötzi museum was probably the sickest, as in made me want to throw up, museums I have ever been to. There was hundreds of mummified bodies there. They were kinda creepy and I tried to create the sounds that it looked like they were making with their mouths. Rachel got mad at me. Anyway you should go there if you want to see a human being that is 5000 years old! That 3000 years before Jesus! Before Stonehenge! Just think about that!!! He wore underwear! I think that is unbelievable. And he was murdered!!! OMGLOLBYOBBFFJK! but seriously, he was murdered. So cool.
We are going to Italy today. Two nights in Venice and then one night in Florence. Should be a blast.
Yesterday we took a field trip to Bolsano, South Tirol, in Italy. I dont think that I have seen anything, even in pictures, more beautiful than Südtirol (South Tirol). Check this out and try not to cry because of how beautiful it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVFzw9QJegk
Im serious, it is hard for me to watch that and not get goose bumps and teary eyed. Did you know that Südtirol grows ten percent of Europes apples!? There are also a lot of vinyards there too. It is such a beautiful place. We went there to see something more than the just the beautiful scenery though. We went to see Ötzi, THE ICEMAN, THE GLACIER MUMMY! Google Ötzi, or just ask me when I get back about him, because the information is amazing but I dont feel like typing it right now. The Ötzi museum was probably the sickest, as in made me want to throw up, museums I have ever been to. There was hundreds of mummified bodies there. They were kinda creepy and I tried to create the sounds that it looked like they were making with their mouths. Rachel got mad at me. Anyway you should go there if you want to see a human being that is 5000 years old! That 3000 years before Jesus! Before Stonehenge! Just think about that!!! He wore underwear! I think that is unbelievable. And he was murdered!!! OMGLOLBYOBBFFJK! but seriously, he was murdered. So cool.
We are going to Italy today. Two nights in Venice and then one night in Florence. Should be a blast.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Before I forget...
I am going to tell you about Paris, but before I forget, I need to update you on what our Anthropology teacher just told us. We were talking about this Tirolean restaurant that serves strong beer, where our teacher used to take the class for a field trip. She said in her great Croatian accent "I don't take students there anymore. I don't want to be responsible-- they drink too much, they pass out. My son- I couldn't find him for two days. There were police involved. He had passed out at a construction site. We didn't know where he was for two days." Everyday it is hard to not burst out laughing in that class. Also, she told us that research has shown that water is alive.
SO Paris was great and so lively. We went on a night train from Munich to Paris and slept in a couchette, which was comfortable. I woke up with a strange man sleeping in the bunk beside me, with his face 2 feet from mine, but that was the only weird moment I experienced. When we got to Paris, we dropped our bags off at the hostel, hopped on a bus, and saw the Champs de Elysees, the Arc de Triomph, and the Eiffel Tower. We took the elevator up and the view was incredible. Paris is huge, by the way. It seems kind of small because of the shorter buildings, but when we were in the Eiffel tower, we could not see the edge of the city. After that, we hopped on a bus going the wrong way and rode for about 1.5 hours. We saw alot of the city, though.
We got dressed up for dinner because we were in Paris, and had a 3 course meal for only 13 Euro, which is great. Travis had Escargo (I tried some-- it was so good!) and I had duck for appetizers. After that we got on a bus and hung out in front of the Eiffel Tower at night. Every five minutes after the hour, the tower 'sparkles' with about 20,000 lights, so that was romantic and cool to see. Also that day Travis' phone dropped on the ground, busted apart, and his battery went into a sewer. haha!
The next day, we ate at the hostel, then went into the *free* Notre Dame Cathedral. It was maybe the biggest, tallest church I've ever been in. We souvenier shopped for a while, then ended up at the Lourve, where we took pictures and then decided to leave. We only had a few hours in Paris left, so I let Travis make the decision (he's the art guy). Instead we went to an open air market that had been described in our travel book as a market for handmade goods and antiques--perfect! Actually, it was more like Chinatown and so crowded that we left after 30 minutes. From there we rode around on the bus, shopped, and went to the Luxembourg Gardens. Then, like real tourists, we found ourselves back at the Eiffel tower, just people watching. Overall, it was a great weekend. We could have jam packed it with museums and tours, but I think I am starting to really enjoy just experiencing the culture.
I'm sure Travis will want to tell you in depth about our not-so-great train ride home, so I will leave that to him. It involved a near trip to Berlin, and sleeping on the floor.
-Rachel
SO Paris was great and so lively. We went on a night train from Munich to Paris and slept in a couchette, which was comfortable. I woke up with a strange man sleeping in the bunk beside me, with his face 2 feet from mine, but that was the only weird moment I experienced. When we got to Paris, we dropped our bags off at the hostel, hopped on a bus, and saw the Champs de Elysees, the Arc de Triomph, and the Eiffel Tower. We took the elevator up and the view was incredible. Paris is huge, by the way. It seems kind of small because of the shorter buildings, but when we were in the Eiffel tower, we could not see the edge of the city. After that, we hopped on a bus going the wrong way and rode for about 1.5 hours. We saw alot of the city, though.
We got dressed up for dinner because we were in Paris, and had a 3 course meal for only 13 Euro, which is great. Travis had Escargo (I tried some-- it was so good!) and I had duck for appetizers. After that we got on a bus and hung out in front of the Eiffel Tower at night. Every five minutes after the hour, the tower 'sparkles' with about 20,000 lights, so that was romantic and cool to see. Also that day Travis' phone dropped on the ground, busted apart, and his battery went into a sewer. haha!
The next day, we ate at the hostel, then went into the *free* Notre Dame Cathedral. It was maybe the biggest, tallest church I've ever been in. We souvenier shopped for a while, then ended up at the Lourve, where we took pictures and then decided to leave. We only had a few hours in Paris left, so I let Travis make the decision (he's the art guy). Instead we went to an open air market that had been described in our travel book as a market for handmade goods and antiques--perfect! Actually, it was more like Chinatown and so crowded that we left after 30 minutes. From there we rode around on the bus, shopped, and went to the Luxembourg Gardens. Then, like real tourists, we found ourselves back at the Eiffel tower, just people watching. Overall, it was a great weekend. We could have jam packed it with museums and tours, but I think I am starting to really enjoy just experiencing the culture.
I'm sure Travis will want to tell you in depth about our not-so-great train ride home, so I will leave that to him. It involved a near trip to Berlin, and sleeping on the floor.
-Rachel
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Lantern Hikes and Yodeling
Last night was so unexpected and great! I had read about Lantern Hikes in the Rick Steve's book (thanks Nora!), but simply forgot about them until yesterday. We hiked up to a restaurant connected to a chapel and arrived on the terrace just as the sun was setting. I haven't seen a good sunset in so long because of these enormous mountains around Innsbruck! On the way up to the restaurant, we hiked across a meadow that was an Olympic ski run in the winter. Travis already told you a lot about the night, but he left out two of my favorite parts...
1. The two yodeling musicians made us do a traditional wedding dance, which was really fast paced, uncoordiated, and just a whole lot of jumping sideways.
2. Arthur, one of the yodelers, made our friend Hannah stand up, and then asked to touch her "beautiful long eyelashes". She closed her eyes and he kissed her. On the mouth. Hannah has become a magnet for Austrian men, so this episode with the 69 year old yodeler sent us into hysterics.
This weekend we are off to Paris! I don't really know what to expect, although everyone says that we need to prepare ourselves for being scowled at, mocked, and verbally assaulted. I am not really looking forward to interactions with the locals, but oh well. It will be a good learning experience. And it may even make me homesick. We'll blog about it on Monday!
Happy Birthday MOM!!! Love you!
1. The two yodeling musicians made us do a traditional wedding dance, which was really fast paced, uncoordiated, and just a whole lot of jumping sideways.
2. Arthur, one of the yodelers, made our friend Hannah stand up, and then asked to touch her "beautiful long eyelashes". She closed her eyes and he kissed her. On the mouth. Hannah has become a magnet for Austrian men, so this episode with the 69 year old yodeler sent us into hysterics.
This weekend we are off to Paris! I don't really know what to expect, although everyone says that we need to prepare ourselves for being scowled at, mocked, and verbally assaulted. I am not really looking forward to interactions with the locals, but oh well. It will be a good learning experience. And it may even make me homesick. We'll blog about it on Monday!
Happy Birthday MOM!!! Love you!
Why I love Tirol so much
Last night was one of the best nights both of our lives. Definitely in my top ten, Rachel said it is in her top five. This is why:
Last night we were invited by our Austrian friend Johannah to go on a lantern hike up the mountains in the south. It was Rachel, Me, Johannah, our friend Hannah, and a few American students not with our program, but with St. Mary's business school. There was probably about ten of us total. We took a bus to Igls (a small village on the southern mountain range of Innsbruck) and started hiking from there. The hike was a little over 30 minutes, not too bad, and it was on a paved road, so it really wasn't a hike at all. We were hiking to a restaurant called Heiligwasser (Holy Water). When we got there we sat down and had a beer and then these two old men who worked there gave us a private concert, singing us traditional Tirolean folk music, with a lot of yodeling and all that. Then they made us yodel with them. They told me that I was the best yodeler and they took Hannah and I into the back with them and told us that we were going to perform a little skit and the skit was this: they would ask us if we knew the traditional song of Innsbruck and we would say yes. Then they would sing the verses and we would mouth them and make fools of ourselves since we obviously didn't know the words, but it was all for fun. And then, when we got to the yodeling I would yodel the part of the old guy with the accordion, I don't remember his name, and Hannah would yodel the part of Arther, the man playing guitar. It was pretty fantastic. Then before going back out, we all took a shot of what they jokingly called yodeling water (some sort of schnapps). Hannah didnt really know how to yodel, or sing for that matter, and she was drunk anyway so she was literally howling like a wolf and kind of ruining the show but it was ok. After Rachel and I split some Sachertorte (a traditional dessert from Austria, its like chocolate and Apricot cake with Apricot jam in it and a hard layer of chocolate frosting on top) we were informed by Johannah, who was sitting outside this whole time, that some hunters just came up and they had a deer that they had shot with them. We all ran out to see it. The deer was in a canvas sack and it had a branch from a Christmas tree in its mouth. Hannah, who was intoxicated, started freaking out that the deer was eating when they killed it. She didn't understand, even after being told, that it was tradition to take a branch off of a tree and put part of it in the deer's mouth and the other part in the hunters hat. We took pictures with the hunters and with the deer, which was still warm, I felt it. The hunters were so friendly, as are all the people here. It was a great, trational Tirolean night, a fantastic taste of the culture.
-T
Last night we were invited by our Austrian friend Johannah to go on a lantern hike up the mountains in the south. It was Rachel, Me, Johannah, our friend Hannah, and a few American students not with our program, but with St. Mary's business school. There was probably about ten of us total. We took a bus to Igls (a small village on the southern mountain range of Innsbruck) and started hiking from there. The hike was a little over 30 minutes, not too bad, and it was on a paved road, so it really wasn't a hike at all. We were hiking to a restaurant called Heiligwasser (Holy Water). When we got there we sat down and had a beer and then these two old men who worked there gave us a private concert, singing us traditional Tirolean folk music, with a lot of yodeling and all that. Then they made us yodel with them. They told me that I was the best yodeler and they took Hannah and I into the back with them and told us that we were going to perform a little skit and the skit was this: they would ask us if we knew the traditional song of Innsbruck and we would say yes. Then they would sing the verses and we would mouth them and make fools of ourselves since we obviously didn't know the words, but it was all for fun. And then, when we got to the yodeling I would yodel the part of the old guy with the accordion, I don't remember his name, and Hannah would yodel the part of Arther, the man playing guitar. It was pretty fantastic. Then before going back out, we all took a shot of what they jokingly called yodeling water (some sort of schnapps). Hannah didnt really know how to yodel, or sing for that matter, and she was drunk anyway so she was literally howling like a wolf and kind of ruining the show but it was ok. After Rachel and I split some Sachertorte (a traditional dessert from Austria, its like chocolate and Apricot cake with Apricot jam in it and a hard layer of chocolate frosting on top) we were informed by Johannah, who was sitting outside this whole time, that some hunters just came up and they had a deer that they had shot with them. We all ran out to see it. The deer was in a canvas sack and it had a branch from a Christmas tree in its mouth. Hannah, who was intoxicated, started freaking out that the deer was eating when they killed it. She didn't understand, even after being told, that it was tradition to take a branch off of a tree and put part of it in the deer's mouth and the other part in the hunters hat. We took pictures with the hunters and with the deer, which was still warm, I felt it. The hunters were so friendly, as are all the people here. It was a great, trational Tirolean night, a fantastic taste of the culture.
-T
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