A Time Away

Bath, England

2008-07-18T13:41:00.001-07:00

Crazy busy, still flying around, coffee meetings, killing the cell minutes, but found a break to blog. Directly from our France visit Mom and I drove about an hour south to the Basel Airport and flew to England. We landed in London Luton, which is a city unto itself. It was completely industrial and didn't warrant pictures, but we walked to dinner there--a Thai restaurant. So we're in England at the only restaurant we could find, Thai, and the music is the common Thai hit, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," picture it.

We wanted to head to Greenfield, Grandma Audrey's old home, but were deterred by the fact that the rail doesn't run many trains to the North on weekends. We chose instead to visit the historic city of Bath. This town is named after the Roman baths that were located there during the Roman occupation (I think).
Nearly every building is constructed with the "white stones of Bath," which are nearly all brown with dirt. Jane Austen used to vacation here for extended periods with her family. It was here that she wrote Persuasion and Northanger Abby, neither of which I've read; sorry.
It rained on us before the sun realized I had relocated temporarily. The sun, being one of my greatest fans, thus rushed to England to grace my photography with color. Above, you can still see the last bit of precipitation on the cobblestone. Sun lovers, follow me, I'll lead you to your happy place.
Consistency of style is not a common theme among the British; neither is engineering. But a bright note is the vast sights, each unique.

Jane was probably a bit short for me so I had to scrunch pretty good. I think that's what smashed my normally beaming smile.
This, above, is a typical street, with the typical 6-10 chimney setup on top. They don't waste time with yards here.
A few older parts of the city boasted cobblestone, but unlike Germany, it isn't as embraced.
This pic., above, is evidence of the sun's late realization of my relocation. I forgave it for its tardiness.

Slightly farther North than Germany, Bath gave us a great sunset, which I only captured well after it had faded to a sky and silhouette. We spent a lot of walking time all through the city. A volunteer, much in similarity to my late Grandmother, gave us a free tour, then we re-toured a few times. We had a great time.
I will express a bit of disappointment for the "traditional British breakfast." It was lousy, especially when compared to the brötchen, cheeses, meats and specialties of the Germans.
I should also express grand appreciation towards the company that offers free bathrooms across many nations. Thank you Starbucks for not locking your bathrooms and for being everywhere at the danger of ubiquity and brand delusion--my Mom especially thanks you. With that, we left for London, one of the crazier and more expensive places on the European continent.

Colmar & Eguisheim France

2008-06-30T03:29:00.000-07:00

On our way to the airport (en route to England) Mom and I stopped in two little towns in the Alsace region of France, Colmar and Eguisheim. Both are quaint, one is a town that I must see every time I visit the area.
Colmar, the first town we visited, is much larger than Eguisheim and much busier with tourists and bustling gift and coffee shops. I love the partially-timbered designs.

There are a number of squares and churches in Colmar; this may be the prettiest of them all.
I'm still working on the hair (this picture is from May, imagine 7 more weeks of growth). It's ridiculous I know and it will get cut pretty quickly after returning home.
Below is the outer ring of Equisheim. Just past this picture Mom and I stopped at a little crape shop and had a wonderful lunch.

The road is tiny on the ground, then headroom tightens as each story above expands outward. I guess this is called making the most of your postage stamp lot.
The French in this region are not afraid of color. I wonder if they intentionally plan on having a different color than their neighbor or if they are just that unique--after all, they are French.
Here is Mom posing among the little houses.

Below looks like the city planner had a little trouble with his circle expanding so he threw in another row of houses. As you can see it would be impossible to get even a Ford truck down these roads let alone any sort of fire equipment.
Eguisheim's main square boasts of a small church that is open to the public and a fountain. I forget which one but a pope took refuge here about 800 years ago.

Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures outside of these towns, they are surrounded by vineyards. Every hill in this region is packed with grapes and tiny local wineries. Either way, the Alps were behind us and an airplane was only hours away. While I'm not a huge fan of France, this area can't be denied for its beauty or wine making abilities.

Berner Oberland, Switzerland

2008-06-18T15:57:00.000-07:00

After our morning in Meersburg Mom and I drove into the heart of Switzerland. We visited the towns of Mürren and Gimmelwald. The towns view the majestic 13,600 foot Jungfrau, which is accompanied by the almost as tall Eiger and Mönch.
Mürren must survive completely on tourism. There are no automobiles in the town, everyone goes everywhere on foot; there are, however, a few tractors. I'm not sure how many guesthouses and hotels there are -- many! This area is a busy ski resort by winter and wandering/hiking area by summer.

A short walk down a paved path leads to one of my favorite European villages, Gimmelwald. This quaint little place boasts of one hostel and one bed & breakfast; nothing else. There can't be more than 50 residents, all of which are related. This village also has no cars.
The trails offer view after view of the mountains across the way. We were actually lucky enough to see a few avalanches caused by the weight and pressure of the melting snow.

We hiked as far as this waterfall. In my younger days, I hiked over this fence and climbed up these slippery rocks to get pictures. Funny thing is that those pics are now in a photo box -- I don't think I've pulled them out since development.
We strode back up to Mürren and cruised to the top of town, hoping to hike a few miles back to the gondola that lifted us over the massive cliffs these towns both sit on (I'd guess somewhere in the ballpark of 1,000 feet). The snow was still piled too high in the trees though to do much hiking so we mosied towards the car and ultimately the town where I lived for a year, Maugenhard, Germany.

While the Alps don't have the cool shapes of the volcanic Oregon mountains, they have a naturally stark appearance; they're rugged, tough, and steep. They also get enough water to grow lush green grass far above the tree line. It is quite a treat to hike the rugged, yet different than home, Alps.

Meersburg, Germany

2008-06-17T08:27:00.000-07:00

Meersburg was the one town where I made a mistake that could have been prevented. The plan was to arrive in the evening, find a quaint guesthouse, then enjoy the evening. Reality proved that it was a much farther drive than I had remembered, there were only two hotels still open, and both were excessivly expensive; we still had room in budget though, what can you do?
Meersburg is located on the Bodensee, or Lake Constance, on the German/Swiss border. It is surrounded by water and vineyards. This would be a great place to spend some time for an anniversary.
Mom and I were only here for the night, then after our breakfast we had to hurry off to the Alps.

There is an ancient castle in Meersburg, which I've seen probalby five times but never ponied up the money to go inside and see the museum.

Such a lovely city, so little time.

Disney Castles Tour: Linderhof, Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau

2008-06-09T07:34:00.000-07:00

Germany has castles; really cool castles. Mom and I were able to visit three in a day (for a mere 25 Euros, or $40 per person nonetheless). We visited Neuschwanstein (above), Linderhof Palace (directly below), and Hohenschwangau (two below).
We actually toured Linderhof first because it is located in Austria and was the closest destination to Reutte, where we had just stayed. This is the palace where King Ludwig, the one many called crazy, spent the last years of his pathetic life. The inside of all three castles are, unfortunately, photofree zones. The inside of Linderhof is almost entirely gold plated and is completely unrealistic fantasy. Linderhof is also the site of a large manmade cave, complete with colored lights (one of the first electric-lighted places in Europe) and everything else we've seen at Disneyland -- Walt would have been lost with Ludwig's misguided genius.
Hohenschwangau was castle #2 for the day and was designed by Ludwig's father. It is much more livable and in a sense normal, as far as royal castles go.

Before leaving Linderhof, however, we spent quite a bit of time on the grounds. The smallest of the three castles, it is nestled deep in the edge of the Austrian alps. There are small ponds, creeks, and trails dotting the tourist map. If I recall, on a previous tour I was told that this palace was initially a hunting lodge (Ludwig in his obsessions turned it into a wanna-be French thing).
We stopped and had a little picnic lunch along this lake. It's a rough view but somebody had to take it in.
At the edge of the lake, the water was a glowing green color. There are a lot of interesting water colors in the Alpine creeks, rivers, and lakes; varying from perfectly clear to white, gray, blue, green, and all between.

Keeping with the lake theme, Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein, which are located within about 500 yards of each other, also sit next to some pretty puddles.
Germany is shameless with their tourism. Nearly every public restroom in the country has a fee. This one cost us 50 cents per person (though we might have hopped the bar once due to a lack of change). After $40 each you think they would let us freshen up.
Hohenshwangau, barely in the picture above, looks over a lush valley. I would consider myself privileged to live in such a pretty place. I would consider myself even more privileged if I had a summer castle with this sort of view.

Last thing of the day (with the exception of 3 hours in the car) we hiked up to Neuschwanstein, the unfinished, unbelievable mansion castle that inspired one of the world's greatest dreamers, as mentioned Walt Disney. Yes, Elsa, this is where it all began.
Mom was kind enough to pose in the exact same spot that Dad did for me 3 years ago.

The entrance was large enough to drive a coach through, then safely exit once inside. And the castle was large enough to host half of the country. Pictured below is an interior courtyard where a church was planned but never erected. All construction stopped abruptly when Ludwig mysteriously died.
In my quick assessment, King Ludwig was not crazy, he was eccentric. I guess a nice way of saying it is that he was fabulouss (emphasize the lisp). My firm opinion, after multiple tours, is that he was gay in an era that didn't coddle that sort of behavior, while at the same time he was a figurehead that stood in the way of a coming government in the united Germany. After all, what are the odds of two people drowning (Ludwig and the Dr. that diagnosed him as crazy) in waste deep water one week after being labeled insane?

Reutte, Austria

2008-06-02T10:29:00.000-07:00

Füssen, Germany marks the end of the Romantic Road, but is a touristy border town serving as a busy gateway to King Ludwig's castles. With that in mind I drove mom the extra 5 miles to Reutte, Austria, where we thought we'd see some castle ruins and have a quiet evening.
Before heading to the ruins we stopped at a nice looking little guest house and made our evening reservation; a cute old couple said they'd wait up for us. We were off. I drove a back way (I guessed it was a back way and got lucky) to the ruins, ending on a small road from which we could see our end goal. We parked right there.

Hiking up, we were rewarded with an up close and personal self-guided tour of an old fortress; one of a pair that guarded a steep mountain pass. The ruins are falling apart but in general are safe enough for the public (things are different in Europe as far as safety and lawsuits).

As the sun dipped behind the Austrian Alps we headed down to the car. Just before we were to the little road, a mountain biker zoomed past us. Mountain bikes are common here, we ignored him until WHACK, I looked and saw the bike about 15 feet high flipping through the air as the young rider was rolling his way towards the windshield, then ragdolling to the road. I handed Mom my camera and ran to help.

The kid was instantly up, but very dazed. The driver of the small grey car was pretty well in freak out mode, while I struggled in German to ask the kid how he felt. "Are you Ok?" He replied simply, "Yeah, I'm fine, shook up, but fine."

Turns out the 17-year-old races on a circuit; with the exception of a few rips in the shoulder of his protective raincoat (it was sunny, therefore a weird but fortunate choice of clothing) he and his $2,000 bike - the one that flew about 15 feet high and traveled a distance of about 30 feet before colliding with a pasture - showed zero harm. The insurance man came - no police though - info was exchanged, then the kid said, "My mom will go crazy when she hears about this." Unclimactically, he rode home.

By this time Mom and I had missed our window to visit any traditional restaurants so we grabbed some dönar kebab and headed to the homestead. The guest house was nice, but was an extension of the elderly couple's home. As I headed to the room the Grandma-ish proprietor asked what time that we wanted breakfast. Eight o'clock sharp.
7:58 am: I'd been up for a while and was showered when the Grandma called, "Frühstück ist fertig! Frühstück ist fertig! Frühstück ist fertig! Frühstück ist fertig!" "Ok, Ok, coming, coming" I replied. She invited us into her kitchen and sat us at her table. It was covered with breads and rolls and meats and homemade jams and, best of all, homemade juice. She also was preparing a scrambled egg extraordinaire - 8 eggs for the two of us, complete with peppers, onions, Austrian bacon, and cheese.

After finishing cooking she sat with us at the table, not to eat, but to chat. We struggled for at least an hour in non-stop thick accented German confusion, with poor mom sitting lost asking for constant interpretation (which I could not easily give as I was nodding more than I was understanding). After insisting we had to leave, I spent 45 minutes fixing the Grandpa's computer before failing to teach him how to say the English phrase, 'We have vancancy.' Picture an old Austrian man kind of leaning intently forward saying, "Vee hab fakancy."

We finally escaped. As we pulled out of the driveway, the couple waived and waived goodbye. Just my luck I couldn't find a break in traffic. Looking in the mirror, they were still waiving.

Mom was laughing as we finally hit the freeway. She commented that you can't help but picture Billy Crystal, in the Princess Bride, smiling and waiving, "Have fun storming the castle!" Ironically, we were driving to Neuschwanstein, credit card in hand, intent on do just that -storming the castle.

Rothenburg - The Walled City

2008-05-28T23:51:00.000-07:00

The Romantic Road, one of the few parts of Southern Germany that I'd never seen before this trip, climaxes in Rothenburg. This walled city is surrounded by gravel parking lots attesting to its shameless tourism industry that ensures the locals stay well fed.

Unlike the old days when Rothenburg used the wall as a protective fortress/something to throw trash over the exterior of the town is neatly mowed with well kept trials and fresh blooming trees.
The wall itself contains tower after tower. There is actually a walkway on the top inside edge of the wall that connects each tower. It's tough to see in the pictures but there are quite a few slits in the wall along that walkway presumably to shoot arrows through. The walkway as well as the still 100% intact wall circle the entire city, which is very large compared to most old European cities.

After following a trail around about half of the city Mom and I were ready to make our entrance (above).
This picture is actually before entering the city, yet due to BlogSpot I cannot change the photo order and still have them linked so you can click to see the image full size; you'll survive.

At any of the numerous gates we could freely pass back outside. In fortress days I'm sure there would have been guards and gatekeepers ensuring trouble stayed outside. Above is Mom in front of one of the gates we zigged and zagged past.
In constant competition, Mom and I would see who could out-do who with the hair. I still think she has me a bit on length - before I catch her though it's gonna get cut.
Inside the city is a throwback world of cobblestone and color. Bakeries and gift shops line the streets while colorful signs adorn the partially-timbered architecture. A company who hand builds these gas powered throwback buggies offers a country tours for quite a hefty price. Check their website if you have time, it's in English, http://www.aaglander.de/.
Rothenburg, like many European cities, is not flat, nor is it set within a grid. What they end up with is cool angles where houses are custom built. I really enjoy the partially-timbered look, especially when mixed with neat angles or overhangs.

Had I known how cool Rothenburg was I would have planned more than an afternoon there. However, King Ludwig's Castles waited anxiously for our entrance fees and the town of Reutte, which we only visited for a few hours, waited to give two crazy stories.

Quintessential Germany (Der Romantische Straße)

2008-05-25T23:04:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back my mom came to visit Europe and enjoy what I've spent many years enjoying. She flew into Frankfurt where I was a mere hour late to meet her before we grabbed a little rental car and drove into the heart of Germany, the Romantic Road.
We drove to Würzburg, another US military town, and had lunch at an outdoor cafe. People walked here and there and young mothers gathered to push their lil ones in strollers. The weather had been great lately and the sun continued to shine for us. Another sure sign of spring arrived too, blooming flowers and road construction.

Mom was tired from the trip but we had much to see so we continued for an hour stopping for the night in the small village of Röttingen.
Germans take great pride in the appearance of things. Nearly every grave in the Röttingen cemetery boasted bright planted flowers. Many window boxes also showed their first blooms of the year.
We stayed at a bed and breakfast called Gasthaus Karl (not pictured). It is common in Germany for people with extra rooms, or an extra story, to convert the free area into a bed and breakfast. I enjoy gasthauses as a colorful and reasonably priced way to experience Deutschland.
It was Monday, the one day each week that many German restaurants are closed. We had trouble finding anywhere to eat, but after a short drive to a neighboring town, Credlingen, we found a homey place serving traditional food; soup, salad, and schnitzel.
Having lost a night's sleep on the airplane Mom put in early. We had a lot of driving over the next few days. We likely could have filled our entire trip with just the cities on this road, but wanting to see as much as possible we chose a whirlwind route.

Heidelberg, Germany

2008-05-21T03:19:00.000-07:00

Long planned and longer awaited, I finally visited Heidelberg with my buddy Greenie. We stayed with the Melli family, missionaries who go back with me to my college days. Heidelberg is a military town with a large U.S. base; it also has a huge fortress, half in ruin. The city is situated along a river, between two long hills. As you look up, the fortress would have protected both the city and the passage on the river.
It was a formidable structure that has taken centuries to start the process of decay, though with a few exceptions as shown above the fortress is in great shape.
Crossing the river and climbing up, up, and up some more stairs is the famous philosopher's way. True to its name we pondered and debated intense topics; the meaning of life, whether or not to count wood chuck chucking records if the wood chuck had used any sort of steroid, and relationships - you know, un-understandable topics.
The city is quaint and small, situated neatly. As with many German cities it also boasts a nice walking district where cars and bicycles are not allowed. These areas are always the most happening part of town filled with street cafes, shopping and restaurants.
This trip was a great relationtional relief after a long spell away from my friends and computer. If you squint just right you can see Greenie and the girls walking above. After 12 days alone, this trip refilled me. It also put me two hours closer to Frankfurt Airport where my mom was to arrive in only a few days.

Networking in Berlin

2008-05-16T04:28:00.000-07:00

I do not want anybody thinking that I am touring Europe pointlessly. Therefore this blog will describe my few evenings of work I have managed to carve out of my six month schedule. Past skiing, photography, and traveling, I have also been contacting people and attempting to meet up. My contacts are in the sports marketing world.
While in Berlin, I met with Kirstin, a U of O Warsaw MBA alum. I spent time with her probing the ins and outs of sports business. To give me a better view of the sports marketer's life she invited me to a few events. The first of those was a Hertha Berlin professional soccer game. This team is privileged to play in a historical arena, Olimpiastadion; built by Hitler's government for the 1936 Olympic Games.
Kirstin gave me a VIP ticket so after time had expired I was able to go into the heart of the stadium for a full meal.

This was one of two times during the year that the Germans have to play two games in a single week. The crowd, I was told due to it being a work night, was abnormally small. Still, the crazies in the end zones managed to scream and waive their scarves from the beginning until the bitter, scoreless end (it was a tie at zero).
The second event was a celebration for the Berlin Ice Bears hockey team. They had recently won their national cup. I was a guest at their players, friends, and sponsers only dinner. A little salmon, some nice wine... then an underground metro back to the reality of a night in the airport before a flight to Basel where I'd be again on my own dime.

Santorini, Greece - a volcanic island

2008-05-13T03:13:00.000-07:00

After accepting a local's advice I took a long ferry ride to the island of Santorini. It is a crescent shaped island that once was a rim of an active volcano. All that is left is sun-heated rocks and some Greeks that thought white houses would look good on the cliffs.
The ferry stopped a few times along the way; this island (I can't remember its name) was the first stop. Given my short time frame it may have been wise of me to choose an island that was close to Athens, but onward I went.

I spent a good portion of the ride inside bogging my way through The Confessions of St. Augustine. I recommend the book, it's great; not all great books are easy to read though. I managed to step out into the wind a few times. Sunset was particularly nice looking over the hazy endlessness of the sea. (The photo above is actually a reflection in a window).
Athens was dirty, so I found a very nice hotel on Santorini that was only €5 more per night than the hostel had been back on the mainland.
This was the evening view from my room's balcony. It was very nice to have a private space after living for a few weeks in hostels, which are little more than bunk beds jammed into any open space.
Much of the island's buildings are white. It really made me wish that I had remembered some sunglasses. Unfortunately, the Greeks version of style is a bit wild and I couldn't find any new shades that suited my no-so-blingy taste.
Santorini is an island where one would take their bride on an anniversary. There is little to do but sleep, shop, and dine. I am glad to have visited, but I would not again choose to go alone. Due to time constraints and ferry schedules I booked a nighttime ride back to Athens where I hopped a flight back to Berlin - I had a party to attend, a weekend to enjoy, and a mother to pick up after her transatlantic flight.

Athens, Greece

2008-05-10T02:00:00.000-07:00

April 12th through yesterday gave me 6 flights, 6 countries, 16 or so cities, 18 international border crossings, and somewhere around 600-700 photos. It did not give me, however, decent access to the internet.

I flew from Berlin to Athens on what I expected to be the pinnacle of my six months. I took a lot of photos and saw a lot of culture, but other cities/countries will top my list of favorites.
Athens is a massive city that boasts of being the birthplace of democracy. Within Athens there are still a few temple ruins that rival the greatness of Rome. The sacred sites are bunched together within endless apartment buildings that look as if they were designed by the communist block.
The picture atop this blog is of the Greek flag on top of the hill that houses the Parthenon and other temples. The second photo is of Hadrian's Arch and the above photo is the Ancient Agora. The Agora is in excellent condition. It is the only Athenian relic that stands without scaffolding.

It was warmer in Greece than it had been in Germany. Their wildflowers were already in bloom.
Major renovations are saving the integrity of nearly everything. This is the Temple of Athena Nike, looking towards the Parthenon.
A few other half fallen temples stood on the same mount but I did not see what they were called or who was worshipped there.
After much effort and a few laps around the Parthenon I managed to find this angle that shows the least amount of scaffolding possible. The 10 yards or so around the entire temple are filled with pieces that the contractors have pulled off the temple, then numbered. I assume they will re-piece together everything that they have dismantled once they have figured a way to strengthen the structure and maybe earthquake-proof it.
Below the temple mount are a few amphitheaters. This one is still in great condition.
This one, which they let us climb on and lounge around, is in a slightly worse repair.

From the Parthenon mount, I could have walked to all four sides and taken pictures of endless apartment buildings. They didn't stop until they faded into the haze.
Below the temple mount is another site, the Temple of Zeus. Unlike the others above, it is at city level (the Parthenon sits on a big flat-topped hill). Anything below the Parthenon is subject to the thousands upon thousands of wild dogs that are running around. It was actually difficult to get photos without random, ugly dogs in them.
Beyond the sites, Greek culture, while dirty and loud, lit up at night. Their dinnertime (around 10:00pm) was when they were in the best of spirits. I'm not sure when the city slept.
After a few days in the big city, I took a local's advice and took a long fairy ride to one of Greece's prized islands, Santorini. I'm working on a few of those photos so check in say in two days or so and enjoy. I'd like to blog each of the cities I've been in the past month so check back often.

Touring Berlin

2008-04-24T11:24:00.001-07:00

Berlin, the reunified capital of Germany, is one of Europe's great cities. I had heard that the eastern part of Germany is still economically depressed, even 20 years after the fall of the Wall. With this presupposition I traveled to Berlin to find that nearly everything worth doing or seeing is on the eastern side of the famed Wall.
Five of the city's great museums are located next to this small church on what is aptly named Museum Island (the river splits around the area creating the island effect). In the background is the TV tower built by the Soviets to show the Allied counterparts that communist Germany was thriving; in fact, with the exception of a few government projects such as this tower, everybody was equally impoverished.
History, especially from WWII, is everywhere. Babelplatz is where the 1933 book burning led to an increased power grab by the Nazi party.
Next to what used to be Checkpoint Charlie, the famous US/Soviet fighting ground there are walls filled with historical write-ups and pictures from the area. This picture (that I took of a picture) is of a famous tank standoff.

The Wall today, is nearly gone. All that remains is a double-stoned trail that follows everywhere the Wall went. Many times on my trip I crossed the cobblestone path; a feat that would have been impossible 20 years ago, enforced by the fences, mines, and the Soviet gun.
This is the location of Checkpoint Charlie, though the original guard-shack is in a museum; this is the 'everybody wants to see the thing so we better reconstruct a look alike' version. Just to the side of the road you could get a stamp in your passport saying you've entered/exited US occupied Berlin.
Interestingly, on the historical write-up/photo wall were some WWII pictures showing what led up to the building of the Berlin Wall. Here's a shot of people standing in front of a partial facade of the Brandenburg Gate - in front, the facade shows WWII damage, while behind stands the actual restored gate.
Today the gate is in fine condition, though upon close inspection there are countless patches covering bullet and shrapnel holes. Just to the left of this photo is the new US Embassy (still under construction) while just through the gate and to the right is the Reichstag, which is their parliament building (equivalent to our US Capitol Building). I guess this is to say that the US doesn't want to be too far from the German government's mind's eye?
One of the few areas that has a standing version of the original Berlin Wall is show above, protected from "Wall peckers," or people who steal pieces the Wall for their own purposes. Ironically, the cement was completely asbestos filled, which is said to cause cancer if the fibers are inhaled. I guess the Wall is just a natural born killer.

Spread throughout the city are many single sections of the Wall. This painted (Germans paint or graffiti everything they can reach) section is actually in front of some apartments that were reserved for the "elite" of East Germany. These boring things were the cream of the financially ruined communist experiment; only important people lived here - government officials and, as I am told, famous citizens such as Olympic figure skater Katarina Witt.
Not more than a half mile down the main road from the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag (parliament building) is a huge memorial controversially titled, "Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe." It is a few thousand tall stones that strike an unbelievable resemblance to a Jewish graveyard I once visited in Prague. The name is loud, the location is unavoidable, and the memory is unforgettable.
Here is the Reichstag that I've been mentioning. I was fortunate enough to go inside the glass dome; however, I went there in a spur of the moment decision and did not have my camera, which is a shame because it was nighttime and beautiful.
Here's a closer view of the East German TV tower that they so loved (located in Alexanderplatz).

I'll leave you next to the theatre house in this cobblestone/orchard area as I travel tomorrow to Heidelberg. Next week I'll show you Athens!

Switzerland, south side of the Bodensee

2008-04-07T03:02:00.000-07:00

Last week was the halfway point of my trip to Europe. I spent the week in the little haven of Switzerland; one of the most rediculously expensive places on earth.
I spent much of my time walking around and taking photos because that is about all you can do for free.
The weather was mostly overcast and rainy but the sun poked out once or twice.
I had plenty of time to run back and forth and take shots of myself. I didn't get a real sailboat ride so this lil guy in the park had to suffice.
I was on the Bodensee, or Lake Constance, and was able to spend a ton of time just relaxing near the marina. I read a lot and spent some great time looking at the old school beauty of the area.

An Austrian Wedding... then off to Switzerland

2008-03-30T13:09:00.000-07:00

This weekend I was priviledged enough to be invited to a traditional Austrian wedding. Mathias, whose bachelor party I attended at the castle, is now heiraten. The actual wedding ceremony is nearly identical to an American one take two things, there is no wedding party of groomsmen or bridesmaids, and the bride and groom sit throughout the ceremony.

Afterwards, still at the church, everybody is invited to a small lunch of traditional open-faced sandwiches and champaign. Those who have an additional invitation then proceed to the reception.
The reception in this scenario, as I was told, was very traditional. Austrian weddings are formal, every male from 16 years and up had a suit and tie. The reception was also formal. It was held at a large meeting hall that is relatively new, built somewhere in the early 1900s.

There were a handful of skits that entertained through a large catered dinner. Most skits involved singing and/or children and acting.

In a most traditional style, a Kärtener small brass band played a variety of music. It's not really oom pah, but not classical either. Nearly everybody danced. The local dance favorite is a fast moving, spinning sort of dance. I danced with a girl I did not know - it took a lot to even try.

I'm off tonight via night train to Zurich, Switzerland. I'll head North upon arrival to Lake Constance on the Swiss and German border. I'll spend all week along the lake. I'm hoping that my hostel will have internet but we shall see. Cheers to Mathias and his new marriage (oh the wedding and reception lasted nearly 14 hours - they're long winded here).

BFA Spring Break

2008-03-26T04:03:00.000-07:00

For those left on the edge of their seats at the end of my last blog I did make it to Germany. With a huge bag I walked across the city of Basel, Switzerland and hopped a bus at the border of Germany that took me all the way to Black Forest Academy, home of the illusive Mike Greenhoe. (Turns out I did not specify that I was coming via night train and it was my fault, oh well). Above is Greenie and I having too much fun – it’s what we do. Below he's checking his watch to see if it's time to pick me up from Basel, 12 hours late.
I stayed with Mike for a week. He is a resident assistant/director at BFA and is on a well-deserved two week spring break. We did nothing of great note the entire time. We just hung out. We hiked to the top of Hoch Blauen. We watched some NCAA tourney basketball (very late at night I’ll add). We watched movie after movie. And we just hung out.
A common thread of my travels so far required that we prepare, we cook, and we feast. Mike threw an Easter Eve dinner for many of his friends and coworkers – I helped with the main course as Mike and another guy struggled for over an hour to make pasta from scratch. Flour covered the counters, walls and floor, but the pasta was a success. The tiny kitchen, insufficient for a small family and entirely inadequate for a 16 person meal was the night’s biggest loser. Tornado Chef Mike took his toll. It was a sweet time.

As a precursor to the Freiburg Marathon, which I am attending on April 6th as a fan for Mike, he and I visited the old German town. My friend, Morgan, who lives in Bend, is spending a year there studying at the University. Morgan led us around her city (shown on the right) as we walked key parts of the race.

Finishing my trip I trained to Zurich. On a long layover I braved the inch or so of snow and spent a few hours walking the well-lit metropolis. A surprising amount of fancy cars whipped their way past me. Zurich (shown below) may well be the capital of the expensive and the rich.

Traveling - Written March 19th

2008-03-22T06:16:00.000-07:00

Beyond the glorious side of travel things are not always as exact as a Swiss watch. I am currently in the land of the famed watches. I am in a two story Starbucks, with likely 1,000 sq feet of sitting area upstairs away from the bustle and noise of the latte machines below. It is a wonderful sitting arrangement. It is encouraged by culture; the “zum mitnehmen” idea is strictly American. That is, the German phrase for “to go” gathers rarely more than a blank response. Starkly contrast, you have to ask specifically for a paper coffee cup or naturally you’ll receive your piping hot drink in a classy porcelain mug. The beauty of Swiss culture comes at a price though – the watch I want is just shy of $2,000 and my grande house coffee, nestled next to my computer, set me back $4.90.

Though wonderfully situated and content, I’m supposed to be in Germany right now. Today marks Crystal’s 23rd birthday, the halfway point to my 27th birthday (wow to both of those eh) and the first day of a week with my great friend Mike Greenhoe. Unfortunately, after 9.5 hours on a train and 2 hours waiting at the station, I have come to believe that Mike and I had a misunderstanding on the telephone; I think he may plan on picking me up at the wrong 9:40, the one at night. My cell phone is worthless because Greenie is not answering at his home and he is one of the lucky few who have abstained from the cellular world.

Given my newly opened schedule and the occasion of the date I should reflect. I can remember when Dustin was born, but I really can’t reach back to Crystal’s. In that, I can remember the old red house, and I can remember the trailer, but I guess chillin with her goes back to the early days in my parents’ current home. Crystal loved musicals and while growing tough and rugged I somehow succumbed to her usually in control way of life and danced along. Her favorite of that era was Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

High school is where I remember her best. She joined my crew in my final year. I drove her to school every day. Many days I’d drop her off and skip class with one of the boys to go out deer hunting, she’d do no such thing. While only seven one-hundredths separated our GPAs she was a far better student. I remember Friday nights and taking Crystal to the movies, given she call one of her cute little friends, and just hanging out, having fun. I remember when she started dating some freshman who, to me and my buddies, hadn’t yet earned the dating right. They held hands but the poor dude knew he was pushing his ever tight bounds. I remember when another frosh insulted Crystal and made her cry. The next day he apologized, surrounded by 6 or so much larger senior guys encouraged a beneficial change in the boy. I never again heard of him insulting a female.

I guess everyone is older now. Not in a bad way, that’s how life moves, it sort of undulates along its merry way towards God; at least that is His intention. I’ve managed to successfully dodge Cupid’s arrows, though I’m told that my quickness may be my error. Crystal had other luck and now has a beautiful baby boy. While my concern is getting the last 25 miles of my trip to Germany so I have a place to sleep tonight hers is much more selfless, marriage and a baby – I really respect that.

It should be fun to get home and see Jack, Joshie, Elsa and the older family members (who deserve to be named but you’re all old enough to know who you are and tough enough to get over it). July 4th, one of the greatest days of the year for our small town, will give extra joy because of three extra lil’ ones. Crystal, Shane, Mom & Dad, thanks for years of selflessness already given and many more to come.

A Bachelor Party at Red Robin... Nope, a Castle

2008-03-17T04:25:00.000-07:00

Some of the greatest moments while traveling come when experiencing a culture up close and personal. A friend I've met here, a local to Kärnten, Matthias, is getting married on March 29th. It is an event I look forward to. Prior to any guy's wedding though, they've got to have a bachelor party. In Austria, the do bachelor parties right.

At 6:00pm on Friday evening some of the guys picked me up and we drove 15 minutes to a castle. They have converted this old fortress into a restaurant and dinner theatre. You know, the interactive kind where they pull people from the tables and dress them up and make them do silly things. Well if you don't know read on (hopefully you'll read on anyways).

Somehow I think this castle was originally intended for a less inviting gesture than fun and dinner. I also think that the dinners here may have been far smaller and much less enjoyable.

Past the mote and through the gated gauntlet of boiling oil and deadly arrows we found our table.

Not long into things, before we had a chance to dirty their old school costumes, the story began. While I'm learning Germany quickly, following an accented middle age version of the language left me lost but I can pretty well figure out from the pictures that Matthias (in the t-shirt) was some sort of prince and below is his bearded princess.

Through some jousting event Matthias earned his knighthood.
Andy and Rudy were the unfortunate members of our party who were chosen to be the servant and the maid. Not only did the two guys look like goofs, but they had to serve us the meal.
Soup came first, followed by meat, and on the side some sauerkraut and potatoes and more meat, followed by a bit more meat just in case our tummies had not had enough.
Our place setting included a wooden plate with a knife - no fork, no spoon - and a metal dish for bones.
Schnapps is a specialty in this region of Austria so for dessert they brought us each a shot of the local pride. Only moments after getting the picture below I knocked the stack of shot glasses over and most of them shattered on the ground.

Instead of making me pay cash they figured I could suffer a slightly more physical punishment. After some abuse from my friends I managed to weasel my hands out and free myself but in the mean time my head was pinned.
Before I found my freedom, as any male would do Matthias quickly took advantage of the situation. Though he only posed for the picture somebody else whacked me right in the bum with a wooden sword; full swing! Ironically it reminded me of getting punished as a child.
Rudy managed to lose the maid's dress and find some lederhosen. The dinner show quickly turned into a dance show.
Somewhere near midnight about 10-15 girls joined us and things turned to hang out and dance time. With fatigue the camera ceased and I spent much of the rest of the night chillin and chatting in my broken German; I guess I don't dance.

About three forevers later, still having a good time but desperately needing sleep, we ended up at some tiny dance club that was near enough my house to walk home. I trudged in at 4:50am and Dougg Custer, the missionary friend at whose house I'm staying, had gone to bed, slept 7 hours, woke up and had began planning a conference on his laptop all before my night ended. Laughing he looked up and said, "Oh, I forgot to warn you, Austrian wedding parties last all night. Enjoy the morning."

Good Snow, Great Food

2008-03-12T03:41:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I was visited by a guest from Texas. His parents are missionaries in Japan who gifted Aaron with airline miles to visit Austria during his final spring break. To make things better God gifted the Alps with about a foot of fresh snow.
We spent two full days on the mountain and a bit of time hanging around Spittal; boarding, eating, chilling, and (for him) shopping. He bought the coolest, but most expensive, traditional German old-man hat (with feather). Awesome is all that can describe it, sorry I forgot to take a picture.

I'll admit that I too like to go with cool stuff, but mine has more function. Here's my super not-European about to ski look, a backwards hat, Nike pro running shirt, Under Armour cold gear mock. And this all gets covered by 20,000 mm waterproof Columbia outerwear. Oh yeah, and Burton GoreTex gloves. Call me what you want, but I'd prefer to call myself the warm, dry guy.
This photo is an attempt to respond to Dustin's super cool face shot I like to call 'turtle in a neon green jumpsuit.' My face hidden in the blue jacket just doesn't do the lime green justice.

Dustin talked me into buying these red lense Quicksilver goggles last year when he was working at GI Joes. Thank you Dust for some great advice, somehow the red filters light off the snow and makes the white stuff distinguishable in all weather types.

At one point on our first day snowboarding Aaron actually fell getting of the 'T'-bar and the next 'T' hit him squarely in the head at about 25 miles per hour. He went down like a sniper had shot him, falling face first into the snow. I nearly chocked trying not to laugh, it was great. It knocked him a bit blurry for a few minutes but we managed to get him out of the way so the operator could restart the lift. Unknowingly he snapped the above picture of me while I waited for him to regain his sense.
Some fresh tracks are shown above. Below is one of my few pics with Aaron in it. This is also one of the few pics that shows the Transformers on my board. I bought it for function, not looks but hey at least it's guy stuff.
We boarded hard but we ate better. On Aaron’s first night here I took him to a restaurant just down the road from the house. It was the same place I went when I first arrived. We had some traditional Wienerschnitzel and potatoes. The other nights, due to my budget constraints, I cooked for him. I say this biased, but as long as I stay single my culinary skills keep improving. I see this as a bit of a liability.
Our capstone meal included a tomato and mozzarella salad with garlic potato soup for starters followed by a pasta Alfredo with veggies and capped with a regional chocolate whipped pudding. Why would it be anything less? I really look forward to running this afternoon (in the beautifully warm sun – which is melting the new snow of course) to balance my calorie intake/output.

On the topic of food and calories, all the ski resorts here serve a local specialty, germknödel. It’s a cakelike dumpling that is jelly-filled (plum) and covered in vanilla sauce and powdered sugar/poppy seed mixture. Unlike the U.S. it is very difficult to find calorie counts on anything, not even on the internet. With that, I’ll guesstimate that the germknödel is well over 1,000 calories. I had one each day boarding.
I prefer to drink water while skiing or boarding for the simple reason that balance is numero uno in both sports and bier is public enemy #1 for balance. For the sake of the pictures, though, I borrowed Aaron’s bier because I thought it looked more Austrian. You can glimpse my water in the germknödel picture (top left corner of the pic).
I'll leave you at the base of the bunny hill lift (complete with the over-direction of Austrian signs). Yeah, we know how to do it, you put the incredibly distressing disk in between your legs and pray that you're at the top already, thanks.

Lazy Days and Travel Plans

2008-03-07T01:37:00.000-08:00

Until Monday things have been sunny and slow in Kärnten (the Austrian state that I am currently in, which actually more resembles a county). I've been having a great time enjoying the weather though it has temporarily set skiing in a back seat. There is a 7 mile long lake just 20 minutes walk from my place; it has offered me some wonderfully lazy days.

Recently, a great friend and longtime employee of Black Forest Academy, Mike Greenhoe, visited me on his birthday. Happy 26th birthday Mike! On the day of Mike's arrival it was my turn to host the Skaters' Bible Study that I've been attending so I decided to make some jalapeño poppers, brats, and fries for the occasion. Mike's a Michigan boy so I thought he'd appreciate some home style cooking. The picture below is Greenie and I three years ago, Feb 2005, but I liked it so you get to see it.

On top of a full day skiing (all the pictures are on his camera which is now in Germany, sorry), we spent most of the time just hanging out on the back deck and wandering around the lake.

Greenie particularly liked this little cattle trough/statue. Benches, troughs and little pieces of art seem to be scattered everywhere across the German, Swiss, and Austrian countrysides. It's great for hiking because the water is all fresh spring water that pours into a basin, you can always refill your bottles with pure, tasteless, and safe water.

We actually trespassed onto somebody's dock so we could hang out right on the lake. There were probably 20 such docks that nobody was using so we assumed that the gate was for stray animals and not to keep people out.

Since Greenie's departure and returning from Rome, most of the rest of my time has been busy trying to learn German, enjoying the snow (Monday we had a decent storm), and planning for future trips. On March 19th my oldest baby sister hits another year and I head to Germany as I begin phase two of my travels: I will be visiting the Black Forest of Germany, then back to Austria for a wedding, followed by travels to Switzerland, Berlin, Athens, and finally Heidelberg - all before my mom visits me April 28th. Above is Google's marked map of my travel locations (click it to make it bigger). I should have some great photo essays for this blogsite.

P.S. I figured out how to make the pictures clickable so they get big for you. It's a royal pain but I'm going to try to redo the Rome blog for you Nick.

It's Raining!

2008-03-01T04:48:00.000-08:00

I very excited to announce that after a precipitation free February God has blessed March with a little storm. It's raining here in the valley but I'm really hoping it's cold enough to be falling white on the mountain.

A Sunny Klettersteige

2008-02-28T05:35:00.000-08:00

Ever since returning from Rome I've been struggling against a tough chest/head cold. I've spent a fair amount of time in bed or in front of a movie with a cup of tea and a box of tissues (pretty weak sauce huh). I so rarely become ill that I barely know what do to with myself in recovery.

When Tuesday came around, having already planned a klettersteige trip, I braved the outdoors in hope that some exercise might improve my health. Staying indoors all day drives me crazy and I build energy then don't really sleep.
Klettersteige is half rock climbing, half something you'd more expect while mountaineering. There is a cable anchored into the rocks--the separation between anchors varies from probably about 5 to 20 feet--and the idea is to climb the rock, assisted by the cable, while clipped into the cable to ensure that your maximum fall is only to the previous anchor. There are two carabiner clips because you must unclip to maneuver around each anchor (having two clips allow you to always have one securely hooked while you move the other). My Austrian friend Matthias chose a climb near his village. It is small by klettersteige standards, only about 350 vertical feet. It was a sunny day and given my recovering health the climb proved perfectly sized. Traditional rock climbing and this sort of cable climbing are very popular in Europe. Klettersteige is versatile and can range from a tough hike to sheer vertical. I guess that some trails include aspects of all degrees and difficulties. Tuesday we saw a fairly sheer wall.

There is a small degree of danger involved in this sport that can be minimalized with the right equipment (which we had). A klettersteige fall would be similar to falling while rock climbing, however, you would fall all the way to the anchor below. Depending on the distance you are above the anchor determines the danger. A 20 foot fall, which would have been about the maximum fall possible on my climb, would jar you pretty well when you stopped abruptly at the anchor. Most of the time, though, the anchors are within 6-10 feet of each other. Unlike traditional climbing, you can always hang on to the cable, or slide down it like a rope if necessary (this makes falling far less probable).

After the climb, we had dinner at Mattias's place before I came home and cleaned up for bed. I think a little warm sun can always do the body good.

Rome

2008-02-21T06:48:00.000-08:00

This week I spent three full days in Rome. I would consider Rome one of the true birth cities of our Western Civilization. I would also call Rome a filthy place (but not quite along the lines of Mexico). It is a mix of modern, medieval and exceptionally ancient.
The picture above is one of Rome's newest sources of pride. Admittedly, I did not take this picture becuase of massive scaffolding covering over half of the building for a restoration/cleaning project (credit Wikipedia for this pic, the rest are mine).
People motor past millennia old structures at dangerously high speeds without even a glance. Buses, cars, crotch rockets, and scooters fight desperately to save 30 seconds. We walked past a bus/SUV accident just moments after the bus rammed into one of the few rigs in Europe that could handle the impact. Motorcycles and scooters don't seem to have rules - staying within lanes is for the meek, high speed passing/life-risking is for the Romans.

Not too surprisingly, most of the ancient ruins are related to some sort of religion. There are temple mounts nearly everywhere. When outside the most touristy part of downtown Rome it is easy to find modern buildings that are using 1st century colonnades as part of their foundation.
Actually, the ancient Romans had an amphitheatre that seated well over 10,000 people that is now a converted apartment building. It piggy-backed on the arches and columns built in the year 13BC. It is common in Rome to read an information kiosk that talks about people throughout history plundering sites for sake of easy-access building supplies.
Perhaps the most outstanding part of Rome is the historical influence, exceptional buildings, and priceless art owned by the Catholic Church. Picture above is Rafael's 16x25 foot painting, The School of Athens, below is Michaelangelo's unbelievable sculpture, Pietà.
Rome is dotted with frequent basilicas, or cross-shaped churches. I'd assume these churches average a seating capacity of less than 200, average a Sunday attendance of less than 10, and average the size of a high school gymnasium -- each filled with golden objects, sculptures, and classic art. The financial abuse by the Catholic Church is clearly displayed by the wealth at the Vatican City. Every room in the Vatican is covered in art, every roof is decorated with value that likely outprices a normal house (below is one such roof). It took me over 2 hours to quickly browse their museum, which is climaxed with a pass through the Sistine Chapel.
I took the trip with a guy from Knoxville, TN named Andy. His sister lives near here and gave him my number when he was travelling through. I spent a bit more money this week than I would have liked but in all it was a great trip filled with plenty of sights, a crazy story, and impressions to last most people a lifetime.

Find Yourself – February 5, 2008

2008-02-14T07:37:00.000-08:00

Evening entertainment during my week is often slow; most everyone that I know in Austria has family obligations. Every so many days I reward myself by watching a movie. The pick this night needed to be something light, I was tired. Selection is always limited and comedies are few – oh, Cars, I’ve heard it’s good.

In a surprisingly entertaining and wholesome flick, a famous young racecar gets stuck in a hopelessly dead town along Route 66. Through a week of trials he finds not only happiness but also brings a new life to everyone and everything around him.

Shockingly analogous to life, we can try as hard as we want to seek our gain yet never find true happiness. I think that pure joy comes from fraternity with God and that only comes when you’re really walking with Him, every moment, every day, wherever He leads.

Now, many people would love to take God with them and really walk with Him, but I’m quite sure that the God of the universe does not want to grace the thrones we set up for Him in the government of our lives. I think He’d rather have us wholly submit to His throne, His government, and His plans.

Take a rare few moments in my life, I’ve never been lost. I’m not always certain of where I’ll be along the journey, but I have ideas and directions towards which I’ve spent years charting and crafting paths while enjoying a rather limitless existence. I am, however, in a very reflective place from which I know time, God, and self will retool my life and plans. How great of change? I doubt very great on the surface, but I’m guessing that I’m likely due for a quality tune inside.

Brad Paisley sings a song during the credits of Cars that sums the movie in a few shells.

When you find yourself in some far off place
And it causes you to rethink some things
You start to sense that slowly you’re becoming someone else
And then you find yourself

When you make new friends in a brand new town
And you start to think about settling down
The things that would have been lost on you
Are now clear as a bell
And you find yourself, yeah that’s when you find yourself

Where you go through life so sure of where you’re headed
And you wind up lost and it’s the best thing that could have happened
Cause sometimes when you lose your way it’s really just as well
Because you find yourself, yeah that’s when you find yourself

When you meet the one, that you‘ve been waiting for
And she’s everything that you want and more
You look at her and you finally start to live for someone else
And then you find yourself, that’s when you find yourself

Cause sometimes when you lose your way, it’s really just as well
Because you find yourself, yeah, that’s when you find yourself

Working through my time in the desert (as in the movie I use the desert here as a pretty sweet and unbelievable place) I am not lost. But I am still thinking, rethinking. I really do hope that I can become someone else. Do I want to lose the old me? Absolutely not. Do I want to move to Route 66 and date some hot girl? Well, I’ll say no to the Route 66 part of that one. But do I want to take my time and really seek God’s will? Do I want to find where He wants me to be and then work towards getting there and getting settled down? Absolutely yes, or auf Deutsch, passt.

There is a joy in following God that cannot be explained. There is a joy in seeking His face. There is a joy in being exactly within His grips knowing that you are secure and that He will never let you go. Knowing exactly where I am heading will get me nowhere if I should not go there. Headstrong and navigating by starlight is a certain recipe for success, but as I’ve recognized before, what I do will be measured by a standard far higher than I can mark.

This week I’m looking to really enjoy my time in this desert. I’d like to drive the windy route and see what everyone else is missing. I feel that I’ve made strides: to seek God, to be held accountable, to enjoy and immerse myself with my surroundings, to enjoy daylight, and to track goals. I’m also working on a travel schedule, which I find surprisingly daunting in light of balancing ideas versus budget.

The Hüttentaxi

2008-02-06T13:19:00.000-08:00

Saturday evening (9 days ago) on my return from Venice, I received a phone call from a guy named Andy. He's from Tennessee and is visiting Europe for 3 weeks. His sister married a German and now lives in the region and she gave him my number so we could hang out. I figured it would be fun--and was loaned a car--to show Andy my world.

Ironically, except for one trip to the Bahnhof (train station) I never needed the car because Andy was dying to see the Matterhorn and decided to leave immediately and then come back for more Austria an two weeks. Fortunately for me, when I told the car's owner that Andy had already left he said to enjoy the car anyway as he did not need it until Thursday. Enjoy it I have.

Wednesday I drove about 30 kilometers to a ski resort, Bad Kleinkircheim. It's about time that I started visiting larger ski areas. The town boasts a decent sized ski area and a monster sized Roman Spa. Being a bigger fan of clothes than most (and since my skiing is already paid for) I opted to spend the day enjoying what little bit of soft snow was left before a week of forecasted beautiful blue sky.

Unlike most U.S. ski areas Europe has lodges and restaurants dotting the slopes. While visiting the highest lodge I decided to hike up for some pictures (the peak was probably some 300 vertical feet above me). As I took my skis off to start the hike I saw a snow cat (or snow plow) loading some people into the back, which was modified into an open air taxi. I didn't know how much it would cost but I hopped on up. The driver asked for 2 Euros so I popped a coin out of my pocket in that amount and we were off. I felt lazy, but I decided the other day that I'm going to experience more and a snow cat ride for 3 USD isn't something that I'll do often.

Halfway up to the peak we turned left and began a trek up and down some fairly steep stuff. It is funny because the taxi seating is benches in an enclosed area, and all of us passengers were sliding back and forth into each other as the cat switched up and down hills. We turned down a final area and stopped at a little restaurant, that's when I realized that the snow cat was owned by the restaurant. I snapped a few pictures and went inside for a soda. I needed something to drink anyways.

About half an hour later the big taxi returned and ferried us across the snow back up to our skis. I kind of wish I had been hungry so I could have tasted whether or not it's ever worth returning there. Either way, it was fun, and quite a memorable ride.
This Friday is my friend Mike Greenhoe's birthday and he's training to Austria from Germany, where he is invovled in missions. His weekend stay should be a continuation of many good times that started when I lived in Germany. The picture above is just before his birthday 3 years ago. Alles gute!