The Hills were Alive, with the Sound of Music (and I could have cared less!)

July 24th: On a train bound for Vienna, I type this after spending 1.5 days in the BEAUTIFUL city of Salzburg. I arrived late Monday night as I took a train there from Interlaken and spent three hours with a detour to Innsbruck (one of many advantages to having a Eurorail pass).  Innsbruck was magnificent and had amazing views, but I felt like three hours was ample time, enough to get a great feel for the city, have a few beverages, and then move on. It was easy to see why it has hosted the Winter Olympics and the city was really quaint!

Salzburg was also really special and it is mainly known for composers,  the Sound of Music, and salt mines, and of course I was not all that interested in any of that. Still, the city had charm and beautiful mountains, water, and medieval buildings and castles dotted the landscape.

Now, it wouldn't be a European adventure for me without having problems with accommodations, and Salzburg did not disappoint. I arrived around 10 that night and the hostel was overbooked (despite me booking it over a month ago).  I ended up sleeping in the dining room, where I had to be out by 9 yesterday morning so people could eat breakfast. They didn't really give me a discount either so I was not all that thrilled. Still, it overlooked the city and was really actually pretty laid back.

Yesterday, I left Salzburg for the day to take a trip to Werffen to see the ice caves high up in the Alps and those were unreal!  You actually needed a jacket because it was below freezing inside (what would you expect too? I mean, these are ICE CAVES!) !  The Alps are unlike any mountains I have ever seen either and it is just nice to be up there where the air is so fresh and I am away from the bustle of city life.

Not much else to say right now except for I am loving life and living the dream. I kinda miss Boston, but it is so nice to see different cultures and parts of the world. I also do find myself bragging about my job quite a bit too. Yes, the teachers on my study tour heard all about Natick and two people in Germany received Natick coffee mugs as gifts.

OKAY--LG baby and coffee diem. Life is good and caffeinate the day yo :)!