The Utter Amazingness of Italy!

So...after a few relaxing hours at the beach of Desenzano, I travelled to the Milan airport to meet Ashley. Her plane was about 15 minutes late, but besides that everything went smoothly and she arrived safely. It was great to see her and we spent several hours catching up.

The next morning we woke up and headed to the Duomo Cathedral. This is Milan's most famous church and is actually the oldest Gothic Cathedral in Italy. It was not incredibly large, but there were over one hundred spires and towers rising from the roof, so that was pretty neat. After a pausing to grab some Margherita pizza at a small street side bakery, we continued down the some of the main shopping avenues to the Castello Sforzesco. This was a fairly large castle in the center of town, and like many European castles, there was a park/garden complex bordering it. Milan's reputation as a fashion megacenter is well-deserved. Everywhere, and I do mean everywhere, there were tons of shoe stores, boutiques, urban wear, and on and on. While I am not convinced that there is much to see in the way of famous landmarks, Milan certainly delivered in the people watching department. There was a kitchen in the hostel, so we for dinner we cooked a huge pot of spaghetti bolognese, and I may or may have eaten three and Half plates.

Next morning we took an early train to Florence and checked into the B & B Maison Hostel by noon. We walked past a massive outdoor leather market and had some pasta and a panini at a nearby restaurant, before heading to the Duomo Cathedral. Yes, you might say, but didn't Milan have one of those too? Well, apparently a town's Duomo is simply the name for a big church that is famous and, like the name suggests, has a dome on top. Unlike Milan however, The Duomo in Florence was completely Italian-styled and strikingly beautiful. There was a bellower rising above the rest of the church on the right side, and the cathedral itself was covered with the usual gargoyles and elaborate windows. The part that really stood out, though, were the painted geometric designs on the outside. This church and the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona have been my favorites.

Next, we walked South to the river and crossed at the Ponte Vecchio, Florence's most famous bridge. I truly think this is my favorite single part about the town. There are shops and homes built into the sides of the bridge, and a row of glittering gold and jewelry stores make the bridge simultaneously crowded and mesmerizing. We finished the day with a quick detour to a gelato shop( excellent), a walk to one of two main botanical gardens (with a great picturesque view of the entire city), a browse through another leather market, and a marvelous dinner of torteglioni and creamed penne at a restaurant in the Old Central Square. It may have been my favorite day thus far.

Italia

I continue to be amazed at how fast the days pass by. Time flies when you're having fun.

On Monday I woke up at 6:30am. I was planning on getting more sleep, but the hostel was oppressively hot. Italy in general has been very warm and I have long abandoned any hope of going outside without breaking a sweat. This probably sounds worse than it is - in fact, it is kind of nice to have a change from cold, rainy weather.

I decided to delay my sightseeing around Milan for a little while and therefore opted to go on a day trip to the town of La Spezia. I had heard from several folks that the Cinque Terre region was a must-see, so from La Spezia I took a short regional train to Monterosso, the fifth of the Cinque Terre towns. Well, it was supposed to be a short train. There were two trains leaving in quick succession from the same platform, so I accidentally boarded the wrong one and did not have a chance to get off until the first stop, which was past Cinque Terre! I reckon even a seasoned traveller has a thing or two to learn about traveling. It was no major problem though; I finally made it to Monterosso and had about three hours to go exploring. The town was utopic: it was nestled in the side of a hilly coastline with a small but quaint beachfront. The entire village was along a lagoon of sorts, and the emerald water was absolutely transparent- you could easily see twenty or thirty feet below the water. I know it may sound as though I am going on and on about Monterosso's appearance, but this was unbelievable. The ocean was completely devoid of waves; it was so smooth it seemed someone could skip a rock on it.

From Monterosso, I went hiking along a coastal trail to the next village, Vernazzo. This town didn't have as many beaches, was even smaller, and had about 50 houses of all different colors wedged on an outcropping of land. There were people boating and kayaking everywhere. It seemed to be the sort of place that had miraculously escaped development; so few of these places exist nowadays that it makes Cinque Terre even more special.

I would absolutely go back to Momterosso and Vernazzo again. Unfortunately, I didn't have time yesterday, so I checked out of my old hostel in Milan and into a new one ( I wasn't able to reserve contiguous days at just one). From there, I travelled about an hour East to Desenzano, which is a small town by Lake Guarda. It didn't have quite the same hiking or sun-bathing potential as Cinque Terre, but it was still really pretty and peaceful. There was a large contingent of boats and jet skis on the lake and it reminded me how nice the water is -

My Last Day In Innsbruck

As I had planned, Saturday I again went on a free guided hiking tour. The program is sponsored by the city of Innsbruck, and they really do a great job. They even allow you to borrow brand-new hiking boots. This time, we took the nordkettlbahn cable car from the city center a couple of minutes into the neighboring mountainside. The hiking here was a marked difference compared to the Westfalenhaus Glacier that I hiked on Thursday, but both were good in their own right. We mainly stayed on forest trails and the occasional gravel footpath, although we did hike/climb a short ways up the path of an avalanche slide zone too. Apparently it was a dangerous spot in the winter months, but at that moment it was obviously more safe. It was amazing to think that so much snow comes rocketing down the slope every winter. Even more incredible was when I learned that local daredevils both ski and mountainbike down its extreme gradient as well!

I really enjoyed getting to know my fellow bikers - there were about twelve of us and a very diverse group to be sure. There was a former linguistics professor from UGA who was able to count Icelandic among his language repertoire (he had a wife there too but needless to say I mostly talked with him about bulldogs football) a medical student from Germany, another twenty-something-year-old guy vacationing from Germany, a young family of three from Canberra, Austrailia, and a slightly goofy, middle aged computer engineer from New Orleans, just to name a few. It was a fun way to spend me last day in such a beautiful town. By the way, Mom and Abby, I was able to obtain a surprise for each of you there. I think you will like it.

Today I had a nice train ride from Innsbruck to Verona, where I transferred to Milan. Especially on the way to Verona, the countryside was rife with vineyards and wineries, and today was quite a nice travel day. I got into Milan towards evening, so I checked into my hostel and searched for an open store. As with many European cities, most shops are closed on Sundays, but I was able to find a pasticeria, where I told the man in quasi-good Italian that I wanted to practice my language skills. He spoke to me only in Italian from then on, and so did I. I ordered a sandwich and marmalade torte with no ordering confusion, which marked that as a definite triumph. It is pretty cool to be able to communicate without speaking a word of English. In fact, a gentleman on my train asked me a question in Italian, and it was pretty satisfying to be able to understand and reply.

At times I feel as though I am constantly revising my list of favorite places, though this is definitely a good thing, I think. Right now, austria has been my favorite destination, but I have a feeling Italy will prove to be a strong contender too. I cant wait to update y'all again.

Also, they don't play much country music over here, for some strange reason. Feel free to email me with the names of any new singles that are released. Just sayin'...

Innsbruck

So, the past three days have been very eventful (although I have found this to be the case with most days).

On Wednesday, I checked out of my hostel in Salzburg and boarded the train to Innsbruck, austria. The views along the way were incredible- I almost hated to pry my eyes away from the window. Innsbruck was just as beautiful as Salzburg, or maybe even better. The town is surrounded by a ring of mountains; they are so close that ere is a cable car from the central train station to the top of a nearby peak. Needless to say, the views are pretty sweet. I was tired once I checked in, so I read a little and went to bed early.

The next day was one of my favorites. I went on a free guided hiking tour; we took a tour bus about 30minutes into the mountains and disembarked in the middle of an alpine meadow. Over the next four hours, our group of ten walked along a glacial streambed, between towering mountainsides and past glacial waterfalls. There were cows and sheep grazing high on the slopes, and the view was surreal. It somewhat reminded me of the pictures you see in National Geographic. One of the cooler vistas was at the halfway point; we stopped at a cabin to rest and you could see the path we had just hiked between the mountain ridges. There was evidence of an old glacier on one of the hillsides - the ground was strewn with boulders and you could see where sediment had flowed down, years ago. I think it would be impossible to snap a bad photo there.

Today I woke up to a steady drizzle, so I ate breakfast and went back to bed for on hour nap. When I woke up the skies were clear and I walked to the center of town. I was hoping that the imperial gardens would be a nice place to visit, but they turned out to be so-so. My day really perked up, however, when I happened upon the John Phillip Sousa performing band playing outside the town performing arts center. They were quite good, and finished the concert by playing a European marching medley, with each of the Western countries represented. At the very end, they transitioned to a rendition of The Stars and Stripes Forever, which made my day.

I spent the next couple of hours browsing through a couple of massive outdoor stores (skiing, mountain climbing, cycling, backpacking, running, soccer, and more, all in one store!) and checking out the town center. I am looking to go hiking again tomorrow, and hope to give a good report!


Today I

My Favorite City Thus Far

As promised, here is the summary of what I have actually been doing over the last couple of days. The night of the 3rd, after I arrived in Salzburg and had a chance to wander through the old town, I came back to the hostel and heard there was a film showing. What was it? Of course, the Sound Of Music. I will concede that some people go overboard with "the hills are alive" references, but it was nevertheless really neat to watch such a good movie just after I had visited several of the landmarks that are featured in the movie. Even if musicals aren't your thing, I think there are certain movies that transcend genres and really capture the joy, heartbreak, and beauty of our lives. It isn't my very favorite film, bit it is certainly a good one.

The next morning I groggily woke up at the very early hour of 5 o'clock and boarded a train to Zell am See, Austria. I arrived in town two hours later and transferred to a bus that took me another couple of miles into the heart of the Alps. I got off at Kitzsteinhorn ski resort and was greeted with steady winds and pretty cold temperatures. After renting ski equipment and buying a very warm jacket I took two gondolas and a chair lift to the glacier. It remains frozen year-round and amazingly had a very respectable amount of snow. The skiing was a little sticky but still good; unlike the mountains I have skied in the States, there were no glade runs, no bowls, no moguls and no long, sweeping groomers. Instead, I was met with a wide-open expanse of snow and surrounding rock. The view stretched out over the village of Zell am See to row after row of rugged, jagged mountains. There are no foothills here; the peaks seemingly materialize out of the ground and it was absolutely stunning. I can only imagine how much better the conditions are during the Winter season.

That night, I had a wonderful long talk with my family back home. It was great to catch up with them and I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation. I had yet an additional treat: I was able to have a wonderful Skype call with Ashley too. There is no substitute to seeing someone in person, but I was thrilled just to be able to hear her voice, to laugh and just talk (about both serious and silly things). For those of you who don't know, she will be joining me in Milan and it is difficult to describe how much I have been looking forward to it.

Yesterday I packed some sandwiches and had a picnic lunch in the old town. I wanted to go back and spend more time actually visiting the churches - there are at least nine within one square mile. Unlike many cities that have become sprawling metropolises with satellite cities, Salzburg seems to have retained much of its barvarian charm and is largely free from both the teeming swarms of tourists as well as the slightly junky stores and restaurants that plague so many big towns. Salzburg has character and personality. The old town center is still the heartbeat of the city and it is beautiful. My favorite spot was a bench in the center of Mirabell Gardens.

These were the prettiest gardens I have ever encountered. You may have seen them, for they are featured in the sound of music during the "doe, a deer" scene. The gardens were arranged in five main parts, all right next to each other and each featuring a particular type or color of flower. It is difficult to describe their splendor and beauty. I think it would be impossible for one to visit and not be struck for the brilliant riot of colors. My favorite was the rose garden. In contrast to most other rose gardens, this one had just one color and the flowers were planted in a long continuous stretch across a secluded courtyard. The roses were red, a rich crimson color and completely spectacular.

I am increasingly finding that words, while certainly helpful and descriptive, fail to adequately reflect situations or feelings at times. It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but photos also fall short in some areas. I could never hope to sufficiently relate how it feels to be humbled by the beauty of an Alpine panorama, or to be reminded how my life has been immeasurably blessed with relationships, friendships, and opportunities. This has been a journey of self-discovery in some ways, and God continues to remind me how good He is. He has given me reassurance and peace (very helpful on a solo trip across Europe!) and I have witnessed the strengthening of my relationship with Him.

It is a little scary to think about how little control we have over our own lives, but there is Someone in control. Life wasn't always promised to be easy, but we have God's assurance that it will be good. I continue to be reminded of this, and hopefully you will be too. The good life: I'm living it.

Independence Day in Austria

Before I begin an account of what I did today, I think it is imperative that I stop and say a little something about what this day means to me. Don't worry, it won't be essay length (that is for another time).

July 4th has always been a special day for me, and the older I get the more meaningful it becomes. The way I celebrate it might have influenced this. For as long as I can remember, my family has always spent the morning and early afternoon finishing decorations around the house and yard: streamers, bunting and, without fail, an American flag. Sometimes occasional rushed trips to buy last-minute fireworks have been made.

The part I really love, though, is the actual celebrating. We've gone to friends houses in the past, but recently our Fourth has taken place in our neighborhood cul-de-sac. One family opens up their entire house - people move through at least three different rooms with tables for dessert, fruit salads, chips, etc. Outside, people mill around the grill and just talk and catch up with their friends. Last year there must have been a steady crowd of at least 50. Fireworks are always a highlight, but there is something even more special about July 4th for me.

You see, our neighborhood has a good number of military families, and a few of the men were been deployed last time this year. Everyone gathered around at one point and these men and their families were recognized - the sacrifice of thousands was brought to a personal level right then. I all-too-frequently take my blessings and liberties for granted; on July 4th, I am reminded just how fortunate I am and how Much I truly love my country; to be sure, problems exist in America, but It is still the greatest country in the world to me. I've been traveling a little bit and can compare other countries - they just aren't the same. On this day, I hope that you will take a brief moment and remember the men and women who have allowed for July 4th celebrations over the years. May God continue to bless America.

Vienna, Hungary, and my first afternoon in salzburg

Hello everybody,

Sorry for the little lapse in my postings; hopefully this will catch you up.

Two days ago ( my first full day in Vienna) I actually decided, on a whim, to take the train to Budapest. I figured Vienna would only take a day to see and So I decided to take a day trip. It was an interesting trip, but a very boring city.

As soon as I got off the train in was met by several gypsy women who wanted me to book a hotel through them. I ignored them, obviously. I went to the city park, which I had read had a castle in the center. The park was in pretty sad shape - everything was run down and it seemed there wasn't enough money for upkeep. The castle was actually just a fancy old building that with a stretch of the imagination could be called a castle. I walked across town, through street after street of small vendors, Internet cafes and cheap clothing stores. Across the Danube was a soviet-era monument called the citadel. It was actually more like a hillside park with walking paths and the top afforded a really good view of the city. Other than that, the city was a flop, I'm afraid.

However, Vienna was much nicer. I went with my three Korean roomates ( Eugene, June, and the other one who's name I literally could not say) on a tour of the city. We started off with a visit to the schools schonbrunn, which was a huge palace in the middle of the city. It was more than just a palace though; the main lawn stretched out probably a quarter of a mile to a big, beautiful fountain. In between, there were six large flower beds with a types of different colored annuals and perennials arranged in awesome patterns. We had a great time exploring the shrubbery mazes in the complex too. Yes, we stopped at the playground there, and yes, it was really fun ( they had a lot of interactive mini- construction equipment and human size funhouse mirrors and it was a good time being a little kid again.

We then went to two different shops to try doner kebab and viener schnitzel. We finished with a trip to the st stefans cathedral and chatted for a while by the Mozart statue. I really had fun hanging out with them and was sad to see them go. That night, I went to the rauthaus, which was a really impressive-looking city building, to see viennas outdoor film festival. They projected an musical/opera film on a big screen, and I must say it was a pretty neat thing to see. I got fairly cold though and left about halfway through.

I woke up early this morning and arrived at my hostel in Salzburg by lunchtime. The hostel is worth mentioning by the way, for it is close to the town center, cheap, and almost like a hotel. Anyways, I just got back from seeing the hohensalzburg fortress and walking around the residentzplatz town center. The fortress was very big and the entry fee included an audio guide tour of the site. I finished the tour at the top of the highest guardtower, and my breath was a little taken away. On three sides of me rose the alps, and they were truly beautiful. This was almost like the view from neuschwanstein, except that the entire city had this type of view! The residenzplatz was nice to stroll through; there were two men engaged in an active life-size chess game, and there was also a fairly nice but low-key shopping avenue.

I liked it and can't wait for tomorrow. Hopefully the weather will be nice ( with the exception of Spain almost every other day has been drizzly). I hope to update again soon. Thanks for reading - I miss you all and looknforward to seeing you when I get back.