Hotel Rosengarten Neustift im Stubaital

... we had finished at the zoo, the sun was trying to come out and the snow had completely melted off the trees.

We caught the bus into the old city where I was determined that I was going to have some genuine Sacher torte so went to Cafe Sacher which is home of the original Sacher torte (it originated in Vienna). Sacher Torte is actually chocolate cake with a layer of jam in the middle ...

... where the snow had stuck. We then went to the Hofkirche which was the church which has the tomb of Maximilian I (although he’s actually buried in Vienna where he died) and 28 bronze figures that were commissioned by him. They are of people who he saw as being important during his lifetime, including King Arthur of England. The bronze was painted black as some stage although certain parts of the statues have been polished by people’ ...

... a large room and then walked into the old town to have dinner at a restaurant that had Austrian food. The prices seem quite reasonable after Switzerland, but that might be because they are in Euros. I had a goulash which was quite nice but salty. Again German is the language used but most people speak English so we haven't had any problems. It was very cold as we walked home and Tara kept saying, I hope it snows tomorrow (it certainly felt cold enough).

... right along the water. I must have been running slow - I was running along the path humming to the Eurythmics, and staring at the mountains in the distance when a little boy whizzed by me on a Unicycle. I'm not sure - but I can't imagine you can go fast on one of those things. I must have been humming loudly, because the little boy passed me, and turned his head fully around and ...

... The scenery was definently worth it, with the Gerlos pass having a lovely Waterfall..the waterfall started a few km's up and was pretty impressive. By the time we had done the second pass it was getting quite late...but not dark yet.
The drive to Innsbruck was via motorways, but scenic enough as we got to our hotel around 7pm..just after dark. We went past the Swarovski Factory on the way into Innsbruck ...

... br>Oktoberfest.

All in all I was very impressed with
Innsbruck and the Austrians. Everyone I met was very nice and wiling to help me
if they were able to understand English.
Not only do the women love the outdoors and adventures as much as the
men, the majority of them are very attractive. At one point I saw a woman
downhill mountain biking and get about 10 feet of air off a jump. I must say a
pretty impressive feat!

... about these things, and she claims she is but she always gets what she asks for!) and of course he said yes, and that is how we came to stay in a very nice room with free Internet and cozy beds.

Today we walked back to the main square to check things out. It was raining lightly but it didn't stop us from having a good time. We checked out the numerous shops and went to the top of the tower. Lincoln wasn't allowed up so we had to go in shifts. You really only need 15 ...

... well as a crystal on display that is larger than my head. The exhibits in each room vary considerably. In this case I think the pictures describe the museum much better than I can. Once at the end of the museum rooms, the visitor must pass through the showroom and store before leaving the facility. Mom and I had a lot of fun in the store and the men waited patiently for us to decide on ...

Someone once said that Innsbruck was **** and there was no need to go there. But then they changed their mind and stayed for 3 days declaring it "how marvellous". It was a chance to get re-aquainted with Mr Pommes and Mrs Schnitzel. They were both doing very well!

Sadly, I dont remember much about Austria. Too bad because I have read so much about it lately as the music and art centre of Europe in the 1700s, I'd love to check that out.
I asked my dad recently if we had been there before. He said, 'oh yes, many times, we loved it'. Hmm, what a pity. I suppose it still counts because the images of scenery must be in my mind somewhere... curse this short memory of mine!