Tag: FreeStyleTravel

Astounding Austria

Leave a comment

I’m in love with traveling, so much so that I’ve failed to post lately! Austria required my full attention. It’s alpine landscapes and vast cities sucked me in. I was fortunate to experience lots of variety in the cities I traveled to in Austria. Since I’m so behind where I currently am in my trip I’m starting with a single post of all the towns I visited in Austria: Vienna, Grunau, Salzburg and Innsbruck.

VIENNA:
There is lots about my experience in Vienna that wasn’t ideal. I was coming down with the cold that had been circulating through the crowded buses and busy hostels. On my third night in Vienna I awoke to the girl sleeping in the bed under me shrieking about being attacked by bed bugs in the night. She even had the evidence squished on her bed (YUCK!). I was motivated to quickly find alternative accommodation and Airbnb came to my rescue providing a clean private room just a short walk away. This little splurge for my last two nights in Vienna was definitely the nicest place I’ve stayed while traveling solo and had a washing machine which I eagerly took advantage of. With access to unlimited tea and a kitchen I also tried to remedy my oncoming cold with a few home cooked meals. Doing something as routine as cooking a meal felt nice.

There are so many wonderful sights in Vienna- Belveder Palace, Schloss Schonbrunn, St. Stephan’s Cathedral. The food was excellent I couldn’t get enough goulash, tidbits from Nashmarket or the original Vienesse torte.

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Though the city was beautiful, one of my favorite days was the day I joined a biking-wine tour of the surrounding countryside of Wachau Valley. It started out a gray day and dumped buckets on us as we prepped for our ride by covering ourselves in gray plastic ponchos.   Already delayed over an hour, we were delayed yet again when half our tour group road off in the wrong direction. The apologetic guide left me and four others with a bottle of peach schnapps as he darted out into the rain after the rouge tourists. Half a bottle later we were all feeling warmer and in much better spirits when the guide returned. Apparently the group that had gotten separated were less then confident on a bicycle and would be taking a taxi to meet us at the first winery. The 5 of us remaining plus the 2 guides sped off in the rain. Having surrendered to the fact we were going to get wet, splashing through puddles in the crisp air ended up being a lot of fun! Arriving at the first winery I was surprised to find, unlike Napa, each “taste” was roughly half a glass of wine. The group that had taxied to the winery didn’t seem to be big wine fans either and decided to meet us back at the train station later that evening- why they signed up for this tour in the first place I’ll never know. But this left the same amount of wine for half the people so nobody was complaining. At one winery we climbed over 100 stairs on a nearly vertical hill to reach a private patio overlooking the river. The sun began to break through the clouds and we sat with full glasses looking down into the valley, inviting passing villagers to join us for a glass- and server all of them actually did. The owner brought out an additionally bottle of homemade apricot schnapps- a specialty of the region. The air was fresh and damp, mist hung over the mountain tops, the valley surrounding us was so green. We took a barge across the river, the sun was truly shining now. The bike ride back was nothing but smooth winding roads. We stop to pick apples and pears from and orchard. The guides, apparently sticking to no strict timeline, let the tour slip into the evening. By the end we were dry and full and happy, in a perfect state to doze on the train ride back to Vienna.

GRÜNAU:
This was the mountain escape I had been craving. After exploring a variety of concrete jungles I was ready to soak in some nature. I lucked out with four perfect days of sunshine.

Day 1: Hike to a waterfall, only about a 3 hour round trip with 7 other BusAbouters. Minimal bush-wacking required (through spidery bushes ah!) but totally worth it when we reached the waterfall. Standing under the mouth of the waterfall and being soaked by the glacial water was FREEZING but so refreshing after the hike. This hike also made me really thankful for my Tevas purchase, perfect for climbing through water and rocks without hurting my feet and I didn’t need to worry about them not drying out afterwards.

Our terrific host Gerhard- Owner of the Treehouse!

Day 2: A 42 kilometer bike ride to a glacial mountain lake with 4 friends from the hostel. I was completely exhausted by the time we arrived and already dreading the hilly ride back but after a meal (aka soup and orange juice- still feeling under the weather) and a jump in the lake I was ready to take on the ride home. It seemed to go a lot faster, as it usually does when you know where you’re going, and the mountain scenery was to die for.

Day 3: I literally slept all day, waking up only for meals. This is what my body truly needed and with the sound of the river outside my balcony door I was very content. The small, family-run hostel I was staying at felt more like a home then a hostel. The owner Gerhard prepared home cooked lunches and dinners everyday for all of the guests at the Treehouse. If you ever come through Granau I would highly recommend this accommodation. This day of rest did the trick and by the next morning I was feeling ready to take on the world.

Day 4: Three hostel-mates and I decided to embark on an all-day hike to the top of Mount Kasberg. It ended up taking us about 6.5 hrs, covering 11.5 miles round trip, with a 1200 meter vertical elevation gain to the summit. We were rewarded with a waterfall along the way and the most stunning of views from the top. We even made it home in time for dinner- there’s nothing like a hot meal waiting for you as motivation to hustle!

SALZBURG:
Famous for its salt mines, the Salzburg Festival, being the setting for the award winning film “The Sound of Music” and being the home of Mozart, Salzburg was an excellent stop. This was an incredibly scenic town, placed in a valley with Fortress Hohensalzburg looming over the town from one side and a bright yellow monastery across the way on a slightly lower hill. My favorite thing I did was explore the catacombs located in St. Peter’s cemetery. Though this may sound creepy, it was so interesting to see how the catacombs were built into the cliff face, and the small windows, placed in the mountain face, provided ideal views over the old town. The rest of my time in Salzburg consisted of lots of rain, so I did what any great tourist would do and joined a Sound of Music tour- not only because it was the cheapest one offered, but because the killer sound track I knew they were bound to play. There is nothing like belting “Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens…” out at the top of your lungs with a bunch of other insane tourists to make you feel better on a gray day. But in all seriousness this tour was a great way to see several of Salzburg’s surrounding lakes and some other more distant scenic locations where the movie was filmed, including Schloss Hellbrunn. In the evening I sat in the town square with a warm coffee watching a screening of an opera with many others too cheap to buy a ticket to the Salzburg Festival’s current evening offerings. I think it is lovely the city still works to engage the rest of the community in this art and culture by providing free alternatives. With a break in the rain it was nice to be out under the stars in the fresh night air.

INNSBRUCK:
(Note: I visited Innsbruck after Munich so this is not the correct order of my trip- I’m just covering Austria here) My first impression of Innsbruck wasn’t great, there was lots of construction and the city looked extremely industrial from where I was dropped off. After making it to my hostel though I was much closer to the old town and was beginning to see the cities charm. This clean, well located hostel wasn’t busy and I even enjoyed the 4-bed door to myself for one night, which was a nice change. I did a lap around the old town, spotting Innsbruck’s famous Golden Roof, then visited the Swarovski Kristallwelten during my first afternoon. This crystal world was filled with different contemporary art installations all using Swarovski crystals- I most enjoyed the ones with strong commentary on consumer culture, excess and materialism (though it seems to have the exact opposite mission as Swarovski’s business goals). The outside was just as beautiful as the exhibits inside the crystal world and my friends and I sat in the sun watching the crystal clouds installation glitter with the alps standing tall in the background. The next day I paid a quick visit to Innsbruck’s Alpine Zoo- the highest altitude zoo in the world. All the animals seemed to be out and running around and I especially enjoyed the friendly bobcat who walk right up to say hello to me. Next I was excited to do a little hiking from the top of the surrounding alps that dominated the landscape.  I took the Nordkettenbahnen cable car up to the top of the mountain. Hiking along these alpine trails was one of the most breathtaking moments I’ve had on this trip. The town of Innsbruck looked so small below me. Sheep skillfully traversed the hills around me, their neck bells ringing like chimes as they walked. Once I got away from the main path to the closest summit, the solitude was amazing. Standing on this impressive mountain I felt like I was on top of the world. Thousands of miles from home, finding my way, soaking in the moment, one breath of fresh air at a time.

Photos: Chillin in Cesky Krumlov

Leave a comment

I think this small town in the Czech Republic may have just topped Bruges as my favorite small town I’ve visited so far. The adorable winding cobbled streets, the wedding cake like castle tower, the rambling river, the daily crafts market, not to mention having half the amount of tourists as Bruges and significantly cheaper prices. I only spent two full days in this charming town but it would have been an excellent place to stop and rest for longer. The hostel, as advertised, was more like a house then a hostel- they even insisted guests remove their shoes at the front door. Krumlov House made me feel right at home and gave me lots of interesting suggestions for how to spend my short time in Cesky Krumlov. My favorite suggestion was the relaxing four hour rafting trip where a few friends and I floated down the Vltava River on a sunny afternoon. Here are a few pictures from the weekend to get a taste of my visit. Please excuse my obsession with the castle tower, it was just so pretty!

Photos: Darling Dresden

1 Comment

Dresden was a wonderful contrast to Berlin. The old town was all bundled together in one compact section, it was much smaller and felt like a mix between a university town and the suburbs. I experienced more kindness from family members who I was only meeting for the first time. I stayed with my grandmother’s  cousin’s niece Martina and her husband Gert who opened their doors and arms to me, treating me as a daughter during my stay. I could not be more thankful for their generosity and hospitality. I had a truly wonderful time. We spent many evenings sitting on their back porch, overlooking their flourishing garden, sipping rosé, while they patiently answered all of my many questions about Germany. In pictures, here’s a bit of my time in scenic Dresden.

Day 1: Fabulous authentic German lunch and tour of the old town

Day 2: Tour of the Historic Green Vault and walk along the shore at sunset during the Kaiser Mania concert to observe crazy Roland Kaiser fans. On our way home we saw hundreds of rollerbladers; apparently Dresden shuts roads every Friday during summer for this large group to safely skate the city.

Day 3: Sachsische Schweiz National Park, biergarten (beer garden) lunch, Japanisches Palais (Japanese Palace), and in the evening met Gert and Martina’s son Jurge

Day 4: Tour of Semper Opera House, Zwinger exhibits- Old Masters Picture Gallery, Porcelain Collection, and Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon, tour of places my parents visited when they were young, met Gert and Martina’s son Frank, coffee with Gert and Martina’s daughter Enis and a snitzel dinner (YUM!)

I sincerely hope to come back to Dresden one day!

Amsterdam

1 Comment

Amsterdam is a mad house. I nearly got killed by three bikes and a tram before I even reached my hostel. The smell of marijuana drifted from the park adjacent my hostel’s entrance. I needed to be buzzed in through two doors before I even reached the reception desk. Up in the 6-bed, all female dorm room I found my bedding shrink wrapped in a plastic package. Welcome home Kendal!

After making my bed and locking up all my belongings I forced myself outside pushing aside my first impressions of Amsterdam. After all this was the city so many of my friends raved about, praised for being one of the most tolerant places in the world, with innovative solutions to some of the world’s most controversial social issues.

Later that evening I met with a group of people from BusAbout, the company I’ve been using for transportation. Our crew member from the day’s trip had offered to give an evening tour through of the Red Light District which gained a lot of interest from passengers. The night was full of energy, you could feel the city rev up as the sun went down. We grabbed a quick bite at a noodle joint near Dam Square then off to see the famed Red Light District.

The streets felt dirty and grimy, perpetuated by the mounds of trash floating in the canal next to us. By 9:00pm men of all ages already stood along the sidewalks. Red curtains, elluminated by red lights hung in the windows. It was still early enough only a handful of women stood behind the glass doors of these little rooms. Some standing, vigorously working to attract business, others leaning back in their chairs, seemingly disinterested, on their phones. The streets had nicknames like “skinny lane” (which was actually physically very narrow) where the high-end, thin prostitues were rumored to be. Walking the same streets much later that same night women were illuminated in every window. I felt very conflicted, these women were being seen as objects, and sex as a good to be bought and sold. Their looks their currency in this upsidedown industry. Seeing these women as humans, as daughters, as mothers I felt sad. I hope they are here by choice and not for lack of options. I highly doubt that is true in all cases, but I’m glad that as a legalized industry in Amsterdam the city mandates better conditions for sex workers and enforces safety measures that benefit these women no matter why they are there.

My new found friends from the evening tour and I bar hop the rest of the night away. A friendly and insistent, but harmless, pair of men in town on business buy us drinks one after the next using their company credit cards. The older of the two men starts the conversation talking about his daughter (who is the same age as us) and ends the night pernouncing one of us will be his next wife. Very, very strange- and on that note it was time to leave.

Next thing I know my 7:30AM alarm is going off. One of the drawbacks of getting a last minute online ticket to the Van Gough Museum is you’re stuck with the worst times. I make it to the museum by opening time and am thankful to be able to skip line that is already stretching around the building.

I spend about an hour in the exhibit before my exhaustion overcomes me and I know it’s time for coffee. After staring out the window and getting a much needed injection of caffeine I’m ready to fully enjoy the art. I spend hours looking at every piece and reading the captions about the artists life and the other artists who inspired Van Gough’s work. They even had a special exhibit on him slipping into insanity and cutting off his ear. To clarify it was the whole ear, leaving only a small portion of the lobe behind (Yikes!).

Earger to get out into the fresh air around 2:00pm I exited the museum and wandered Museum Square. Taking in all the excitement around the “I Amsterdam” sign. I walked to a local market, marked on the map my hostel gave me. Being outside walking the market strip, the sun on my face, looking at the goods for sale, I’m happy.

The following day I rented a bike. Given the great experience I had in Belgium I was excited to be on a bike again. I was nervous about riding the busy city streets so I ride Vondelpark for awhile before deciding to follow Amstel River out of town towards a hopefully less crowded countryside.

I ride along the river run until the adorable crooked houses with their roof-top hooks are far behind me. I see house boats of all types, people swimming in the river, people floating on inner tubes, vast parks. The whole way the bike path is flawlessly kept providing a nice smooth ride. The landscape becomes more rural as I approach a thatched windmill.

I stop at a sign reading “Rembrandt Hoeve” that is decorated with a pair of clogs. Feeling brave I decide to go check it out in hopes the building is the clog and cheese factory my BusAbout guide had mentioned would be part of a countryside bike tour he was advertising. Looking for the entrance I walk behind the house. There is a barn lined with cows, including two new calves. After petting the cows and taking way too many pictures, I walk through the back door of this mystery barn. I enter a tiny room and a tour group of 30+ Indian tourist turn to face me. I feel embarrassed but am welcomed into the tour and am lovingly referred to as “the American” for the rest of my visit. The crazy farmer leading the tour is the owner of the family run farm and exuberantly shows us how a wooden clogs are made and explains the cheese pressing process as he hands out samples. I can’t even explain how much energy this man has, providing a very entertaining tour. At one point he even borrowed/took my phone and began taking selfies left and right! It was quite the experience and I can say I’m very glad I made the stop.

After riding back into the city I met with my BusAbout friends for dinner. Their trip was coming to a close and they were headed back to Austrailia and the realities of school and work. Back to stability, to not living out of a backpack, to not sharing hostel rooms. I wouldn’t have traded them places but those comforts sounded really nice!

My last stop in Amsterdam was the Anne Frank house. It left me in a very reflective state about the horrible things humans have done, and continue to do, to one another. Being in the space where the Frank family hid for so long helped me imagine their fear and frustration. A quote from Anne in 1943, “I long to ride a bike, dance, whistle, look at the world, feel young and know that I’m free.” I left feeling more grateful than ever for my freedom. I left with a vow to no longer take this freedom for granted.