Tuesday, January 03, 2006

It’s white, it starts with SN and ends in OW.

Give up? It’s snow, and it’s in Austria.

Midday on the 2nd Jan...
So, my 2 hour flight left 2 hours late from London Stansted, which I was less than pleased about. I arrived in Salzburg to find light rain, watering away the piles of snow. I was told that it had been raining for the last few days, so the snow had really gone down.
Luckily my friend from college had brought two of her friends along to keep her company whilst she waited for my plane to arrive.
On the drive to her house at about 11 O’clock, we stopped at a bar for a drink. I wanted to order something atypically Austrian, but was told that I was no longer in Austria, but in Germany! The drive from Salzburg to her house involved driving through part of Germany, my third country of the day. So I ordered a beer.
I got back to her house and she had given up her room and her bed for me, which was really nice, especially since it was the first time I’ve slept in a bed since leaving school.

I woke up this morning to find it snowing, and that it had snowed over half a foot overnight. Needless to say, I was thrilled.Breakfast this morning was great. A nice Austrian roll with a variety of Austrian Salami, and a nice cup of Austrian coffee. Oh, I found out something else. Last time I was in Schaldming, I bought this thick milky Austrian drink called Maresi. It looked really yummy, so I bought the 750ml bottle. I found it to be quite strong. Potent even. This morning I found out I found out that Maresi is not a drink, but a coffee creamer. Boy, did I feel stoopid!Before leaving for the train station, Regina (my friend from college) and I found we had 20 or so minutes to spare, so we went outside for a snowball fight. The snow was perfect. Soft, but very ‘packable’, and perfect for snowball fights. I’d almost forgotten how it feels to throw really good snow, and how satisfying it is when you hit someone with it.
Then we made snow angels, which I haven’t done in the longest time. It was pretty much the coolest thing ever.

I’m sitting here on a train from Salzburg to Schladming, watching the snow gently fall to the ground and not disappear. The snow on the roofs is pure, fluffy and over two foot thick. It is truly breathtaking.
So far, I’ve managed to get all (both) of my train tickets, with my sufficient use of German, and without using English (which I am quietly pleased with).
I heard a kid speaking English in the next carriage, so I went over to talk with this family, who turn out to be from Hampsted Heath in London, about an hour from where I live. They are also going to Schladming, so I got to give them a few tips and told them of some places to eat at or visit.

If anyone in Seattle reads this, then keep on checking whether I am on Skype, because Dawn and I would really, really like to talk with you. I’m guessing I will be posting on here again, as Dawn has wireless at her place, where I’ll be staying.
Hope you all had a great Christmas and New Years also!

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