Travel
As we came down the mountain, just before sunset, the fog dissipated enough to reward us with some gorgeous vistas, more like a sneak peek of the beauty this area holds. We knew there and then that we wanted to come back.
- Miserable Weather
Well the weather around here has turned miserable and slushy. It's not cold out...the temperature is hovering around the freezing mark. But we had about 5 cm's (2 inches) of wet snow overnight, and it drizzled with rain most of the day, and now...
- I'm Good To Go!
My doctor checked the hernia and said it didn't require surgery at this time unless I wanted it, and agreed that I could use an Ace Bandage (she even gave me two of them). The big problem with the bandage is that it slips out of place and ends...
- The Great Christmas Market Tour Of Europe
Christmas time is an open door that permits a brief return to innocence. The magic dwells in the flavours and smells, the glittering lights, the rainbow of colours and the childish laughter. I love Christmas not for what it is or represents, but for the...
- The Three Valleys, France. A Snow Heaven
I love having fun in the snow, don't you? Even more than that, I love France and the French Alps, therefore, a fun filled white holiday there always sounds like heaven to me. France has many ski areas, varied and extensive and the snow is super reliable...
- Photo Of The Day: Winter Wonderland
I haven't seen, touched nor tasted snow in years. And I miss it so badly. I never liked the cold; but the snow... who can possibly not like the puffy white dust that melts on the tip of your nose? This postcard like pic Flickr user restarpictures...
Travel
Innsbruck. Snow and Fairytales
As the train rushed through the Alps, I must admit I was a bit disappointed. The fog was diminishing the beauty of my favourite mountains and no snow was in sight. We had been exploring Europe with an Interrail Pass from ACPRail for more than two weeks now and though the trip had been absolutely amazing so far, as it was coming to an end, feelings of sadness and frustration were taking charge of my mood. I really hopped to see snow in this trip, but so far, nothing.
When we arrived in Innsbruck, often dubbed 'The Capital of the Alps', and one of the best skiing spots in Europe, it was already late. We didn't get to explore the city at all that day, and went to bed a bit confused, and with diminished hopes.
You can imagine our joy when we pulled the curtains in the morning and saw big, fluffy snowflakes dancing in the air. But the humidity levels and temperature were too high for the snow to have any chance to cover the streets of Innsbruck with a white blanket. The mountains were still shrouded in mist and as we enquired around, nobody was sure if there was any snow on top of the mountains.
Towards mid-morning, we found out about the Nordkette live webcam. The top of the mountain was covered in snow, however, the visibility was extremely poor. Not a good day to go up the mountain. But we were on a mission and a few minutes later, we were at the Nordkette cablecar.
I have to admit we were among the few crazy people to adventure on the mountain on such a day. But the first stop was a winter wonderland. Most of the photos in this post are from there. The station was designed by Zaha Hadid and it looks pretty cool. However, as predicted, the city beneath was hard to distinguish and the panoramic view was not much of a panorama at all. But the trees were wearing their beautiful winter coats and this was enough for us to be thrilled.
As we went up to the second station, the city beneath us completely disappeared. Trees became rare too. The Ice Bar was still under construction and all we could see around us was soft snow and fog. We didn't adventure too far, for it would have been extremely easy to get lost or fall. The snow was 20-30cm here and the silence profound.
Up at the 3rd station, close to the top of the mountain, we built a snowman (20cm high!). The snow was too fresh to stick together and we gave up on our enterprise pretty soon, chased away by the freezing cold. So we found our way to the comfy coffee shop for a hot chocolate topped with cream. Heaven!
As we came down the mountain, just before sunset, the fog dissipated enough to reward us with some gorgeous vistas, more like a sneak peek of the beauty this area holds. We knew there and then that we wanted to come back.
It's hard to believe that after all the snow we had witnessed on top of the mountain, we found this gorgeous tree in bloom right in the city centre. What was it thinking? Didn't it know winter was coming?
It turns our, Innsbruck is a charming city to walk through. Though we looked forward more to the snow than anything else, the festive mood at the bottom of the mountain was contagious.
We drank cupfuls of gluhwein and stuffed ourselves with wursts, sweets and roasted chestnuts. We encountered music bands every other street and marvelled at the beautiful architecture.
However what surprised us most was the discovery of the Giants' Street and the Fairytales' Street. We definitely did not expect to see Rapunzel waving from one of the towers, nor spot Snow White and her seven dwarfs.
We feel like we barely scratched the surface of Innsbruck. Our day was filled with joy, but it left us longing for more. And as soon as we left, we already started making plans to return.
This is what we love about traveling with a train pass. Europe becomes a fancy box of chocolates and you never know what wonders you will discover in the next location.
- Miserable Weather
Well the weather around here has turned miserable and slushy. It's not cold out...the temperature is hovering around the freezing mark. But we had about 5 cm's (2 inches) of wet snow overnight, and it drizzled with rain most of the day, and now...
- I'm Good To Go!
My doctor checked the hernia and said it didn't require surgery at this time unless I wanted it, and agreed that I could use an Ace Bandage (she even gave me two of them). The big problem with the bandage is that it slips out of place and ends...
- The Great Christmas Market Tour Of Europe
Christmas time is an open door that permits a brief return to innocence. The magic dwells in the flavours and smells, the glittering lights, the rainbow of colours and the childish laughter. I love Christmas not for what it is or represents, but for the...
- The Three Valleys, France. A Snow Heaven
I love having fun in the snow, don't you? Even more than that, I love France and the French Alps, therefore, a fun filled white holiday there always sounds like heaven to me. France has many ski areas, varied and extensive and the snow is super reliable...
- Photo Of The Day: Winter Wonderland
I haven't seen, touched nor tasted snow in years. And I miss it so badly. I never liked the cold; but the snow... who can possibly not like the puffy white dust that melts on the tip of your nose? This postcard like pic Flickr user restarpictures...