Skiing in Heaven

The alpines are mountains that seem to be carved out of the bones of the earth. Imagine skiing on them.

On Friday, I found myself on a train bound for Kitzbühel with my hostel booked and my backpack packed with ski clothes. Dylan had put together a little ski trip and it was needed after the fail of Garmisch-Partenkirchen trip. Others on the trip included Matt, two Brasiliens, Vitor and Lara, and a Saudi Arabian, Aziz. We made up quite a motley crew varying 10 years in age and, as already stated, from around the globe. The train was pretty easy; our only transfer was in Wörgl, Österreich (Austria in English but I'm going to stick with German names). It was night, so we couldn't see much, unlike our train back.

We arrived in Kitzbühel, out destination, and a string of lights illuminating the gondola was the only evidence of any mountain. The walk to the Snowbunnies Hostel took only a few minutes but we didn't really know where to go so I stopped in a hotel and asked where it was. She said in german, as she laughed, it's across the street above that clothing store. I looked over and saw a huge sign that read HOSTEL. At least we found it.

The hostel owner, Dave, was a BAMF (If you do not know the term it means Bada** Motherf*****). As we paid him the 45 Euro for our total two night's stay, he brought out some schnapps (any liquor or liqueur in German speaking countries is called schnapps). He asked me to pour some shots, and I gladly obliged. After paying we all did a shot and were shown our rooms. I stayed in a room with Dylan, 2 French guys, a guy from Essex county in England, and an unknown guy who only said "Morning" to us once. What we needed after we settled in was food. We asked where to get some good Austrian food and headed to Zinnkrug where we got our wish. At a table across the restaurant a group of old locals sang in HARMONY a richly ornamented version of Ein Prosit and then later another drinking song of which I do not know the name. That really started off the trip right. 

Dyland and I tried to get some sleep, but it was always interrupted by the orchestral snores of the 2 Frenchmen. I swear to god it was somehow in surround sound. While I was awake, I would track the tonal movement of each snore. One was always in F while the other was in a shaky A. That was all nice until the guy in A moved into some sort of semitonal range that made me awake even more. This analyzation may sound extreme, but you have a lot of time when you are awake and all you hear is constant snore. Dylan the next morning was making fun of how they had it times so that when one wasn't snoring the other would. I never did dislike the French......until now.

The next morning, we suited up, grabbed a quick breakfast, and headed over to rent skies, boots and a helmet (YES MOM, I SPENT 7 EURO FOR YOUR PEACE OF MIND!). It was a bit rainy at the bottom of the mountain, which only meant snow up top. The gondola ride up was pretty cool, but still a little too foggy.

It was the first time Lara, Vitor, and Aziz had ever gone skiing let alone the first time Lara has ever touched or seen snow. Dylan, Matt and I tried to teach them how and they learned fairly quickly. Aziz had a hard time simply because he didn't know how to stop. He eventually just said he couldn't go further and walked back to the gondola. However frustrated he was, he kept on smiling. That was pretty awesome. The first run was tough for anyone - narrow, full of steep slopes on one side, and crowded. Lara made it to the next stop, a restaurant where we had a beer, and remained there as Matt, Vitor and I kept going.

Dylan and I eventually took two runs on our own. Being from Park City, Dylan is a lot better than me. I would see him at the bottom of a run when I was ten feet down the mountain. The beer that we had definitely stopped any speed inhibitions I had, which allowed me to work on my form a bit. Those two runs we took started on a face with at least a foot of new powder. It was a nice change from the usual groomed German slopes. Dylan went off into a ravine and I went straight down. I kept waiting and waiting, but eventually he came after digging himself out of a small stream. Matt and Vitor joined us as we went up further. We explored the mountains more and Vitor was getting exponentially better as time went on. As we got up higher, the clouds broke just a little bit giving us some view of what was around. 

A lot better visibility than Garmisch



The clouds breaking at the top

On our way back down, Dylan and I went by to pick up Lara at the ski lodge. To make things faster, Dylan put Lara in front of him and he steered her around. The gondola ride down the mountian was much more scenic since the sun had broken through some of the clouds.



The town of Kitzbühel from the gondola

We met up with the rest of the people, got our skies returned and then started the apres ski. Starting at Pavillon bar, we sat down and had a drink to soothe our sore muscles.

apres ski, the best kind of ski?

After only one drink, we needed a little nap. We headed back to the hostel and I watched part of the Italy - Scotland Six Nations Rugby game. I slept during the England - Ireland game, then got up for the France - Wales game. During this time I got to know a bunch of other people at the hostel who eventually went out with us later. So it was our diverse crew with an Australian, an Englishman, a Kiwi, and another American added. We headed to Highways bar where it was Happy Hour. It was from this bar that my closed smelled of cigarettes the next day...it's still okay to smoke in bars in Österreich. After a few half priced drinks, we made our way to El Dorado, the cheapest bar in town. All around the bar were Western American license plates and pictures of old Ford and GMC trucks. I didn't expect a place like this in the middle of the Alps.

Before I went to bed, I checked out what was going on in Libya downstairs - I heard America had started shooting Tomahawks at certain anti-air targets. It's hard to be up to date on American news in Europe, but this was certainly being covered by all the stations.

I went to sleep not expecting to ski in the morning since our train was at 3:45, but after looking outside and Dylan putting some great peer pressure on me...I gave in. It was perfectly sunny outside with each mountain topped by a small cloud. I would have regretted not going. As I was getting ready, I realiyed I didnät have my wallet. I started freaking out because I have never lost my wallet or phone or anything of importance before. I eventually found it on the table in the lounge downstairs. There were a bunch of people in there and it was there all night. I love how honest people are in German speaking countries. We got our skies from the rental place again and met up with Andrew from the US and Sam from New Zealand. We skiied around the mountian, going further and further into the Alps and getting miles away from the town. It was an awesome day of skiing and here are some pictures of the heavenly mountains:



Sam and Dylan on our first run



We eventually took a tram to teh other side of the resort. It went across this huge valley



The further you went into the mountians the better the views got

We stopped at a lodge at the top of one o the highest peaks and got a beer

During our break, the clouds broke more and more

Panorama of the view from the top. The mountains don't stop



We needed to start making our way back so we took the tram

 Once on theother side, Sam and Andrew kept on skiing while Dylan and I made our way down. We had a choice - take the gondola all the way down like the day before....or ski all teh way down. We chose the latter. The pictures of the valley below were totally worth it. the ski run also ended in the middle of town, so it was extremely convenient to take our skis over to the shop.



Panorama of the valley. Kitzbühel is on the far far right.

 After that ski day, we got our stuff from the hostel, got a bite to eat at the Bratwurst stand in town and headed to the train. The journey back was somewhat of a bust. My travel plans included two connections each with only 7 minutes in between. I got into Munich 6 minutes before Dylan so he decided to go with my plans....wrong choice. Our second train ended up being 15 minutes late, which meant we wouldn't make our 2nd connection. We got off the train at a stop and waited for another train that was leaving for Munich in 10 minutes. Other people did the same. This train got into Munich eventually, but very late. We were only 15 mintues from Munich when our trains electric power started not working. Trains must switch from diesel to electric power once entering the city center to keep quiet. We waited an hour and a half in one spot then moved backwards to another. The train stopped there then the captain said we were going to go back to Rosenheim (where we were last) where busses were going to take us into Munich. This was all in German, so most of the time I didn't understand what was going on. When we got to Rosenheim, we didn't get busses but a new engine that worked. The train then booked it to Munich, arriving a total of almost 4 hours late.

I expected a lot more from the German train system than some crazy thing like this. At least I wasn't one of the people who missed a flight of a connecting train. At the peak of my disgruntleness, I whipped out a bottle of Malibu, which Dylan and I shared. I didn't really care anymore at that more. It might have been that a great day ended poorly but they couldn't take away the perfect day of skiing that we had (Dylan's words).

Once I got back to the Wohnheim, I ate a ton and just fell asleep. I woke up with a great smile on my face because I realized that the skiing was not a dream. I am now in my last week in Munich. I leave for Amsterdam over the weekend to see PB and Momo.

All pictures from the trip:

Kitzbühel

Things to do/visit before I leave:
Deutsches Museum
Night photography of Munich
Top of Old St. Peter's and take pics up there
Starkbierfest

Fasching and Skipping Class (for Biergartens)

What is there to say about Fasching. It occurred more than a week ago, but I am still talking about it. Before I left for Ireland, Munich was already being decked out with clowns and banners and streamers. With Fasching comes a lot of costume balls, but one needs and invite to those things, so I obviously didn't participate. Instead, I think I got the better part of it. Walking to class put me in the Fasching mood immediately when I saw kids and their parents on the S-Bahn in costumes. The parents were drinking beer (legal to drink beer on the subway) and their kids were imitating them with a coke bottle - passing it around and talking in slurs. 

Then I got off the train and was immediately in another world - all adults in costumes drinking and partying as I was going to school.....argh

As I walked out of the Stachus station on my way to school. WHY SCHOOL!?

Once out of class, Erik and I headed straight for the festivities. He skipped the first hour and a half of class to go party...I should have as well. We started with two beers in Marienplatz. We realized that the Pfand (the money you pay for the beerstein...that you are supposed to bring back and get back) was only 1 Euro (I think?). We just walked away with our beersteins and walked through the garbed up, crowded streets of Munich. We met up with my friend Dave, and he had been there for quite some time. With our glasses, we never had to pay the Pfand again, so eventually saved the money...and got a beerstein! Erik was smart and left his book bag back at a locker in our school. I was still carrying mine around, and getting bumped was annoying but I couldn't complain...IT WAS FASCHING! So the night just went on - beer and people watching. One of the best costumes was a guy in full 1930s ski garb with wooden skies that he carried ALL NIGHT. Props to you sir! I have to say that I was in no costume, but no one really cared. 

The neue Rathaus with banners and outdoor bars. This is where we started

I really didn't capture much at all of Fasching, I'm just realizing

It's great because this is the sort of thing that Bavarians celebrate. It isn't the wonderful but extremely international Oktoberfest, yet it is still crazy and full of beer drinking. Starkbierfest is next week and celebrates the fasting of Lent by drinking the beer the monks used to drink, which is usually 7-9% alcohol. Damn!

So that was Fasching. This weekend was nice - stayed in Munich and hung out with friends. Then came yesterday, the first day above 60 degrees (it even got to 65!). Megan, Federico, Gian Luigi (sp?), and I went to Englischer Garten, which is bigger than Central Park. We started out at the river surfing spot and watched the surfers do their thing for god knows how long. It was awesome how some of the surfers could have kept going but they wiped out on purpose to share the spot. Here are some pictures:

We then walked to the Rotunda. Once on top, you had a slight view of the Munich skyline, especially Frauenkirche, the Neue Rathaus, and Alte Sankt Peter's. Erik met up with us and we headed to the Chinesischer Turm (Chinese Tower) and the Hofbräu Biergarten there. Food, beer, are a tempting combo. So tempting that as the hour of class drew nearer, we got less likely to go. After a few more beers, we laid on the lawn in front of the Rotunda and chilled. It's days like this that you can't wait for summer. 

Today was a normal day for class. I did, however, see the Alps for the first time from the train stop I get on at for class. My heart skipped a beat and I knew I would have to photograph them more as the weather clears up more and more. I leave you with pictures of Englischer Garten:

Buro a la derecha! - A Venezuelan card game?

When irish eyes are smiling....Galway 2011

Seven stamps now proudly show themselves in my passport, which I just attained before coming to Europe. I feel like Jason Bourne or some classy jet-setter. The biggest trip I've made was obviously back home for my mom's birthday, but now, I've added a UK and Ireland stamp to the mix. It was all to meet up with my singing group, the University Chorale of Boston College as they made their annual spring-break migration to Europe.

The Journey:
The entire trip there included an 1.5 hour flight to London Heathrow, then a 45 minute flight from there to Shannon. From Shannon, I took a 2 bus to Galway. The return journey was the same, just backwards. I write this now as we taxi in Shannon and Aer Lingus is playing Vampire Weekend. I think I need to write a post on globalization, but now....only Ireland.

The flights there were grand. This time, there were no clouds over Europe and you could see all the small German and French villages. When we were over the English countryside, Victorian palatial estates were always in view. Both times there, I exited the plane directly onto the tarmac, a process and experience that is a little archaic, but one that I adore. It just added to the feeling of being jet set. When taxiing at Heathrow, I caught my first glimpse of the largest commercial plane in use today - the Airbus A380. I don't think I breathed as we passed it - all I could think was that the A380 could take at least 6x more people than the plane I was in. The future of air travel looks bright. I'm boring you so back to where we left off...

The bus ride was also glorious as it went through rural Ireland and stopped in small towns on its way to Galway. Once in the city, I tried to walk to the hotel where the Chorale was staying, but got lost in the Diagon Alley-like streets of Galway. I eventually took a cab there and was delighted at the cost since Galway is a college town. I walked into the hotel restaurant where they were having dinner and got too much love. I'm still riding the wave of happiness that was always with me in Ireland.

There was no set plan that night, so the group split up a bit. I somehow ended up walking into town with Chaz and Danny and because of that, every other time I walked the mile into town. We found out that most were at O'Connells pub (named after our former president Matt?). They had a lovely biergarten out back and it was warm enough that we stayed out there all night. Chaz and I decided to behave like locals and got rounds of beer for each other. Of course our first two beers were Guinness, which I haven't had in a while, so it tasted like ambrosia. Munich beers are so different because of the Reinheitsgebot - a law created in 1487 restricting beer ingredients to barley, water, and hops. In 1993 they updated it to include wheat malt and cane sugar. Wheat is not in the law, but is considered to be a part of it. This law makes German beers extremely pure, no funky after tastes, no hints of orange or citrus. No vermontian maple beer, no smokey fall beers, no spices for holiday beers. Simply barley, water, hops. I have become somewhat of a beer purist since being here - there is no fluff. Although my taste is now different, I still found the Irish beers and their slight complexity a nice change.

Throughout the night, we reveled, caught up, and enjoyed each others company. Nikki Gangi, who is studying in Liverpool, showed up and I was relieved that I wasn't the only crazy who decided to join in the fun.

Being a singing group, after a few beers we were belting songs to all. I remember this old Irish man smoking his cigarette, completely enamored in our singing. His clapping and cheers after every song just encouraged us more. The night ended early after the singfest because the whole day had been spent traveling - the Chorale flew to Dublin, then drove by bus down to Galway (quite a trip).

Quay Street

The whole time, I was lovingly put up in Clair and Mary's room (or Clairy Goetzlaughlin as people started calling them). I never had to break out my sleeping bag. Thanks a bunch! We slept like babies and woke up the next morning ready to explore with the free time they had. After a perfect Irish breakfast, Erin, Claire, Mary, Maggie, Annie, and I went on a walk around Galway proper. We started on Quay Street, the one that is the Diagon Alley for us Muggles. We walked through a hippie-like-yet-still-Irish farmer's market and had a hard time not buying the fresh cheeses and other goods. The sun started coming out and the day only got more wonderful.

Meeting Oscar Wilde

The sun starting to come out and light up all the stone buildings

Musical students at the college take advantage of the tourism.

Down by the river (no the Neil Young song, but actually down near the river) we walked through the tide pools where the River Corrib met the Atlantic. After, we ventured out onto an old drydock wall. The views of the land across the bay, the ocean, and the city were just too beautiful to describe.

The River Corrib

A curious pigeon who makes the Spanish Arch his home

The tide pools and shore

Boats at low tide.

The drydock wall

pure joy

A hunger arose and we filled it with fish and chips at McDonagh's right on Quay. Who else was there but THE John Finney, director of the chorale. He was raving about the meal he just had and we were soon doing hte same. A little more walking around and then we went back to the hotel. They were singing at 6 pm mass and needed to get ready, get to Galway Cathedral, and rehearse.

Nikki and I joined in the rehearsal from the choir loft, but for mass we sat down in a pew. Random fact about Peter: I have an obsession over organs and the cathedral had a regular cathedral organ - grand, mighty, and able to give you the chills. I had met Jen, the organist, a little bit before the mass, but MAN! The way she played those keys was absurd.

The mass was wonderful, partly because the Irish don't fool with the efficiency of the mass. The Liturgy of the Word took all of 5 minutes as one lector read through the 1st reading, the psalm, and 2nd reading without taking a breath, or so it seemed. I had been in this cathedral before six years prior with my mom. We showed up 5 minutes late and the priest was already at the homily. 10 minutes later we were somehow outside and mass was over. The homily at this mass was unfortunately about the church finances. They handed out the current finances of the church, and we didn't get much inspiration from that.

Nikki and I found ourselves singing along whenever the chorale was singing. The people sitting around us were pretty confused, I'm sure. The communion pre-mediation was a Mendelssohn organ sonata, which I was happy I recognized. Jen was, of course, spectacular. The recessional was Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, so naturally, I shouted it.

After Mass, Claire, Mary, and I went to Sahi an Indian restaurant next to the hotel. We then went downtown and started the pub crawl. Tollite, a song we sing every midnight, was performed in Eyre Square and we went directly to Club K afterwards. This club only seemed to play American music, including my homeboys Weezy, Snoop, and Dr. Dre.  It felt like we were at home, and was also a good change from the techno of German clubs.

Sleep was again enjoyable, but interrupted when we had to wake up early for our tour of hte Aran Islands. My last trip to Ireland in 2006, I took zillions of pictures, but didn't back them up. You can see where this story is going. I bought a new camera right when I came back since mine died on the Ireland trip and put the memory card in. Memory card - instantly formatted. Memories of Ireland - instantly gone. This second time to the Aran Islands and Galway was perfect to capture the memories again, if that is possible.

We boarded the bus which took us through southern Connemara. Connemara is known for the following:

1. Connemara marble - green marble that is some of the most expensive in the world today
2. Connemara ponies - some of the best show horses in teh world
3. ROCKS!

Takin the tractor into town?

The west of Ireland is already very rocky, but it just kept getting rockier. On the way our tour guide told us it used to be even more so. To make the land fertile, famers broke up rock and made rock walls out of it. This kept the wind form blowing things away. They would then place sand, manure, and seaweed on the ground and in 20 years BAM! you had soil. There were so many rock walls and they never got boring because they stretched forever and you knew there was a story in each stone.

so. many. rock. walls

We boarded the ferry from the same place I did 6 years ago. It only took 45 minutes to get to Inishmore, the largest of the three Aran Islands. As we got closer, a sun-drenched cloud hung behind the island and silhouetted it's gradual slope. I knew what was on the other side of that slope and couldn't wait to get there. Once on the island, we split up into 2 groups. The first group took a tour of the island as we walked to Joe Watty's, a local pub, and got a bite to eat. I got a shepherd's pie and a beer. There is NOTHING like a shepherd's pie from Ireland! Also, the beer was cheaper on this small 800-person island in the middle of the Atlantic than in Galway. This was one of the many temptations that I had to push away as I wanted more and more to live on the island. The buses then pulled up and it was our turn for a tour. I learned quite a bit since it's never hard to listen to an Irish accent. Inishmore has 4 prehistoric Celtic ring forts and the 4th largest fishing fleet in all of Ireland. Like Connemara, Inishmore also has a lot of rocks and rock walls. Every now and again in these rock wall-lined pastures, you would see very very happy cows. Meat form these cows is highly praised since they can graze outside all day in Inishmore's mild temperature. All these things the tour guide was saying as we were rocking down a ridiculously narrow road. All of a sudden we reached our first stop, DUN AENGUS!

This fort was built in 1000 BCE and was given major refurbishments every 500 years or so (e.g. adding another wall...like they didn't have enough before). The fort backs up to 300 ft. cliffs overlooking the Atlantic; this is what the gradual slope of the island led up to. In the center ring, there is 2-foot tall, perfectly rectangular rock slab, a geological formation which was perfect for Celtic pagan rituals.

The inner ring.

Choralers looking over the cliff

Once up there we lined up in a row, laid down, and stuck our heads over the side, looking down 300 feet to the churning and clashing ocean waves. When comfortable in that position and looking for an even greater adrenaline rush, we would stick our hands out in front and look out to the sea. At first, you felt like your hands would throw you off balance and you would topple, but once you realized that wasn't true...you were flying. The wind was at your face, the hazy winter sun was dead ahead, and you felt like the seagulls who were gliding below you. My heart is starting to race right now writing about that moment.

About a million pictures were taken at the top and near the cliffs. We took a ginger picture because we were finally in our homeland. the background was too pretty to pass up. Every now and again, I would start whistling or humming the Lord of the Rings theme because the fort is basically Helm's Deep.

The fortress wall leads right up to the cliffs

Our next stop on the bus was the 7 Churches, a site that contains only 2 churches nowadays, but dates back to the 8th century. It was a monastery and university but is now used as a cemetery for the local church. There is a grave there where 7 Romans are buried. Back in the day, people traveled a long way to get to this remote place.

The stones around windows and doors.

Beautiful graves

We got back on the bus and headed into town. After the necessary trip to the Aran sweater shop, we boarded the boar. Within 5 minuted everyone was asleep; the gentle rocking was too much.

At the hotel, Mary, Claire and I were trying to figure out what to do for dinner plans. Mary looked up a tapas bar which is considered by many as the best tapas bar in Ireland. I was indecent how good the food was, to steal Mary's words. Patatas bravas, artichokes with garlic and serrano ham, honeycomb and cinnamon ice cream, and a bottle of Spanish wine...nom nom. Towards the end of the meal, the owner came out. We knew his face from pictures in the periodicals that had reviewed them. He wished us, the last customers, a good night. I will be back sir, your food was divine. We thought the night couldn't get more perfect, but then we went to a pub with session music. Nicole, Chaz, and Ethan met up with us and we went to Taaffes to grab a drink. With the session, we couldn't help ourselves from going out on the crowded dance floor. All the college kids who had gone away for the weekend were back and it was nice because everyone was around our age.

At 12, we walked outside and people were forming the Tollite circle again. During out Tollite singing, Annie brought Emily and I out since we both irish dance for BCID. We humored them and performed a two hand. A great last tollite for me.

As a group we headed to the Front Door, which could actually fit all 70 of us, but was only good for a drink. We walked to Central Park, a club that was only open 1 hour more with a 5 Euro cover. Somehow that 5 Euro was worth it. We raged on the dance floor and when Martin Solveig's Hello came on, I lost it. It's been my one of my favorite songs for the past few months.

After that, I slept, woke up at 7am and caught a bus at 9 to Shannon Airport. I've skipped two days of class for this trip and I am sooo happy I went.

There is something generally happy about the people of both Galway and Munich. The smiles, the coziness, and the immediate feeling of inclusiveness are very refreshing for one's soul.

The other 80 or so pictures of Ireland you can find by clicking here:

Galway, Ireland 2011

Next post: Fasching Dienstag (Carneval Tuesday)

Tegernsee and Garmisch-Partenkirchen, beer and ski

I lied in the last post. I said I would post something a week ago, but I didn't end up doing it, but not because of procrastination. I've been gone for 4 days in Ireland and the two previous days I was without internet. I didn't know you needed a new password every month at my apartment building.

So last week on Sunday, I went to Tegernsee, a small lake surrounded by the alps. A friend of mine drove me in his Audi TT and we got on the Autobahn. I wasn't looking at the speedometer but I knew we were booking it, and so were the other cars. We were cruising at a speed of about 110 mph and got up to speed of around 125 for passing cars and such. American cars would crap out after a minute at that speed.

We walked around the little town and, it being Sunday, not much was open. Here are some pictures:

A panorama of the lake. I wish my camera could capture the almost neon blue color of the lake

I love mountains

An unfortunate doormat for sale. Go away English

We stopped by the Tegernsee brewery restaurant, where the Hofbräu (Royal Brew, the same owners as Hofbräuhaus) make the Tegernsee Helles Beer. "Hell" means light, but it's not light as in low calorie. It would translate to a Pale lager. We then headed back into town via the Autobahn but got caught in some Sunday rush hour traffic, so no big speed records.

I got back and hung out with Megan and Erik. The oscars were on at 2:30, so I went to bed, woke up at 2:30 and watched them with everyone until 5:30. I have to say, those were the weirdest Oscars I've ever watched. There was no flow in that award ceremony and I didn't really understand what was going on with James and Anne....did they pregame?

I slept for 3 hours, woke up and met Megan, Chris, and Erik for our trip to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany's biggest ski town/area. It only took a train to get there and we all passed out for the ride. Since the town is in Bavaria, it cost only 29 Euro for all four of us to get there and back. We passed through Starnbergersee where we had been on our adventure to Andechs. It was awesome being outside Munich and seeing a place for the second time; that feeling of belonging sprung up.

On the gondola up before the fog

We got to the place to rent skies and such and it was so efficient - log in on a computer and put in your size for everything, then pay, then go to each station and get boots, skies and poles. German efficiency still leaves me awestruck. When we bought our half-day passes, the lady at the counter said the mountain (Zugspitze), was very neblig, or foggy. We didn't care, but once in the gondola....we could see what she meant. You couldn't see 10 or 20 feet in front of you, and skiing in those conditions is extremely dangerous and difficult. Nevertheless, we still had a blast going down German's tallest mountain.

The snow and fog blended too well

Taking a break?

Because of the conditions, we only did one run. It was such a tease because my brother said the Germans love groomed slopes. Garmisch got just enough powder that day to undo the grooming and make it feel like I was in California powder. Even with perfect snow, we had to call it quits. Now I just want to go back!

As with any European ski adventure, the après ski was a must. We got some bratwurst and beer and just listened to the humorous playlist that the lodge had going (Abba, German oom-pah, German rock, yodeling, bluegrass, etc.).

It was nice on the way back because the Munich central station was the last stop for the train. With no responsibilities, we just passed out after a grand day in the Alps.

On Wednesday, classes started again. I now feel like I am in the right class, people are in the same level as me. The teacher did not speak a word of English the first day and only 3 on the second (I kept count). In last month's class, we would look in our German-Other Language dictionaries every few minutes. We are no longer allowed to do that. We now know enough German to get around a word we don't know, to define it and then the teacher will say it in German. This is how to learn a language.

Since it is Fasching today, the last day before Lent, I see myself not posting about Ireland tonight but rather tomorrow. After class, I'll head to Viktualienmarkt, where the festivities take place. I can't wait to see downtown Munich now because they were just putting up decorations as I left for Ireland. 

Bis später!