Europe, Spring, 2023
Full disclosure: I’ve been wanting to travel to Europe since I was fifteen. I bought a guidebook from Costco and combed through the pages, reading about which countries I wanted to visit first and what to see while there. I appreciated and was enamored by every detail, even while realizing half-way through that perhaps Europe is one big Disneyland, at least certain areas. Still, I loved a lot of what I was able to see and experience and it left me wanting to explore more.
SMF > IAH > MUC
Sacramento, 3am. Six hour layover in Houston, TX. Nine hour flight to Munich, Germany. In the air from Munich to Vienna, Austria when the plane turns around due to unknown equipment malfunction. Impending German transportation strikes make it imperative to find the fastest way out. Airport provides voucher for the train. Three train swaps and we’ll be in Vienna. In the middle of the second and third train, we stop. We are told the train has been delayed indefinitely. Wait for about an hour and a half. Train finally begins to move. We arrive in Vienna. Now to coordinate taxis for the group of sixteen. Only two people speak German. Thank goodness for Google Maps. Finally, we arrive at Hotel Mozart.
AUSTRIA
VIENNA
Hotel Mozart. Our first stop. We arrived very tired and ready to sleep. I remember not knowing how to feel about the hotel, was it charming or haunted? Didn’t matter either way. I was exhausted.
SALZBURG
This trip happened during my spring break. Before embarking, my mind was fully in school mode and I neglected to realize visiting Europe near the end of March meant winter was still rearing its frosty head. Salzburg is when I realized that. Once our tour guide released us, I ducked into the closest cafe I could find, perfectly content to stare out into the rain.
INNSBRUCK
GERMANY
HEPPENHEIM
SWITZERLAND
RIGI
Mountain offering scenic views of surrounding lakes, plus activities like hiking, skiing, and sledding. This was a consolation treat for not being able to do the “alpine slide”. I remember hearing about this back in Vienna. Andrea (the trip leader) pulled me aside at breakfast. I remember she muttered something about not having the heart to tell them… I asked what she meant. Before she could answer, a student sat down next to us and from the look on our forlorn faces, he asked in the most deflated voice, “Is it the slide?” I guess this was going to be the highlight of his trip and unfortunately, it was not to be. So here we are, at the base of this mountain to which we arrive at the top of right before the impending blizzard hits. Incredible strong winds. Bitter cold. And snow. Oh, and nothing at the top, none of the restaurants or hotels, were open because of the off-season.
LIECHTENSTEIN
FRANCE
We made a brief stop in Strasbourg… I guess it was some sort of “surprise”. I would have appreciated a different surprise. Aside from the gray and overcast skies, the vibe was so dreary and muted. We also only had two hours to explore the city, not enough time to really get a good sense for the area. All I know is I wanted to eat some duck at a fancy restaurant… but alas, that didn't happen. I had to settle for some Riesling and brie cheese. Still not too bad.
