Innsbruck: Zweite Tag

Guten Tag!

Heute haben wir den Alpenzoo gesehen. Er war sehr schön! Wir haben viele Tiere gesehen. Bären, Vögel, Luchs, und viele mehr! Das Wetter war sehr sonnig und warm, und wir haben die Berge gesehen! Sehr, sehr schön!! Auf die Berge war Schnee!

Some of the mountains surrounding Innsbruck.

The Weiherburg

Mountains above the Alpenzoo

Eurasian Dipper at the Alpenzoo

Bald Ibis at the Alpenzoo. The zoo is one of the main centers of conservation for this critically endangered species.

Eurasian Scops–Owl at the Alpenzoo

Furry piglike creature...didn't remember the name. It reminds me of javelinas.

Mountain Goat kid

Mountain Goat

Lynx

Lynx

Mountains above the zoo

Innsbruck: Erste Tag

First full day in Innsbruck! I can't believe I'm actually wandering around a European city on my own! Someone pinch me!!  Anyway, for my first full day here, I wandered around the city for the morning, enjoyed the sights of the Hofgarten, at least what wasn't closed. There was an awesome playground designed as a castle! Then we wandered around the university, and found our way to the Golden Dachl. Even though the sun wasn't shining it was still quite gorgeous! After this, it was time for lunch, so we decided to eat at a Strudel-Cafe. I ate a Gemüse-mozzeralla strudel, and drank heiße schokolade.

VaShon's hand got in the picture here, oh well! 

After lunch, we went to the Tirol Volkskünst Museum. In here there were many example of Tirolean art, as well as exhibits showing bits of Tirolean life. The most impressive exhibit to me was the exhibit that showcased their woodworking. One of the pieces was a closet from the 1600s. I doubt modern machines could duplicate it with success. Another impressive item of note were the planes that they used. They had to make all the planes they use, including those used for mouldings. Unfortunately I couldn't take photos. 

Next we went to the Hofkirche, a cathedral commissioned by Emperor Maximilian. He commissioned some of the best artists in Europe to create this cathedral for him. 

A few photos of the interior.

The Golden Dachl. This is where the emperor would make public appearances when he came to Innsbruck.

Essen!

So its kind of random, but I thought I would do a post about the food here. Sorry I don't have any pictures at the moment, but I will attempt to remedy that in the near future. In the meantime, enjoy!

So far, the food here has been quite delicious. One thing that has surprised me is how much of the food here is either grown on campus or is made here. All of the bread is made in the kitchen here, as is all of the jam (die Marmaladen) and peanut butter (die Erdnsbutter). They also make their own pasta, which is quite delicious. The pasta sauce is made from tomatoes grown in the greenhouses on campus, which is where all of the green beans and lettuce come from as well. I also learned that the apples lately have been grown on campus, and some of these apples are pressed into apple juice (although it is closer to apple cider). If you don't like potatoes though, you would have a bit of a hard time here, as potatoes in some form or another are a big part of the menu here.

The desserts here are quite tasty, often some for of cake or pudding. So far my favorites have been the tiramisu, schokoladecreme, or Dresdeneiskuchen. Sugar is not worshipped here as it is in America, and desserts here are not nearly as sweet as they are in the US. For me though, this makes them better in some ways. For one, it allows the flavors of the ingredients to shine, instead of being smothered by the sweetness, not that I dislike American desserts at all! It is just a different, and fun experience!

A fun surprise today was brunch, and they had Pfannekuchen (pancakes)!!! And real maple syrup, and peanut butter!! I hadn't realized how much I missed those until today! That was a real treat!!  Tchüss!!

Hagenau und Bogenhofen

Servus! Heute hat ich Hagenau und Bogenhofen fotografiert.

Hagenau

Das Schloss Hagenau

Eine Wasserpumpe

Das Dorf Kanal

Die Kirche Bogenhofen

Ein anderes Bild von dem Schloss

Guten Tag!!

WandernTag leftovers

Just one final picture from WandernTag. This is an almost 180 degree panorama of the meadow where we ate lunch. This meadow is at 1200 meters of elevation, and the peak in the background tops out at nearly 2000 meters. Click on the photo for a larger view.

Random Musings

So  this is just a collection of random observations and musings I've had since I got over here.

• In general people keep their cars much cleaner here than in the US, both inside and outside. Someone told me it is due to stringent inspection laws here, someone else told me it was that to a European, a car is a symbol of pride, and many people spend lavish attention on their cars, either way I found it interesting.
• Another car–related note: since coming over here I have seen exactly one car with an automatic transmission, and that was the large van for the school. Everyone drives manuals here, which I think is great! One of my friends found it amazing that I knew how to drive a manual. He said he would never drive an automatic, that a manual is much more fun to drive. It seems that many more Europeans seem to enjoy driving, whereas many Americans seem to see it as a necessary chore, which might explain the difference. 
• The windows here are ingenious! There are three handle positions, with one locking the window closed, the second allowing it open fully, like a door. The third position allows the window to pivot open from the top, giving you an opening of about 12-16cm at the top, which is perfect if you want to cool your room off without blowing all the papers off your desk.
• Many new buildings are built with glass curtain walls that have large panels that swing or slide open, allowing something close to an open air experience on nice days. This is quite nice, especially in church when it gets warmer in the sanctuary.
• A two hour drive is a veerrry long drive to many of my European friends. To me this is afternoon drive.
• Many buildings here have very thick walls, which according to one person lowers heating and cooling costs. 

Anyway, that's all for now, just some random tidbits I've found interesting. Cheers!