Gondola, Castles, and a big A%$ Organ

The last couple of days have been pretty busy over here.  It's weird how in just 12 days the word busy has such a different meaning to me now.

Busy (before)- wake up,  realize my bike was stolen (happened 3 times), speed walk 2 miles to work while brushing my hair and yelling at the car that almost took me out on the CROSS WALK (one actually did), sit in biosaftety lab gowned head to toe,  read research papers/creep fb, walk/run 4 miles to class or zumba, talk to my mom/sister/bf all while texting Aliza, order pad thai, homework/real housewives. 

Busy (now)- wake up, espresso or coffee, explore/site see. 

Here are some pictures of me being busy over the last three days:

OBERPERFUSS (say that 10 times fast)

Gondola Ride

They had these all the way up the ski trail they were trees with faces carved into them with button  that you could press to hear these creepy children voices sing and say something in German.  To the right is the creepy children's picture. 

Definitely going to spend a day or two skiing here

One of the creep children

ROAD BLOCK

I stumbled upon these young men on my run home.  At first I thought that there was some sort of parade going on and that's why they were holding up traffic, but then I realized that they were drunk and begging for money.  They had two groups;  one group stopped traffic using a line of Austrian pennants and the other had this giant flag that they would lay over the cars windshield so that they wouldnt be able to drive away.   Craig found out later that they had just finished training from the military, and since the police did drive through I think this must be a common thing to do.  Kinda sad, but at least they were having fun! 

KUFSTEIN & SCHWAZ

Girls trip to Kufstein and Schwaz!  A ton of laughs, lots of amazing views, couple of wrong turns,  two castles, and one giant Organ.  

Festung Fortress

Lost

They had a whole section dedicated to winter sports...I called this fortress Castle Smorgasbord because every room had some sort of random historical display.  

like this one

We sat at the bottom and listened to the LARGEST OUTDOOR ORGAN IN THE WORLD!!!!!

Schloss Tratzberg

Train ride down

MY FIRST REAL GERMAN MEAL

The American version of the menu called it "Gordon Blue"..silly

My biggest accomplishment so far is making it home on the OBB (train system) all by myself tonight.  I've got a bad chest cold (tear...) so I went home early from downtown and I was able (with a little guidance at first) to get on the right train and off at the right stop.  For those who are close to me know that I still get lost in Plymouth and dont do public transportation so I was pretty pumped!