Since the kids would not start ski school until Tuesday (no ski school on President's Day,) we decided to stay off the slopes until they could be properly instructed. That is code for Dad is not going to teach you to ski because you won't want to ski again. No offense Dad, but my dad used to help with math homework. I know how it goes. So instead of skiing, we jumped in the car and headed to Innsbruck, Austria.
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| It snowed the night before, so the snow covered landscape was breathtaking. |
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| I love the rounded steeples in Germany and Austria. They look perfect with the beautiful landscape behind. |
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| First stop in Innsbruck was for breakfast. YUM! |
We have been fortunate to go on amazing vacations. But, they do not always go off without a hitch. On our trip to Neuschwanstein Castle, one whole side was covered in scaffolding. And on our Sound of Music Tour in Salzburg, the hills were anything but alive. We couldn't even see the hills. In Switzerland, Jungfrau was a total whiteout, so that very expensive journey to the top of the mountain for the amazing views was a bit pointless. On a visit to Sicily, we were looking forward to seeing Mt. Etna up close and personal. The fog had other ideas. No Mt. Etna viewing for us. So, it came as no surprise that Innsbruck was blanketed in clouds on the day we visited, and the lovely mountains surrounding the city were just not visible…at all. UGH!
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| Innsbruck, Austria |
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| The colorful buildings were a lovely backdrop. |
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| But, this is what we were supposed to see. Nice huh! |
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| Oh well…... |
Taking a ski vacation during the winter Olympics inspired us to visit some of the local venues that were used in past Olympic competitions. Innsbruck held the 1964 and 1976 Olympic Games, so we set out to see the ski jump which is the #2 attraction when visiting the city.
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| Just beyond the cemetery, the ski jump rises up over the city. I wonder if the cemetery and ski jump have any correlation with one another??? |
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| It was quite a hike up there! |
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| A huge thank you to Chris who carried my bag the whole way up. I brought way too many lenses and just couldn't manage the weight. Chivalry is not dead! Longchamp looks good on him! ;) |
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| The wear and tear over the years has set in, but it was still very impressive! |
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| It was pretty cool to get a picture in front of the Olympic rings during the Olympics. |
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| We made our way up to the top of the ski jump. We were not allowed to take this lift (for obvious reasons.) |
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| Even though we couldn't see the mountains, it was still a great experience. And, curling was on. What could be more exciting?? |
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| Our view... |
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| The real view... |
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| I decided ski jumping is just not for me. Yikes! |
We spent a few hours wandering around Innsbruck. The city was described to us as a more colorful Munich. I would agree with that. But in comparison to other cities we have visited, we just didn't feel there was as much to do here.
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| I prefer the robin's egg blue Fiat…but pink would do. |
And, that concludes our trip to Innsbruck. It was back to the lodge after that to get fitted for our skis, poles, and boots! The excitement (and nerves) were setting in! Check back for skiing (finally!)
Until next time,
Wendy
