Snow Train

Robs and I awoke early this morning. Grabbed the bags, caught the bus, had enough time for some more delicious German pretzels and then jumped onto corresponding trains. Robert headed west, myself east. Würzburg was fun, I'm glad to have been able to meet up with Robert and to also become friends with his new international friends. Perhaps a return to Würzburg when the weather is nicer? Maybe just a rendezvous in Austria? For now, I'm back in Budapest and starting to think about school. It's raining. I miss Arizona sunlight. Time rolls along.

Also, I highly recomend taking a train through the general Alps area in the winter. The endless snow is beautiful.

Play that Saxophone, Robert!

There is a little pub located in a basement below Würzburg offering music, drink, and a great atmosphere: Omnibus. On various Monday nights throughout the semester, Robert has joined in on the weekly improv Jazz session. This Monday evening being his last here, Robert rocked the house. All his Würzburg friends showed up to cheer him on. Everyone will miss you Robert, and Tucson will be glad to get you back.

Watch some video here

So much fun!

Robert and I have been taking advantage of every waking moment. We've hiked vineyards and farmland, eaten traditional Bavarian breakfast, enjoyed good company and drinks, and have had epic going away parties. Robert has met some awesome friends in Würzburg and they've been friendly enough to extend the invitation back anytime. Perhaps a tour of Austria will happen later in the spring.

I could write and write about what we've done, but a picture is worth a thousand words...

Robs and Würzburg!

So, how does one place get to be so awesome? I mean seriously, this town is nestled in hillside rising beside gently flowing Main River. Atop the main hill sits Marienberg fortress, built in ancient times, expanded and improved by various inhabitants, surveying the red-tile roofed town below. Upon surrounding hillsides are plotted perfectly strait rows of grape vine trellis broken only by the roads ascending the hills. Despite the loss of many prominent landmarks by the destruction of WWII, the town has rebuilt and modernized (seems to be a German trend), while still maintaining it's Bavarian charm.
Hoping off the ICE 728 at 9 am, Robert greets me at the train station. I'm in Germany, so what do I do first? Eat something German, obviously. A local bakery provides the delicious meal to start the day: pastries and coffee. Refreshed and refueled, we set about to see the sights of the city. A stroll down the main boulevard encompasses the rebuilt churches with salvaged artifacts, the quaint storefronts, and everyone upon bicycles. Awesome. We tour the Residence, a palace and early political center of the town. Magnificent gardens surround the palace. The fountains have frozen into pure white ice sculpture. A fellow admirer, a jovial old German gentleman lets us know this is a sight that doesn't happen every year. We stop at another bakery to buy bread and a market across the street for cheese and tomatoes, our eventual lunch. Crossing the Main and passing by the guardian statues brings us to the bottom of fortress hill.

We climb the hill like were were the Swedes who first invaded and celebrated our conquer at the top by feasting on our bröt, cheese and tomato. The view of the town below is splendid. We continue the siege inside the castle walls, happy as two mammoth giraffes at the wine watering hole (sorry, no explanation on that one). We continue the adventures throughout the day, finishing with beer chilling in the snow and dinner at a friends apartment. We are now off for more fun and excitment!

Würzburg!

The train trip was fine, I spent the day exploring the town with Robert and now have a few minutes to use the internet. We explored castles, chilled beer in the snow, had decadent Germany pastries, and basically were awesome. I'll give a full account soon with more internet time...