3 posts in 1!
So! It's been a while since I updated -- a bunch of stuff has happened since then, so check it, in reverse chronological order:
Salzburg, 21-22 October
Last weekend Matt and I headed up to Salzburg, Austria. It turns out that it wasn't that expensive to get there at all, just ~€35 each way, which is only a bit more than to go to somewhere like Munich. Good hostel too, but I didn't catch a picture of it.
Salzburg is a really nice city. Not terribly large by any stretch, but the people seem to be relaxed and friendly. The scenery by the river, as shown above and below, is really nice.
The main reason we made it out to the area though, was to visit the Eisreisenwelt: The biggest ice caves in the world. They were really cool! (har har, I'm so punny.) Unfortunately the pictures can't really capture the scale and everything and the atmosphere in general...
Matt and I in the ice caves. Yeah yeah I know, my hair is getting a little long...I should get it cut. But at this point, there are less than 2 months left...
The ice caves are ~1.5km above sea level. As such we got a great view of pseudo-Alpine Austria on our way up to the caves. Really beautiful place, I'd say almost comparable to Switzerland!
Amsterdam: 14-15 October
A couple of weekends ago we headed up to the somewhat infamous city of Amsterdam. It was interesting, I'll give you that. Amsterdam is a really interesting city -- very cosmopolitan, just about as multicultural I've seen Europe, besides the megacities like London and Paris. I suppose that's what happens when you have a city right on the sea and stuff.
I forgot to take my camera on most of the adventures, unfortunately, but here's a picture across a canal at night. It's really quite a charming city, Red Light District and Coffeeshops aside...
We also went to the "Heineken Experience", basically a glorified museum where they serve you a beer at the end. It was pretty cool, I guess...
All in all it was quite the 'different' trip. Lots of the city is really nice, definitely...
Munich, 30 September
One weekend in late September we decided to take a day trip out to Munich while Oktoberfest was being held. It was a crazy, crazy scene!
It was so crowded. We also went on a weekend, which exacerbated things...I am told that it was less crowded during the week. The weather cooperated though!
Here's a picture of the Hofbräu Festzelt, the main beer tent of the famous Münchner Hofbräuhaus. It was so busy that we didn't even get into a tent! (Mostly it was just not getting into one easily, then just getting frustrated...)
So instead we went on a whole bunch of rides. It turns out that D'Wiesn ("the meadows", colloquial for the fairground that the festival is held on) is not only full of tents and drunks, but also whole families and PNE-style rides. If we weren't drinking, there was only one alternative: Rides!
The cast of this expedition: Rhiannon, me, and Matt. It was fun!
posted by Matt Lam @ 2:07 AM
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