2 Countries, 2 Weeks

That's right, I'm still alive. No, I don't have an excuse - I'm just too lazy to wait for pictures to upload to the blog so I don't do it.

At any rate, I had quite the experience in the past month or so. I spent 4 days in Tannheim in Austria, then 5 days in Prague the next week. Austria looked just as perfect as the postcards make it out to be, with blankets of white snow covering everything, skiers shooting down the slopes, and just a general bustle of winter activity. I was surprised that so many people also brought their tiny lapdogs as well. They looked adorable trotting around in their little tiny dog sweaters past the snow banks. While there, I also got to have a look at the giant castle that the Disney castle is based off of. Unfortunately, it was closed on Christmas Day (suppose I should have thought of that), but I still have some impressive pictures of the outside. I also enjoyed a horse drawn sleigh ride 2 miles to a small lodge that served local dishes: I had my beloved Glühwein along with Kaiserschmand (I think that's how it's written). This was pretty much French toast, but in puffy strips with powdered sugar on top served with apple sauce. Very tasty. One of the highlights was listening to the sleigh driver speak in his funny Austrian dialect and tell jokes the whole way. I only half understand all of it, but laughed anyway. Most of them had to do with stepmothers and kids getting their revenge...I also enjoyed a ride in a ski lift waaaay up to the top of one of the mountains and then back down. While I was up there, I had a nice cup of hot chocolate and watched as braver people than I strapped tiny planks to their feet and went shooting all the way back down. I think the ski lift was enough excitement for me right now. You can't help riding in one of those and thinking "..how much would it take for that cable to snap anyway? Sure looks like a long way down..." The little town looked like just a tiny cluster from up there.

So, this is the beautiful place where I spent my Christmas. It was very relaxing and I hope to maybe see Vienna some day. Next up: Prague. But before then, I have to leave you with one of my favorite pictures. I just love how snow looks on trees: