Okay, new update on the travel plans: I'm going with two other people to Vienna from Friday to Sunday. I'll have my camera, but might or might not bring my laptop (I'm still up in the air about that). UPDATE: Definitely not taking the laptop. Pics will come Monday or Tuesday at the latest.
I'll keep you all posted. Until then, peace.
-Raptor
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Well This Stinks
Remember those travel plans I mentioned earlier, for Munich and Dachau? Well forget it. Al Qaeda has threatened to conduct a bombing campaign in Germany in response to the country's federal elections this weekend. So the US State Department has issued a travel alert warning against Americans traveling to Germany. Which means we can't go this weekend. And the alert lasts until November 11, which means we probably won't be able to go at all.
What's more, we found out about this not one hour ago, so everyone is really frustrated, both because our trips (which pretty much everyone had been looking forward to) are scrapped, and because we need to figure out a new itinerary for a new trip and get everything booked by tonight.
Fortunately, one member of our group was already planning a day trip for herself to Vienna (since she really didn't want to go to Dachau), and she's modifying it into a two-night trip for at least some of (possibly the entire) group.
So, yeah, I really don't know what this weekend will hold. I'll keep you posted. Until then, peace.
-Raptor
PS. Pray for Dr. Guentzel. He left this afternoon to visit his hometown, which is in Germany, before the advisory went out. Pray that he makes it back safely.
What's more, we found out about this not one hour ago, so everyone is really frustrated, both because our trips (which pretty much everyone had been looking forward to) are scrapped, and because we need to figure out a new itinerary for a new trip and get everything booked by tonight.
Fortunately, one member of our group was already planning a day trip for herself to Vienna (since she really didn't want to go to Dachau), and she's modifying it into a two-night trip for at least some of (possibly the entire) group.
So, yeah, I really don't know what this weekend will hold. I'll keep you posted. Until then, peace.
-Raptor
PS. Pray for Dr. Guentzel. He left this afternoon to visit his hometown, which is in Germany, before the advisory went out. Pray that he makes it back safely.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Travel Plans
Well, it seems our original plans fell through. We were planning on spending Friday in Munich, then taking an overnight train to Berlin for Saturday, spending the night there, then returning to Salzburg on Sunday.
Only problem with that is, because it's Oktoberfest, every single train from Munich to Berlin is completely booked.
So, the way it stands now, we're going to do a day trip to Munich on Friday as planned, then come back to Salzburg, then take the train on Saturday to Dachau, to see the concentration camp.
I'll bring my camera. I'm positive it's going to be a sobering experience.
Only problem with that is, because it's Oktoberfest, every single train from Munich to Berlin is completely booked.
So, the way it stands now, we're going to do a day trip to Munich on Friday as planned, then come back to Salzburg, then take the train on Saturday to Dachau, to see the concentration camp.
I'll bring my camera. I'm positive it's going to be a sobering experience.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Playing Catch-Up
Yes, I know it's been a few days. Yes, I know I'm way behind. My fault, no excuse.
Anyway, on Saturday, we went into Bavaria and up to the Eagle's Nest, which used to be Adolf Hitler's personal retreat.
The trip actually started off with something of a snag; we were planning on taking a bus to Berchtesgaden, but once we reached the bus terminal, we discovered that we didn't know which bus we should take, or where it would arrive and depart from. Lucky for us, the bus terminal is right next door to Salzburg's main train station. So, as I'm sure you've guessed, we took the train.
Despite it's bullet-train looks, it was actually a local, so it took about 30-40 minutes to get to Berchtesgaden. From there, it was maybe 10 minutes by bus to the base of Eagle's Nest Road, followed by another 15 minutes to the parking area at the top of the mountain itself.
That tunnel you see is actually how you get to Eagle's nest; 124 meters into solid rock, then into an elevator 124 meters up into the house itself.
Unfortunately, the Eagle's Nest was not, as I was expecting, a museum. It's a restaurant instead. So no big historical immersion like I was hoping for.
Still, the view from the top is quite spectacular.
So we stayed up there for about an hour and a half or so, then headed back down and took a train back into Salzburg. Unfortunately, there was about another hour wait for our train and we hit a few red signals on the way back, so we didn't get back to Haus Wartenberg until about 9:00 or so.
Yesterday morning, instead of doing homework, we went to the Salzburg Nature Museum, which is something of a cross between a Natural History Museum and a Science Museum. It was pretty cool, but none of my pics really turned out that good because the museum is somewhat poorly lit and the rooms were too big for my flash to be effective. Oh, well. Truth be told, there really wasn't anything to see there that you can't see in any other Natural History and/or Science Museum.
So now y'all are up to speed on how things are going here. Nothing really big's gonna happen until this weekend (when I'll probably be going to either Venice or Munich, depending on which group I decide to go with), and right now homework beckons, so until then, peace.
-Raptor
Anyway, on Saturday, we went into Bavaria and up to the Eagle's Nest, which used to be Adolf Hitler's personal retreat.
The trip actually started off with something of a snag; we were planning on taking a bus to Berchtesgaden, but once we reached the bus terminal, we discovered that we didn't know which bus we should take, or where it would arrive and depart from. Lucky for us, the bus terminal is right next door to Salzburg's main train station. So, as I'm sure you've guessed, we took the train.
Despite it's bullet-train looks, it was actually a local, so it took about 30-40 minutes to get to Berchtesgaden. From there, it was maybe 10 minutes by bus to the base of Eagle's Nest Road, followed by another 15 minutes to the parking area at the top of the mountain itself.
That tunnel you see is actually how you get to Eagle's nest; 124 meters into solid rock, then into an elevator 124 meters up into the house itself.
Unfortunately, the Eagle's Nest was not, as I was expecting, a museum. It's a restaurant instead. So no big historical immersion like I was hoping for.
Still, the view from the top is quite spectacular.
So we stayed up there for about an hour and a half or so, then headed back down and took a train back into Salzburg. Unfortunately, there was about another hour wait for our train and we hit a few red signals on the way back, so we didn't get back to Haus Wartenberg until about 9:00 or so.
Yesterday morning, instead of doing homework, we went to the Salzburg Nature Museum, which is something of a cross between a Natural History Museum and a Science Museum. It was pretty cool, but none of my pics really turned out that good because the museum is somewhat poorly lit and the rooms were too big for my flash to be effective. Oh, well. Truth be told, there really wasn't anything to see there that you can't see in any other Natural History and/or Science Museum.
So now y'all are up to speed on how things are going here. Nothing really big's gonna happen until this weekend (when I'll probably be going to either Venice or Munich, depending on which group I decide to go with), and right now homework beckons, so until then, peace.
-Raptor
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Quick Update, Pics to Follow
Went to Eagle's Nest yesterday. That was pretty cool... only it turns out that the place is now a restaurant, not a museum. So I didn't get the big historical immersion that I was hoping for. Still, the view from up there is spectacular.
Anyway, we didn't get back until late last night, and I'm busy doing homework now (spent all day at the local Natural History/Science Museum). Pics will be up later tonight, tomorrow at the latest, I promise.
Anyway, we didn't get back until late last night, and I'm busy doing homework now (spent all day at the local Natural History/Science Museum). Pics will be up later tonight, tomorrow at the latest, I promise.
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