Visiting Linz

Dear Family, Wednesday, December 3rd 2008
I got up early this morning, went to the train station, and finally used the last day on the Eurail pass to go to Linz. I didn't have to spend an extra penny going, and class was canceled today, so it seemed like the perfect time. As it was the middle of the week there were not very many tourists, and I loved that. When we were in Dresden the Christmas Markets were packed, so it was so hard and time-consuming to see any of the cool booths.

After studying a bit of German on the train there, Willow and I walked around. We saw the Mariendom, which is really pretty. It looks a lot like the Dom in Cologne, the same set up, and such. When we went inside we discovered the crypts, and as no one else was down there wandered around a bunch. They had this really big, intricate Nativity set up, but it was impossible to get a picture of the entire thing all-together, because of the columns.

We then went to the Karlemiter Kirche, but there was a mass going on, so instead we walked down that street. We made it to the Donau, and went to the Neues Rathaus (a modern building, surprisingly enough. Usually the Rathaus, both old and new ones are very pretty, old-fashioned buildings. This one was not,) and on to the Poestlingbergbahn Museum. The Poestlingberg is a fortress on a hill that you can look down on Linz from, and at the museum you board the train and go there. The museum was closed, as it's only open on the weekends, and there was so much construction going on on the railroad tracks, that I'm not sure the trains were going at all. So we walked back.

We happened upon several second-hand stores and Christmas markets on the way back, and definitely took advantage of them. I still have not found the perfect Dirndl for the right price. I stupidly didn't put any extra money in my pocket this morning, so when I found the perfect Dirndl today I didn't have enough money. But it wasn't at a second hand store, it was at a real store on the clearance rack. I wonder if I can find any of those in Vienna? Everything here is so expensive though, I think I missed my golden opportunity. If only I'd had the money on me!

We took our time going through the markets, I've been trying out different treats to see which ones to take home, so I was stuffed full of sweets. We then decided to go back to Vienna, and walked to the train station. We arrived at the train station when our train was supposed to depart, but it was 10 minutes late, so it worked out perfectly. We hopped on, got back to Vienna, dropped off our purchases, and met Marinda and Lisa at another Christmas Market in Vienna. Still didn't find anything there, so we then played on a great playground until it was time to go to Institut.

Our Institut class went over a half hour, which was particularly painful, and then for dinner we had this great goulasch. There are not many Austrians here this week, lots of people are out of town or too busy with school, there isn't really a holiday right now. I don't know why they're gone.

The Internet disappeared sometime between Monday night and Tuesday morning, because when my roommates tried it on Tuesday morning it didn't work. We still don't have it, and I think the business we used to steal it from has changed their Internet or something. At first I had thought that the construction workers had accidentally cut a wire or something, but if it isn't fixed by now, I don't think I'll have Internet again for the rest of the trip. It's kind of unfortunate, because I really need to figure out my housing...Wish me luck!
Anna
12 days left

P.S. My first aid kit has now served me for the first time in Europe, ever. Turns out that when you try to open up a pocket knife and it refuses to open, you should leave it alone, because next thing you know, you could be bleeding all over. This band aid is working out well, and I still have a weeks worth left in there, so I should be fine. Mommy is a genius!