I spend a lot of space on this blog telling you how bizarrely perfect our trip had been. But this post is about how things don’t always work out as planned.
We sadly said goodbye to our lovely apartment in Padova, Italy and prepared to head north to Austria where I have chosen to celebrate my birthday. I had originally decided I wanted to go back to Munich, Germany but then changed my mind and decided to go to Austria because I love snow and wanted to be in the Alps. Sarah and I have always wanted to see the city of Innsbruck (as very young college kids we loved singing Heinrich Isaac’s Innsbruck, Ich muss dich lassen), and so I suggested a few days in the famous ski city followed by some time in Salzburg to show Tommy the land of Mozart. However, Sarah wisely suggested only Salzburg and really get to know the city better (we have been two or three times but never for more than a few days). I was disappointed not to see Innsbruck with its snow, mountains, and cold air!
Anyway, we packed up and headed to the train station for the seven-hour train ride to Salzburg. At the station Tommy and I went to grab coffee and water while Sarah confirmed our seat reservations (we had our tickets but the seat/car numbers were different than on our other train tickets). She was gone a very long time for such a simple question. Why? Because she was being told they had just cancelled all trains from Italy to Austria! Yikes.
However, after a little work Sarah saved the day by figuring out there was a train to Austria. And it went to Innsbruck! And so, we found ourselves on a very nice bus that was only half-full and had comfortable seats and power for our devices! Further, the route they were taking went right through the mountains! It was one of the most scenic trips I have ever taken! And the best thing was that once in Innsbruck, there were hourly trains making the two-hour trip to Salzburg! I get to see Innsbruck and go up into the snowy Alps!
It was a long but fun train ride and we arrived in Innsbruck with just enough time to use the bathrooms, grab a croissant, and find the platform. Unfortunately, it is winter and Innsbruck is a ski city, so platform was filled with skiers and equipment and we did not have assigned seats. We managed to get on board and then the stress began! Although it was a two-hour ride, people were standing between the cars, holding on to the rails in the isles, and Tommy and I sat on the floor in the kids play area! Sarah got a seat!
Once at Salzburg Station we found a cab (it was a bit too far to walk so late at night) and went to our new apartment which is right in the heart of the old part of Salzburg about two minutes from the Dom! We carried our luggage all the way to the fourth floor (the apartment was built in the early 1300s) and went for food.
Salzburg late at night, on a Sunday, and in the winter, is not very busy and most places were closed. Luckily we found an Irish Pub that stayed open until 2AM and had pizza! The pizza was actually amazing and they had good beer, wine, and soda. We even did a couple shots of Jameson! The staff was so kind and it was really an unexpected good night.
We then took a short midnight stroll to the Dom for a photo and went home to bed!
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