Blog

Recess is over! Out before 8 AM to catch the regional train to České Budějovice, which implied climbing a steep hill with all my gear.

I had just one hour to do a quick reconnaissance tour and then back on an Austrian train. Czech Republic has been awesome, and I really hope to come back to see more of its nature. See you soon!

Hallo Österreich!

Last time I’ve been there, I was three years old, and we stayed for just one night. So hopefully I’ll keep more memories of it this time.

It’s a very cute ride, through the hills of the Czech-Austrian border, that is too soon interrupted by a replacement bus for the last few kilometers. Ah… Nothing like a bus driver speeding like a maniac to remind me why I travel by train!

Anyway, we arrived in Linz in one piece, after felt like a billion detours inside the city. I took some time to walk through the long pedestrian street. But what is that heat? It’s summer here already! Wearing too much layers and with my backpack on the shoulders, I decided to get back to the station by tram.

My initial idea was to stay in Linz for the night, however the hostel was full. So I thought screw it, I’m pushing to Salzburg. I took one of the fastest and smoothest trains of the trip so far. And there they appeared: the mountains! I mean, actual, freaking huge mountains of the Northern Alps. What a view, as we get closer and closer!

In Salzburg, I checked in at the hostel and immediately went back to explore the old city, which is another UNESCO Heritage site btw. A splendid city, but the real treat here is the fortress. Highly perched on a hill, it dominates the city from far up, with crazy views all around, especially from the funicular up, and from the Panoramic Tower. Incredible!

I took the funicular back, and went to an all-you-can-eat-buffet, where I ate like a cow. I was about to explode, which was a good idea given that I didn’t check the price first (19 € aoutch!). It turned out to be a kinda bad idea when back at the hostel, Angel the Bulgarian embarked Bin the German (who, amazingly enough, shared the same birthday as me), Cait the Botswanese and I to a bar. We played a few games and drank way too much, as shots of Tequila kept appearing magically in front of me (thanks Angel, the hero of the day!)

Naturally, I’m writing this the following day, and with an INSANE view, so stay tuned for tomorrow’s pictures!