Innsbruck: Winter Wonderland

Innsbruck's signature colorful buildings next to the river.

We awoke on Tuesday morning, our first full day in Innsbruck, to a winter wonderland.  Huge, wet snowflakes drifted down from the sky, covering the city in a layer of white and making the entire old town seem like a set from a Disney movie.  The temperature, however, was very comfortable (as opposed to bitter-cold winters in Canada) hovering right around the freezing mark.  It was a perfect way to experience our new home!

Old Town arches date back to its days as a medieval capital.

The distinctive buildings in the old town house restaurants, cafes, hotels, and high-end shopping.

Innsbruck has two distinct types of architecture: a quaint, yet polished, pedestrian-only zone in the old town filled with colorful buildings sporting ancient stone features, and a seperate, modern looking town that would pass for somewhere outside of Toronto.  It gives us the best of both worlds - we can meander (that word is for you Chad!) down the cobblestone, or catch a tram to the mall for H&M and Ikea. 

Exploring the Swarovski store downtown... 

... and walking in the old town.

If it weren't for the German being spoken, there are many times I catch myself thinking I am back in North America.  It is usually at these moments that I gaze off into nowhere... then ALMOST GET RAN OVER BY A TRAM!  This happens a few times a day, and makes me remember that public transportation here is much better!  On a more serious note, the shopping here is actually very good.  There are three or four trendy shopping areas, which does not bode well for me when you have a wife with too much free time!

Cuban, Thai, and Indian restaurants give us a variety of culinary options.

Carbs.com!

Matt Epperson can rest assured - the price of M&Ms is LOW in AUSTRIA!!!  This same bag would have fetched 7 Euro last season... bad news for the rest of the league - Matt is unstoppable on M&Ms!

Something about this picture makes me think about a yellow umbrella.

It was a great first day, and I am looking forward to learning this city even better in the coming days!

Until next time... (German word for goodbye to be inserted here, as soon as I learn it!)

~ J. Twice