Alpinzoo

What a better way to spend a Saturday then watching Jason interact with animals! A visit to the Alpinzoo in Innsbruck was a perfect way to enjoy the spring-like weather on a Saturday.
Braunbär

Steinbock

Actually, we were really impressed with the conditions in which the animals were being kept. Alright, it is still a "cage" and it is not the wild, but we felt the zoo did an excellent job in creating the habitats and the animals for the most part (according to Jason the animal whisperer, the animals seemed "happy").
Steinadler

Most of the animals were visible, except for the Murmeltier, a wild cat and deer. I had really wanted to see a Murmeltier after seeing all the signs in the Alps pointing to where Murmeltier were supposed to be visible.
Luchs

All of the animals were from Austria; they either continue to live in Austria, are part of a project to revive an endangered species in Austria, and there were a few that had lived in Austria in the past (like Moose) and no longer. It was neat to be able to realistically place them in the areas that we have become so familiar with. Actually, I had just seen Gämse on the Schmittenhöhe this past week!
Gämse
Now we at least know what the Austrian Osterhase looks like....
Schneehase

The Alpinzoo is easy to get to from Innsbruck, because it is practically in the city center! Innsbruck is one of those amazing cities that has the Alps dramatically and practically growing from the center of town. From the city center you can walk or drive there, or take a very short train ride from the Congress Center located in the city center.

Innsbruck with Mom and Dad

On the way back from Italy we made a stop in Innsbruck, where I was studying.

We had traditional Sachertorte, although originally a from Wien/Vienna, it was still fabulous here on the west side of Austria.

Swarovski Kristallwelten

While my friend Jenna came to visit in April, we went somewhere I could never get Jason to take me...Swarovski Kristallwelten!! SPARKLE-WORLD!!!

The Swarovski Factory and world of creepy modern crystal installation art is right outside of Innsbruck. There were more crystals than I could shake a stick at!!

Zebras in hot pink high-heels? That is what I love about art. All of the installations incorporated crystals. There were pieces by artists I recognized, such as Dali, Chagall, Picasso, and Warhol. Other interesting pieces were by Jim Whiting, Brian Eno, and Tord Boontje.

There is a cafe with great coffee and an amazing gift store. You catch a shuttle bus from the Innsbruck trainstation.

SoWi Innsbruck

SoWi stands for Sozial- und Wirtschaftswissenschaft and means Social and Economic Sciences. I spend most of my time in this building while in Innsbruck. The University of Innsbruck has several campuses that are spread all across the city. I recently had an exam at the Technical Faculty, which was out by the airport. The Medical School is close to the hospital and the main campus, which is located downtown.

School here is much different. It is not a big deal if you do not pass a class the first time. Aside from the fact that my exams are in German, I find them incredibly difficult. Your entire class performance is usually based on one final exam that covers the entire semesters worth of material. Part of me enjoys the challenge of really testing my subject knowledge and learning the new vocabulary, but the other part of me starts going crazy around exam time.

The professors are also very overworked. Unlike schools in the US, there is very little support staff. The professors do research, teaching, grading, advising and even much of the administrative work. It is difficult to get time to talk to professors.

When I first got here I contacted the international office and asked if there was a "buddy" system or something, so that I could have someone to show me the loops. I figured I could use a language partner too. They emailed me back and said that I was "kind of old" for a language parter....

In a way, you pay for what you get. School is free here- and I did not have to buy one book because they were all available in the library!

Second Home: Innsbruck

The past year I have been studying International Accounting and Management at the University of Innsbruck. I am a full-time student, so I take the train several times a week from Zell am See to Innsbruck, which is the capital of the Bundesland, Tyrol. It is a two hour commute which I happily dedicate to studying.

I sometimes feel like I spend more time on the train and in Innsbruck then I do in Zell. I feel like I know Innsbruck, but not really. It is a very nice sized town. It has the token tourist Altstadt, but it also has a large University, so there is a vibrant night life, decent prices and creative pulse to balance it out.

Innsbruck is surrounded by mountains and word on the street is that you can take a lift from the center of town all the way to the slopes!



This is the famous Goldene Dachl (Golden Roof) that is the city emblem.

Here is another picture of the colorful downtown taken from the perspective of under the Goldene Dachl.

Behind my university is the Hofgarten, which offers a nice escape from stress.

My intention is not really to make this a travel blog, but if you do want some basic information about eating and where to stay, Innsbruck offers a wide variety of places to eat, from the standard touristy restaurants, to a nice selection of international restaurants and you can find a good selection downtown. I have only stayed the night once, at Pension Stoi. It is centrally located, not far from main train station, quiet, clean and the owner is very friendly.

Venice Simplon Orient Express

On exam days various opportunities to escape often emerge.

Here is the Orient Express (London-Paris-Innsbruck-Venice). It is a beautiful train that takes your breath away and gives you butterflies in your stomach. I contemplated stowing away, being whisked away far from the looming torture of an exam, into an Agatha Christie novel setting, with mystery, romantic cities, and a glamorous wardrobe waiting in my own private sleeping compartment.



I was obsessed with trains as a child and insisted on always wearing blue and white striped overalls with matching cap and a red bandanna.



Oh, look, it is my personal car....

In Search of Sunrise: Tiesto

Before I entered this torture chamber commitment known as Prüfungswoche we had a series of visitors. A good friend who was with us in PC Guyana hopped over for a visit before she committed her life to medical studies. We decided we would go see DJ Tiesto.

The show was amazing. Even more amazing was that we were able to make it until 6am the next day!

Thanks Jacq for the pictures!