Skiing Three Countries in One Day

by Iva Skoch on

Should you ever feel the need to impress your friends with the number of places you have skied in your life (and not go bankrupt as a result of it) head over to Slovenia. If you settle in the town of Bovec, home of Kanin, the highest ski center in the Slovenian Alps, you can venture out to nearby ski resorts in the neighboring countries: Sella Nevea and Tarvisio in Italy, and at the Arnoldstein in Austria. If you get the 7-day pass, you get two free coupons for skiing in Italy and Austria. The altitude stretches above 2000 meters (6000 feet) and a day pass will set you back less than $20.

Of course, you can ski three countries in one day in Chamonix if you are lucky, too, but it is a lot more expensive (closer to $50/day) and a lot more pretentious.

Double Tall Skim Catpooccino To Go

by Iva Skoch on

If you’re a coffee lover, maybe you’ll want to make a special flight on Japan Airlines to buy “the rarest coffee in the world“: civet coffee. But this specialty brew is sold only in business class, to the tune of $600 for 100 grams.

You’re not going to find this in any Starbucks. Your other options for getting the coffee are limited: if you’re not heading to Japan, a single coffee shop in Vienna sells the beans. If you’re really adventurous, maybe you can sniff out the source directly: the Philippines. An environmentalist husband and wife team, named Reyes, has made a multi-million-dollar business out of its harvest. Non-coffee drinkers themselves, they accidentally stumbled into the civet’s special gift while doing conservation work on sugar palm trees outside of Manila in 2003.

What makes the coffee so rare? It’s made from the droppings of the civet cat. Apparently, this nocturnal, ferret-like cat eats sugar palm fruit and coffee cherries. (Oh, and you can catch SARS from it too.) The coffee bean is not digested, but ferments in its digestive system and is excreted, much to the delight of locals, who collect the ready-to-roast beans, but try to keep the origin secret. The roasted beans give off a “sweet chocolatey aroma” and produce a “strong and earthy” brew.

Ah, I can just imagine the aroma!

Is It Skiing Time Yet?

by Iva Skoch on

Perhaps the only good thing about the summer ending is that one can start planning a ski vacation. My favorite place to ski is still the Alps. Granted, I have only skied in a handful of places in the US and Canada, but I still prefer Europe.

It’s not that the quality of snow is an order of magnitude better, but it has got two “C’s” going for it: cost and character. Especially in Austria, you can find pleasant chalet accommodations for as little as $30/person, including breakfast. I took this picture in Dachstein, a ski resort in Austria, just a hour away from Salzburg, last December. Sun and powder heaven. The beautiful thing is they still charge only 32euros (about $40) for a day pass. In the US, you can’t even ski the Poconos for that kind of money, sadly enough. If you have ever tried skiing the Poconos, you will understand exactly how sad that is.

Which brings me to my next point: character. Villages in the Alps are just so damn cute. I don’t care how accurately they try to replicate this quaintness in Whistler, it just doesn’t work.

Theater: Dress Up (or Not)

by Iva Skoch on

I have had this conversation with numerous travelers (typically backpackers) in Europe: they want to go to the theater, opera, classical music concert but have no dressy clothes. The theater usually says that it encourages people to dress up but it is not enforced. Yet, all the locals dress up. Should they still go in jeans?

Most of them do. They justify it by saying that the real experience of Aida at the Opera in Vienna should not be dilluted by people wearing jeans (and taking pictures inside the Opera house – like the Stanford U students in the picture) and on the contrary, it shouldn’t be enhanced by wearing a gown.

So why do locals usually dress up? Are they just shallow and think that cultural experience will come with nice clothes?

Over the years, I have adopted the “when in Rome, do as Romans do” point of view when it comes to theater-going. Dress the way the locals dress, even though it might be inconvenient and mean buying an outfit. It doesn’t have to be a gown, but at least a skirt and a shirt (long pants and long-sleeve, collared shirt for men). If you can’t afford it, it might be a good idea to go to see a small, independent show instead. Consider that those locals may have saved up a lot of money to see a show in a majestic theater building and expect it would be special. By wearing jeans and “not caring”, you may just be ruining it for them. You might be able to enjoy the show regardless of the clothes you wear, but they might not.

In most European theaters, you will notice that the people dressed up are the locals and the people in jeans are the tourists. Many shows featuring a high concentration of jeans are thus called “tourist shows.” And that is certainly not a compliment.

Then again, who knows, “dressing up for culture” might be a thing of the past…

Balkan Odyssey Part 23: Final Stop, Gallbrunn, Austria

by Neil Woodburn on

The final stop of my very long Balkan Tour was the small town of Gallbrunn, Austria which is nowhere near the Balkans.

I had come here to visit my girlfriend’s hometown and stayed to enjoy the charm of a small farming community about half an hour east of Vienna. Gallbrunn is the typical, small village populated with one church, one grocery store, and two pubs/restaurants. A small road cuts through the center and is lined on either side by traditional farmers’ houses. Each has a large gateway to accommodate farm equipment and livestock. On either side of the gate are two wings of a home, one of which traditionally houses the parents, while the other houses the family of the eldest child. Such living arrangements have passed down through the generations and continue today.

My girlfriend and I stayed in the house in which her father was born and in whose basement he and his mother hid from the Russian army in the closing days of World War II. The other side has been converted into the town’s only shop, which is amicably run by the wonderful Doris Glatzer. Be sure to stop by and ask, “Haben Sie Schnapps?”

For such a small town, I was surprise to discover the very fine Landgasthof (hotel) Muhr, a popular weekend escape for Viennese looking for a little country relaxation. The hotel’s accompanying restaurant is superb and has a fantastic wine cellar. In fact, the whole region is quite well-known for the spectacular wines it produces. As you drive along the country roads, wine cellars are built into the hillsides like little hobbit houses.

A popular evening activity is to visit a local Heurigen where one can taste such wines. We went on a Sunday night with Doris and her husband, Franz pictured above. The outdoor restaurant, located amongst a wide swath of fields, is like a beer garden without the garden. Long tables and benches line a patio filled with local farmers dressed up in their Sunday best trying out the various wines and having a jolly old time. You may have never heard of Austrian wine, but let me assure you, it is quite excellent, and very affordable.

The Heurigen also serves food. Schnitzel is, of course, on the menu, as was a mouthwatering pork roast, dumpling and sauerkraut special that was simply delicious.

Certainly the highlight of my time here was being invited into the homes of some of the locals. In traditional European fashion, the schnapps and/or wine comes out in a hurry, followed soon thereafter by food and great conversation. European hospitality is so very,… very hospitable. I love it! Immersing myself in the small town feel of provincial Austria was simply a wonderful way of ending my travels.

Yesterday’s Post: Hungary?!?! That’s not in the Balkans!
Tomorrow’s Post: The End