From the Principal’s office…Day 5
It was so great to see the kids today! They were excited to see each other, and their excitement was hard to contain. We met at Schloss Ambras today and toured the castle, tried on a partial suit of armor, and ate lunch in the gardens. I could have spent all day there, but we were off the other adventures.
Our original plan was to take a train in a straight shot to the Bergisel, but, similar to Jackson, it appears to be orange cone season in Innsbruck and the trains were down, so we hoofed it to the bus stop, got the kids on the bus, and then had to transfer busses, and then walk a little more. So, let me just pause here. The bus was an interesting experience. First they are huge, like two busses connected by an accordion. They are very crowded, and some passengers stand and hold on the the rails. Nothing new here. When you are traveling in a group, we take up some space. a little old lady didn’t like that, and very rudely told one of our students to get up and let her sit. He did, and he crowded over with two other students. After loudly checking in with the student who was left to sit next to the old bat, and the student who was relocated, I gave her the evil eye to make sure she understood that these children were not unaccompanied.
When we arrived at the Bergisel we hiked up a steep road that reminded me of Youngblood hill in Bisbee…only about 10 times as long. Youngblood hill is up a canyon in Bisbee and twists and turns at about 55 degrees. This hill was not as steep, but what it lacked in angle, it made up for in length. when we arrived at the stadium, we then either had to wait for the tram which was crowded or take the stairs. Like a fool, I took the stairs. At least 300 of them. truth be told, after the hike up the hill, it felt like the Bisbee 1000…for my Michigan friends, that is a 5k race that feels like a 10 K race because of all the stairs in the course. we spent 10 minutes at the top, enjoying the view and taking pictures, before heading down the mountain to get the kids back to their families.
When Claudia and Laura picked Kathryn and I up, we went to a mall where we bought Muesli…lots and lots of Muesli… and a few other things. This mall had a ton of shops packed close together. All kinds of things. we also went to the traditional clothing store where they sell Liderhosen and stuff. We tried on outfits, and had fun before heading home to eat, and get ready for Day 6, the halfway point. I reconciled our budget….looking good, and am headed for bed!
