After a fun day in Munich, what could we possibly do that would top that? How about some giant, beautiful mountains? The Alps were pretty impressive before we even reached the town of Oberstorf, as they loomed off in the distance, allowing all of us to get some nice pictures from the train.
Landing in Oberstorf, which is a small skiing town on the southern edge of Germany, we found it to be a quaint little place. Lots of open streets and very few cars, at least compared to some of the other cities we'd been to so far. This meant we could walk the streets fairly freely, which was great, because the mountains practically loomed over this town. Every direction made for an impressive view and it was hard not taking pictures in pretty much every direction I looked.
We wandered the town for a bit, mostly among outdoor cafes and shops displaying their wares outside, taking advantage of the wonderful, sunny day. After wandering through the streets for a while, we came to a small, Italian cafe and decided to have lunch. I thought the food was great and the beer even better, although when the waiter found out we were studying abroad, he developed this strange habit of calling us "young boys". Kind of odd, but not a big deal. He was very personable and his service was excellent, so I couldn't complain. We got some information on how to actually get up into the mountains, paid for our meal, and set off for the Nebelhorn.
Walking farther down the street, toward the mountains, we came to a tram meant to take tourists and skiers up into the mountains. We correctly assumed that we had found the place, and bought our tickets (as well as a hat for myself, as I only had my jacket for warmth). In total, it took us a series of three trams to get to the top of the mountain, all of which were packed to the brim with skiers and their gear. The rides weren't super long, so it was definitely bearable, although there was one couple with extremely long dreadlocks standing in front of us on the second tram that Jon claimed smelled terrible. Aside from that small hiccup, the rides were pleasant and the feeling of watching Oberstorf fade into the distance as we ascended inspired a feeling of awe as we realized just how high up we were going.
We finally hit the top of the Nebelhorn. The view from there was absolutely stunning. I don't even know if I can do it justice with words (fortunately, like all of my posts, pictures are included below). There was a cabin set up at the top containing an observation deck and a restaurant, and from there we simply gazed in awe at the beauty surrounding us. After getting tons of pictures, Jon had a novel thought: Wouldn't it be awesome if we had coffee up here? Well, it's not often you can say that you've had coffee on top of a mountain, so we decided to enjoy the small cafe that was part of the observation deck. After warming ourselves up and taking a moment to relax, we took our last glimpse of the majesty of the Alps and started our descent back towards Oberstorf.
Overall, this was definitely a wonderful trip and an excellent addition to a series of what had so far been (barring Zurich) a series of wonderful trips.
And now, as promised, pictures of the Alps. Enjoy!
The Alps off in the distance from the train.
Whenever I see a chance to stupidly imitate a statue, I usually take it.
Walking through the streets of Oberstorf.
It seemed like every view here was picturesque!
Chris gazes at the top of a mountain.
The tram lines up into the Alps.
The beginning of our ascent.
The town is fading away into the distance!
Bye-bye Oberstorf....
...and hello Alps!
Chris, Matt, Boba Fett, and I wait for the second tram.
So pretty!
And we just keep going higher...
Hey, where'd the trees go?
The trees eventually gave way to just snow.
Wow.... Just... Wow....
The third tram going up to the top of the Nebelhorn.
Boba Fett, Flat Sarah, and I at the top of the world (for real this time).
Boba Fett enjoys some coffee on top of a mountain.
I almost got left behind on the way back down trying to take this picture.
King (and Queen) of the woooooooorld!!!!
The descent back down the mountain.
Panorama shots!
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