Zurich, Switzerland: Pretty As A Picture

For all of the time I have spent in Germany – literally years of my life – it always bothered me that I hadn't been to Switzerland. But since we were already heading to Bavaria for Spring break it made sense to finally fix this. Zurich, only four hours from Munich, lies at the end of one of the prettiest drives and ferry rides imaginable. So, destination Zurich!

We were in Munich because first of all I LOVE that city. Bavaria has the nicest people – much friendlier than the dour faces of Leipzig. After seven months living here, how many local friends do you suppose have been made? If you guessed exactly one you would be correct. Also, it has great historic buildings and more of that 'fairy tale' aesthetic associated with Germany. But the main reason was for a concert by the band Germans love to hate more than anything. I swear total innocence as to how I inadvertently opened the biggest can of musical worms imaginable. You see, I was watching a New Years concert in Berlin and this band Tokio Hotel played two songs I really liked. Since I'm 99% sure no Canadian or South African has the vaguest clue who they are (I certainly didn't and have never heard them mentioned in my circles), I was surprised to learn that a.) it is a national pass time to hate them, and b.) just how much ridicule I was opening myself up for. Naturally the vitriol made me all the more curious and so I jumped down the internet rabbit hole and learned a couple of things about this German pop culture phenomenon. The first is that there are a lot of freaks on the internet and they seem to like this band a lot, and second the super androgynous lead singer (who, after the obvious suspect is Germany's most hated, or at least most polarizing man) fascinates me. He wears more make up than I do and has some truly ridiculous hairstyles, but then David Bowie at his most gender bending was my long term childhood crush. Some things are just different here in Germany. Anyway, we went to Munich and saw Tokio Hotel live. The music was good but the object of my fascination, Bill Kaulitz, reinforced the old adage that white men can't dance. Add the many pointless costume changes...from pirate, to raver, to so much in between and well, it was a bit disappointing. I will chalk it up to part of the quintessential German experience and I am now experientially indebted  big time to two friends for accompanying me. Anyway, immediately after the concert we were on the first bus bound for Switzerland.

 

Arriving in Zurich, I was at first underwhelmed. After passing through stunners like Fredrichshaven and Lake Constance en route it seemed a little anti climactic. But it grew on me like a slow burn and by the end I was completely smitten with the place. It's a fairly small city built on the rolling hills that surround Lake Zurich. It is just so...pleasant. For one thing, I'm not sure I have ever seen a better dressed populace (sorry Paris) where everyone oozes such serious elegance. I guess they can afford to seeing as the Swiss out earn just about everyone. It's also a very multicultural with many Swiss but also many expats, especially banking types. Everything here is of such high quality – the food, the wine, the style, the architecture, the scenery. It is also clean without being sterile and maintains personality, something I think Vancouver has failed miserably at during its transition to glass and steel encased modernity. But I must save my biggest accolades for the chocolate. It is incredible. Anyone who knows me well knows I have a serious chocolate problem – it's my kryptonite. I don't even want to admit to how much I ate on this trip, let's just say there were entire meals of chocolate and I was perfectly okay with that.

 

Bahnhoff Strasse is the main shopping street that runs through town. Every second store here seems to sell either Swiss watches or fabulous high end chocolate. Since Easter was coming we were privy to many themed window displays...in which we noticed a predilection for seriously psychotic looking bunnies. The type that would scare children. Hell, some of them gave me nightmares, although these were maybe partly due to eating too much chocolate before bed. Anyway, Easter is almost as big as Christmas in these parts and so the decorations were in full effect. The old city is really cute too – it lines both sides of the river that feeds the lake, traversed by many little bridges and lined with perfectly maintained old buildings. It's also full of adorable little cafes which of course sell...fondue! Which reminds me, the Swiss cheeses were also spectacular! Little boats are moored everywhere, and gondolas appear to be a main mode of down rive transport – though not the romantic Venitian kind. I would say that our most worthy expenditure was renting a peddle boat on Lake Zurich one afternoon. It was a great way to enjoy the 20 degree sunshine, chase swans, and ride the wakes of passing speed boats.

This is also a city of good shopping, filled with small boutiques and lacking in much of the tourist kitsch you find elsewhere - except maybe for all the cuckoo clocks. Things felt quality and authentic...not that I could afford any of them on my student budget. I was warned Zurich was expensive, but I'd managed Oslo, which is the world's most expensive city, a few years back. Zurich only ranks fourth on this dubious list. But the difference is that when I traveled Scandinavia I had well paying job. Now, as a student, I felt like a bum. Put it this way – a Starbucks coffee can set you back 9 Euros, which is around CAD$13. Crazy right? But locals explained that when you live in Zurich, you are well paid and can easily afford your own apartment even on the minimum salary – again not something feasible in Vancouver. Not to mention, when you travel anywhere outside of Switzerland, any destination becomes an affordable budget holiday. No wonder we met so many Swiss when we traveled to the Seychelles.

Zurich has tons of museums too, although I must admit none that interested me much. I've visited too many boring ones in my travels and have now learned to be selective. What that did stand out, though not in a good way, was the Museum of Wax Moulages. It is dedicated to three dimensional, life like wax models of disfiguring diseases. Sounds fun right? I saw some online photos of the collection and feared it would put me off eating for weeks, even the Swiss chocolate. Also worth an unrelated mention is the language. Zurich falls into the German speaking region of Switzerland, but they have the funniest dialect. Very sing song, with lots of rolling r's, and as a German speaker one must listen very carefully to understand. I'm not sure what this says about my German, but the Swiss seemed to understand me a great deal more than Germans do.

 

All in all, Zurich seems like the perfect place. The lifestyle is truly gourmet in every sense...it's just so sophisticated. Dammit, I want to be Swiss! And I think once I graduate next year that is exactly what I might set about doing, by looking for work in Zurich. I'll probably grow huge from gorging on cheese and chocolate, but I must say that Kate Moss clearly hadn't visited here before her famous declaration that 'nothing tastes as good as skinny feels'.

The Principality of Liechtenstein: Tiny But So Worth It!

The Principality of Liechtenstein is a tiny country surrounded by huge mountains. How tiny? Thirty by twelve kilometers tiny; the world's fourth smallest country tiny. When you stand at the lookout in Planken, the oldest village high in the Alps, to the left you see Austria, to the right, Switzerland tiny. It's also one of the few nations still under royal rule – and thanks to bank ownership, the Crown prince and his family are THE wealthiest royals in Europe. It sounded intriguing enough to justify a spring break visit.

We arrived on the early train from Zurich with no real idea what to expect. I had heard only three things about Liechtenstein: it was clean, boring and expensive. Clean it was, and expensive was also correct (although no worse than Switzerland which in my experience comes second only to Norway as far as prices that make your jaw hit the floor). At first it seemed incredibly boring too, but as we soon learned, this was not necessarily the case. When we alighted, the sun was shining, the train ride through snowy mountains to Sargans had been spectacular, and the hills were dotted with shuttered cottages and little churches. Everything looked beautiful – the only thing missing from this Alpen dream was Heidi. The region feels so wildly beautiful yet ordered, populated yet pristine. It's a far cry from the chaos of Africa, that's for sure.

Liechtenstein has two main cities, Vaduz and Schaan, which lie just three km apart, and a few smaller towns and villages throughout. It's so small that we managed to see all but two in one very long, exhausting day. Things didn't get off to such a promising start. We walked through Vaduz along the main road (bearing in mind the 'cities' are only a few streets wide)...a castle sat high on a hill and looked pretty enough but it was a private residence inaccessible to the public. Along the route we also passed the prince's royal winery which I made a mental note to visit later. I have never tasted, or for that matter seen a wine from Liechtenstein and I was curious. But there didn't appear to be much else and it soon transpired that we were already in Schaan, the second city. It seemed even more boring than Vaduz. We began to stress because our return train tickets were for 8:30 pm and it was currently 9 am. What on earth were we going to do all day? We decided to discuss plan b at a coffee shop, which turned out to be the wisest decision of the day (followed closely by winetasting). Turns out this was no ordinary kaffeehaus, but one that belonged to the congenial coffee king of Liechtenstein. It was immediately clear that this man had a serious passion for both coffee and his home country. He gave us fantastic insider's advice on where to go and how to get there. In fact, all the locals were so, so friendly – I don't think I have ever been anywhere with such nice people. His first recommendation was a visit to his home village of Planken, Liechtenstein's oldest settlement with some of the best views. As a side note, should you ever find yourself in Liechtenstein, you MUST go visit Demmel Kaffee on Schaan's Landestrasse.

 

Armed with Mr. Coffee's advice and a caffeine buzz, we hopped on the Planken bus. Having no trains, Liechtenstein is lined with bus routes and for 12 euros you can see most of the country on a day pass. Planken itself didn't disappoint, but the road there included some of the steepest hills I have ever seen and was thus a little scary. I can't imagine driving here in winter snow - it makes the Whistler highway look like pathetic child's play. The village was lined with adorable wooden Swiss shuttered cottages built into very steep slopes and perfect little manicured gardens. It also offered an amazing viewpoint from which you could see not only the entire country spread below but also the Swiss and Austrian Alps. Following an equally hairy ride down the mountain, our next stop was the winery back in Vaduz. It was important to gather energy for what looked like a very steep hike to the castle, and what better way to refuel than with wine? The winery and vineyards have been here since 1712 and were really pretty to look at, but sadly the wine wasn't quite up to par except for one decent pinot noir. However, the fact that a tasting included five full glasses of wine and no spit bucket meant that we had a great time and left feeling pretty high on life...and alcohol. So high that we barely even noticed how steep the ensuing hike to the castle was. We also checked out the University of Liechtenstein campus en route....now that looks like a boring place to study. Anyway, the castle lies up many winding roads and steep pathways, and of course has an amazing view just like every other corner of this little country. As I said, the prince and his fam actually live here so there's no going inside. We hung around out front for a while taking photos...you know, just in case he drove by and felt like asking us in for more wine. We also debated what could be done in front of the security cameras to generate an invitation...but ultimately decided not to risk arrest.

 

Disappointed by the lack of royal encounters but happy with some good pictures, we set back for Vaduz to check out its centre. It transpired that there was a farmer's market in the old square where we met even more nice locals who fed us excellent chocolates. Otherwise, it wasn't terribly exciting and so we followed the coffee man's next recommendation and caught a bus to the ski resort of Malbun. This ride took us up even steeper roads, and at pretty high speeds thanks to a crazy driver. I was not enjoying myself - though the starting hangover might also have been to blame. We passed through the little town of Triesenberg and climbed ever higher until finally reaching Malbun, still buried under metres of snow at the very top of an Alp. No cheesy shopping malls at this ski resort, just super Swiss style chalets and cozy little bars and restaurants. I wandered onto a ski run and felt an immediate pang for my old snowboard. The slopes looked great...this was the first time I have missed snow in many years. But without a snowboard, there wasn't much to do and since the next bus wasn't for two hours, decided to start walking down the mountain. We had passed some really breathtaking views along the way up and wanted to catch them again as the sun was setting. The walk was so cold that my hands turned purple, and I lost all feeling in my feet. But at the same time it felt so exhilarating to be miles from anywhere, up a mountain surrounded by nature, fresh air and the just occasional alpine hut. As we walked we saw deer and what looked like giant paw prints in the snow beside a crystal clear little creek. Unfortunately because the Alps are full of them, we also needed to pass through a km long tunnel on foot – that wasn't so fantastic. But we managed to make it 3/4 down the very long mountain before the bus finally came and caught the tail end of a spectacular though chilly sunset while the Lichtenstein lights twinkled far below. All that remained was to catch the bus back to Sargans and to admire the castle glowing brightly in the dark above the city.
 

 

What started out as a seriously boring day ended up being amazing, and we owed this to the Demmel coffee man. Sometimes in life you encounter people whose enthusiasm and joy are infectious. He was one of those. I am so glad to have met him, not only for his fun advice but because he reminded me about the human aspect of why I love to travel - something I have forgotten a little living in Germany. I saw some of the most spectacular views of my life in this funny little country filled with the warmest, nicest people imaginable. It's not a hotbed of activity (well, except for dubious banking and financial practices – though you would never guess such things went on here), but it was well worth the trip.

A Very Polish Birthday

Even though February is the absolute craziest month for my Masters program, I couldn't resist a birthday weekend road trip invitation to Krakow, Wiekiczka, Auschwitz and somewhere deep in the Polish countryside to pick up my friend's new puppy. With my raging travel addiction it's difficult to imagine a better present then exploring somewhere new - plus an adventure distracts from becoming another year older. I will say this for Poland: it must be the most affordable place to visit on the continent. It's a rare thing to travel anywhere in Europe and think 'oh wow, everything is so cheap'. As a student this was a welcome surprise.

The drive from Leipzig to Krakow takes around five hours and doesn't exactly traverse idyllic scenery. Once you cross the border the landscape grows increasingly industrial; some of the projects we passed looked like communist era space camps. What they were we had no idea, but architecturally they resembled Bond villain housing. What first struck me, besides mines, factories and Goldfinger's industrial layers, is that you don't need to pay $4 (*ahem* Switzerland) to use a public bathroom - something that drives me absolutely crazy in the west. I immediately decided Poland was downright civilized. Another thing that struck me? Forget about trying to pronounce Polish words. The language isn't big on vowels and features lots 20-plus letter combinations that include x, z, j, k and w. It also features seven different genders. I find German with its three genders difficult enough. Also beyond masculine, feminine and neutral (in between?), I'm not quite sure what other genders there can be?

Anyway, Krakow is a small but picturesque city on the banks of the river Vistula, complete with the requisite fairy tale castle – one that has its very own fire breathing dragon. It reminded me of a smaller, quieter Prague - it lacks something of its larger cousin's dynamism but makes up for this with better prices and is gorgeous nonetheless. The old city has the usual cathedral, churches, synagogues, narrow winding cobblestone streets and colourful rows of buildings. The main square is dominated by a centuries old cloth hall, which is now a market place brimming with tourist kitsch and amber from the region.

The month of February is COLD in Poland and there was no shortage of snow. But Krakow is one of those places that suits this weather. I know I already used the word 'fairy tale' but that's exactly how the city looks dusted in white. Besides how pretty everything was, what also struck me was the number of afternoon drunks on the streets. It seemed a little early, but they like their drink strong in these parts. They seem to be happy drunks for the most part - lots of singing and harmless cross eyed men attempting to street flirt.  I will say that the beer selection is fantastic. I am by no means a beer drinker – South Africa left me with an insatiable thirst for wine and not much else (sorry Vodka but it's over between us). However I now make exceptions for fruit beer, especially the Belgian cherry kriek. I know that sounds vile but I promise cherry beer tastes amazing. For me the most fun part of Krakow was searching the cobble stone alleyways for pubs and restaurants. Every time you think you've found a great spot, you realize there's somewhere even more enticing just down the street. Krakow, like Prague is full of tourist traps, being one of the few places in the world (I hope) where you can still find a Hard Rock Cafe. We wanted to try local fare and following a great recommendation from our hotel ended up being the only tourists in a really old, underground chamber with stone walls serving all things Polish. I LOVED the food, although forget about green vegetables - that is not on the menu in these parts. Instead of kale there is lots and lots...and lots of cabbage and potato. The pierogies, I must say, are to die for.

 

Auschwitz also lies in the Krakow region, some 70 kilometers outside the city. Despite partly  growing up in Germany, I have never been to any Nazi concentration camps and even though it doesn't exactly qualify as an upbeat birthday activity, it's an important memorial to see. I'm glad the sun was shining because had it been gray it might have been unbearable. It was so disturbing that I wavered between wanting to be sick and crying for most of our visit. Reading about the horrendous medical experiments on women and children, seeing the clothes of the exterminated prisoners, visiting the gas chambers and the crematorium where bodies were incinerated...it's impossible, and utterly sickening, to imagine the cruelty inflicted. Worse still it continues in modern times – the genocide in Rwanda was equally vile. I am not the most emotional of people; it takes a lot to make me teary eyed, but Auschwitz moved me beyond words. Even more twisted were the strange details the Nazis added to make this soul destroying place look more like a camp or resort. They were cherubs and kittens painted on the walls of one of the communal bathrooms, then of course the famous 'Arbeit Macht Frei' sign that hangs over the entrance. It was all too disturbing and I must say that for the time being I am avoiding second world war historic sites as I feel too overwhelmed.

 

We also visited the UNESCO Wiekiczka salt mine in the neighboring city of Wiekiczka. I was really excited to see the mine, both as a palate cleanser after Auschwitz and because I have known of it for years and heard about its chambers with wall frescoes carved from salt. Entrance fees were stupidly expensive but I somehow managed to pass myself off as a 26 year old...I know, it's a mystery – and so managed to get the student admission. My friends weren't so lucky and thus got nailed. The mine has operated since the 13^th century, so it was interesting to see the old caverns and demonstrations of antiquated salt mining practices. I can't imagine that kind of work taking place so deep underground with only candles for light. Along the way we passed many salt statues that were on the kitschy side, as well as underground chapels where the miners used to hold services for those who died in the line of work. The grand cavern was tremendous with its salt chandeliers, enormous back light wall carvings and statues. But all the salt in the air makes you very thirsty! I'm glad I saw the mine, though I would by no means say it was worth the ridiculous cost of admission. Thanks to the many subterranean souvenir shops I am now also the proud owner of a salt crystal lamp. I'm not sure I believe they infuse positive energy but I really like the colour they glow so why not?

At the end of the trip we headed into the Polish countryside to pick up my friend's puppy from a breeder....in the middle of a major snow storm the likes of which I have not seen in years. We had to cover some 200 kilometers along country roads so this was by no means ideal - especially without snow tires. Once we left the city the conditions were near white out and we joked that the only thing worse would be if the breeder was in the mountains. As we passed farms and little villages it soon became clear that this was actually the case. It was a struggle driving up the hills and with well over a foot of fresh snow we soon got stuck. This is one of the first times I can remember ever having to get out and push a car. The puppy was absolutely adorable, although following promises of car sturdiness she promptly threw up in the back seat. The weather made for one of the more anxious drives in recent memory even more so when it grew so windy that cars were being blown in between lanes. However we eventually made it home in one piece and I saw the now double sized puppy in Berlin a few weeks ago...ah how fast they grow up.

A Czech Republic Christmas

Living in continental Europe has its perks (and drawbacks – weather, expense, administrational interference in even the most mundane everyday tasks), and besides the gravitas and scenic window dressing authentic historical surroundings provide, chief among these is the proximity of other major cities and countries. With Prague just three hours from home, what better place to visit for a Christmas holiday?

 

                                                 

We randomly crossed the border a few weeks earlier on a University retreat in the Sachsen Switzerland. Walking through the town of Sebnitz, we came upon a sign welcoming us to the Czech Republic. EU open border policy means border crossing is as simple as crossing the street. The Czech Republic we entered this day was run down – think stores in people's garages, buildings crumbling, graffiti. But what we found in Prague last week was a whole other world. We also visited the Seddlac Ossuary, otherwise known as the 'bone church', in Kutna Hora, a small town some 70 miles outside the city. Once again, quite a different experience from Prague, like time traveling back to mid 20^th century communist era rather than the 13^th century. Well, except for the bone church which is festooned with the bones of plague victims from the 14^th century. I find that global cities never offer a great representation of their home country. They exist in their own bubble offering cultural hints of where you are but never really more than a superficial glimpse. Whether this caters to tourists in search of a sanitized experience or owes to the fact that populations are such a mishmash I'm not sure. But in the case of Prague, while the population is a mix of Baltics, Russians, Ukranians, Romanians the preserved history is spectacular.

 

Anyway, so I finally made it to Prague. It was everything I expected it to be, except much larger and more expensive. Somehow I had pictured a smallish city easily walkable. This it most definitely is not. Actually, what I liked -and which is a touchy subject with the locals who are adamant Czech Republic is central Europe – is that you really feel as though you have entered the cultural east. There are many Russians, Romanians, Ukranians, and these languages are spoken more often than English. We tried to learn a few basic phrases, but Czech is a tough language and nothing beyond 'good day' stuck in my head.

The food was hearty and pretty good, assuming you like dumplings and lots of meat. This is no place for vegetarians or vegetable lovers – unless pickled red cabbage is your thing. While dumplings aren't necessarily my favourite, I really enjoyed the meals – and the desserts were to die for. We discovered amazing delis in the Jewish quarter, no big surprise there, with the most incredible desserts . What I found confusing was the currency – the Kronun is not broken down into cents, so the smallest denomination is one, and up from there it counts. This is confusing when you are trying to establish how much money you actually have. The locals were much friendlier than expected. In Leipzig I have grown so used to generally unpleasant – actually flat out rude and sour people, but the Czechs are much nicer and so much more sophisticated. And the men are distracting: tall, really good looking and so well dressed. I also want to know what the women's secret is because they all have this long, lusterous, shampoo commercial worthy hair. In fact, being here made me sad that I cut my hair short this year and I am now determined to grow it back. The secret might possibly be this special shampoo made from beer that we kept finding in stores around town. Needless to say, I now own a bottle.

 

Prague is so jam packed with history that the only city I could think to compare it with is Istanbul, where around every street corner lurks some ancient hidden gem. I was amused that a lot of the popular local anecdotes were actually pretty gruesome in nature. Defenestrations for instance occurred regularly throughout Prague's history. What is a defenestration? Throwing people out of windows. Dislike followers of a certain religion? Then round them up and push them over the edge. The Sedlac Ossuary was also kind of gruesome. I'm not sure how many skeletons line the chapel, but the fact that some priest found them stacked and decided to make furnishings rather than burying them is...interesting. Personally, I would be offended to be used for anything less than the grand chandelier. In one of the main churches (there are so many, good luck keeping them straight), hangs a 500 year old mummified forearm and hand over the entrance. It belonged to some unfortunate thief who got caught back in the day and serves as a reminder not to steal from the church. It looks like leathery KFC, which I will never eat again.

The old town is so full of winding passages and narrow streets that are very difficult to navigate, meaning much time was spent wandering lost. Also, really, the whole city looks like an 'old town' so this makes it quite difficult to tell where you are. And I swear there are seven towers that look the same as the famous 'Powder Tower'. In the main square was a twinkling Weinachtsmarkt, though as with everywhere in these parts full of stalls hawking Christmas kitsch. The main square is surrounded by beautifully preserved buildings, and also features the famous astronomical clock with its glockenspiel, rated Europe's second most disappointing tourist attraction. It definitely lived up to this distinction, providing an exceptionally boring show. In the newer part of town was Wencelas square – actually a boulevard, and named for the Good King Wencelas of Christmas carol fame. Around here one finds the main shopping area populated with horrible sales people. I don't think we looked like shoplifters, but they follow you everywhere leaving you with maybe one foot of personal space in which to browse.

The Charles Bridge divides Prague 1 and the old town from Mala Strana on the other side of the river, dominated by the Castle district – which holds the distinction of being the largest castle in central Europe. It's a mishmash of historical architectural styles since it was transformed over the centuries by various occupants, most recently the notoriously chinless Hapsburgs. It's a steep hike up narrow cobblestone streets to reach the castle, but the view from the top is breathtaking and well worth it. Also at the peak sits Saint Vitas Cathedral, a tremendous example of Gothic architecture. Also on top sits the Strahov monastary where the monks are known for brewed beer (we sampled – it was tasty) and the philosophical library, one of the world's most famous. I had seen it before in one of those annoying facebook posts about the top ten this or that – in this case must see libraries, so I was curious and very impressed, though found it in dire need of an open window.

 

The rickety trams that bomb around the city looked like relics from the 60s, but actually contribute to the charm of the cityscape. I was also impressed with the local handicrafts, and found the hand painted Russian dolls and Bohemian crystal ware so beautiful. I'm not clear where the Czech fondness for marionettes comes from, but many stores carried large selections of elaborately carved, lifelike puppets, some terrifying like witches and demons, others bearing the likeness of dead celebrities. There was even a theatre showing operas enacted with marionettes, Mozart's Don Giovani was on rotation during our stay.

The one thing I found a little terrifying about Prague was the sheer number of tourists (I know, I am one). It's just really overwhelming and I can only imagine must drive the locals crazy. But when I complained to one of our tour guides, she said that this is the quiet season and that in summer there are easily triple the number. Oh...god. But I really liked what I have seen of the Czech Republic so far, and hope to see a little more. I was so impressed with the people, the history – it felt somehow exotic for me. But Poland and Hungary are calling, and from Vienna next year much of the east will be even closer

Salzburg, Austria: You are now Entering Mozart Territory...

Resembling nothing so much as a jewel twinkling in the Austrian Alps, Salzburg is a quaint, if sterile, little city. Classy, cultured, charming, tourist ridden in the extreme– it was everything one would expect. I initially considered the university for my Masters because the thought of spending two years in the Alps was pretty appealing, at least until I looked at its world ranking and realized I needed to aim higher. However, I will say that the faculties, spread throughout the city, benefit from their amazing location and there are certainly worse places in the world to study.

Best known as the birthplace of Mozart almost 300 years ago, Salzburg's prodigal son continues to dominate the city's culturescape. Not that this is a bad thing – living in one of the European capitals for classical music, I am very much learning to appreciate it, and would actually take it over Beyoncé any day. In fact, he is difficult to avoid, with life sized cutouts hawking the eponymous Mozart Kugeln in every second store. Mozart Kugeln, for the uninitiated, are ultra high calorie marzipan balls coated in chocolate – and yes, they taste awfully good. You can also visit his birth house and other locations where he lived and carried on in his daily life.

Salzburg is divided by a river; on one side lies the old town, topped by a fortress that sits high above the city, on the other, the newer district which is still old by most any standards. The old town is a maze of narrow cobble stone streets lined with boutiques and fast food outlets. It's actually kind of funny – there must be a legal requirement for signage to resemble the remaining historic signs, because I would find myself admiring a cute sign and then realize it read 'McDonalds' or 'Zara'. There is, as is always the case in Europe, cute fountains, a market square, beautiful churches, and some interesting modern street art. Climbing a steep staircase cut from the mountainside takes you to the fortress level, where you get a birds eye view of the Alps and the city below. For the lazy there is also a cable car that delivers you right to the top. Some people are lucky enough to live up top in little Bavarian style houses surrounding the fortress, and there's also a small forest with walking trails.

On the newer side is the Mirabell Palace and gardens and the old cemetery – where you will find a number of Mozart's relatives, including his father and widow Konstanze. While cemeteries aren't usually my interest, this one has some really elaborate and actually fascinating tombs and gravestones. In all, it is a great little city to wander on foot, getting lost in the hidden passage ways. If you are in the mood to acquire overpriced Tirolean togs or large chunks of pink salt- or Mozart Kugeln, all the better as these are widely available and you will be even happier.

The air here feels so alpine fresh, which definitely helped my severely hangover (travel tip: Absynthe shots at 4 am are never a good idea...come to think of it, neither were the 2 bottles of red wine before hand) and in fact Salzburg is clean to the point of sterility. This disappointed me as it felt more like being in a historic theme park than a living, breathing city. I found it quaint of course -you would have to be blind not to. But the sheer number of tourists was overwhelming (was anyone actually local – I mean, besides Mozart??). I lie, actually the few locals I encountered were really warm and lovely, which is a relief since I'm moving to Austria in August. But I guess I have been spoiled traveling in less 'popular' areas of the world and had forgotten how totally crazy the tourist situation is in Europe. For this reason alone I am in no hurry to return to this agreeable little place, although I had better get used to the hordes before I move to Vienna because something tells me there it will much, much worse.

Musings on the Zoo That is New York City ...

Gotham. The city that never sleeps. A big, decomposing apple. New York is many things, especially in the summer – sweaty, sticky, seething with humanity. For many years it was also my lofty ideal, the place I aspired to one day live, a world centre for so many things. But after spending a recent week there for work, I think my infatuation is over.

There are still things I love about Manhattan. After all, how can you not when it holds something for everyone. My obsession with brownstone walk ups of the West Village, Georgian and regal, rages unabated. I'm more enamoured than ever of the Flat Iron district – it's so Boston; specifically I want just once in my lifetime to hold in my hand the the keys to Gramercy Park. And then there's that magical time of day, from 7 to 8 pm when sunset bathes Manhattan's west side in a golden light, illuminating Tribeca's industrial lofts and transforming them from old factory spaces into things of glowing, 24 carat beauty. The museums remain fabulous and Central Park is still one of the best people watching parks anywhere in the world. The new Highline is also useful for traversing town, except for the sheer number of people streaming along at snail's pace. I even discovered Brooklyn Heights when I finally made the trek over the iconic Brooklyn Bridge. It was lovely as far as bridge walks go, though disappointing that 10,001 other tourists had the same idea at the same time. The tree lined streets, with names like Cranberry and Pineapple were intensely charming and on Willow Street I found Truman Capote's old mansion, which served as a reminder that I really must get around to reading Answered Prayers.

This was my fifth time in New York, though it has been years since my last visit. Having seen more of the world, specifically parts not so westernized, I find my perspective has changed... or is it the city itself that has changed? Where I once saw the epicentre of all that enticed me, I now see a certain shallowness of culture – a gaudiness. A perpetual craziness ironically tinged with emptiness. Consumerism and flashing neon, fast food, and what made me most sad: the mallification of once quaint Soho. The Meatpacking District, heir to what SoHo once was, feels somehow contrived. NoLita still holds some hidden gems like the Elizabeth Street Sculpture Garden, but many of its boutiques are chain stores in disguise. And I defy anyone to maintain their sanity when traversing Times Square several times a day out of necessity. Then there's the Upper East Side. I used to love its cool luxury, but this time it just felt kind of...boring (except for the Laduree macaron bakery-that is always a welcome sight). It was interesting to see the new World Trade Centre, still hard to imagine what the horrors of 9/11 would have been like. Wall Street seemed somehow smaller, less impressive then the first time I saw it. Of course no visit to that area is complete without a trek to Century 21 – home to competitive, full contact shopping sport. In general everything seemed to be under repair or construction, concealed under scafolding. I guess that is a sign of economic upturn?

The work aspect was fun – I was there promoting my friends' highly successful jewelry line and so visited many of the big fashion magazines, meeting with editors at Cosmo, GQ, Lucky, Glamour, Teen Vogue, W and the epitome of high fashion, Vogue. Alas I did not get the Anna Wintour ice glare, but I did meet the accessories editor who was lovely. I also met with Rihanna's stylists for her latest tour (and saw where the magic happens), and some of the PR team from HBO. It's always nice to put a face to the names you email regularly. By night I made random new friends, and even went on a date with a hipster musician from DC (because, why not?) to Babbo, a Batali (King of the buffalo mozzarella) restaurant nestled on the cutest street imaginable in Greenwich Village. It was a pilgrimage to my favourite chef that I have been dying to make for years.

The people of New York are both its best and I'd hazard to say worst feature. I couldn't believe the number of times men body checked me to walk through a door first, and of course I had my share of altercations over taxi cabs, in which I gave as good as I got. On the other hand, once you get chatting, the people are also so friendly – you can start a conversation with anyone, anywhere, which is a godsend when you're travelling alone.

This trip freed me in the sense that I will no longer plot my eventual move to NYC. Where in the world will I settle? It's kind of exciting to say that I'm really not sure. The near future will be interesting as a new chapter is poised to unfold. In four weeks time I move to Europe for at least 2.5 years to complete my Masters degree. I had some great options, and the choice was difficult - but ultimately decided to become an Erasmus Mundus scholar. The political studies program I chose has some great university options (you have to pick two out of eight, and do one year at each)– including Roskilde in Denmark and London School of Economics – which I was very tempted by save it was just too unaffordable, even with my scholarship. Besides, I want to sharpen my German to total fluency. As such, I am headed to Leipzig to attend a university established in 1409 (Harry Potter!) that counts figures like Bach, Wagner, Leibniz, Nietszche, and Goethe as alumni – a fact of which I am in awe. On the one hand, I will feel insignificant in this place so steeped in academic history. On the other, I am so excited to feel a part of something so old and established – I hope it inspires me to some personal level of greatness. Plus, my friends in Berlin are only an hour away, Prague is two hours. My second year and onward, I will study at the University of Vienna. Obsessed with culture as I am, I cannot wait for the music, the architecture - there is literally a ball every month! Although...I'll need someone to ask me, and I probably won't have a thing to wear (floor length gowns are not part of my student wardrobe). It is going to be a lot of hard work – I am under no false illusions. But I never feel quite so alive as when a new adventure is under way!