Austria
Austria (known to the locals as Österreich) is located in the heart of the gorgeous European Alps; it's the undisputed world capital of classical music (and historically, of music in general); and it's one of the countries that — perhaps more than any other — sits right on the frontier between eastern and western Europe (although it's definitely part of the west). It's also the only "pure German-speaking" country in the world (i.e. having German as its sole official nationwide language, and spoken by 90%+ of the population), apart from (neighbouring) Germany itself. I came to Austria to soak up some of the culture, to yodel with the locals, and to enjoy some fine alpine skiing.
Train to Vienna
This morning I said goodbye to the crazy Wombat's Munich — and to Germany, for now — and hopped on the train down to Vienna. Just a quick 4-hour morning ride: I caught the 9:30am train (direct), and I was in Vienna by 1:30pm. The train went through Salzburg, which I'm going to visit after Vienna: it's a bit of a funny route, I know; but I can't help it, since Vienna's somewhat out-of-the-way from everywhere else I'm visiting around here.