GRAZ - day 2 - 🇦🇹

Even though our room faces the main train station, they did a fantastic job with the noise isolation. We can’t hear the trains unless we open the window. However, I would have a few words with the designer who had the last word about the wall that separates the bathroom from the living room. The idea of using a barn door is not the end of the world, and replacing the traditional wall with glass might sound quite intriguing and even genius, but the fact that the glass window is transparent and there is no curtain in front of it makes the whole concept a tad questionable. Basically, it means once one enters the bathroom and switches the light on, the other one in the room has a full-screen HD version of their activities in there, be it a hand wash, a shower, or, god forbid, something more serious with the involvement of the toilet. So, once I’m about to lay a cable, my best part could watch the whole process. Otherwise, the room is quite cosy, clean, and not too warm or cold.

Anyway, the night was anything but great. I woke up every thirty minutes because the bed was so soft that when I lay down, my hip sank in, which lifted the legs and my head, so it was like sleeping in a hammock. When we woke and got up at six o’clock in the morning, it was pitch dark outside. However, this couldn’t put a damper on our breakfast plan, so at 7 a.m., we were ready to hurry to the restaurant before the hungry crowd began its marauding parade. The breakfast was divine. I ate so many little sausages, baked beacons, and sunny side-ups that I couldn’t think of the lunch until 2 p.m.

After finishing breakfast, we returned to our room, Ági put on her conference clothes, and off she went with the others. I stayed in the room and did what a gentleman does in private. After letting things go, I buckled down to write the draft of an official application Ági needs to submit for a scholarship next Tuesday.

When Ági returned at 12 o’clock, we decided to check the city, so we headed for the downtown area. Even though Graz is a small city - there are roughly 300.000 inhabitants - as we approached the inner part of it, the crowd grew. More and more people emerged from little streets and shops, and tourist groups were occupying the pavements that were 10 centimetres from the tram lines, so our lives were in danger sometimes when we had to walk 5 centimetres from these giants. But the Christmas market at the picturesque main square was fantastic. Little stalls and booths offered goods, such as Glühwein, traditional Austrian Wurst, and special hot dogs. Since we were more than peckish, we opted for a special hot dog that contained an enormous piece of wurst, which was so delicious that we couldn’t talk to each other while devouring it. Once we finished it, we wanted to grab a coffee, but as the crowd got even bigger, we decided to return to the hotel.

Since we got back, the weather got colder, and it was already dark outside at 4 p.m., so we decided not to go out for another sightseeing. Tomorrow, after Ági’s section at the conference, we’ll eat another special hot dog at the Christmas market, and discover other parts of the city. I wish Abby were with us. I miss this little rascal terribly, and I resent the fact that she cannot travel with us because of her anxiety at unknown places. She could kill the mood in an instant, so however difficult it is to leave her at the dog sitter, as long as she can’t behave, there is no other option for us to travel.