Day 2

he scratchiness I would feel in my throat later in the day would prove that it was probably a bad idea to walk outside at 1am in just a t-shirt and jeans, but a few minutes in the cold did wonders in coping with the heat of the room. That oppressive heat that would wake me each hour and would keep me awake for what felt like another 45 minutes until I'd pass out. That cycle repeated itself throughout the night until, after what might have been an eternity, the morning came. I hesitated getting up, wanting to stay in bed longer and recover the lost sleep but since you can't see the sights from a hotel room, I forced myself up.

I put on my leather jacket, grabbed my key and headed out into the city to find a bank. It was cold out, and the sight of a man spreading salt on the sidewalk made me guess it was near freezing. The first bank I came to didn't exchange currency, but referred me to a second one that would. Except they weren't open yet. Instead, I withdrew some cash from an ATM and headed back to the hostel for a simple breakfast of corn flakes, tea, and 2 rolls.

I finished my meal and walked up to the front counter to book a spot on the day's Sound of Music tour. For €30, I figured it would be a good way to see more of Austria, despite having never completely seeing the movie leaving me uninterested by some of the tour stops wishing they were focused on other things, such as Hellbrunn Castle instead of a small white gazebo in a corner of its grounds. Luckily, the Austrian countryside refuses to let itself be missed, even from the middle of the bus' rear seat.

We rode back to Salzburg, where I began to wander through the city, photographing anything that caught my eye. After few hours, I headed back to my room to trade some of my gear for a hat and scarf, then headed out into the city once more to find a place to eat.

Feeling good without the extra weight of the camera gear, I walked through the old town checking the menus each restaurant had posted outside. Unable to read any of them, I settled on a semi-fast food fish place where I ended up ordering salmon and calamari. Finishing my meal, I started my walk back towards the hostel when I spotted a souvenir shop selling shot glasses. Small and unique, I felt certain I'd be able to find them everywhere and, with my purchase, a new tradition had started.

Back at the hostel again, I started going through the day's photographs when a wave of sleep slammed into me. I woke up some time later and, after looking at my watch, realized dinner was still being served downstairs. After eating, I grabbed my camera and went back into the city once again.