Graz

To begin - anfangen

German classes are completed (for this month) and vacation has begun.  We packed the car, said goodbye (for now) to Vienna and headed to Italy.  Our first stop in Italy is Trieste.  About halfway there, we took a break in the city of Graz. We spent a couple hours walking through the city, having lunch and getting ready to fall asleep in the car while Stephan drove the rest of the way to our destination.

Graz is the capital of the Austrian state, Styria. It is the second largest city (Vienna is the largest) in Austria.  It was a first walkthrough for all of us. It is a lovely university town. (60,000 students from four universities and four colleges). Famous researchers, students and professors have walked those halls. Nikolas Tesla, Otto Loewi, Johannes Kepler and Erwin Schrödinger are just some of those that spent time there.

Lunch was superb! We ate at  Welscher Stubn. (meat and non-meat eaters were very happy! Our time was short there - but it was a very good quick stop. A quick tip:  This part of Austria is known for its pumpkin oil. I had pumpkin soup and it was amazing. So if ever in that region make sure to get a dish with pumpkin oil - or pick up a bottle.