On my own

With Eli in Kaernten taking an art course and Anne and Claes on their way home to Sweden for a visit, I am on my own. I'll relate my typical day under these adverse circumstances.

Up at 5 AM, I eat breakfast etc. and get to the uni a bit before 6 AM. I sort through my email, thankful for spam filters, even if imperfect. Today I'll do a show and tell in class (our last one, the final is Monday), demonstrating some software discussed yesterday. It makes some simple hardware do some simple things. Once class starts and the show and tell begins, the students really get excited, several even awakening from slumber, albeit for only a short time. I also give them some hints about the final; no wonder so many showed up today.

After class I grade homework assignments. In general, they are a very bright group. It is harder to get admitted to the uni here than back home, so a semi-rigorous selection process has already been applied, but the students back home are more motivated on the average.

Today's weather keeps me guessing with partly cloudy alternating with total overcast. Nevertheless I decide to bike up Gaisberg at mid day. I'm not in the greatest shape (I never am and never will be) so it's a hard pull. There's a somewhat prolonged steep hill on the way out of Salzburg (Heubergstrasse) which is right at my anaerobic limit, but when I later reach the Gaisberg road I have recovered. The last 2.4 km of the Gaisberg road climbs 265 meters which is pretty much at my aerobic limit. I have a Radler (half beer, half lemonade) at the top and start down. The total climb is only around 2700 feet, but the 'steep' parts are hard for this old guy.

The rain hasn't materialized. After showering at the apartment, I bike to 'Pasta & Vino" which is run by immigrants from Italy. The young man is multilingual, but the others speak only Italian. My attempts to dazzle them with my pidgin German make no impression. They just want me to order my wine, one of the three pasta dishes, and be quiet. The weather is good enough to eat outside.

The food at this hole in the wall is made on the spot from fresh ingredients and is simple and good. The wine selection is exclusively Italian, but that should be enough selection for normal humans. They also run a deli. Their meal and deli prices are fairly low, especially for the wine, suggesting that they haven't blended into Salzburg yet. I'd guess they are from southern Italy (no way to ask them) since northern Italy is in good economic shape compared to the south. Why else leave Italy?

After eating I bike back to work, for the evening. I stay until about 7 PM and then bike home, accidentally stopping at a gelateria. I'm tired; bed by 8:37 PM. Tomorrow my bike and I will take the train to Tirol. Eli will show up there by train the next day, unless she gets a better offer.

It's six months until Christmas Eve. Are you prepared?

Richard
2004.06.24