Skiing ist gut!

Finishing up a tour of the alpine slopes sandwiched between visits to the alpine Hubs.

First, 14 hours in Vienna. In, twist, out. No time for documentation.

Then off to Engelberg outside of Zurich, home to a 12th century monastery and a gorgeous ski resort named--somewhat unfortunately--Titlis.

But the unfortunate nomenclature couldn't spoil our fun. Not even the roaming packs of feral Germanic teenagers could. The snow was so fluffy, the sky so blue, the slopes so empty, the temperature so warm, and the scenery so glorious, a good time was had by all.

Titlis is home to the world's first rotating cable car, which spins as it ascends the mountain, offering every passenger a stunning 360 degree view. This was ostensibly a major draw for the Korean tour groups that ride up the mountain to buy overpriced watches at 3020m.

Other technological wonders included a ski locker that dried and warmed your boots overnight. Only in Switzerland.

Then it was off to Zurich, officially the *best* city in the world, according to Monocle Magazine.

The city is indeed a paragon of efficiency and luxury, a happy little hive of productivity for a cosmopolitan and wealthy population. We obviously stayed on the less salubrious side of the tracks (literally and metaphorically) in a bizarre B+B run by an authentic Crazy Old Lady named Susanne.

A death march pleasant evening stroll to find a restaurant afforded an opportunity to befriend some locals.

Best city in the world? Maybe not. But any place inhabited with giants gnomes scores highly in my book!