internet at last

I finally found a window of time when neither children nor "businesspeople" are using the hotel's free internet, and locked myself in the hardwood-panelled room, so I have it allll to myself.

I have a new most underrated European experience: tobogganing! For €6 you rent a toboggan with wooden runners and a woven seat (I recommend the racing model- it's more ergonomic) and then, according to the traditional sport, you walk to the top of a toboggan run (up to 11km) and ride down. Fortunately, in these modern times, a FREE ski bus will take you up to the top of some of the runs. Then, the descent: toboggans don't have brakes. You use your feet. They also have no steering mechanism- again, just feet. For at least 15 continuous minutes, you speed down the side of the mountain on a prepared path- it has banked turns that you go up on just like a bobsled! Then, provided you can come to a stop before you hit the pavement, you wait for the bus or hitch a ride up (preferably in something larger than a Civic) and do it again! Total cost for the day: €3 each. We think they only charged us for one toboggan. Way cheaper than skiing, and at least double the chance of killing yourself.

My previous most underrated European experience was the Rhine cruise, which apparently never made my blog. Peter was really excited about it, and the law of conservation of excitement states that therefore I can't be.

We've also done some skiing, and met some cool people from the other ski group- most notably Michelin (like the tire), who came on a ski trip without a single pair of pants, and accidentally pushed an old man in traditional dress onto an escalator that he didn't want to go up. She remedied the situation by shoving him down the stairs. The people on our ski group take all the packaged excursions, and skip the five-star hotel dinners so they can go out for pizza and kebabs.