Graz, Austria: Pedestrians' Delight

When my sister Vicki and I were planning our European adventures, we both shared a strong dislike for sitting in a car, bus or train for more than a couple hours. Once our plane landed in Berlin, the plan was to slowly hopscotch our way south on "short-trip" busses and trains. We needed to be at the Tirana Airport (Albania) on October 4. Our hopscotch adventure would take us through eight countries in six weeks, with only carry-on luggage. Vicki takes 100 percent credit for planning daily logistics and reserving lodging (via booking.com), quite a task! All the lodging places had to be easily accessible by public transportation or within walking distance of the old towns.

From Vienna, we boarded a train that leaves every hour for Graz, Austria.

It's a beautiful two and one-half hour train ride, eventually meeting up with the Mur River.

Took these photo's inside the train car (window reflections).

Everytime we'd arrive in a new town, we'd get a tourist map to figure out what's to see and where we shall walk . . .  a park and farmers' market along the way are priorities for us.

The climate in Graz is conducive to great flowers. Click here for why Graz' climate is different than the rest of Austria.

Flowers everywhere . . .

Flowers not just in a flower bed at the park, but at the farmers' market too . . .

And remember that great pumpkin soup back in Durnstein, Austria? There's a difference between Jack-O-Lantern pumpkins (too stringy and watery) and baking pumpkins (smooth textured flesh).

The pulp of a baking pumpkin is luscious! I've become a fan of pumpkin varieties. Guess I'll have to move to Austria or Slovenia . . .

And that pumpkin seed oil I'm crazy about? It comes in virgin cold-pressed and cheaper pressings, just like olive oil. One liter is about $19 USD.

There's something about farmers' markets that make me and Vicki linger longingly . . . . 

Not sure, but I think photo below (left side) is pumpkin pulp from an extruder.

Vicki and I manage to drag ourselves away . . . 

Once upon a time there was a fortress on top of this crag (large mass of rock projecting upward) and although the fortress isn't there anymore, the views are spectacular. One hundred years ago, Austrians and Russian prisoners built this beautiful concrete and wrought-iron stairway. Vicki and I had to take a couple of breaks on our way up; 260 slow steps up.

That funny-looking UFO building is an art museum called "the friendly alien". I don't like it :(

We take the back way down -- a shady tree-filled park with switchbacks the whole way down.

In the old town area, all the winding hilly cobblestone alleys are pedestrian only; it's soothing to the soul to walk around Graz with vehicles out of sight and sound.

What do you think is sold inside this fancy door? High priced diamonds and jewelry?

Nope, it's a deli and bakery! Close-up view below.

What's everybody looking at?

It's almost time for Hanzel and Gretel to appear . . . . soon the doors will open.

Life-size dancers twirl around three times daily . . . I had more fun watching the audience oohing and ahhing and snapping a billion photographs at such simple entertainment.

Graz has a plaza area for tourists to relax downtown. I laid down on one of the many red bean bags (photo below) while Vicki toured a cathedral. How many American towns have bean bags for tourists, eh? It was a great place for people-watching and being in the Graz moment.

Most of the time we stayed at hostels or boutique hotels (historical buildings converted to a small hotel), but this time, we did an Airbnb and slept two nights in a woman's apartment. The woman is a Slovenian woman, and later, after researching Graz, I realized that Slovenians think of Graz as belonging to Slovenia. There's a lot of Slovenians working in Graz (click here for explanation).

We board a Flix bus at the train station for the capital city of Slovenia. It's a beautiful three-hour ride.

Coming up next, the wonderful little capital city of Ljubljana.