Vienna, Salburg and off to Munich tomorrow

-Monte Carlo/Monaco can keep their Ferrarris, I want a Vespa from Santa
-Another unexpected delay in the transportation plans, but no a problem. It just meant I got 2 more days in Nice...I cant complain. I've learned not to get attached to travel plans.
-Originally I had planned to go to Geneva, Switzerland, but I need to visit another expensive European "economic center" like a hole in the head. I've opted instead to forgo Switzerland and go straight to Vienna via overnight couchette. I have great memories of Vienna from when I lived in Europe 9 years ago on a study abroad, but I'm noticing that the European Union does something to its member countries...most notibly, make them unbearingly expensive. Since the majority of my trip so far has been to the more developed Western European countries AND the dollar is so weak right now, I'm really feeling the squeeze in my wallet. I had a great conversation in the train with a member of the foreign legion who gave me several great points and suggestions for my journey. He pointed out that as I move in the route that I have planned the cost of living is going to go down considerably. I'm moving eastbound around the world so Europe will be the most expensive place I will be. I decided at that point to let it go. If this is the steepest it will get then I will enjoy where I am when I am there and be happy to cut corners where I can. I'm not going to undermine the quality of my travels for the sake of a few euros. This may not sound like a big deal to you, but it is a huge burden off of my shoulders and I'm glad I'm back in the moment.
- I've noticed a huge difference in the authenticity of touch here as well. In general, Europeans are much more unaware of their personal space (see the loss of "my last creature comfort" in previous entry). In the metro nothing is sacred, you are inundated with hands and smells, but it's never intrusive. As much as you are positive you are going to be trampled at any minute, they skim you without contact (mainly in Morocco) or gently bump you without so much as an "excuse me" (mainly Spain and France). For as much physical contact as experienced from strangers, you can see why transactions in the stores caught me off guard: hands never touch during purchases. When you are buying something, your money goes in the dish to pay for it, it is picked up by the teller, your change put back in the dish and you pick it up. I remember days at home when the only physical contact I got with another person was when I would go to buy something and our hands would touch...how sad is that. Here I kiss strangers on the cheeks when I say goodbye. I hold hands with people I've known a day...and it seems so natural.
-The Austrians are very nice and look to me like Americanized Germans. They are taller, have darker hair and Everyone has piercing and tattoos...I mean like they look like they fought a tackle-box and lost.
-I like the German influence on the schedules. Everything runs on time!! No problems with transportation and there seems to be a continuity to the system. I'm going to get used to it though. From what I hear Italian train are just about the worst and without different classes in the cars, there goes the ace up my sleeve.
-I've never seen the kind of humidity that I did today. It was even worse than Madrid's weather, but it held out until I was at dinner before it started pouring buckets of water from the sky. Weird thunder and lightening storm followed and I got to witness the "threads" of diagonal rain that Salzburg is so famous for.
-It doesn't smell like honey, jasmine, wood, playdoh and salt water the way that Corsica did, but the smell of pennies in the air indicating rain to break the humidity will be just fine with me:)