Goulash and clowns at midnight

The countdown to midnight has stopped and as we welcomed in the New Year there was clapping and cheering across the dining room, albeit in a reserved Austrian fashion. All the tables had sparklers that were lit just before we collectively ushered in a New Year and their mild sulphur smell now permeated the air. Across the room I saw a clown with a red plastic nose entertaining patrons at their tables. He slowly made his way towards our table and proceeded to chat to us. That conversation ended up being a monologue due to our non-existent German. Now you might disagree with me if you share Germanic lineage, but the German (and Austrian) sense of humor is an acquired taste. After all The Hoff is considered a comedian in these lands, amongst his other talents.

About 30 minutes into the New Year, the waiters suddenly appeared with renewed vigor, carrying large trays full of delicious and steaming bowls of goulash. It was an unexpected but very welcome way of ending the night's celebrations.

We stayed at the Hotel Innsbruck, a very cozy and charming property right in the city centre. It was a very warm and welcoming property, full of Austrian charm and local character. They say "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" and we certainly did partake in some local traditions. The ground floor of the hotel had an indoor pool with an adjacent sauna, where the inside temperatures would surpass 100 degrees Celsius. We would warm up thoroughly for a few minutes, before rushing out and jumping into the piles of freshly fallen and fluffy snow outside the hotel.

The skiing and snowboarding on the nearby slopes was absolutely superb. We had to put snow chains on the tyres of our rental car in order to get to the slopes. Next buses ferried us up the mountain, close to the ski lifts. We would have lunch at the restaurant located nearby, which served up delicious schnitzels, sausages with mustard and red warm sauerkraut.

Innsbruck is a magical place to visit in winter if you enjoy skiing and is great for families. While we did a road trip from Frankfurt, enjoying the autobahn, you can fly into the local airport which is just 4km away from the city centre.