Graz–Jan. 8, 2025

Here are a few pictures from the train ride from Munich to Graz. I think the train goes through the Austrian Alps. It’s really much more beautiful than these pictures depict; a dirty train window didn’t help things.

Arrival in Graz

I went straight from the train station to the apartment that I am renting for a couple of months. The streets near the apartment are all torn up for construction on the streetcar line. (Whether it is a new line or repair of an existing line, I don’t know.) This made navigating with the luggage a bit difficult.

I met the landlord, who showed me where everything was. The apartment is nice. It has underfloor heating; even at the lowest thermostat setting it feels hot to me (I usually keep my house at 68°F in the winter).

After getting the residence registration form signed, the landlord left, and I went to a German language school to do a placement test. They have a course starting on 13 January, so the timing was perfect. I placed at level B1 (see this definition and this self-assessment description), which sort of surprised me. I thought I was between A1 and A2. Anyway, the class starts at 8:20 a.m., Monday to Thursday, until the end of the month.

Signage

I went back to the main train station later and saw these signs. The first one is a reference to “Der Struwwelpeter,” which has to be one of the weirdest children’s books ever.

Suppenkasper or Struwwelpeter? Eat here, get your hair done there.

Handkerchiefs to wave? Right next to the bandages for broken hearts!

Don’t go away. Just stay there.