Day One: Overnight Train to Köln

My day began in Dürergasse and ended in Köln! After a full day of last minute packing, taking German finals, and giving a presentation in German, we were ready to head to Westbahnhof to catch our train.

Our train to Köln! It was carrying cars!

We boarded and headed to our reserved seats, in a non-sleeper compartment with 3 other Austrian or German girls. We chatted quite a bit, but I was exhausted and the German just turned to mush after a while, and eventually we all decided it was time to sleep. So, we set up all of the beds, 3 stacked bunks on either side of the tiny compartment and went to sleep, waking up in Germany.

Our beds!

Birthday Extravaganza!

In honor of another year of my life, Mayo, Kay and Edita took me out to get Chinese food to celebrate my birthday. Mayo and I had been so crazy busy with school (we had UniWien finals), work, and for me John's visit, that we hadn't had time to connect since I got back to Wien. I was so excited to see them all and couldn't wait for chinese food! We ate at a Szechuan place out near them, and it was pretty good. But by Vienna standards it was amazing!!!

During dinner, they gave me an adorable gift which included birthday gift shaped pasta and we all know pasta is so much better when there are fun shapes involed! Which was so great in and of itself, but they told me it wasn't over yet. Mayo and I were going to go shoe shopping after lunch and I could pick out any pair that I want!

We went out to to a place on the U6, which had two stores full of reasonably priced shoes, aka my heaven. We wandered once through both, before taking a more determined walk through. I found several pairs of low heels I liked, but then I found a pair of brown suede boots. Now, I have been looking for brown boots for quite some time and since I bought leather boots last semester, I figure it's high time for some suede ones! We purchased them and hopped back onto the UBahn to meet up with Edita in the city for dessert.

We met up near Stephansdom and on our way toward Zanoni and Zanoni for birthday ice cream, Edita headed over toward Swarovski. I figured she was checking out the latest display, which is always something worth seeing, but then she headed inside. It wasn't even over yet. We went upstairs and they told me I could pick out anything I want. I found a necklace on a gold chain with a modern gold design encircling a good-sized Swarvski crystal. I pass by that store almost every day, but I never thought I would actually own anything from it. I kept my pinky up, as I walked out holding my little Swarovski bag.

We made our way to Zanoni and Zanoni and enjoyed some of their creative Gelato concoctions. I had actually been craving a milkshake for some time and got a Pistachio Chocolate one that was delicious! And the perfect end to a truly incredible day, full of easily some of the best birthday gifts ever, mostly because of the amazing (and surprising) experience, through which I got them! Thanks times a million to Mayo, Kay, and Edita!!!

Technical University Ball

It's every little girl's dream: to get dressed up in a fancy gown and go to the Palace for a ball. And I got to live it. Last night, was the Technical University's Ball in the Hofburg Palace in Vienna.

My roommates and I all got ready together in our apartment; unfortunately we had no ladies in waiting to help us tighten our corsets and do our hair and makeup, so we ditched the corset idea (I like breathing) and did each others.

Our U3 pumpkin carriage took us (almost) directly there.

My roommates Morgan and Jessica, and I in the main ballroom of the Hofburg Palace. The main ballroom housed a small chamber orchestra, and a big band during break, a dance floor with room for hundreds of waltzing couples (left background), and literally the most expensive seats in the house (right background).

There were many rooms thorughout the palace for dancing with jazz, salsa, and popular music among others. There were at least three different bar areas with smoking lounges, the grand entry way and staircase, a smaller less grand entry way and staircase, and numerous rooms with tables for those who had the money to purchase them.

A post waltzing photo with a great view of the incredible frescoed ceilings and huge chandeliers in the large main ballroom.

Towards the end of the night we got tired and silly, and wandering the palace found this statue. I play the role of the dead sheep.

The evening was just as magical as I ever could have dreamt of, minus any lost shoes and princes chasing me. And I cannot wait to do it again, hopefully soon!!!

Special Thanks to my roommates, Jess and Morgan, for allowing me to borrow their photos. My large DSLR didn't really accessorize well with the outfit.

Krank

My Salzburgian adventure got me sick. Too much wandering the city in the cold. Granted it was totally worth it and I swear I will post photos soon. Life has just been crazy hectic since I got back to Wien. In addition to all my fun traveling, I've been studying for my final coming up this week in my real, taught-in-German-class at UniWien. And I just got my assignment for German Intensives: I have to read a 300 page German book (Das Parfum von Patrick Süskind) and then write a 6-8 page paper auf Deutsch and then give a presentation auf Deutsch all due by the 31st. In the middle of my crazy studying, this just happened to come along. Whee.

And in addition to all that, the music people at school asked me to help copy and organize music for the music workshop students while I am working at the library, meaning I actually have to do work while in the library and not just sit around and study! The nerve! But I just have to keep thinking about the 2 week vacation that follows all of this and the over 100 euro paycheck coming my way to help fund that...

On an absolute sidenote, I am officially incapable of making rice on the stovetop. No matter what I do it comes out weird. I miss my rice cooker.

Salzburg Part 2

Day Two included a trip to the Mirabell Gardens, a visit to the Natural Museum, a trip to Mozarts birth house and his family home, ending our trip at the Stiegl Brauwelt!

Mirabell Palace Gardens

Sunrise over the Hohensalzburg

We rode the elevator up the Monchsberg to get a daylight view of the city!

Jess and I with the Hohensalzburg in the background

Italian Lunch!

The Mozart Family Home

The Stiegl Brauwelt: Brewery and the largest beer museum in Europe!

TOWER OF BEER

One of three of our included beer tasting!

Salzburg!

Here is a quick photo summary of the first day of my trip to Salzburg with my roommate Jessica. We wandered the city, visited churches, got lunch at an old traditional breadmaker who works under a church, we visited the Hohensalzburg Fortress, got to see a Carneval parade and more! If you want more details, feel free to comment and I'll get back to you!

Some of the detail of Salzburgs old buildings

The gorgeous interior of the Cathedral

The organs which Mozart played on as the church organist

An art exhibit in the crypt

One of the many church spires dotting the skyline of Salzburg

Market in the Markt!

Schoko Brezel!

We accidentally ended up in Salzburg during a Euromusik Carneval!

Parade!

Carneval Costumes!

We got confettied!

More of the fun costumes!

Drums!

View from a hill overlooking Salzburg

Mountains!

Inside the fancy rooms of the Hohensalzburg Fortress

On top of the observation tower of the Hohensalzburg

Walking along the hilltop to the Modern Art Museum!

Nighttime over Salzburg!

New Nighttime View!

Salzburgian Adventure!

I had another 9 to 5 grown-up work day to pay for the epicness of my future and also (and more practically) for my more immediate trip to Salzburg. Tomorrow! Jess and I are currently sitting on my bed checking out things to do in Salzburg and lucky us, Mozart was born this week, meaning we are going to Salzburg's Mozartwoche! (aka Mozartweek! still exciting, even in English!) Just think: concerts we can't afford, being performed by people we would love to see! Amazing, eh? Either way, we are hoping that they might have standing room tickets on site.

So things I want to do instead: Stiegl's World of Beer, Haus der Natur (because there is an aquarium!), the Salzburg Cathedral, Mozart's birth and residence house, Mirabell Gardens and Palace, and naturally the largest still intact Hohensalzburg Fortress on Mönchsberg!

Take that Europe

After working today from 9am to 6pm with only a lunch break and a ubahn trip to the other side of town for babysitting, I came home exhausted, so I spent all of the money I made today and more. But I think it was well worth it. My roommate Jessica and I have planned a grand excursion through Germany and Spain with a stop off in Dublin, Ireland just for fun.

We will start in the German city of Köln, which was the city on which I did my first ever German class project, so I am excited that my first real trip to Germany will start there. Then we go to Bremen, with (hopefully) a day trip to Hamburg. We then fly to Barcelona and spend a few days there before heading to Madrid. From Madrid we then fly to Dublin for a day before flying back to Bratislava. And taking the short bus trip home to Wien!

Epic, no?

Second Job

In order to help pay for all of my fun excursions, I've taken a second job as a library assistant at the IES center. I started today, when Dieter, our library/tech guy, called and said he had no one to cover the current shift. So I ran in and he put me right to work by organizing and scanning the entire course packet for my class on the Leid. Fun. And I checked out one book! For myself. Real fun! But really it wasn't too bad. Although, I can't wait for the days when I head in and have time to just update my blog, or catch up on homework or watch bad tv! That is what being a library assistant is really all about anyway.

Schönbrunn Park

In the morning before going to Massenet's Werther at the Vienna Staatsoper, Jess, John and I went to Schönbrunn to wander the grounds. We started in some of the manicured wooded areas, headed back to the Palmenhaus and Tieregarten portion (although we didn't have time for the Zoo) and hiked up the hill to the Gloriette before wandering down the more natural woods on the other side. John and I also found a Würst stand near a gate to the park, where he tried his first Käsekrainer, which are a kind of wurst filled with cheese and quite possibly the best thing on the planet. By the time we were finished we were freezing, because in spite of the sun and supposed 50 degree temperature, we underdressed and were quite chilled. We headed back to Dürergasse for a nap and a break before standing through the opera!

Jess and John in front of Schönbrunn

A view of the Palmenhaus and some of the gardens

Green things in Winter!!!

Schönbrunn's Neptune Fountain

Schönbrunn

Wandering Wien

John and I spent the day walking through the sites of Vienna. We ubahned it to the Prater and wandered through the mix of Coney Island-esque rides and old Habsburg hunting grounds. We made our way through the Praterallee heading to the Hundertwasser- Krawinahaus, an apartment building designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser in the mid-80s. Then we hopped on the straßenbahn and headed back into town, where we walked the ring from UniWien to the Hofburg under the glow of golden rays. We then decided it was time to hit up another cafe for more amazing torte, so we stopped by Cafe Mozart, who carries the famous Cafe Landtmann torte, before heading home to wait for the new roommates to move in!

The Riesen Rad in the Prater

The high in the sky ride in the Prater

The Hundertwasserhaus

The Burgtheater on the Ring

So Vienna: The Hofburg Palace, a Fiaker horse and carriage and a City Bike!

Happily waiting at Cafe Mozart for my Trüffeltorte

Cafe Mozart with their amazing Landtmann torte!

Bratislava

With an early start to our day, John and I spent the day in Bratislava. A mere hour away, Bratislava and Vienna are the two closest European capitals and there are many forms of transportation back and forth between the two. Bratislava is a city in transition, formerly under Communist rule and moving forward attempting to establish itself as the next big Eastern European city. Fairly clean, with a beautiful old city center and overlooking castle on a hill, Bratislava may one day be the next Prague, but for now doesn't have much to offer inside its lovely walls. Most museums are going through renovations or being built completely, so really its just a facade, but still worth a day trip and all done in under 30 Euros!

One of the many fun statues on the streets

An old Bratislavan Palace and soon to be museum

The first and the prettiest of the many churches we wandered into

A beautiful square

Johnny and I taking a break

The old city gate tower

Notice the canonball, courtesy of Napoleon, to the right of the window

At the First Slovak Pub, where we had lunch and slovakian beer

Outside the presidential palace

The UFO Bridge

Bratislava on the Donau

The Castle on the Hill

The Combination New and Old Castle

Castle and Fortress