friday+saturday.

Class for only an hour and a half today….check. Since our German teacher is away in Serbia at the moment, the only class we had today was Humanities, which Professor Horton graciously ended early. What a great way to end our second school week in Vienna! After dismissal, Filchak, Ricki, and I set out to accomplish some more of our “Vienna Visits” and enjoy the day throughout the beautiful city we now call home. Our first destination:  The Michaelkirche, a Catholic church inside the Hofburg Quarter. The “Neo-Classical” façade dates back to the late 1700’s. The interior is filled with a massive Baroque style organ, beautifully crafted frescoes, and sculptures of the earliest evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. One of the many things I’m learning during my time in Europe is the importance of paying closer attention to detail. I could have been completely content staying in this historic church all day in a time of prayer and reflection. By exploring several different churches, cathedrals, and basilicas throughout Europe, I have already developed a keen interest in Catholicism, which I hope to continue to pursue throughout my time here and even once I’m back in America. After time at the Michaelkirsche, we headed to the Parliament Building, which at first glance resembles Nashville’s depiction of the Parthenon. The building is aesthetically pleasing and the intricate detail contained in the columns of the Parliament is simply beautiful. Next stop: The University of Vienna, which was by far my favorite part of the day.  I caught myself wide-eyed and in awe several times throughout our tour of the campus as I kept visualizing how incredible it would be to take classes at this University, surrounded by nearly 50,000 other students. The school is inspired by the Italian Renaissance style. The courtyard, lying at the heart of the campus has a gorgeous quad area, and is lined with busts of the University’s most distinguished professors. This is by far one of the most prestigious Universities I’ve had the privilege to explore. Our time here could not be complete without a trip to the bookstore, where I did in fact buy a t-shirt and sweatshirt. No surprises there. Then, we ventured back to the hotel in hopes of planning fall break. But of course the Internet at the hotel kept cutting out so after an hour or so of frustration, we gave up. Monday, however, we will try again, except this time not at the hotel. I talked with Mrs. Swann for a bit on the back porch of our hotel. She is very understanding, genuine, encouraging, and easy to talk to. She spent several years in the Navy so she has more experiences and perspectives than the majority of women her age. I value her friendship and hope we continue to bond throughout this trip. She is spiritually impassioned and she has already helped me more than she will ever know! We went to dinner in a big group tonight to Café Wortner, where we went our second night in Vienna with Dr. Mcvey. I ordered delicious pasta with a spicy marinara sauce.  I might go crazy in Italy with the plethora of pasta options…uh oh. Our after dinner treat: Tichey Eis. Unfortunately, this was our last chance to enjoy their gelato since they closed today. L After this momentous and depressing occasion, we headed back to the hotel and had real talk/devo in the Horton’s room. Hearing everyone talk about what they are currently struggling with and finding encouragement from one another is a beautiful gift that God has blessed us with (but we often take for granted).  I shared the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, which has been on my heart the past few days. If you haven’t familiarized yourself with this beautiful prayer, I would encourage you to do so!

Today (Saturday), I slept in till 930, which was wonderful. Then, headed out a day of shopping, flea markets, and other adventures with Ricki! We hit up the Flohmarkt (flea market) first at the Naschmarkt, which occurs every Saturday in Vienna from 8-3ish.  Locals and tourists alike venture out to the Flohmarkt in search of some good bargains. McVey strongly recommended we go at least once during our time in Vienna. I was impressed with the variety and overabundance of random stuff from gas masks to license plates from American states, to old Beatles records. The Flohmarkt is truly one of a kind. I am a bargainer by nature so flea markets are definitely my type of shopping. Although I did not make any purchases, I’m glad we could experience what a true flea market is like!  We stopped at the Billa across the street to pick up sandwiches and chocolate for lunch, then headed to the Hofburg Quarter, where we walked around a sports festival and saw some young Austrian gymnasts perform and the Vienna handball team perform their tricks and flips on their trampolines. Quite an experience. Afterwards, I had my first H+M experience while living in Vienna. I’m proud of today’s purchases considering I haven’t gone out of my way to shop for clothes since I’ve been here.  We shopped the rest of the afternoon in the Stephansplatz area. We watched some street performers strut their stuff outside the Stephansdom, which was highly entertaining. I’m pretty sure they mimic nearly 90% of  the street performers from big cities like Chicago and NYC. We ate dinner at a local Viennese restaurant at an outside café. I had a delicious mixed vegetable salad and beef goulash stew with potatoes. One of the best authentic meals I’ve had in Vienna. Ricki and I had so much fun together. She and I barely knew each other before the trip and we spent almost 12 hours together today with not a dull moment in sight. We have very similar personalities and goals, and I’m grateful for the time we’ve had together over the past few weeks. We got back to the hotel near 10 and are now working on some journals/sketches for humanities, and other schoolwork that we have overlooked the past few days. Great Saturday in Vienna, devoid of college football and laziness.