3 months later..

Tuesday. We had the second part of our German final: the oral exam. Everyone did excellent, and our professor was impressed with how well we pronounced certain phrases. Afterwards, we took a class trip to the Kunsthalle Wien, a museum for contemporary art, featuring "1989", an exhibition focusing on the opening of the Iron Curtain, which ushered in the Cold War. This exhibit showcases the everyday lives of the Soviets during this time period. Although very interesting, it was hard for me to remain focused at the museum because of how utterly drained/exhausted I was. I've been going non-stop for the past few months, and it's finally starting to hit me! After a good hour or so at the Kunsthalle Wien, we went back to the hotel for a quick lunch before beginning the process of packing. I also managed to get in a quick nap before heading out for the night to the Christmas Markets at the Schonbrunn and the Belvedere with Meghan, Ricki, Sarah, and Morgan! We returned to the hotel and met up with everyone in the Horton's room to hang out and begin compiling a list of tips and favorite restaurants, hostels, tours, etc. for next year's group of "Wieners." 


Today (Wednesday) was our official "packing" day, meaning we had the entire day to do as we pleased. Several girls and I decided we wanted to take a daytrip to Hallstatt, a village in upper Austria nearly four hours away from Vienna. Because of this, we woke up around 530am and boarded a train soon after. We had a good 3-4 hours inside the village, which is absolutely breath-taking. I will upload pictures in the next few days! Our time was spent eating at a local cafe (of course) and then perusing the small, picturesque village, located near the Hallstatter See (a beautiful and expansive lake). We arrived back in Vienna around 640 and headed straight to Vapiano's to meet up with everyone else for our last dinner together in Vienna, our beloved home for 3 months. Then, we went to "Zanoni Zanoni" for our final helping of gelato. Yes, I do realize it's nearly freezing outside, but we couldn't leave here tomorrow without enjoying gelato one final time! While in the Stephansplatz area, we also ventured into the Stephansdom for the last time :( Once back at the hotel, we all went up to the Horton's room to converse for a bit and say our good-byes to them (at least for a few days) because they are on a different flight than the rest of our group. Now, I'm just doing some last minute "to-do's" before going to bed for my last time in Vienna.


Sorry this blog has been so concise and ambiguous. I wanted to blog once more before we fly back to America. We leave tomorrow from the hotel at 630am and arrive back in Nashville around 630pm (and we gain 7 hours). Our longest flight is from Munich to Charlotte (10 hours and 10 minutes); it should be quite an experience. I have mixed emotions right now. Although I'm thrilled to go home and see my family and friends for the first time since September, I am also sad to leave behind the life I've known (and grown to love) for three months. I highly anticipate coming back to Europe in the near future, but it's still sad leaving this behind. Time has FLOWN by, and I feel like just yesterday I was rolling my suitcases into our hotel for the first time on September 10! Time for me to get some sleep (let's hope I actually get some rest and i'm not too anxious). I'll be seeing you all so soon in America!! 

day 81.

Monday was a long, productive, and draining day! From 8am-noon, we were at school taking both our German and Humanities finals for the semester. Both went well; I'm usually too critical of myself anyway, so hopefully I did ever better than I anticipate. Afterwards, Sarah and I ventured out for a few last Vienna sight-seeing adventures. First, the Leopold Musuem, which houses one of the largest collections of modern Austrian art, featuring artists such as Gustav Klimt and Richard Gerstl. Our main priority was to see the featured exhibition on Edvard Munch. I enjoyed viewing his artwork even more than I assumed. Although he is most famous for "The Scream," some of my favorites by him include, "The Sick Child" and the "Weeping Nude." After time well spent at the Leopold, we went to the Opera House for an official guided tour, which was very interesting and informative. I've seen 4 performances at the Opera and I wish I had time to see 10 more :)

For dinner, 15 of us went to our favorite authentic Thai restaurant for Erin's birthday! I ordered my favorite: chicken pad thai. Then, on to Cafe Hawelka with Brett, Kirk, Matt, and Sarah to enjoy our last taste of their  delicious/famous plum-filled pastries. We also began preparing for our German oral exam. The requirement for the second part of our exam was to prepare a 1-3 minute speech describing ourselves, our personality, family, friends, and hobbies. After a busy, but packed day of exams, museums, tours, eating, etc., I finished the night off by catching up on my blog and finished preparing for the next morning's exam.

Sorry if it seems like my blogs have gotten progressively shorter. There's so much I could say about each  passing day, but time continues to escape me. Are you surprised? Me either :)

time to STUDY.

We left behind a beautiful weekend in Zell am See and departed for our 10am train back to Vienna. The majority of the train ride home was spent in preparation for the two final exams that were waiting for us on Monday morning: German and Humanities. I refused to sacrifice time to study during my weekend in the Alps, so most of us had a considerable amount of work to get done on Sunday in preparation for two finals. Upon return to Vienna, Sarah and I (yes, we're more nerdy than ever) went to explore the Mozarthaus Vienna, where Mozart lived from 1784-1787, where he composed one of his most famous compositions, "The Marriage of Figaro." We also had the privilege to see Mozart's former bedroom, kitchen, and study room area. I knew I couldn't live in Vienna for three months and not spend some time attempting to better understand Mozart, one of the greatest composers of all time! After time well-spent at the Mozarthaus, we met up with Cari, Erin, and Ricki at Cafe Pickwick's for dinner before returning to the hotel to spend the rest of the night studying/preparing for the next day's finals!

Sorry this is not a particularly interesting post. Sunday was a day full of studying (as you can tell) that will hopefully pay off grade-wise. We're down to the last few days here in Vienna. I can. not. believe. it.

first skiing experience in the ALPS? check.

I woke up around 630 am Saturday morning to begin a day full of new adventures! The entire day was spent out on the slopes of Zell am See, where I enjoyed my first ever snow skiing experience. What better way to begin than in the Alps? As soon as I had put on all my ski equipment, I decided I was in for a LONG, horrendous day on the slopes. Luckily, I picked up on the basics much faster than I had originally thought. Although at times I did have some major balance issues. Within the first hour, I was doing 10x better. Unlike the slopes in America, those in Zell am See contain no trees, are not as well groomed, resulting in more slick ice/snow, and have no beginner/"bunny" slopes. Therefore, the whole day I was on the "blue" trails which are equivalent to intermediate level in America. Given the circumstances, I impressed myself. I fell a few times here and there, but overall managed to do considerably well! My body is still slightly sore, but it was well worth the time, effort, and pain :) After a few hours of skiing, Ricki and I stopped for a lunch break at the bottom of one of the lifts, where we ordered Beef goulash soup. We were able to sit outside the ski bar and enjoy the majestic mountains and the experienced skiers glide (effortlessly) down the slopes!

Arriving back at the house around 4, I took a nice hot shower and was so happy to shed my wet clothing! Next, we enjoyed eating another delicious home-cooked dinner, consisting of mashed potatoes, penne noodles with several types of cheese, and salad...carb overload, anyone? We hung out the rest of the night, talking and playing several rounds of Mafia, which was so much fun! I thoroughly enjoyed getting to spend time with my entire Vienna family this past weekend. It's so crazy to see how far friendships have grown over the past few months, considering most of us went from non-communication, to treating one another like siblings. Despite returning to normalcy once back in America, our bond will never fully fade out, which I am grateful for.

That's a verrryyy concise version of my last Saturday in Europe. If you want more details about my first-time skiing experience, I will be more than happy to entertain you with stories! :)

zell am see.

Friday morning began what ended up being a beautiful, enjoyable, and memorable last weekend in Europe! We arrived at the train station around 730am to board the train from Vienna to Zell am See, our destination for the weekend. This city is located nearly two hours from Salzburg, attracting skiers, snowboarders, and those in need of a winter-oasis type holiday. The majority of the train ride was spent dozing in and out of sleep, before we arrived around 1230. We checked into the house we'd be staying at all weekend, which was divided up into several different rooms (4-6 people per room). Since we had not eaten all day, our first objective: find food (of course)! Several of us walked to the local Hofer grocery store  and purchased ingredients to prepare chili and grilled cheese sandwiches in our room, which conveniently contained a kitchen! The food was absolutely delicious! Just being in a kitchen and preparing food (as simple as our menu seemed) was so comforting and enjoyable. I've been deprived of cooking, no doubt.

After a hearty lunch and family bonding time, most everyone climbed into bed for a short, much-needed nap. The beds were SO comfortable and we all fell fast asleep. I just sounded like a children's book author... Once we woke up, we spent the next few hours back in the kitchen, preparing dinner for the entire group (30 people) with the wonderful Professor Horton. Friday night's menu: bruschetta, spaghetti with 3 different sauces, roasted bell pepper salad, and caprese. Sarah and I were assigned the task of making the bruschetta, which turned out to be absolutely delicious. I'm pretty proud of our efforts, and this is another dish I anticipate preparing once we're back in the States! Dinner was fabulous, especially since we haven't had an authentic home cooked meal in...well...let's not discuss how long. Family bonding time occupied the rest of the night, as we conversed about different topics, including awkward/memorable first-kiss stories. We climbed in bed around 11pm. What a great day!!

Thanksgiving...in Vienna?

Sorry I'm a few days behind on my blog. The closer we are to going home, the more busy my days get! I'll pick up where I left off, which brings me to Thursday of last week (Thanksgiving). In German today, we reviewed for the exam and our professor helped us work through a pre-final. Then, we had our CIVA final (3 essays) to finish off our last full week of school for the semester! After a quick lunch at the Naschmarkt, I journeyed with 6 friends to the Hundertwasser Haus in Vienna, an apartment house in the 3rd district, featuring undulating floors, a roof covered with grass, and large trees growing from the inside of the rooms. This House is one of Vienna's most visited buildings and has become a part of Austria's cultural heritage. After some time here, Sarah and I split off from the rest and headed straight to the Sigmund Freud museum! For almost half a century, Freud lived and worked in this house. His office and private apartment are now a museum. Spending time inside this museum was such a wonderful experience, mostly because I often forget that Freud was in fact a normal human being, with genius ideas and theories. I often dehumanize people like him simply because his intelligence is far beyond my comprehension.

After a productive day of Vienna sight-seeing, a group of 10 of us "Wieners" went ice-skating at a local out door skating rink. It was so much fun! I don't think I've been ice-skating in at least 10 years, but I was able to pick up the basics more easily than I had anticipated. I suppose since I'm such a klutzy person I don't give myself much credit in such endeavors. We spent almost two hours at the rink before heading back to the hotel. Afterwards, I was able to call my family on Thanksgiving and talk for a little bit, which I had anticipated doing all day! Not being home this year for my favorite holiday was hard, but I wouldn't give up the last three months for anything. :) We had a Vienna family movie night in the Horton's, where we watched Elf and ate Christmas candies. Afterwards, I caught up on my blog and packed for the upcoming weekend in the Alps!

Have I mentioned recently how grateful I am for my loving, supportive, and beautiful group of family and friends who have always been such a encouragement to me?

Backstreet's BACK....ALRIGHT.

Want to know why Wednesday was such a great day? Then keep reading!

Classes went well. We had our last Humanities lecture for the semester, which is so crazy! Then, Sarah and I headed straight to the Jewish Museum in Vienna! This museum is comprised of Jewish history, life, and religion within Austria...very interesting. Next, we stopped by Julius Meinl to purchase a bottle of fresh-squeezed orange juice. Let's just say in America, I never drink OJ, but this is the best I've ever had. Plus, I figured I needed the vitamins and energy boost! Then, we went back to the hotel to enjoy turkey and stuffing leftovers from the previous night's Thanksgiving dinner. I've always been a fan of cold turkey..mmm. The next hour or so was spent preparing for our CIVA final exam on Thursday before getting ready for the Backstreet Boys concert!!

We took a train from Vienna to Bratislava, Slovakia to see the BSB live! On the way, Meredith and I had some good bonding time (love her!) before spending the rest of the night at one of the most memorable/hilarious/fun concerts I've ever been to! They just released a new cd, so it was awesome to hear the new music in person. I used to listen to the Backstreet Boys all the time as a child. Actually, I preferred N'Sync, but found both group's music/beat appealing. 18 of us went to the concert, which made the whole experience that much more enjoyable to share it with everyone. The concert was in an in-door tennis arena, and we had tickets on the floor. I tried to push our way to the front, but we ended up about 12 rows back. Overall, the concert was so much fun. Who would have thought I would come study in Europe for 3 months and see the Backstreet Boys in concert?! Definitely an opportunity I refused to pass up! We arrived back at our hotel right after midnight, and I stayed up til around 130 studying more for CIVA and blogging.

Now do you understand why Wednesday was such a good day? :)

our days are numbered...

Tuesday morning began earlier than usual, as we were requested to attend breakfast with the Lowery's before leaving for classes for the day. President Lowery came to our school soon after to have a Q&A session; besides offering some Godly wisdom, he also informed us of some recent changes that have been occurring on the Lipscomb campus. He left, then we had CIVA as usual. Lowery had asked Charli and I at breakfast what was our favorite restaurant in Vienna. Since our whole group unanimously agrees that Vapiano's is our first choice, Lowery graciously offered to take us all out for lunch there! After another delicious Vapiano salad, I headed out into the city with a few other girls to tour the Parliament Building, where the two Houses of the Austrian government convene. We took a guided tour, which allowed us to see The Hall of Pillars, the former House of Rep. Chamber, as well as the National/Federal Council Chamber. Naturally, the Austrian government is very different from American politics, so getting a brief synopsis of their ways of executing a democracy was thoroughly interesting!

After we left, we went back to the Rathaus Christmas Market for a quick look around, and I was able to purchase a scarf that had caught my eye a few days prior. Then, some of the girls I was with had not yet been to the University of Vienna, so we walked around the campus for a little bit/raided the bookstore. Then, Ricki and I went running around the Belvedere Palace (right after sunset!). The rest of my Tuesday evening was spent with my Vienna family, at a local American restaurant where Daniel (our travel agent paid by Lipscomb) had coordinated an authentic Thanksgiving dinner for all of us to enjoy(with the Lowery's) since we can't partake in our normal Thanksgiving festivities. The food was absolutely spectacular. We had family-style dinner, full of sweet potatoes, regular mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing, oven-roasted turkey, pumpkin-spice soup, and fresh peas. We were spoiled! Originally, we had planned to enjoy this dinner on Thanksgiving night, but the Lowery's have to leave Thursday morning. It's probably best we won't be having it on Thursday, since most of us are just going to block out the idea that we are missing Thanksgiving with our family and friends. It's sad, but the experience of being in Europe is more than worth the opportunities we are missing out on in America!

As you can see, Tuesday was a good day. :)

melk.

Monday began our last full week of classes for the semester...how WEIRD? After class, we headed back to the hotel to drop off our books before heading out for a daytrip to Melk, Austria. President Lowery had arrived that morning so we got to converse with him for a little bit before leaving for the train station. He will be in Vienna for a few days (with his lovely wife) examining the Lipscomb in Vienna program and familiarizing himself with our alluring city! Erin, Cari, Sarah, Morgan, Ricki, and I made the quick hour and a half journey to Melk for the day. This city, located along the Danube, is quaint and classy. Melk is most well known for its monastery named Stift Melk. We had a good 4 hours in Melk, which was spent walking around the old city, exploring the Monastery and its chapel, hiking up to enjoy a beautiful view over the city, and strolling through some wooded paths that made us all nostalgic for Tennessee! I'm so glad we had the opportunity to take this daytrip. Melk only has a population around 5,000, so you can imagine how peaceful the entire city is!

We arrived back in Vienna around 7, and headed straight to the Schonbrunn palace to spend time at its Christmas Market! I enjoyed this even more than the one at the Rathaus because it was more symmetrical, quieter, classier, and less populated! I made a few good purchases at this market that will make for great souvenirs! Upon returning to the hotel, I spent some nice quality time with Cari and Sarah before returning to my room for a late night ab workout, blogging, and a little organizing of my luggage!

budapest.

Our overnight train to Vienna arrived back around 905am, and we took the 950 train to Budapest, Hungary! The journey there only takes 3 hours, which felt like 20 minutes considering all the traveling we had done the past few days. The train station we arrived at was SO sketchy. We got into the heart of the city and felt so much more comfortable. We walked into a restaurant in search of some lunch, but got rejected. At least we think we did. Upon entering, the waiter said, "Please close the door...it's cold." It was pretty embarrassing. This "rejection" served as a blessing in disguise, however, because we continued walking down the street and came across another Hungarian restaurant where I ordered authentic Hungarian goulash (beef stew with vegetables and spices) served with cubed potatoes. Absolutely delicious. The rest of our day in Budapest was spent inside their heavily-populated Christmas Market, where we had the chance to see a child's choir sing and perform Hungarian dances. We also climbed to a palace in Budapest which gave us a breath-taking view of the entire city. The architecture and construction of Budapest reminded me very much of Prague. We also went inside St. Stephen's Basilica, which remains as the largest church in Hungary.

We BARELY made it back to the train station in time to depart for Vienna, as the wheels started turning as soon as we stepped on the train. Although we didn't have a ton of time in Budapest, I'm definitely satisfied with everything we could see in our short visit. I have heard from former Vienna students that Budapest was one of their favorite day trip destinations, and now I understand why. Sorry if this blog seems discombobulated, but I just have so much to do in such a short amount of time that my brain is going 90 miles a minute at this point. I hope you can forgive me in the near future :) We come home in 10 DAYS.

bruges.

Friday came earlier for all of us as we had to leave our hostel in Haarlem and take a train back into Amsterdam at 630am. Then, we transferred onto a train for Brussels before arriving in Bruges, Belgium around noon. We self-guided our way into heart of this quaint, charming city and stopped for our first Belgian waffle (mine with drizzled chocolate sauce). Hands-down the best waffle I've ever had, which I had been anticipating! Next, we crossed the street to experience our first helping of authentic Belgian fries, which are typically served with mayonnaise, not ketchup. I tried the fries with both and found the ones with mayo to be better than expected. I never eat fries in America, but the ones in Belgium are definitely better and less greasy! After our fill of authentic Belgian food, we came across a large Christmas market in the middle of the town square of Bruges, which was absolutely beautiful, similar to those in Vienna, except this market had an ice-skating rink! Then, we found our way to the Chocolate museum, which debriefed us on the history and origins of chocolate as well as the production process.

The rest of our time in Bruges was spent walking through the city, weaving in and out of chocolate street shops and enjoying the beautiful canals that Belgium has to offer. We hurried back to the train station by 540 to catch our train to Frankfurt, before connecting on an overnight train back to Vienna. By the time we arrived in Frankfurt, we were all exhausted and excited about our sleeping couchette for the night!
As you can see, we didn't have a full day in Belgium, but I am completely content with what we did have the opportunity to see. Bruges is such a beautiful city that I hope I have the opportunity to explore again in the future.

I will finish up the weekend blogging soon, but class is about to start for the day. Once we got back to Vienna on Sunday morning, we headed straight to Budapest, Hungary for the rest of the day. The adventures never end here in Vienna. I will post that blog sometime later tonight :)

amsterdam.

Our weekend began at 4pm on Thursday, as we departed for a train from Vienna to Munich before connecting on our overnight train to Amsterdam. We arrived in The Netherlands/Holland (still not sure which is politically correct) around 9am in search of a quick breakfast at a local cafe. Then, we headed to Dam Square, the town center of Amsterdam, to begin a 3 hour New Europe walking tour of the city. If you can't tell from my previous blogs, we're all about these free tours! Our native New Zealand guide introduced us to the history, beauty, and quirks of Amsterdam. The tour ended around 245 in front of the Anne Frank House, which was our next destination. This is where Anne and her entire family attempted to hide from the Nazis during WWII. We had the opportunity to see the actual hiding place (behind a bookshelf Anne's dad installed) as well as Anne Frank's original DIARY. It was such an incredible experience. Sarah and I had hoped we could tour the Corrie Ten Boom house as well (in Haarlem), but time escaped us. Upon leaving the House, we purchased tickets for the metro bus before heading out to the Van Gogh museum. This 3 level museum contains hundreds of original drawings, paintings, and sketches by the man himself. His sketches were my favorite, because he would write letters back and forth between his brother Theo and would include rough sketches of his future compositions. Through my time at this museum, I developed a stronger inclination towards Van Gogh.

Next, we went to the train station to meet back up with the New Europe tour company for an informal walking tour of The Red Light District. I'm sure you're probably wondering why I would choose to do such a thing, but I definitely felt like I needed to experience and understand that part of Amsterdam since it is such a large part of their culture. Needless to say, the tour was certainly interesting and incredibly sad. I don't understand why any woman would desire to associate herself with the business of prostitution. God has created us in His perfect image, and the women (many of whom are strikingly beautiful) are choosing the path of fornication. I think seeing the Red Light District is important to us as believers to expose us to different cultures, opinions, etc. because if we don't, our faith will remain naive and extremely close-minded. After the tour ended at 9pm, we headed straight to our hostel in Haarlem (a 20 minute train ride from Amsterdam) and passed out after a long, productive, and eye-opening day in Amsterdam!

two weeks?!

Today is Thursday, November 19, and we are currently two weeks away from flying back home! Honestly, there have been days here where I felt like time flew by and then others it seems like I've lived in Vienna for like 10 years. Either way, our time is coming to a close, which is a concept I try to block out of my mind as often as possible.

Here's a brief glimpse into the next few days of my life: after classes today, I have a few errands to run, before showering and preparing to leave for this upcoming weekend. We are taking a train to Munich, then overnighting to Amsterdam! We are spending all of Friday in Amsterdam/spending the night there in a hostel, then taking an early morning train into Bruges, Belgium! We have all of Saturday in Belgium, before overnighting back to Vienna. We  will arrive back around 9am, then we are going to Budapest, Hungary for a short  day trip! I will be traveling with a semi-big group this weekend: Bethany, Cari, Kathyrn-Claire, Laura, Matt, Meredith, Ricki, and Sarah. Should be a fun, memorable weekend!! You are all in my thoughts and prayers.

AUSTRIA vs. SPAIN.

German class today was difficult. We're delving deeper into grammar which, even according to our teacher, is more complicated than nearly any foreign language. I honestly can't imagine how difficult our final exam is going to be, but stressing out about it doesn't help anything :) In humanities, I gave my presentation on Jazz and Ragtime, which was fun, as we viewed some different musical compositions by famous artists such as Scott Joplin and Billie Holliday! Both genres are so enjoyable to listen to, and I'm ashamed I don't have a larger collection of that style on my ipod. I stayed at school for an hour or so after classes to finish editing and printing my research paper. The finished product is 23 pages. oye. Afterwards, Ricki and I had an enjoyable, stress-free afternoon in our home city. We first went to the University of Vienna (we had been there in September) to purchase a few more souvenirs for friends and family back home.

Then, we explored the inside of the Rathaus, which serves as the seat of both the mayor and city council of Vienna. This town hall is absolutely stunning. They were having a few kids Christmas workshops in the foyer of the Rathaus, where the "Kinder" were learning how to make/roll sugar cookies, paint on ornaments, etc. It was PRECIOUS. Afterwards, we headed to Stephansplatz for some shopping and new boot-hunting. Although we were unsuccessful in our boot endeavors, I did, however, splurge on some new Chanel perfume (which is my new favorite scent) and a knit black scarf! Once back at the hotel, we had a few minutes of down-time before meeting up with the rest of the group (Daniel included!) to head out to Stadion (the soccer stadium for Austria's national team) to see the Austria vs. Spain national game! The game was SO much fun. Although Austria lost 5-1, being in that environment was awesome. Europeans are die-hard, crazy people when it comes to their futbol clubs. We sat in front of some teenage Austrian fans who proceeded to try to teach us some Austrian cheers. Great fun, good night.

how are we almost done?

After Tuesday's classes, I felt a firm sense of relief. Why? We had a German quiz as well as a Humanities test, which I believe both went well! Unlike previous semesters in Vienna, our teachers are extremely challenging and anticipate great work from us, which I'm happy about, but knowing other former "Wieners" did not have half the amount of work we currently have is slightly disheartening. Oh well, I feel like I've learned more in this one semester than I would in 3 years in America!

After school concluded for the day, I went to Vapiano's (our favorite restaurant here in Vienna) with a few other girls for lunch. I was craving veggies, so I ordered a delicious tossed salad with mixed vegetables, grilled chicken, and balsamic vinegarette. It's much more difficult in Europe to find fresh and good quality salads...so I might go on a salad binge when I return back to the States :) Once back at the hotel, I had a skype call date with my parents for a while, before working on my last informal presentation for Humanities. The topic: Jazz and Ragtime.

After a productive afternoon, I met up with all the girls I'm traveling with this weekend and we set out for the train station to book our seat/couchette reservations. Then, we rendezvoused with some more folks and enjoyed a Mexican dinner at a restaurant adjacent to our hotel. Although I've been here over two months, this was the first time I ate at this place. I miss eating Mexican, especially chips and salsa, so this dinner was perfect for my cravings. Our last objective of the night: travel out to the Vienna Woods, located 45 minutes outside the city and watch a meteor shower. Erin had told us if we arrived around 8pm, it would be perfect viewing time. However, once we finished dinner, we went back to the hotel and I researched the meteor shower on the internet. I discovered that Erin had confused the dates and the shower had most likely come on Monday night. Because of this, we didn't want to go two hours out of our way for nothing, mostly because we still had to finish our papers. Instead, we decided to take the S-Bahn (street car) to the end of one of the lines, which took us to a more residential area. The experience was entertaining and pleasant, but I was slightly disappointed we couldn't see a beautiful glimpse into God's handiwork.

Backstreet Boys?

Monday.

Classes were fine today. I got back my latest CIVA test and our 2 most recent papers, all of which I did well on, which made my Monday that much better :) After class, we spent a good hour or so trying to figure out the best way to purchase tickets for the BACKSTREET BOYS concert that we will be enjoying live next Wednesday night in Bratislava, Slovakia! For lunch, I headed straight to the Naschmarkt to enjoy what will most likely be my last kebab in Vienna...and was it good! Then, Sarah, Ricki, and I went to Cafe Mozart for the first time to study for the next day's German quiz. Next, a few of us traveled over to the Schonbrunn palace to get a tour of the inside; this is a former imperial summer residence for the Habsburg emperors. The interior is absolutely stunning, laden throughout with Rococo style artwork and ornamentation. We purchased audio guides, which were helpful to explain the history behind the Habsburg family as well as the significance of each room we entered. We headed back to the Christmas Market for a little bit. I enjoyed some more "Kinder-punsch", Christmas cookies, and caramelized almonds. Good dinner, huh? The remainder of my night was spent at the hotel preparing for the next day's Humanities test and German quiz. Oh, and we took a quick study break to have our daily session of abs/pilates. Good day, productive night.

it's CHRISTMAS TIME in Vienna!

After a successful and memorable weekend in Italy, our overnight train from Venice arrived back in Vienna around 830am. My first objective upon return: take a shower! I was also able to organize my room for a little bit, before heading out to Cafe Museum with Erin and Sarah for the majority of the afternoon. I spent most of my time at the Cafe writing my research paper (which is due on Thursday). Afterwards, Sarah and I went to the Clock Museum near Stephansplatz. As nerdy as this museum sounds, it was rather interesting, housing clocks from the 16th century through the 1900's, including some contemporary watches as well. After an hour or so of weaving through the museum, we headed back to the hotel, where we met up with some other fellow "Wieners" for dinner at Cafe Wortner, the restaurant Dr. McVey took us to on one of the first nights we had in Vienna! For dinner, I ordered Wiener Schnitzel. This is only the second time I have ordered this authentic Viennese dish. It wasn't all that bad, especially once I added some lemon zest to the meat! After a pleasant dinner, we headed straight to the Rathaus to revel in our first Christmas Market experience! Christmas time in Vienna has finally arrived! Strolling among the elaborately decorated Christmas trees, locals and tourists alike from across the world can't help but possess the Christmas spirit. Booths lined in golden lights selling ornaments, cookies, hot tea, jewelry, candles, etc. occupy the majority of the plaza. I honestly can't accurately describe how beautiful/magical/exciting the Christmas market is! I enjoyed my first cup of "Kinder-punsch," which I am convinced is Vienna's version of hot kool-aid. So delicious. After a joy-filled evening of Christmas frivolity, we returned to the hotel where I spent the remainder of my Sunday evening catching up on my blog and finishing some homework.

my venetian holiday.

9am. We departed from our hotel and took a bus into Venice. Once there, we each bought 16 euro passes for all-day access on the water buses which transverse the entire city. This was one of the highlights of my day. I know I said this about Cinque Terre, but Venice is breathtaking as well!! This city stretches across 118 small islands in the Venetian Lagoon across the Adriatic Sea. After 30-45 minutes on the water bus (Venice's means of public transportation instead of an U-Bahn) in awe of our current surroundings, we got off at a random stop and found a place for breakfast. I had a delightful cup of Italian hot chocolate and a plain vanilla muffin. The rest of our day was spent exploring Venice. We walked over to St. Mark's Square before heading to the Venice Biennale for 3 hours! This is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice. The Biennale houses art from nearly every country in the world. Each country votes on its own artist to showcase; this made the whole experience worthwhile seeing different artistic representations based on geographical placement. I'm convinced I could have spent at least 4 more hours inside this exhibition...oh well, I'm still satisfied with my first Biennale experience. We met up with Samantha and Amber, got lunch at a local cafe and then had our first Venetian gelato! This was the first time I've eaten gelato in like a month! Aren't you proud? The rest of our time in Venice was spent inside different street stores, which sold jewelry, glass, and other Italian specialities. We also made our way into St. Marks, the cathedral church in Venice and one of the prime examples of Byzantine architecture. This cathedral is most known for its ornate design, gilded Byzantine mosaics, and its status as a symbol of Venetian wealth and power. If I had more time in Venice, I would have spent it inside some of the museums, including the Guggenheim and the Leopoldo, but I am definitely satisfied with the way we spent our day! Venice is certainly one of the most beautiful cities I've seen thus far in Europe. I guess I've probably said that about most cities I've been to, but still, the entire city is surrounded by water...I love that! I'm convinced I'm going back someday...on my honeymoon :)

We ended our fabulous weekend with an overnight train (in sleeping couchettes) back to Vienna! I've tried to include pictures in my blog, but I believe they are appearing as blue question marks? Not sure how to fix this problem...

cinque terre.

We (Bethany, Laura, Sarah, Ricki, Erin, Matt, Cari, and myself) began our Italian weekend with an overnight train to Cinque Terre, which arrived around 1030am. Cinque Terre is on the coast of the Italian Riviera, most noted for its beauty and steep cliffs that overlook the Mediterranean Sea. Translated as the "Five Lands," Cinque Terre is comprised of five villages. Since we only had a day here, we were able to see two of the villages: Vernazza and Riomaggiore. As you can see, this place is absolutely breath-taking. We spent the majority of the day walking on the beach and around the little towns, playing a game of human checkers (right next to the beach), and eating lunch at a local restaurant, where I ordered tuna salad, fruit salad, and authentic Bruschetta. The amount of time we had in Cinque Terre was perfect. I didn't feel like I was missing out because we didn't have time to hike to the other 3 villages. They are all similar, yet equally beautiful.  The only reason I have heard about Cinque Terre is from past Lipscomb students who have been on the Vienna program. I admire the lifestyle of those who live in these villages. The environment was incredibly peaceful and tranquil. For the most part, tourist season is over which made our experience that much more enjoyable. Around 4pm, we headed back to the station at Vernazza and took a train from Cinque Terre to Venice (an overnight train was not an option because the two cities are only 6 hours apart). We had a few transfer stops, before arriving in Venice around 11pm. I'm definitely getting used to trains as my preferred form of transportation. Let's hope my driving skills have not been completely shot. We took a shuttle bus from the Venice central train station to our hotel. The hotel supervisor greeted us warmly and debriefed us on particular sights to see during our time in Venice, which was helpful. Once in our rooms, we headed straight to bed!

63.

Our CIVA test this morning went well. The test consisted of 4 different essay questions based on material we have covered since returning from Italy. I think I did well on the test, but you honestly never know how you do with Professor Horton! Now, I'm currently at Cafe Landtmann with a few other girls. Landtmann is a beautiful and elegant cafe in the 1st district of Vienna; this was once the preferred coffeehouse for Sigmund Freud, Gustav Mahler, and Peter Altenberg! We've been here for a few hours busily working on our research papers. I never seem to have enough time in my days, especially during my time in Europe. We're about to return to the hotel, take our last shower til Sunday (don't judge me), and get ready to leave on our overnight train to Cinque Terre! This weekend will be different than previous weekends. We have 8 people in our group this weekend: Bethany, Cari, Laura, Erin, Matt, Sarah, Ricki, and myself. The group dynamic will be different, but I'm excited! Details to come upon return. Sorry this is my third blog in a row to post, but I wanted to be completely caught up before leaving for the weekend. Three Thursdays from today, I will be back in America! How INSANE.