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.
Monday, November 30, 2009
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! :)
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!!
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?
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?
Thursday, November 26, 2009
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? :)
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? :)
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
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. :)
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. :)
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
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!
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!
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