Vienna Vienna Vienna!!

I’m not even sure where to begin explaining things about this weekend! From start to finish, I had am absolutely AMAZING time in VIENNA, AUSTRIA! Our weekend started before the crack of dawn on Friday morning. We booked a bus to Vienna that left Prague at 6am, causing us to crawl out of the Pension in the pitch dark at 5am. I didn’t get much sleep the night before, and I can honestly say that I don’t remember a single thing about the 5 hour bus ride there. I slept the entire way, which is an absolute miracle! Buses are not normally my prime venue for a solid sleep session. There were eight of us going, but for some reason Kimberly, Elizabeth and I got switched to the early bus, and once we arrived in Austria and realized that our directions to our hostel were left with the later bus. As the bus rolled away and I stared at the unfamiliar buildings that surrounded me, I silently wanted the bus to return and take me back. We had NO clue what we were doing or where we were, and I was still trying to orient myself from my deep bus slumber. I noticed there was a bank on the corner and suggested we go take out some Euros. While we were there, we asked for help and the nicest lady printed out a map and very detailed directions that took us to our hostel! We were shocked and giddy with excitement to have had such a positive encounter with a perfect stranger. It was in this bank where our love affair with this city began!

(My very first hostel!)

We easily found the hostel Ruthenstiener, rested for 5 minutes, and then hit the streets exploring!!

Maybe it was because I have already conquered Prague’s transportation system, but Vienna’s was so easy! We zipped around like we had been there for years. We headed over to the Schonbrunn Palace, and toured its grounds. This palace was the summer vacation palace for the imperial family. Napoleon and Marie Antoinette stayed here, and Mozart performed the first time in public at the age of six!

(Our attempt at a royal pose)

We then walked around to the back and strolled through the gardens. Though most of the plants were brown and the ground was mainly slush, it was still gorgeous. I cannot imagine the magnificence of this place is the summer months! It must be breathtaking!

 

Touring the inside of the palace was one of my favorite things I have done so far. It was so neat to see how the people of the palace lived, and to learn the history that this walls hold. Every room was ridiculously elaborate and wonderfully beautiful.

 

After many hours of touring and exploring, we met up with the rest of our group for one of the most interesting and entertaining dinners I have experienced in a while!

 

The owners Gary and Ignes were so friendly, but talked out ears off! It was so fun meeting up with the rest of the group though. It felt like family meeting up to share the day’s events. Since we were only going to be in Vienna for 48 hours, we had to see the most we could, so right after dinner we were out on the streets again for more exploring!

 

I woke up Saturday morning just knowing that it was going to be a good day! Afterall, we were going to the ZOO and I absolutely LOVE zoos!!! I have always found animals so fascinating, and when I read that this zoo was voted “Europe’s Best Zoo in 2010,” I knew I had to go!

 

I was in heaven all morning long, as we saw animal after animal after animal!

 

We arrived at the seal tank just as they were being fed. It was such a hilarious sight to see. All of us were roaring with laugher as the seals flopped for food and burped for the finale.  It was quite the sight to see!

 

We spent hours looking around the zoo…

 

We even found the WOLFPACK!!!

 

And an albino peacock roaming freely around the streets…

 

We have to pull ourselves out of the zoo, because we could have easily spent ALL DAY there! It was also especially exciting, because it was finally “warm” outside with a high of 42, so we were able to enjoy being outdoors! We next made it to Vienna’s City center and walked through Stephensdom Church.

 

We then spent the rest of the day roaming the streets and taking in the sparkling views!

 

I even found a horse to pet!

 

And grass to lay in!

 

We also found the cutest bakeries to find rest in.

 

By the end of the day we were all so exhausted, yet extremely content will the amount of the city we were able to experience! All eight of us were sound asleep by 11:30.

 

Everything about the city was dazzling. The buildings, shops, museums, restaurants, people (especially the people) were wonderful and very comforting. The city made me want to learn German, and move there! I was kind of surprised at how much I liked Vienna, and how I have not experienced those same feelings for Prague. As I began to really think about this, it all started to sink in. Prague has been free from communism for about twenty years but the aftermath is still very much present. Many of the people are still living in fear and doubt with not much hope for the future. Before leaving Prague, I just figured that the coldness of the city was European culture in general. As I was walking the streets of Vienna though, I quickly realized that the magnitude of Prague’s darkness isn’t all over Europe. Just five hours away, Vienna sits with a different history and a completely different feel.

It is so interesting how the group mentality has really affected me while being in Prague. Visiting Vienna made me realize that I have stopped smiling in the metro, and have quite saying “excuse me” as I move through the grocery store or up the escalator. It is rare to catch a smile from a passerby, and I have now found it rare for me to give one away. L Vienna also made me aware of how few children I encounter on a daily basis here in Prague. There were so many happy children filling the streets of Vienna. Their smiles and laughter carried so much joy it was contagious! While talking with a Czech native I found out that The Czech Republic’s population is decreasing due to people not wanting to have children. I hope I am not making it seem like everyone in the Czech Republic is miserable. There are very nice and very happy people here, but it is also very apparent that there is a darkness that holds this city tightly.

When I got home on Sunday evening, my friend Amaris and I went to church at Bridge Community. This is a church that has recently been planted by a team that was originally from RALEIGH, NC! What a small world! After church we went out to dinner with the team. It was such an encouragement to be surrounded by such a positive and uplifting community. Apparently ministry is very difficult here, and they and the city could use many prayers.

Here is also an interesting link to a site that my home church recently posted about the Czech Republic.

http://equip.summitrdu.com/equip/wednesday-world-prayer-czech-republic.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+summitequip+%28equip%29

I think it is fitting that because I went to a zoo, I should give my favorite fascinating animal fun fact! Here it is: penguins have eyelids that convert salt water into fresh water!!

Laundry, Garnets, and Valentine's

Wow, doing laundry is a workout here! There are no laundry machines at the Pension, so we have to go to a laundromat to clean our clothes. In order to get there, we have to walk a couple blocks, jump on a tram for two stops, and then walk a couple more blocks. Its really not terrible, but the cost is pretty steep! Not many things in Prague are expensive, but laundry is. There is a cute little sitting area where I can get work done, and the internet is speedy, which is miraculous around here! Let’s just say that I will no longer take my convenient laundry machines for granted!

For some reason, ever since I was a little girl, I have been obsessed with rings! I think they are so pretty and so interesting, and I feel strange if one isn’t on my finger. Rings are the first thing I am drawn to in any jewelry store, they are my favorite presents, and I love purchasing rings in fun places I travel. So of course, I have decided to go ring hunting while in Prague. The Czech Republic is known for their garnets, so how perfect it would be to find a garnet ring as my main souvenir from my time in Prague!! I decided that I would gradually start looking so I could compare prices and styles, in order for me to find the perfect ring. We had a free afternoon, so Kimberly and I decided to begin the search! We went to countless jewelry stores, probably around 10, looking at rings and asking lots of questions. They were all pretty, but the stones were pretty dark and all the rings were way too big on me. My fingers are tiny and it is always shocking to find a ring that fits. There were gold plated rings, but in order to get one that wasn't microscopic, I would have had to spend a lot more money that I was hoping. Then, we decided to go check out an antique shop that our program director recommended us to go to. And then I found it! The PERFECT one!! It is as if it was made specifically for me! It was much larger than all the ones in the other shops, and the nicest man helped me pick it out. He was so sweet and gave me a history lesson while I was there! He told me that the ring I was eyeing is about 90 years old and the garnets that were used in this ring actually came from the Czech Republic. All the garnets that are used in jewelry now have to be imported because all the Czech mines are empty. He also claimed that the Czech garnets are much redder than the imported ones. Haggling isn’t really a thing here in Prague, but I was able to convince the man to lower the price a considerable amount! My mother would have been so proud! I wasn't actually planning on buying a ring so soon, but it was just so perfect and I had been to enough places to know that I wasn't going to find another one with this much character! A vintage ring, that is beautiful, and in my size, at a stellar price, with garnets, made in the Czech Republic!! Prague is awesome! I just love it!

Valentine’s Day!

Valentine’s Day in a gothic city is probably about as romantic as you can get! To make it brief, today was a pretty amazing day! It started off with a wonderful guest speaker in our studio class. We had a workshop with THE Robert Vano!! He is a very famous photographer who has an incredible portfolio. He has shot for magazines such as Vogue, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Bazaar and has worked with numerous celebrities. Robert Vano is such a fun and quirky character and we had so much to learn from him. We will be spending a lot more time with him, which is something I really look forward to!

After class, I was itching for an adventure, so I pulled Kimberly along with me to climb to the top of the Astronomical Clock in Old Town Square!

 After a windy climb up many different kinds of stair cases, we made it to the top!

The scenery was incredible! The snow topped roofs added to the charm of the city view, and it was fun mapping out all the places we have been and the streets we have walked. I is much easier to get your bearings from up above!

A while later, four of us decided to enjoy a fun girls night out! We ate dinner at James Dean Restaurant, and soaked up every bit of cheesiness that the place had to offer.

 We decided to extend the cheesiness a bit further by treating ourselves to some delicious coffee and chocolate cake at Costa Coffee. And the night continues to get better! The workers at the coffee shop excitedly decided to give us every single balloon that was hanging in the store!

 Even though we were probably doing them a favor by taking them out of the store, we chose to believe that we must have been EXTRA special customers ;)

 Unfortunately, when we had to squeeze on the metro, I don’t think others appreciated our balloons as much as we did.

All in all, today was fantastic and it was definitely the most unique Valentine’s Day up to date! I also want to thank my family and friends for making me feel so loved, from so far away! Love you all!!!

FUN FACT: A goldfish has a memory span of 3 seconds.

Dresden, Germany

The first of many traveling adventures!!

Our first European train ride that left just as the sun came.

We tried to stay awake to see the scenery, but the lulling of the train put us to sleep the whole way there.

When we woke, we were in GERMANY!

Immediately exiting the train, was a perfect view of the famous Frauenkirsche Church. The city was bombed and mostly destroyed during WWll, but this church was quickly rebuilt as an exact replica.

We toured through the Staatcliche Kunstsammlungen Museum

Then went for a long scenic walk.

Believe it or not, it was colder in Dresden than it has been in Prague! That is COLD! Let’s just say I have never been so happy or eager to consume a hot drink and a warm pastry!

As the sun began to set, the city was illuminated with a breathtaking coat of gold!

These were my three traveling buddies that kept me sane and smiling as we endured the bitter cold!

We found a rest and warmth in the Frauenkirsche Church

Our train ride back to Prague was interesting and entertaining, and felt like somewhat of a movie. We were so lucky to have sat by Dana, an amazing lady, who was born in Germany to a Czech actress and an American spy. She has lived all over the world and as we rode further into the night, we listened to countless stories that painted Dana’s life story. Her life has been full of excitement and adventure. She shared stories about family and travels, bus explosions, military escapades and frostbite, and for two and a half hours I felt like a little kid being captured by the magic of a bedtime story.

As I crawled into bed, exhausted from the long busy day, I felt content and relieved to be back in Prague. I finally feel like this is my new “home.”


FUN FACT: The note of an average car horn is F.