My time in Vienna flew by. I was there for three weeks and spent a good portion of that time studying (I am ashamed to admit how much I now know about the Hapsburgs dynasty). However, I did have time to go out and take some pictures, even if I didn’t have time to blog about it. So here is my giant blogpost filled with three weeks of Viennese fun:
Vienna is a beautiful city. It has a very different feel than Berlin and it took me a while to get used to it. Vienna is separated into districts which obviously made us feel like we were living in the Hunger Games. I lived in District 9 (Panem’s bread bowl, if you were wondering). Here are some pictures of the city.
The Rathaus:
The Parliament Building:
Me with an elephant outside the Natural History Museum:
A hip restaurant where all the students would go eat: (The American flag is sooo trendy right now):
St. Stephan’s Cathedral:
And a store with my favorite word on it:
Vienna was burning hot when we first got there and I experienced the meaning of humidity. As a result we found it necessary to swim in the Danube as much as possible. Here is a picture of our favorite swimming spot (Topless women also frequent this area. It happens.)
One of the coolest things we did was visit a monastery in Melk. I liked it despite it being baroque.
The institute where we studied was right across the street from the famous Opera House:
One day we spent a couple hours at Schönbrunn Palace:
We also went to the Imperial Treasury. Some old Hapsburg wore this crown:
For one of my essays I had to go to 4 museums and write about a piece of art from each. We went to the Natural History Museum and saw the famous Venus von Willendorf statue (an underwhelming experience). She is 11 cm tall, faceless and armless. However, she does boast enormous breasts and a round stomach. What makes Venus important is her age; she is estimated to have been made between 24,000 and 22,000 BC.
I was also able to see a LOT of Gustav Klimt’s artwork. He is officially my second favorite artist (right under Monet). I really love the way he uses symbolism and pattern and yes, I loved seeing “The Kiss”. I could write a lot about him...but I wont. Just ask me if you are interested ;)
I also saw the Hundertwasserhaus. This apartment complex is inspired by nature and contains no straight lines! The floors are uneven, the walls aren’t at right angles, the roofs are covered with grass and trees grow out of windows. The apartments are painted with random bright colors that give it all a “Disneyland: Toontown” feel. Very unusual and interesting.
These are delicious! I just don’t think anyone needs a box THIS big...
One night we attended a concert in the Karlskirche, a baroque church with a huge dome. The orchestra played Mozart and Beethoven’s 5th on original instruments that are older than the U.S.! It was a really cool experience and I am happy to report that I like Classical/Romantic music.
Another day we had a little adventure in the butterfly house:
One of the famous things to eat in Vienna is a Sacher Torte (a really delicious chocolate cake). We even went to the Hotel Sacher to try the real deal. It was amazing.
We also visited Burg Kreuzenstein, a castle that was constructed in the 19th century. Essentially what the guy did was take sections of original medieval structures from all over Europe to create a romantic castle. So it is made from all original pieces...but it isn’t original. Fun fact: It was the filming location for The Three Musketeers in 1993.
Before we left we had to go to the Wurstelprater (an amusement park that is there all summer). Here is a picture of me being creepy with a creepy old man:
We rode some rides and I was reminded that European rides are faster and crazier than rides I’ve been on in the U.S. I don’t think their safety laws are as strict. I went on a roller coaster with loops that didn’t have any shoulder straps. That is the first time I have felt nauseous on a ride in a long time. But it was so fun. I loved this Prater Turm ride:
The day before I left, I made a wish in this fountain:
I wished that I would come back to Europe some day. I don’t know how much I buy into the magic of wishing fountains, but just in case I did everything possible to make my wish valid. I turned around, closed my eyes, and threw it over my shoulder. I used a small 2 cent euro coin that had an Edelweiss flower on it. I am hoping the fountain was listening.
These past three months have been the best three months of my life. I was really hoping that I would grow a lot on this study abroad, and I have. It is hard to pinpoint exactly how but I feel different overall. I have learned a lot about myself and what I want in life. I also learned about different cultures and I had the opportunity to meet people from all over the world! I will never forget this experience.
So I guess that’s a wrap! Thanks to all who read my ramblings. Thank you to my family and friends who supported me through this experience. I was secretly hoping that when I walked off the plane, my parents would have a sign for me:
They know me so well. I love my family. In fact, I love them this much:
I must say, it is good to be home.
