Saturday October 15-Day 2

Saturday morning started with a bus ride to Prague. This city is said to be one of the oldest and most well preserved because it was never bombed out during the war like many other big cities around. I didn’t think the buildings here looked much older than a lot of the buildings I’ve seen in Vienna but what do I know? The stuff here kept the same architectural themes that I saw in Cesky Krumlov: painted façades and bright colors.

We dropped our stuff off at the Hostel we’d be staying in for the next two nights and were not very impressed by what we found. The rooms consisted of beds with rather skimpy bedding, an occasional table or broken wardrobe, and a wide assortment of very questionable-looking stains. Despite this setback we were all still determined to enjoy Prague and set out to the river where Brother Minert said we could rent paddleboats. Along the way my friend Ashley spotted a rather entertaining Harry Potter shirt and rightfully thought to point it out to me. Once we had a good 20-second look we turned to continue following the group. Unfortunately for us, everybody had seemed to vaporize and there was not a familiar face in sight! So we found our own way to the paddle boats and, after waiting a while, decided that if we wanted to paddle boat we’d better just go; so we did for about 100 Korun (around 5 bucks) a person. A few minutes later the rest of the paddle boaters showed up and joined the fun. We had a great view of the city from the river.

After that of course we went to a Rathaus (actually I have no idea what it’s called the Czech Republic, so we’ll say town hall) where we could get the best view of the city. 

We stayed up there for quite some time because it was an incredible view and the sun was setting. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Once we got hungry Ashley and I met up with Amanda, Allie and Kiersten and wandered over to the Hard Rock Café for dinner. I felt a little guilty eating American food whilst in the Czech Republic, but once I took a bite of that juicy honey smoked bacon burger, I had no regrets. It was the most delightful thing I think I’ve had this trip. I would trade any food Prague had to offer for one of these again in a heartbeat.

I was surprised to see how many Jazz clubs there are in Prague because there were quite a few that I saw, and I’m sure I didn’t even pass them all. So for our night-time enjoyment Amanda, Keirsten and I went to a Jazz club! Saxophones are pretty much the coolest instruments out there and I absolutely love listening to a good sax player. All the old men in the band got really into it and you could tell they were having a good time. The music was really good and I was pleased to be listening to it while drinking my black currant juice.

Once we got back to the hostel there was a general lack of towels, so the Minerts were kind enough to offer one of theirs to anyone who just wanted to pat dry after their shower before putting on their pajamas. I gladly partook in this generous offer.

The rooms were cold and I had to change rooms due to a snoring roommate (why didn’t I remember my earplugs?) so I think it’s safe to say the sleeping situation wasn’t the greatest but I did still manage to get a few hours of shut eye. Gotta be rested for another day in Prague!

Oh, Also I got this really sweet T-shirt.

Friday October 14-Day 1

Our adventure began early Friday morning. Naomi and I had to run from the Strassenbahn to make it to the bus on time but we still made it! Once everyone was accounted for, we were off on our German adventure! Because the Czech Republic lies between Vienna and Berlin, our first stops would take place in this wonderful country. After what felt like an eternal bus ride we made it to a town called Cesky Krumlov! I was a little annoyed that I couldn’t even pronounce, let alone read, any of the signs but I took comfort in the fact that we’d only be here a few days. I realized how many German words I actually do know as I stared at all the Czech one’s that I don’t.

As with all the small European towns I’ve seen so far, this one’s beauty did not disappoint. A plethora of camera clicks could be heard as soon as the buildings of this mountainside town came into view.

Naturally there was a beautiful palace right in the middle of town so we had to go have a look. A tour of the palace was available for a few Euros but to be perfectly honest I’ve seen so many castles I can’t even keep them straight so I opted for the tower climb to the most beautiful view. All the architecture I’ve seen here so far has been pretty different from Austria’s. In Vienna all of the buildings have intricately carved designs in their walls and façades and the colors used are pretty neutral. Here, rather than carving designs, the walls are just painted to look like they have cool carvings. The colors are typically much brighter too. It looks really cool but personally I think it makes these architects look pretty lazy compared to the ones that actually carve, but maybe that’s just me.

We had quite a bit of time to kill so Camille, Kendal, Rebecca and I searched all over this little town for whatever there was to do. We had a yummy cinnamon pastry type thing that I think was actually Hungarian but it was hot and delicious nonetheless.

Then we came upon a deal for a ticket to a wax museum and a mirror maze. The was museum was not much but I was proud of myself for knowing some of the historical figures such as Maria Theresa and Rudolph the IV and other such important, historical, royal figures to this area. It should be no surprise, however, that my fave wax figure of all was the young Harry Potter. He’s the only reason I wanted to go in the museum in the first place!

The mirror maze was an ingenious idea and it totally played with your mind. They gave you plastic gloves before going in so that nobody got their fingerprints on the mirrors. Since the mirrors were so clean, your own reflection could be seen 1-5 times from any given spot. We took a whole bunch of trippy pictures where you could see yourself and others several times. It was crazy! It was incredibly difficult to figure out where you were, especially in relation to other people. Once we were hungry we stopped at a little café and I had some interesting Czech soup for dinner.

After these fun excursions we went back to our cute little hotel where Kendall and I watched Harry Potter 7.2 while most of the rest of the group went bowling. Then we snuggled up in our cute little beds and went to sleep!

Hallstatt

Last weekend we went to possiblythe most beautiful place in all of Austria: Hallstatt. It is this tiny town settightly between a lake and a mountain. After a few hours on the S-bahn from Westbahnhof we arrived at theHallstatt stop and took a ferry for 2,20 across the lake. I couldn’t help but feel likeHarry on his first trip to Hogwarts, exiting the train and climbinginto a small boat that would take him to a new and enchanting place amid themountains.

When we reached the other side wetook the papers with the address of where we were staying (we were not all inthe same place as nowhere reasonably priced was large enough to accommodate usall) and Brother Minert left us with the challenge to find our way on our own!Other than the fact that it was freezing cold and my feet were soaking wet, itwas a fun little adventure. After asking several people and turning downseveral wrong streets, we (we being me and 4 other girls) finally found HausLidy, the B&B we would be staying at. It was a cozy little place and we hada room with 5 beds with a small bathroom to share.

After we were more or less settledin, and all hopes of our feet drying before we departed again had vanished, weset out for the famous Hallstatt Salt Mine! The tour of the mine was 16- andthe ride in the tram was another 6-, so while everyone else took the tramBreanne and I took the scenic hike up the mountain. It took quite a while butit warmed us right up! The only problem was we weren’t aware that the last tourof the day was starting soon so we ended up being a few minutes late! Luckilythe ticket sales lady at the bottom had informed the people at the top of ourarrival, so they were ready for us. A mine worker got us our very fashionablemine suits and we literally jogged through the first tunnel and took a shortcut to catch up with the rest of the group. (as we ran through the tunnel with the tracks on the floor, I couldn’thelp but be reminded of Gringott’s and Harry’s own decent through similarpassages.)

We caught up just in time to view avideo about the history of the mine. We learned that the salt was very crucialin the initial success of this cute little town. Salt is a very important anduseful mineral after all. After the video we watched a short demonstration ofhow salt came to be in the mountain in the first place (You know weathering,evaporation of salty lakes and such). Then came the very interesting way thatthe miners got around: the slides! The miner outfits they put us in had specialmaterial on the butt/back that was made to give you a smooth ride. It was likea great big water slide without the water or the wedgie. It was great fun.

After that we came upon a cave witha lake and some changing lights. When thelight across the lake turned green I imagined I was in the cave where Voldemortleft one of his horcruxes. I even said, “accio horcrux” aloud but of coursethere was a protective spell keeping the locket from my grasp. There was avery entertaining laser show that showed the history of the miners with somenice background music. I tried to take pictures but none of them turned outvery well.

Finally we got to see the pumpswhere they actually extract the salt from the mountain. There is thisdouble-tubed machine that simultaneously pumps water into the mountain to raisethe salt and pumps out the salt. It was very interesting.

On the way out we all boarded amini train and rode back out into the rain! It was definitely a wonderful tourand I enjoyed it very much. Thank you salty mountain for bringing me thebeautiful town of Hallstatt.

After our mine trip Breanne and Iwalked back down the mountain while the rest of the girls took the tram onceagain. They had all gone their separate ways once they reached the bottom soBri and I had really no idea where anyone was… So we wandered!

After a few minutes we came uponthe boys playing on a giant outdoor chess set. (Giant chess set?! I mean come on, was Harry Potter based on thisplace?) It was really cold but we didn’t have anything to do so we watchedas Josh slowly took out all of Stephen’s pieces. Stephen likes to think he putup a good fight.

We had some yummy pizza at a smallrestaurant for dinner and then moved to the boys’ B&B to play cards becausethey had a kind of dining room there. After some debate we finally decided toplay scum and had a wonderful 3 hours trying to thrust each other down to thescum position. I never made it to King :(

Saturday started bright and earlyas Breanne is very much a morning person, and we were sharing a bed. There was a chapel at the top of a hill with a room full of special people's painted skulls. And I found a familiar name!

We spentthe rest of the day wandering the town and taking pictures and freezing to death! We stoppedin a little café and got hot chocolate! They even let us keep the mug as a souvenir!

Even though my feet were numb, I enjoyed every second we walked aroundbefore taking the ferry back to the train and heading home. I thoroughlyenjoyed Hallstatt and I am extremely glad we went there!

Abendessen mit die Frau

After our first encounter with Frau Feest, Naomi and I were understandable… terrified. But it turns out that all the worrying we did the first little bit was for naught. After about a week here, we had dinner with her and, despite our uncertainty, everything went well.

She served us zucchini soup, Kartoffeln Goulash, Tomato and Mozzarella and Tomato Salad and some bread. Zucchinis are not necessarily my favorite, but the soup was very good. The Kartoffeln Goulash was Amazing. I didn’t think I could ever have enough of it. And I hope she feeds it to us again. The Tomato/Mozzarella/Basil dish was new to my taste buds but I liked it enough. I was very grateful that I have recently developed a liking for tomatoes. Otherwise this could have been a very trying experience.

Since this dinner we have had 3 other meals with the Frau. Other dishes she has served us include (but are not limited to) pumpkin soup, spaghetti, polenta cakes with mushrooms, fresh fruit, European-style green salad, some type of fish salad (tuna maybe?) and pineapple slices with berry marmalade.

Tonight was the greatest dish of all! She pulled out a casserole dish and we asked her what was in it. She replied Kartoffeln (potatoes), Eiern (eggs), Sauerrahm (Sour Cream), and Käse (cheese)!!! Yes, basically we ad cheesy potatoes for dinner. Admittedly they weren’t as cheesy as I make them at home, but basically I was in heaven. I could eat cheesy potatoes till the cows come home.

As far as conversation goes, Frau Feest is quite sweet and polite. She is full of smiles and is eager to share her thoughts, feelings, and interests. Technically she is French not Austrian so I don’t know how much like other Austrian people she is, but she is very friendly. I can usually understand the gist of the conversation but Naomi, being in a higher German class than I and therefore more knowledgeable, usually takes on the burden of responding. Occasionally the Frau will direct a question straight at me, in which case I do my best to answer.

All in all I really enjoy the dinners we spend with Frau Feest and I’m sad that they only come around once a week. She really is a sweet lady and is very generous and friendly. I don’t know where the huffy Frau Feest we encountered the first day went but I can’t say I’m sad to see her go!

Wiener Blut

Last Tuesday I was fortunate enough to have the chance to see what Brother Minert referred to as the Austrian, “operetta of all operettas”: Wiener Blut (Viennese Blood). Going into it, I thought it was going to be a show with lots of war (and therefore blood) in Vienna. After the show I came to realize that it is meant more in the sense of the Viennese spirit rather than literal blood.

After a bit of confusion (not knowing that the Volkstheater and the Volksoper were two different things and subsequently showing up in the wrong place) I was able to get to the Schottentor U-bahn stop and take the Strassenbahn to the Volksoper. For the first minute or so I thought I would have to rely on the characters portrayals of the story to find out what was going on because, of course, it was on in German. After further observance of my surroundings, however, I found a screen with English translations mercifully placed above the stage.

The storyline was that of typical musical dramas. There was a married man with a mistress (or two) who tried in vain to keep his lovers in ignorance of one another. There were more lead males than females, and of course there was that character who seems to be thrown in merely for comic relief.

While the overall themes and storyline didn’t seem new to me as an experienced dramatic performer, I couldn’t help but be impressed by the musical talent. Because their theater in Vienna is taken very seriously, I assume every show has a live orchestra of professional musicians. This show definitely fit the bill.

The vocal talent was quite amazing as well. The first female character we meet, Franziska Caliari, sings very impressive soprano notes from the get-go. I envy the way talented performers such as this can reach each note with such ease and can therefore devote all of their attention to their character development because they don’t have to worry so much about how their voice sounds. She seemed to be everything I wish I could be in a performer and I think this, along with her character’s defiance and unwillingness to back down, made her my favorite character.

All other performers did a very good job and I enjoyed the varied elements that each brought to the show.

I thought the story was well written and entertaining but I didn’t much care for the predictable “Everybody wins” ending. But this may be due to my love of shows such as, “Les Mis” or “Once on This Island,” where the ending might not seem ideal.

Military Museum

The museum starts with artifacts from the famous 30-years-war, including a very old musket that took about a minute to load and was very complicated from the looks of things. The soldiers weren’t even educated enough to know how much powder to put in the guns so they had to carry convenient little pouches with the right amount of the stuff in them.

Another interesting weapon to see was the first hand-grenades. I’m surprised they had some left over because I thought those nifty exploding devises would be used left and right. These hand-grenades were simply glass bottles with powder so the explosion probably wasn’t nearly as large as today’s. I’m not even sure how they went off. Maybe I missed the part about a fuse or something.

I was surprised, once again, by the unnecessarily lavish living conditions of the army leaders. Just like the monks, they lived in almost inconvenient and costly style. They had great big fancy embroidered tents filled with luxuries and entertainment so that they could enjoy themselves while they attacked their enemies. Professor Heuberger even told us some of them brought their girlfriends along. I for one would not join my inappropriate lover near the battlefield no matter how lavish or expensive his tent was.

The coolest (and therefore most advertised) part by far was the uniform that Franz Ferdinand had been wearing when he was assassinated, and the car he had been in. I had known before that Franz had been the Arch Duke whose murder began WWI, but I had no idea before I came here that he was the heir to the Hapsburg throne, a family that had bee in power for hundreds of years! Nor had I known that his actual assassination was just a stroke of luck by his enemies. The original attempt at his life had failed, and the Serbians had only managed to hit a few of his guards with their bullets. Later, when Ferdinand told his driver to take him to the hospital to visit these wounded men, the driver accidently took a wrong turn. While they were lost, a Serb student just happened to be in their path, and took the fatal shot to Ferdinand’s chest.

Captain von Trapp's suit thing

Melk Monastery

Our group went to Melk and visited a beautiful Monastery there. We had to take the S-Bahn for about an hour because it was a ways outside the city. As all of the far away places we’ve visited, however, this was worth it. This Monastery, to me, seemed rather huge. I haven’t visited too many Monasteries in my life though so I don’t think I have a picture in my head as to what a normal Monastery should look like. This one not only housed Monk’s though, but also a private school of about 900 kids. Some years ago it was a place for all services such as a hospital (for physical and mental illness), an old folks’ home, and orphanage etc. There was also a market there.

We took a guided tour through the beautiful interior with displays representing the History of Vienna. It was clear that our tour guide learn her English from someone British. I have seen a lot of museums regarding the history of Vienna culture and religion but there was a room here that still stood out to me. The floor you walked across went up and down in waves to represent the extremely wonderful/difficult times Austria has face in the last centuries.

I was also intrigued by the amount of gold the monks used for the place. For someone whose life goal is to live simply, it seemed a bit ironic to me that they would then spend fortunes on gold ornamentations. There was even a monk’s robe that was embroidered with gold thread!

I rather enjoyed when a certain king (Franz Joseph I think it was?) stepped in and tried to make religious life much more frugal. He clothed the monks in leather and shortened mass to 1 hour saying that was plenty of time to sing, pray, and repent. My favorite invention of his, however, was the coffin that dropped the body out the bottom so that it could be re-used at everyone’s funeral.

One of my favorite rooms was the library. It was huge! There were so many old books that it did have quite a musty smell, but it was cool to see nonetheless. I wondered how many of those gigantic, ancient books had actually been studied. There were places in the bookshelves where you could see cracks and hinges, indicating secret doors. I thought that was pretty sweet as well.