Week 4: A European Adventure, Part 2 (the part where I accidentally go to Poland)

5 February

Approaching Innsbruck

Laura and I woke up early on Thursday morning to catch our Innsbruck train.  The drive through Austria exposed me to industrial and countryside scenes of Austria, which I had not seen closely before.  The countryside became progressively more gorgeous as we approached Innsbruck.  Laura and I couldn´t help but take picture after picture as the mountains began to grow around the train.  We spent the late afternoon and evening orienting ourselves to Innsbruck and eating a nice dinner at a pizza place, since it took extra time to find my accidentally lost suitcase.  The situation nearly gave me a heart attack and I was never so happy to see my little Wal-mart carry-on!

Fighting mountain goats at the Alpenzoo

6 February

We spent Friday basking in the incredible glory of the Alps and exploring the comparison of modern Innsbruck ski culture and centuries-old Austrian culture.  The morning began with a visit to the Alpenzoo, where we saw a variety of different alpine animals in their natural habitat.  The mountain goats and sheep were definitely the cutest!  We headed over to Hall in Tirol in the afternoon, where we wanted to see the Burg Hasegg castle and coin mint.  We unfortunately found out that the mint is closed during the winter time, even though our travel brochure indicated no such closing.  Despite this disappointment, exploring Hall in Tirol became a beautiful adventure, when we stumbled upon an incredible church called the Josefkirche.  The church sharply contrasted against the more simplistic churches I saw in Bratislava, since nearly every square inch of the walls and ceiling were covered with paintings or gold sculptures.  Displays within various parts of the walls and altars contained skulls of famous saints and influential townspeople - more than slightly disturbing in my opinion!

Josefkirche in Hall in Tirol

After the Josefkirche, we enjoyed a traditional Austrian lunch at the Goldener Löwe restaurant, where I ate far, far more cheese than I should have!  Laura and I headed back to Innsbruck after lunch and searched around for a café, so I could conduct an interview for a student organization back home.  In the evening, we had another crazy adventure trying to find a cable car to take us up into the mountains.  Our brochure and several people gave us directions to a train station to the cable car, but it was closed!  We eventually took a taxi up to the station and rode a cable car to a lookout point on the mountain.  Our searching paid off as we gazed up into the beauty of the cold Innsbruck night, the mountains extending far behind and before us into the valley.  I laid for a few minutes in the cold snow, completely at peace and in utter awe of the giant expanse of mountain, night sky, and stars above me.  I shut my eyes for a few moments, embedding the scene into my mind and swearing never to forget it.

7 February

On Saturday, I headed to Poland and to Prague!  Wait...Poland and Prague in the same day?  How did I pull that off?  So the story goes something like this.  Laura and I took a night train from Innsbruck to Prague, so we could spend more time there.  After switching trains in Vienna, we supposedly started heading toward Prague.  I thought we might need to switch trains again, but wasn´t really sure.  Our train kept going and going, with us expecting it to arrive in Prague a little after noon.  The conductors also kept confirming and confirming our tickets.  Then, a third conductor came along and told us we had traveled 30 minutes into Poland!

Laura and I did not know what to do, especially since the conductor basically spoke very little English, German, or Spanish (the languages we knew between the two of us).  Completely at a loss, the conductor kindly got a man who could translate between Polish and English for us.  We found out that we failed to transfer trains in Breclav, Czech Republic and needed to return to the border.  At first, the conductor said we would need to go all the way to one station and then get a train back into the Czech Republic.  Fortunately, he found an international train at a closer station which we could take back.  He told us at one point in the middle of the countryside that Laura and I needed to get off the train immediately!  We both thought he literally meant in the Polish countryside (probably due to our nerves).  He actually meant that we needed to get off at the next station in Tychy, Poland.  So we scurried off the train at the station and waited for the train headed to Prague, hoping that we would not remain stranded in the middle of Poland.  The train fortunately arrived 20 minutes later and we arrived 5 hours later than intended in Prague.

Lenin Wall in Prague

After getting off at the train station in Prague, we decided to walk to our hostel on the other side of the Danube.  We were initially creeped out upon leaving the train station, since it seemed that two men followed us.  We stopped at a hotel and circled around a couple streets, so we could continue safely into Old Town Prague.  The streets in Old Town Prague wind in every direction, taking unexpected angles and turns.  My rolling suitcase and backpack made the trek to our hostel somewhat strenuous, so I found difficulty remaining patient as we navigated through the city.  I was overjoyed to see the Charles Bridge greeting us after reaching the Danube, since that meant our hostel was close!  We finally arived at our hostel after getting our daily exercise climbing the hill in front of it.  Exhausted, we freed ourselves of our luggage and downed a
delicious Italian dinner across the street, then went to explore Old Town Prague more thoroughly.

Week 4: A European Adventure, Part 1

I dreamed for many years of traveling through Europe and experienced a semester of excitement waiting for this opportunity.  Now that I actually live in close proximity to all these opportunities, the feelings of excitement waned slightly amid the academic and cultural realities of studying abroad.  I also learned that while excitement for opportunities exist, you must work hard to plan travel well and take advantage of available opportunities.  During my break in Europe, my adventures took me through Bratislava, Budapest, Prague, Innsbruck, and even Tychy, Poland!

1 February

I decided this past week that I would regularly attend church at the Evangelikale Gemeinde Wien-Meidling, a church where several of the students from ÖSM also go.  After the morning service, I was invited to lunch at the house of someone named Lisa.  When we settled in at Lisa´s house, I began asking her a few questions about her background to get to know her.  She began mentioning several circumstances in her life including her university and the time she studied there, all of which sounded quite similar to the area where my sister spent time in Austria.  I decided to ask Lisa if she knew my sister and before I even finished my sentence, she knew who I mentioned!  Lisa pulled out a scrapbook page and on the top was pasted a picture of my sister from 13 years ago.  I was kind of in shock that we randomly ended up meeting each other...Austria´s a small world.

After lunch in the afternoon, I went back to my apartment to Skype my friend Daniel from back home.  I then proceeded to spend 3 hours Skyping with my friend, Laura, so we could book hostels and bus/train tickets for our trip to Prague and Innsbruck.

2 February

Yummy frappé in Bratislava

I got up bright and early on Monday morning to head to Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia.  I had booked the bus ticket awhile before, but did not exactly know what I would see during the day.  The bus dropped me off at a station beside the old city center in Bratislava.  I could not immediately find a map to find my way around the city, so I decided to get a small lunch at a cafe beside the bus stop and then start walking.  I pulled a map up on my computer in the cafe and managed to create a potential itinerary for the day, including Bratislava Castle, St. Michael´s Gate, and churches within the city.

Church in Bratislava

Bratislava Castle

As I embarked on my adventure through the snowy streets, I quickly found that all the museums are unfortunately closed in Bratislava on Monday.  Nevertheless, absorbing the beauty and history of Bratislava from the outside created an incredible day during which I enjoyed several sites in the city from the outside.  My quiet walk through the winding streets brought beautiful surprises around every corner and introduced me to the characteristics of old European cities, which I would further discover in Budapest, Innsbruck, and Prague.  Several churches fortunately remained open in Bratislava, so I could observe the architecture and paintings inside.  Bratislava´s churches struck me with their simplistic architecture and paintings.  I found Bratislava´s churches less ornate in comparison to other European cathedrals, but the more simplistic backgrounds create a setting which allows the churches´ beautiful paintings to shine.

Liberty Bridge

Gellért Hill Fortress

3 February

I headed to Budapest late Tuesday morning and arrived in the early afternoon, but it took me quite awhile to find my hostel due to its obscure location.  After getting settled in, I decided to take a walk around Budapest to begin discovering the city.  My adventure led me across Liberty Bridge and up Gellért Hill, a landmark in Budapest with a large fort at the top.  I scrambled up the steep steps as the day waned into evening, approaching a large cross and finally the fortress at the top.  The views from the top nearly took my breath away with their dazzling beauty, showing the Parliament, St. Stephen´s Basilica, and the sprawl of Budapest, old and new.  After coming down from Gellért Hill, I met up with friends from the Kelley Consulting Workshop in Budapest, with whom I went out that evening.  We enjoyed a traditional Hungarian dinner and then went out to a ruin bar, an example of the many bombed buildings in Budapest which artists turned into locations for markets, bars, and performances.  Of course, I tried a shot of the traditional Hungarian fruit-flavored palinka!

View from St. Stephen's Dome

4 February

My friend Laura had class most of the day on Wednesday, so I headed out for a day full of sightseeing in Budapest.  I kicked off the day with a visit to St. Stephen´s Basilica and a climb to the top of the cathedral´s dome for another fantastic look at Budapest.  Being alone inside the dome with its scaffolding and stairs gave me a slightly creepy feeling, so I hopped out on the viewing deck quickly and made my way back down hastily.  After the basilica, I went on a 2.5 hour long walking tour of Budapest which gave me a thorough history of the city and passed many of the main landmarks.

Stove in Hungarian National Museum

The contrast between Communist-style and neo-classical/baroque architecture struck me as we walked through this city, since it showed the deep imprint which both these periods made in Hungary´s history.  I also appreciated our guide´s explanation of Hungary´s history, which she split into two 500-year periods.  The first begun with Hungary´s development from its Asian roots to its growth as a European power, while the second primarily consisted of Hungary´s occupation by other nations.  This explanation helped when I visited the Hungarian National Museum in the afternoon, where I learned significantly more about the development of Hungary through its various kings and saints.  I experienced more modern Hungarian history by visiting an emergency hospital, which was utilized during World War II and later as a nuclear attack bunker during the Cold War.  After meeting up
with Laura at her dorm, we spent a quiet evening planning the rest of our trip.

Dessert at Cafe Ruszwurm

Week 3: Understanding Austria

This last week in January brought my intensive German class to a close, along with the Austrian students' winter semester.  These circumstances created a quiet week for my roommates and myself, filled with school work and my preparations for the Technical University of Vienna's ball at the Hofburg (a palace in Vienna).  The end of the week brought the start of a week-long break, which forced me to begin planning my travels and to start finding a balance of seeking friendships and simultaneously absorbing the history around me.

25 January

Cevapcici - a tasty Bosnian lunch!

I visited a couple different churches and went out for lunch with Nate and Bethany, along with a friend from their church.  In the evening, I finally met the sister of a friend who helped connect me with a student ministry here.  The German practice during the morning and evening definitely pushed me outside of my comfort zone, while I enjoyed the peace of re-focusing on God for the week.

26 January

On Monday, I experienced immersion into Vienna's art culture at the Leopold Museum during an excursion with my German class.  The museum contains the art collection of a man who loved to collect art, but eventually could not afford it anymore...so he decided to start a museum. 
What better way to support your addiction to art than start a museum?
Brilliant, thoroughly brilliant.

As I passed through the galleries of the art museum, distinctions between German and Austrian cultural history began to take shape in my mind.  I internalized more about Austria's well-known artists, such as Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, or the Wiener Werkstätte, a furniture making company.  In the past, I lumped culture from German-speaking countries together.  Learning about Austria´s history and legacy separate from Germany helps me respect and see the differences between the two countries, so I can more fully view Austria as its own entity.  Growing up as half Canadian and half American sheds light on this difference in my mind.  Although Canada and America bear many similarities, Canada stands distinct from its southern neighbor in areas ranging from the French influence in its history and official language to fantastic foods like poutine and Canadian Smarties (and don't forget Tim Horton's!).  Whether history, art, or modern food, these aspects of culture form the background and everyday experience of a nation's inhabitants.  I will thus continue aiming to further my understanding of national identities, using it to absorb more fully the lives of people I meet around the world.

27 January

Tuesday was filled with school work, particularly catching up on homework assignments and reading a book for an oral final in my German class.  I realized on Monday that I needed to buy a dress for the upcoming ball at the Hofburg on Thursday night.  With limited time, my friend Megan and I scoured a few shops on Kärtnerstraße, the main shopping street in the center of Vienna.  Megan and I both found dresses at Peek & Cloppenburg, but mine needed shortening.  The short time period before the ball made this nearly impossible, but I decided to try to find a place on Wednesday.

28 January

Black dress for the ball

On Wednesday morning, I woke up early to attend a prayer breakfast with ÖSM, my student ministry.  The event gave focus to my day, but I found it quite hard to truly express myself through prayer in German.  I heard in the past that a person may learn a language for years and years, but expressing oneself spiritually in that language can remain difficult.  I definitely experienced that today!

After German class in the morning, I immediately headed back to the 18th district (where I live) to take care of the ball gown situation.  I scoured a few stores close to my apartment and found some rather interesting gowns at an old second hand shop!  Fortunately, I found a long, black gown at a store with new dresses and it fit my budget and taste perfectly.  I ate pizza in the evening with my roommate and his girlfriend, which provided a nice study break for them and opportunity to catch up before they headed back home for their break.

29 January

My friend Lisa and I at the ball

Thursday meant scrambling to finish studying for my German final and to prepare for the Hofburg ball!  I planned to get ready for the ball with a group of friends, but rather unfortunate circumstances prevented this from happening.  I stayed longer at the IES Center due to dealing with several urgent e-mails and texts from back home.  After arriving at my apartment and scrambling around to gather my things, I made it about halfway to my friend´s apartment with the U-Bahn only to realize that I left my ball ticket back at my apartment!

A glimpse of the Hofburg

I hurried back home and got ready for the ball far more quickly than a person should, then headed to the Hofburg for a grand night of dancing and spending time with friends.  What a breathtaking night!  I think my former romantic ideas of Austria probably contained scenes like this night at the Hofburg.  My friend Lisa and I explored room after room filled with beautiful parquet floors, crystal chandeliers, and tables for guests.  I had the chance to dance with a couple guys from my program and even a graduate student from El Salvador, who studies at a university in Vienna!  I think my favorite dance happened when one of the IES German teachers invited Lisa and I to join her group for a traditional polka!  I learned the dance quite easily, especially since it reminded me of Irish barn dancing or American square dancing.  I truly could not have asked for a more magical night!

30 January

My program decided to create the most wonderful schedule in which our intensive German finals followed the night of the ball at the Hofburg.  Not fun.  The final went well...definitely better than my frightening Operations Management tests last semester.  I unfortunately arrived slightly late to the final and was appalled to find that one of the fill-in-the-blank questions on the test contained the sentence, "Weiß Elizabeth, wann der Deutschunterricht beginnt?" (Does Elizabeth know, when German class begins?).  My teacher likes to make homework and test questions personalized to the class.  This question was slightly too personalized and a sharp reminder to begin improving in an area where I struggle.

After my German final, my friend from IU, Katie, and I caught up about our experiences in Vienna so far.  We both have enjoyed our time here so far, but find that the program can seem overprotective at times.  Nonetheless, the German we are learning, the new friends, and the culture are absolutely fantastic!

31 January

Saturday begin 9 glorious days of travel and sightseeing around Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, Innsbruck, and Prague!  The break refreshed me and gave me a new perspective, since I focused significantly during the past few weeks on settling into Vienna and getting to know more Austrians.  As a result, I think I missed taking time to truly absorb the beautiful historical sites in and around Vienna.  This break helped me absorb the reality that I am in Austria for only four and a half months, which will place limitations on the relationships I can form.  I will strive my utmost to take advantage of opportunities for friendship and language practice, but I shouldn´t waste time waiting for them when a sea of history and culture (which includes many language-learning opportunities!) sits in my backyard.  Balance - that is the end goal.

Hundertwasserhaus

I planned a day of visiting historical locations around Vienna, but my plans dramatically shifted due to protests occurring in the city center.  Thus, I took the opportunity to explore sights on the outside of the city rather than in the old city center.  I first traveled over to the Hundertwasserhaus, a modern style apartment building which contains hardly any 90 degree angles and many nature-friendly features.  These include architecture that blends well into nature, green roofs, and tree gardens on patios at different levels.

Beethoven's grave

After the Hundertwasserhaus, I visited Vienna's Zentralfriedhof, one of the largest graveyards in Europe.  It would take days to explore all the different
cultural and historical

Brahms' grave

sections of the graveyard, so I chose to focus on the graveyard's central church, aristocratic graves, and a cultural section.  The most overwhelming moment occurred in the graveyard as I stood quietly among the graves of Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert, and several members of the Strauss family.  Standing among these master musicians brought back many memories of hours spent at the piano learning their works, particularly the three movements of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.  The beauty and grandeur these men captured in their art astounds people to this day.  To stand among these musicians at one time created an unforgettable moment of reflection.

I wrapped up the day with a visit to the Naschmarkt, a large and well-known international market in Vienna.  I scored an awesome cashmere scarf for 5 Euro and absorbed the sights and smells of different nations as I wandered past booth after booth, creating a peaceful close to an incredible day.