Museums Galore!

      Today we went to Hofburg Palace. There we took a tour through three exhibitions: the Silver Collection, Sisi Museum, and the Imperial Apartments. The silver collection was beautiful, and the first few hundred pieces were very exciting. But as the numbers rolled into the thousands, the smaller things became much less interesting, and the most exquisite the only ones that really grabbed my attention. Of course, there were many exquisite pieces. Throughout this, there was an audio tour that we listened to, to gain knowledge of some of the history behind the pieces. Next came the Sisi museum. I entered knowing barely anything about her, and exited knowing almost everything. She was the Impress of Austria alongside Franz Joseph I. She hated being the center of attention, even though she was beautiful, and longed for freedom from the court. There is so much I learned, but I definitely can't put it all down here. You must look her up for yourself. Our last stop was the Imperial Apartments. These were very interesting, although we were stuck behind a large guided tour which was rather annoying. Again, there is really no way to describe these rooms. Just imagine lots of red damask, and gilded ceilings.
       After a lunch that took a very long time to come to us, we made our way into the Museum of Art. Staring at pieces of art all afternoon is very exhausting, especially when one has been walking around all morning. However, these pieces were beautiful. We saw Raphael, Rembrandt, Velazquez, Brueghel, and many Ruben. There was a special exhibition of Winter pieces, and even Greek antiquities. There was an audio tour that, if listened to in full, would last 6 hours. Not only was the artwork amazing, but so was the building as well. Easily as tall as the palace, and so beautifully decorated in paintings and sculpture that it felt as though I was sin even a grander palace than the Imperial one I had just visited. It was awe inspiring.
    

The Hills Are Alive

      Something very strange happened yesterday. Sophie, Mommy, Bruce and I went by train to Salzburg. We spent a couple of hours looking around the city, visiting the cathedral, and eating lunch, and then we went on a Sound of Music Movie Tour. There was family of four from Chicago on the trip as well, and the young girl seemed familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on how I knew her. Later, when we were giving each other strange looks, she asked we if I went to some camp. Then it dawned on me, Clearwater! We both go to Clearwater Camp for Girls in Minocqua, Wisconsin. Soon our mothers were chatting away about how they found out about the camp, and we took a picture together to prove that Clearwater sisters will always find each other, even in Salzburg, Austria.

      Anyways, the tour was amazing. Not only did we see the sights of the Sound of Music, but we also learned other historical facts about Salzburg. We saw where Mozart was born, and where recent movies were filmed. For the Sound of Music, we went to the gardens of the "Do, Re Mi"sequence, saw the Salzburg Music Festival building where the Von Trapps won it, gazed across a frozen lake to the place where the outside of the house scenes were, learned that Maria's wedding was the only wedding at the abby she tried to join, and saw where she was married in the movie. We visited the hills she and the children sang on, the gazebo they danced in, and drove past the house they showed in the movie. As a little side treat, we also stopped for streusel. We arrived back very late last night, and fell right into bed. The trip was fantastic.

      Today, Sohpie and her mom showed us her school. Mine too now, I suppose. Then we went for another sightseeing tour of the city, and visited the Naschmarkt, which almost literally means "munchies market."There we also bought our dinner for tonight; fresh Vienna produce. Tomorrow is another day of museums and fun, and my last full day with my parents. Gute Nacht!

      It has been a long day, and yet another to come tomorrow. During our visit at the Christmas Market yesterday, we met up with my host family: Sophie and her mother, Patricia. Today we joined them again to go on a tour of Vienna. Here's a little recap.

      The first place we went was the Opera House. There, we were bombarded with offers to go to either an opera or a music festival coming soon. Our next stop was the Cafe Sacher. Actually, we didn't really stop there, we just passed by. If we had stopped, we would had to go inside and eat the world's most classiest chocolate cake, which would have been perfectly fine with me. Past this was the Albertinaplatz, beautiful architecture with lovely statues. Kartner Strasse was a very long, very wide pedestrian only street, with large buildings on either side full of shops. The buildings were a collection of old and new, with a wide assortment of shops. Off on a side street was Kaisergruft, a church with the Imperial Crypt lying beneath, full of Vienna's royalty. Passing on is the Neuer Markt, with a statue of Lady Providence surrounded by figures that are supposed to represent rivers that flow into the Danube. 

       Now, before I go any farther, I want you to picture yourself in the largest, fanciest foyer and highest ceilinged room you have ever been. Now imagine that foyer ten times longer, with ten times the amount of fancy decorations, and the ceiling is ten times higher. That is Stephansplatz Catherdral. As soon as I stepped inside, I felt awed and very insignificant. It was such a holy place, and although I was surrounded by gibbering tourists, I felt alone.
      Leaving the cathedral, we go on to another street full of shops. In the center is a statue, called the Holy Trinity Plague Column. It is covered in clouds with angels and cherubs, and the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost on top. It was erected as a monument to remember the epidemic of the bubonic plague. Our next stop was another church, that of St. Peter. Picture Stephansplatz Cathedral. Now decrease by five times the size, and increase the decorations by five times. That is St. Peter's Church. Everything outshone another. Things you might normally see in a church as impressive is nothing compared to the decorations inside this church.
      Of course, when visiting places, one does have to take a side trip to go to the bathroom sometimes. But in Vienna, go to the bathroom is a tourist destination. You pay fifty cents and do your business in the cleanest public bathroom you will ever be in. We took our last trip to the statue of Goethe, sitting in thought.
       But before that, we visited another place: Hofburg, the palace of the emperors. Staring at it, there are two things I thought. One, that it would be very easy to get lost in there, and two, that it would take days to finish a game of hide and seek. That is how large it is. White stone with windows everywhere, and statues depicting gods and goddesses, angels and cherubs. At the main entrance are four large sculptures of Hercules at his different tasks. After passing under the main entrance, you come into a huge courtyard, and under another arch, on father still is the Heroes' Square. On the left is the gigantic "new palace" and there are two statues of heroes riding away to victory. There are museums, but we did not enter. Instead, we enjoyed the outside glory of the city. 

A First Taste

      Well, I'm here. It's cold. A lot colder than North Carolina right now, but about the same as it was there this time last year. It is also beautiful. Most if the buildings have that quality of a very old person who has aged gracefully. Still lovely, yet not in their prime shape. That is the best way to describe our apartment. It was built in 1878, and although there have obviously been renovations made, it still has that antique quality. There are black and white portraits on the walls, very comfortable yet old fashioned beds, and a gorgeous chandelier over the dining table. There are only a few minor set backs. One, it is so small that there is really no privacy in the entire apartment, even in the bathroom, and two, there are no elevators, and we are on the top floor, which is to say about five stories up. Having to carry a set of luggage meant to supply a teenage girl of all her needs for two months up those stairs was no easy feat, and I pity my parents for having to do it for me. Let's just say I don't mesh well with very long planes rides.
      After a short nap of a couple of hours, we went out to explore my new home. It seems everyone in Vienna has a car, and yet barely any of them use them. As we walked, there were maybe a few out of hundreds of parking spaces that were empty. Most people, as did we, travel by subway, tram, trolley, or bus. Public transportation is so nice that there is really no point in driving anywhere. Anyways, that is the way we traveled to get to the most beautiful market I have ever been too: the Christmas Market in front of Schoenbrunn Palace. The Palace is gorgeous. A tinted, natural yellow with statues along the roof tops, windows so perfect they look painted on, surrounding an enormous courtyard that is only half taken over by the market. The other half is open space, with two fountains on either side, depicting statues of Greek gods, and although they are lovely, they cannot outshine the Palace.
      Under the shadow of this magnificent structure lies the market. It is full of stalls selling seasonal gifts such as candles, ornaments, toys, candies, manger scenes, and warm drinks. In the very center, right in front of the front doors of the palace is a giant Christmas Tree, covered in white lights. It shines above all and gives a cheery glow to the shoppers while the light slowly fades from the sky.

All My Bags Are Packed

      It's hard to say goodbye. The goodbyes to my friends are over with, which are some of the hardest. But the strangest goodbye is when you are done packing, and have a few minutes to spare. Everyone is unique in the way they might spend that time. Some may read, others listen to music. Many might go over every little detail to make sure that they didn't forget anything. Me? Well I've got 40 minutes, so I decided to write this. Yes, the checking off of everything will come, but right now, I am saying my own little goodbye.
      This is my last post about living in Vienna before I actually get there. From here on out, it is a mystery. Will I like Vienna? Will I like my host family? Will I live up to people's expectations of me? None of these I know, but they are things I will find out, and if you want to, you may find out with me.
      Well, I have just given 10 minutes of my precious time before leaving, so I probably should go over my checklist, and do all the other meager tasks that must be done. There are two songs that seem to define this moment for me. Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson, and Leaving on a Jet Plane by John Denver. It is time for me to break free and see the world, but I will miss terribly all those I leave behind.

Cold Feet

      Preparation is a large part of a trip. No one ever just decides they're going on a long journey, and hops on the first plane they see. Unless they're extremely compulsive and rich, or running from the law. Since I am not either of these, this trip was planned well in advance. However, in the clear happy light of a few months earlier, going on this trip seemed like a wonderful idea. Great idea, to leave the country for the first time, live with a family of people I barely know, and survive and go to school in another language. A language that I took for eight years, and so a few months ago felt very familiar. Now the year and a half gap since learning it has widened considerably, and I am no longer thinking that going is such a great idea.
      This feeling I have just described is called getting "cold feet." It is a common ailment among brides and other people faced with such life altering decisions. Indeed, it is quite a common ailment in general, and no one could be very surprised, least of all me, that I am suffering from it. With one bag packed and another almost done, the threat of major room cleaning, and the fact that I have but one day left leaves me in a state of shock and disbelief. Am I really doing this? Am I really going? It is finally sinking in that I am actually going to do an exchange in Vienna.
      It is not really a matter of being scared (although I am), but rather of a wonder that I am really going to go through with this. It's something that I have always wanted to do, but I never dreamed that it might actually happen. Now that it is, all I can hope is that I have fun, learn a lot, and don't get too exhausted or homesick. It is a new journey for me, and one that I hope to conquer as successfully as any storybook heroine.

Packing

     When embarking on a long trip, there are many things to be considered. Plane tickets are essential, as is the ability to withdraw money. Passports are always key, booking where you are staying, and the knowledge of what you are going to do there is always rather helpful. There are many more little details that must come into consideration, among which is packing.
      Yes, I know, packing is not a little thing. But how many people think months before the trip, "I need to pack!" We realize we need to do it, we create an appointment with our suitcases, but it is something that, at least to me, is not a very stressed about issue until the day of. Then, it is chaos.
      There are many stages in the packing process. Everyone does it differently, but here is my method. First, there is the decision on what size suitcases to bring, and how many. Next, is the shopping for essentials that you do not already own: ie. a warm winter jacket and snow boots. Then there's the finding of a space. Especially when packing three suitcases, it can be very difficult to find a place to put them while packing. Once that is decided, the real packing can begin. I start with throwing in all my pants, shirts, pajamas, underclothes, and all the obvious articles of clothing that one would need in a cold climate. When that is done, there is a lull. My laundry basket is half empty, full of things that need to go away. Discarded clothes are scattered all over my bed, and my closet floor is a disaster. This is where I am now. Next comes the necessary time of gathering the little things that don't at first seem obvious, but are very essential. This step requires even more clustering, for my other two pieces of luggage must enter the black hole.
      Looking at my room right now, I know that once everything is packed, I am nowhere near done, for the great cleanup must then ensue. Since my room must be prepared to be vacuumed by tomorrow morning, I know I have a long day ahead.