Last weekend I got to delve a little farther into the culture here in Austria, outside of the big bad city. On Saturday, Sophie's father picked us up and drove us an hour out into the country to visit her half brother, Benny. He's about twelve, and stays with a family, a couple with two young children, in a quaint little village. I don't really know how the family relates to him, but they were all very nice. First, we were served an enormous and delicious meal of soup, and then meats and vegetables cooked on a platter there at the table, along with potatoes and salad. For dessert there was tiramisu. I was stuffed full. By that time, all I wanted to do was roll up in a warm blanket and take a nap. However, the family had other plans, which turned out to be way better. We took a walk through the village and out along a gravel road into the mountains. It began to snow while we were walking, and we had soon turned off the path, crossed a stream and began to hike up a mountain. Well, perhaps it wasn't really a full size mountain, but it was pretty big. When we reached the top, we found ourselves on a peak where had once sat a small castle where a knight used to live. All that was left was the remains of a stone wall, which was where we sat and took a breather. I gazed around at the beauty around me. All I could see for miles around were trees, hills, and nature. Not a hint of a car motor roaring past, only birds calling and the wind swirling around us. No city to light up the already perfect sky as dusk slowly crept over us. I believe that was the moment I truly fell in love with this place. The architecture is beautiful here in Vienna, the city wonderful. But it is the Austria outside that is the best of all to me. There's so much nature here. So much space to enjoy the world we were born to live in, free from all things made by man.
So, we hiked back down the mountain and enjoyed warm cups of hot chocolate before hopping into the car and riding back to Vienna. However, we did not go to Sophie's house, but instead to the other side of the city where her grandparent's live, and where her father is staying for a short time. There, we were treated just as all grandparents treat their grandchildren: were given way too much food, played lots of games, and overall had a great time. In the early afternoon on Sunday we rode back to Sophie's mother's house. There, Sophie and I did our homework, and then went out to meet our friends from school to go ice skating in the park in front of the Rathaus (City Hall). There are two large rinks connected to each other, and many trails winding through the park. Music plays the whole time, and there are stands to get hot drinks and snacks when the skating gets too cold. I don't skate very often, practically never, so I was clutching Robin (the other exchange girl from Toronto) or Sophie's hand most of the time. However, by the end I was skating a bit on my own. I payed a price for all the fun though with two very large, very painful blisters on my feet. I must be crazy, because I agreed to go again this Saturday night. Maybe I can find thicker socks, or wear a couple pairs at once... By the time we got home, Sophie and I were exhausted, and all of us who had gone skating were like zombies the next morning at school. Robin said it was like we had all stayed up until two in the morning clubbing instead of ice skating, and Sophie and I were the worst. It was completely worth it.
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