First Week of Class

Hallo!
I'm almost done with my first week of classes and I think I've gotten to know my way around a little better!  I've figured out how to get to class, the grocery store, the gelato shop, and my friends' apartment without getting lost.  I got to do a couple of really neat things the past few nights, which helped me figure out some of the subway and tram lines.  On Tuesday night, there was a huge screen set up in front of the Rathaus, which is kind of the city hall of Vienna.  The building is BEAUTIFUL and there were so many delicious vendors all over.  All of you guys would have loved it!!  I didn't get any food, but it all smelled fabulous.  The concert was a broadcast of a live performance of Mahler's Symphony in F-sharp performed by the Cleveland Orchestra.

Wednesday was one of my favorite days yet...I got up and went to class early in the morning and studied in this beautiful study room in the palace that my classes are in until my friends got out of class.  After class, my friend Katie and I went exploring around the main street by our school.  We saw all kinds of churches and cafes and got some delicious gelato.  After we had taken a million pictures on the street, we went to the Belvedere Palace, which is about 5 minutes from my school and 10 minutes from my apartment.  I was so proud because I knew exactly how to get there!  The view of the palace is amazing and there were gardens and sculptures and fountains everywhere.  We got there too late to go inside, but we're going to go back when we have plenty of time to explore.  After the Belvedere, we went back to Rathaus for a screening of a performance of Hansel und Gretel, which is a opera by Humperdinck.  The opera itself was a little strange, but the Rathaus is so amazing that we all had an incredible time.  This time, I couldn't resist the food, so we all got the most absolutely fabulous Nutella crepes...Leah would have died!  I think I ate it in less than 30 seconds.  After the opera was over, the vendors stayed open and we found another area that was set up in a tent up some stairs.  It was a neat set-up because everything was outside and the weather here is beautiful at night.  The weather is very similar to Colorado, but maybe a little warmer during the day.

Today, I had class again and went to a delicious sandwich shop with some people from Emory.  I also got a gelato, which is almost as good as the gelato in Italy (if I remember right!)  After the yummy lunch, I just went back to my apartment and met my friends at a cafe once they were out of class.  Tonight will probably be pretty boring because I have a German test tomorrow, so I've got to study a LOT.  I guess my German isn't as good as I thought it was before I left... :)  On the upside, we decided that we are going to Greece for my 10 day post-intensive German break!  My friends Katie, Carrie, and I are going to fly into Athens and stay there for a few days before we take a bus to Corfu.  Then we're going to fly to Budapest and catch a bus back to Vienna.  (We won't get to stay in Budapest at all though, so hopefully I can go there when Mom and Dad come to visit!)  But anyways, I suppose I should study.  I'm going to post some more pictures onto Snapfish soon so hopefully you guys can take a look!  The link is http://www5.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=2032729027/a=3578814027_3578814027/ in case you don't have it.  You might have to make an account to view the pictures, but it's really easy.  They send you a lot of emails though, so you should probably use a junk email address.  Anyways, I'll write more in a few days!  Auf Wiedersehen!

p.s. I forgot to tell Mom and Dad that I picked up a few boxes of Tucs at the grocery store the other day...yummy dinner tonight!