Guten Morgen!
Today is the first day that I have slept in since I left home, so I finally feel completely rejuvenated and un-jetlagged! It's so nice to not be tired! But I've gotten to do lots of neat stuff the past few days...I said that we were going to the St. Michael Basilica on Wednesday and the tour ended being really neat. My friend Katie and I were the only ones on the tour and we got to go into all kinds of chapels and rooms that are not open to the public. There are also some remains of Roman ruins right by St. Michael's, so that was pretty neat to see too. Right by the church is also the building where Haydn lived...totally cool! Also in the same square was the Hoffburg Palace, which is a huge old palace that is incredibly beautiful and still open for all kinds of tours inside.
the St. Michael Basilica, one of the oldest churches in Vienna
the Hoffburg Palace
Haydn's house!
On Thursday I had another German test, so hopefully it went well. I feel like I'm starting to be able to recognize more phrases when I'm out, but I am by no means able to rely on my German to get around! Then on Friday (yesterday), my German teacher gave us a sheet of paper with directions in German to different places in the city and we had to find her at the last spot. We ended up finding her at the Naturhistorisches Museum, which is the Museum of Natural History in Vienna. The museum is in the museum district right next to an enormous sculpture of Mother Theresa, so my teacher picked a beautiful spot for us to find. Then it turns out that my teacher (Frau Sommersberger)'s husband is a retired worker from the museum, so we got to go on a private tour with just my class and Herr Sommersberger. The museum was so incredibly neat. Mom and Dad, I think we should go back there when you come to visit! Since our tour guide was my teacher's husband, we got to go up on the roof of the museum to an INCREDIBLE view of the Museum District, the foot of the Alps, and the entire city of Vienna. It was absolutely beautiful. Then after the museum, our whole class went to a Kaffeehaus and ordered a drink and a pastry in German (paid for by my program of course!) :) The waiters were instructed not to speak English to us, and our waiter said I had very good German! I ordered the most delicious Hies Shokolade (hot chocolate) and a Schockotort (a type of Austrian chocolate cake). Austrian coffee houses are so much fun because as long as you order one thing they don't care how long you sit in there, so my class and teacher just sat in the Kaffeehaus for a while and relaxed.
Museum of Natural History with Mother Theresa statue in the background
view of the Rathaus and the city from the roof of the museum
After the Kaffeehaus, Katie and I went to the Naschmarkt, which is Vienna's most famous outdoor market. It was one of the most amazing markets I have ever seen! There were some of the strangest fruits and meats there, but it was really neat to see. Mom, Dad, Leah, and Sarah would have gone crazy with all the food!! After the Naschmarkt, the entire city of Vienna celebrated the U-Bahn being open for 24 hours. Since it was the first night that public transportation was always available, the whole city stayed out all night going from club to club and bar to bar. I went home around 3 a.m. and the streets were still filled with people.
fruit at the Naschmarkt
HOOVES!!!! ewww
I know that was a really detailed description of everything, but I have had a really busy couple of days! I will write again soon and I miss you all lots and lots! Salud!
from Vienna with love!! :)
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