Week 2 and Prag

As I’m sitting in my Viennese bedroom, it comes to my attention how extremely far behind I am. Time really flies! It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve posted and I’ve only got another week before I fly home so…I had better get to typing!

July 5^th through July 8^th

The week is normal so far. The students have adjusted to being in Europe but have not quite adjusted to having no air conditioning. On Monday, it’s great to hear what they did over the weekend. Many of them are adventurers. I hear stories of trips to Bratislava, Bruno, Dublin, and so many more. Some of the students even did some sightseeing in Vienna on their own. I love hearing things like that. It makes me happy! The class schedule goes as last week and the culture class goes to the following:

The Imperial Crypt: This is where the Hapsburg family is buried. The family is quite large as are the coffins. The last member of the family buried there is Zita. She died in 1989. It’s kind of surreal to know that the ruling family you’ve been learning so much about is in coffins right in front of you...kind of strange but exciting at the same time.

Schloß Schönbrunn: Now imagine having a summer and a winter home in the same city. This is something no one ever thinks about. I often think of lake cabins or condos on the beach as something similar but NNNNOOOOO…this ruling family had massive residencies for both the winter and summer seasons. This gorgeously yellow palace is their summer residence. We took the morning to take a tour of approximately 42 rooms as well as to see the magnificent gardens surrounding the palace. In the afternoon, we met our culture professor in the winter residence gardens for a picnic and a class discussion.

http://www.schoenbrunn.at/

(Sorry I don't have a picture to post. I find myself forgetting my camera which is bad. I have discovered it's because I've been to several of these places before...still no excuse. Sorry!)

State Hall and National Library: As one of the students put it so eloquently, “This is where Belle fell in love with the Beast.” Once you set foot inside the State Hall, you can believe it. It’s absolutely breathtaking. The Hapsburgs were known for many things and one of them was education. They had an extensive library and it is still one of the largest today. We even got an exclusive tour into the heart of the library. Not only did we see what the common folk see, but we also got to see the inner workings of the stacks. It was kind of cool to feel special =)

Austrian Folk Museum: This particular museum is quite interesting. It shows us how the people of Austria lived long before our time. There were items such as furniture, tools, kitchen utensils, etc. On a scale of 1 to 10, it ranked low on the students list of favorites up until this point. Either way, it’s always cool to see what people did before electricity, cars, and other modern conveniences.

July 9^th through 11^th

Friday morning is an early one. It’s off to Prag and our train leaves fairly early. The students are not excited about being up so early but I know they’ll survive. Prag is a wonderfully old city. Not much of it was destroyed during WWII so many of the bridges and buildings are in their original state. I saw the city last year and was looking forward to seeing it again. The history is interesting, the food is delicious, and the shopping is worth its while. Once we got off the train, we headed for our hostel to unload our stuff. There we met our tour guide, Lucia. She guided us through Prag last year and we loved her so much that we requested her services again. It was great to see her!

She took us on a walking tour of the city, both the old and the new. As she went along, she gave us tons of historical information. Much of it I can’t remember but I did my best to retain what I could.

Most of the students did really well. I mean, it was 100 degrees out and the tour lasted 3 hours. The really sweet thing was that Lucia made us a reservation at a restaurant after our tour. It was great!! We were all ready for a cold drink and some food. After dinner, it was free time for the students until 9 am the following day. My colleague, the camera crew, and a couple of students went for ice cream before heading back to the hostel. Oh yeah…I should have mentioned the camera crew. There were 4 people from media and marketing at the university who met us in Prag to video us for the next week. They are doing a video for our study abroad program…Time to start showering and putting on makeup =)

Saturday morning came earlier than I wanted it to but I was up, ready, and had breakfast before 9. Most of the students were ready and on time. There were only 2 that chose to disregard our requests to be respectful and on time. We had to go upstairs and get them downstairs while the group waited on us. Once they made it down, it was off to the castle. We had a tour of the castle, the basilica, and one more round through the gardens before breaking for lunch. It took about 3 hours which was all we could expect of our students. We all broke for lunch. Most of the students wanted a Mexican restaurant which is strange in the Czech Republic but oh well. My colleague and I chose to do some shopping first. We had carried a sandwich for the tour so we didn’t need lunch right away. I got a good bit of Christmas shopping done at the market and even bought myself some clothes at one of my favorite stores. We then were ready for some ice cream so it was back to our favorite place. Two scoops of yumminess and then it was time for dinner. Lucia had recommended this restaurant with really good prices and excellent food so we decided to try it out. She has good taste because it was great! I was stuffed. By the time we finished eating, walked around a little, and then got back to the hostel; it was time for the soccer game between Germany and Uruguay. This game was to determine 3^rd place so I changed into my German soccer jersey, ordered a cold drink, and watched the game with my colleague and a bunch of Swedes. Lucky for us, Germany won!!

Sunday morning was another early one. We were to meet in the lobby before 9 am with our luggage and prepared for a tour of the Jewish Quarters. Most of the students were ready and had their stuff locked in the luggage room. I had to go upstairs to nicely persuade our 2 rebels to come downstairs. I was NOT happy. Once the 2 slow folks made it downstairs, it was off for our tour. I always find this to be extremely interesting. The Jewish people are always thought to be mistreated by Hitler and his people. While this statement is true, it is also true that it had occurred long before he came along. I always find this to be a cruel reminder about how little respect groups of people have for one another. It was a long hot tour but I was proud of 99% of the students. They followed along, kept up, and at least pretended to pay attention. Once the tour was over, they were free until time to meet at the hostel to head for the train station. My colleague, a couple of students, and myself chose to have lunch together. After a nice salad and some potatoes, we decided to hit the market for any last minute gifts. While walking around the market, we all made a group decision to have just one more trip for ice cream before we left. It was a great decision!!! You can’t go wrong with ice cream. In fact, every time I have a scoop or two, I think about my friend Kelly who can put away ice cream without a thought. Can’t wait to get back for a blizzard but have to admit that I am loving the gelato!!

We got back to the hostel to find all the students there and ready to go. When we got to the station, we still had some time to kill before our train left so we let them roam free just a little longer. They spent their time in Burger King =( We then found that our train would be delayed…now that’s no fun when you’ve got ornery students on your hands. Many of them were mad because we would be on a train during the World Cup Finale which to be honest didn’t matter since Germany lost to Spain. Either way, they made it back for the last few minutes of the Spain versus Netherlands game…sadly though, Spain won =P Before making it back though, I have to report on our train ride. It was MISERABLE!! The air was broken and this train had no windows to open. It was almost unbearable. Several students found comfort in a car farther up but had to be back to our car around 9 because the train would split. A good number of the students opted to tough it out and stay in what they later deemed, “Dante’s Train”. I would have to agree with them. It was definitely NOT a comfortable ride but we all made it safely back to Vienna which is what truly counts!

When I got back to my place, the first thing I did was take a cold shower. It was the best thing since sliced bread…until I started sweating again =( Oh well…time for some sleep. I have a long week ahead of me…

Bonjour Paris

July 1^st through July 4^th

You know, Paris was one of the many cities I had never really thought about going. I have always wanted to see Rome, Sydney, Stockholm, St. Petersburg, and other great cities but Paris was never really at the top of my list. For some reason, I made the decision to plan a weekend trip to Paris. My rationale was a little crazy, “I’m 30…I need to do something fun for myself.” Not really the greatest reason in the world but a reason all the same. Once I booked the trip, my excitement grew. Little by little, I began thinking about all the fun stuff there is to see in Paris. I made myself a list: Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysee, Versailles, and the list goes on. I was excited about the trip but not excited about having to speak French…mainly because I can’t. One of my friends and colleagues, agreed to go with me. She studied French for quite some time so she was definitely a good companion. Not only for the language, but also because she’s a fun person to be around.

We left Vienna headed on a plane bound for Paris. The flight was no fun. It was delayed a little and then we had to hurry for our transfer in Frankfurt. Luckily, the flight there was also delayed so we had nothing to worry about. We had reserved a shuttle from the airport since our arrival was pretty late. The driver was extremely nice and helpful. He had a van waiting for us and he had a couple other people to pick up as well. Before we knew it, we were a van full of people rolling through Paris at night. It was absolutely beautiful! The sights were amazing to see but the driving was an experience in and of itself. There appear to be no rules what so ever. And the pedestrians are the craziest. They simply walk out in the middle of the road with no attention to the cars coming at them at 60 miles an hour. Now, I enjoyed seeing the sights but I was more than ready to be dropped off at my hotel. I was on the fast track to becoming motion sick…and for those of you who understand…it’s not a fun track to be on. Fortunately, we arrived at our hotel and check in. It was a quaint little hotel not far from the Republique. We were anxious to get to our rooms and get some sleep…little did we know this was going to be a task. We walked into an extremely small room with a temperature of at least 100 degrees if not more. Once the windows were open, it dropped to a cool 95. The heat was something that could be dealt with but once we laid down on the bed, we found another problem. The bed was as comfortable at a hard wood floor. Either way, we knew we had a lot to accomplish so we needed some sleep. I put my earphones in and did my best to sleep.

The alarm was set for an early 6:45 am. Amazingly, the room was actually a bearable temperature since we were able to leave our windows completely open. There was only a wall in front of us so there was no chance of anyone seeing us nor getting into the room. The first thing on our list was breakfast with a cup of coffee. We found a cute little café on our way to the subway. I had a true French baguette in France. It was delish but the coffee was lacking. Once the caffeine began to take effect, we made our way to the underground. It’s a strange feeling…not knowing what type of ticket we needed for our day. We took the time to play around with the automat before deciding to talk with information. Of course, “talk” is relative. As we walked up, I was hoping one of 2 things would happen: 1. my colleague would remember her French or 2. the person at the counter could speak English…fortunately, both happened. She was able to remember enough to ask for help in French. Then he spoke enough English to point us in the right direction...Versailles. We headed in what we thought was the right direction. It’s extremely unfair to compare the French train system to that of Germany and Austria but I have to do it. We were standing on the platform for 30 minutes and missed 2 trains. Now it seems like something stupid to do but the problem was simply that the signs were extremely unclear. One time the sign said platform 1 so we went to platform 1 only to miss the train on platform 2. This happened once more before we simply decided to get on the next train no matter where it was headed. Luckily, it was headed in the right direction. We made it to Versailles and began our tour. I cannot begin to describe how beautifully extravagant this palace is. Learning about the “Sun King” in class was nothing compared to seeing this work of art in person. I can now fully understand why the country of France went bankrupt. There was gold, velvet, and crystal everywhere.

We took a self guided audio tour through the palace and were not alone. There were wall to wall tourists. After 3 hours in the walls of the former residence of the king, we decided to head out for some fresh air and something to eat. On our way back to the train, we found a crepe place so why not. Baguette for breakfast and crepe for lunch…it’s French right!? Of course, we also took the time to do some shopping before heading to our next destination…Arc de Triomphe. Before getting on the train, we decided to buy a sandwich for a picnic on the Seine. We took a hot train back to town and wound up at the Arc. As we came up the stairs, there was a thunderstorm brewing. The wind was blowing and the clouds were extremely dark overhead. As soon as it began to rain, we headed for cover. We were fortunate to end up in the coverings of a movie theater. Considering this a sign, we decided to take a break from sightseeing and watch a film until the storm blew over. It worked out perfectly. After the movie, the rain and wind had let up and it had cooled down so we were able to stroll down the Champs Elysee. Before we knew it, we were almost to the Eiffel Tower. At that point, we decided to power through and walk to the tower instead of hopping on the subway. One of the streets we chose was the “Rodeo Drive” of Paris. We passed Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada, etc. Unfortunately, the stores were all closed so I had to wait to do my souvenir shopping =) We made it to the Tower but decided not to go up just yet. The crowd was OUTRAGEOUS. We opted to have our picnic by the river and head back to the hotel to plan the next day’s events. On our walk back, we discovered a forgotten fact about Paris; the death of Princess Diana. We happened to cross the street upon seeing a flame much like that of the Statue of Liberty so we wanted to take a closer look. Once standing in front of the flame, there was a photograph of Diana with flowers all around. That’s when we remembered. People had come to leave letters and write on the wall which was over the tunnel in which the accident occurred. That was an unplanned something special. I can remember watching the events on tv and here I was standing over where it happened. It’s a strange feeling which cannot be described with words. We took a few minutes to read the various inscriptions before making our way to the subway. At that point, we had calculated being out of our hotel 14 hours. It was bedtime!

Saturday morning was a tough one. I was so extremely tired and couldn’t tell you why. I actually slept the night before. Either way, I was REALLY slow getting moving but felt a little better after a cappuccino =) I was then headed to the Louvre.

My colleague had been before so she wanted to see another art museum but we had agreed to meet at Notre Dame at 1pm. It could not have been a more perfect day to see the Louvre. It rained most of the morning so there was no need to be out and about. I made my way to the ticket counter and was extremely impressed with myself. I actually asked for my ticket in French! Now, the guy behind the counter laughed but at least I tried. I made it through security, got my audio guide, and headed straight for….yep, you guessed it…the Mona Lisa. I figured I should see her first and then enjoy the rest of my time looking at the other works. It was a sight to see but she was not my favorite piece. She was also not as crowded as I had expected. I was expecting people to be wall to wall to see her but that was not the case. I must also take some time to make another France/Germany/Austria comparison…security. Before entering the museum, I had to have my purse x-rayed but when they say NO flash…they DON’T really mean it in France. People were using flash left and right. Try that in Germany or Austria. It takes all of 2 seconds for someone to walk over and say, “No Flash please.” There were security guards walking through the rooms but I never saw one of them use the famous German/Austrian phrase. Interesting…Anywho, after checking out Mona Lisa, I decided to browse some of the other famous artists such as Spitzweg, Friedrich, David, etc. I am always overwhelmed when I stand in front of the actual work of art which I had only seen in a textbook before…yeah, I’m a dork but it’s an amazing feeling. After several hours of looking at art, I was pooped. I got on the subway headed for Notre Dame. Upon arrival, I found my colleague standing in front of the massive cathedral. The line was wrapped around the block so I took a couple of pictures from outside before heading to the Latin Quarter. This particular area is well known for its wide variety of shops and restaurants for inexpensive prices. We had some lunch, did some shopping, and decided to try the Tower once more. Unfortunately, we would have been waiting in line over 2 hours to get tickets so we made a wonderfully executive decision…go back to the room to watch the Germany/Argentina game. I watched the game while my colleague slept. It was a relaxing afternoon. When she awoke, we decided to get out of the room again. There was another game on but we opted for some movement. We walked the streets near our hotel and agreed upon yet another crepe. The guys at this particular imbiss were nice so we decided to have a seat, eat our crepes, and watch the soccer match with them. They were pulling for Spain, who won, and we had a wonderful time watching them interact with one another. Of course, then it was off to bed. We had an early day ahead of us.

Since our first 2 attempts of climbing the Tower weren’t successful, we decided to get there first thing Sunday morning. Our flight wasn’t until later so we had some time to get ready, packed, and over there. Well, there were 3 extremely long lines and one fairly short one. The short one involved taking the stairs. Since we had rested the day before, we decided why not? I’ve got to do this before I leave or I’ll regret it. The line moved quickly and before I knew it I was climbing the stairs inside the Eiffel Tower. It was amazing. It looks as though you would never make it but it’s surprisingly easy to manage. The view was breathtaking! You could see all of Paris from up there. Josh, you would never make it. You can see underneath your feet and once you get up there, it’s apparent that you’re several stories above Paris. I thought of you as I climbed what came to be 40 some odd stories. Of course, sadly it was off to pick up our bags and head for the airport. Before leaving though, we headed to the Latin Quarter for one last crepe. I opted for chocolate and coconut while my colleague chose chocolate, banana, and whipped cream. It was a nice end to the Paris getaway.

As I waited at the airport for our flight time, I made some mental notes of what I would like to see the next time I come as well as what I would like to do again. I made my notes with several family and friends in mind. I can’t wait to come back! Now that I understand the transportation system and can use a few French phrases, I’m ready for a second trip...I would even stay in the same hotel again! After the first night, the bed grows on you! Au revoir Paris!

Welcome to Vienna!!

Saturday, June 26^th

Welcome to Vienna!! This morning I head to my “home” for 5 weeks. It has been an eventful and fun past couple of weeks but I’m ready to unpack for awhile. I am extremely excited because I am staying at the same place I stayed last year. “E” is a wonderfully sweet good-hearted woman. We got along great last year and I don’t foresee any problems this summer. I have made plans to be at her place around 12:30. I say good-bye to Andrea before getting on the train but I’ll see her again at the end of July. I arrived “home” on time. I heard the vacuum cleaner through the door so I left my suitcase in the hallway and decided to walk across the street for some groceries. When I got back, “E” had already put them in my room. It’s a shame she didn’t unpack for me. Either way, we sat together at the kitchen table and caught up a little. She has a date as well as preparing for her birthday party on Monday. I offer to help her do some last minute shopping before she gets ready for her dinner. It’s great to arrive to a place I am familiar with. There was less stress and I was completely relaxed. My room and the apartment are as I had remembered it from last year. She left for her date and finished unpacking. Of course, I begin thinking about the students. Several of them arrived yesterday and made it safely to their families. Most of them will be arriving any minute now. “B”, one of our contacts at the institute, is picking the students up at airport. I begin worrying about delays, if all made it on time, etc. I do my best to keep myself busy so I don’t think about it. Before I know it, it’s 11 and I’m pooped. It’s off to bed.

Sunday, June 27^th

This afternoon is our orientation session which will be the moment of truth. Did everyone make it to Vienna? I allow myself to sleep late which was the best thing ever! I didn’t even set an alarm. After I showered and got myself ready, I fixed myself a sandwich for lunch. Before I knew it, it was time to head into the city. I decided to go a little early just to take my time and walk around the city. I’m really glad I did because several of the students were wandering around in search of the institute. The funniest part was that they were within a block but had been walking around in circles. In their defense…the building is covered with scaffolding.

I was impressed!!! All 21 students made it and on time!!! It was really great to see them all and I was really looking forward to not only getting to know them but also watch them experience Austria. After 2 hours of orientation stuff, it was off to dinner. Since we were a group of 22, I had reserved a table for us. It turned out great! We went right in, ordered, and enjoyed a nice meal together. It was fun helping them translate the menu…well, often just describe what exactly the food item was. That’s really hard to do sometimes. Many of the students took the time to get to know one another and talk about getting together for some weekend plans. Many have family in Europe so they have already made plans. Several have never been to Europe so there is LOTS they want to see. They’re even talking about going to Rome. Even if they stay in Vienna for their free weekends, I am positive they will have an amazing time! Side note…Germany beat England 4-0! After dinner, several of the students headed out the Donau Insel. It was closing night for the huge music festival they have there every year so there were some experiences to be had. Other students decided to just walk around to get acquainted with the city a little. I opted to go home since tomorrow was our first day of class and I wanted to be rested. I was looking forward to the coming weeks. There is a great mix of students; not only male to female, but also by ages, experiences, and language. When you have a nice mix of students, it makes the study abroad experience even more fun. The group seems to blend pretty well so far. They are helping one another as well as getting to know one another in the process. This is going to be a wonderful group…I just feel it!

Monday, June 28^th

Alright, today is our first day of classes. I am going to try not to include every detail from this point on. It will get boring for you and extremely repetitive for me so I’m going to do my best to only include the more interesting/important stuff.

My daily routine is as follows:

(Prep time/coffee time at Institute around 10)

Teach German language course from 12:30-2:30. Attend culture course from 3:00-5:00.

Now this schedule doesn’t sound so bad but it is difficult. It always takes me a day or so to get motivated and into “teaching mode”. Of course, I teach but there is this realization that you’re not teaching at the University but in Vienna. It takes some adjusting for me as well as the students.

Today I decided to go easy on them. We reviewed a little vocabulary and worked on some concepts from the past semester. I also gave them some time to talk about how things were going so far. I am already extremely impressed with how much they’ve done and how much they’ve made an effort to speak German. A couple of students are upset because people speak to them in English even when they speak to them in German. Many of them are speaking German with their host families and have already made dinner plans with their families. Not everyone has the best start. A couple of the students are a little sick (home and tired from travel) while others are not quite sure what they’ve gotten themselves into. The reactions to the first few days are all different. We have fortunately had wonderful weather! So far, the days haven’t been extremely hot…that will come…and the nights have been cool.

When I got home, it was time to party! Today is "E"s birthday and she was having some friends over so I joined in on the fun. It was really great to get to know the friends of someone I consider a friend. It's also loads of fun to observe people. What's a struggle is testing my language skills with strangers. They were all great and did a wonderful job of using High German when possible. It was difficult to understand those in the dialect but they were all great sports about it. It was a great evening. We spent most of the night sitting on her balcony enjoying the food and each other's company. At about midnight, I had to call it. I still wanted to make some preparations for class before getting some sleep.

Tuesday, June 29^th through Thursday, June 30^th

These past few days have been unusual…mainly because it’s hard to get adjusted to being on a schedule again. The students are doing great! They have been working through sickness, their new surroundings, and the language differences quite well. I’ve been more motivated and am doing my best to educate them to the best of my ability =) The language class is hard because 2 hours is a long time to stay motivated. The good thing is they are a great class. I always give them a chance during the first week to ask any questions they have that I can help with as well as give them a few minutes to talk about plans they are wanting to make for dinner, concert, etc. Of course, we also do some German grammar and dialogues along the way. They are really experiencing quite a few new things. The food is different, they are sleeping in different beds, they don’t have their cars, they take the subway, and there is no air conditioner. Each one has a different experience which is amazing to hear. Several of them get lost but then find their way. It’s also really cool (and makes me proud) when they accomplish things on their own for the first time. I’m sure it’s the kind of thing a mother feels when she has done her best to teach her child how to speak and the word finally comes out. Now I know these aren’t my children but I often feel that proud of them!

Some of the sights we saw this week were:

St. Stephan’s Cathedral: It is an amazing work of art. The most wonderful part was having a guided tour by one of the most enthusiastic, intelligent women I know, Dr. O. She gave us more than just historical info; she pointed out some of the artistic points of the cathedral. www.stephansdom.at

Imperial Treasury: Now you can only imagine what is stored from this powerful country after so many years in power. There are crowns, jewels, robes, etc. One of the most beautiful pieces is the baby crib of Napoleon’s son. Now I know he wasn’t a very nice person but it’s strange to see a piece of the family’s furniture standing in front of you. http://www.khm.at/en/treasury/

ATIB:

Now this was one of my favorite things to do last year and it was even better this year. ATIB is a Turkish organization that helps with intercultural activities, integration, and understanding. There is a huge Turkish and Muslim population in Vienna so this organization is in a great place. We met with the prayer leader and one of the female students. We were given a tour of the prayer room and given some information about the Muslim faith. Now I remember learning about different religions as a child in Sunday School but to be in a prayer room with these individuals brings it all to life. As an American, I feel they are completely misunderstood. Of course, with good reason considering some of the things which have been done to Americans but these individuals were open to questions about their faith. I learned quite a bit and the students were in awe of everything. The prayer leader even read from the Koran in Arabic for us. What was interesting this year was having a woman in the room with us. Last year it was 2 men but to see her in contrast to the man was a visual understanding of their principles. We were shown how they pray, what they wear, what the organization does, and were given so much information. I think it was one of the highlights of the summer. There is often not enough cultural understanding between individuals. It’s not just Americans, but everyone. Whether it be religion, politics, or sexual preference, there is often an immediate judgment of the other simply because it’s different from our own beliefs. If we were all given the opportunity to learn about differences instead of fight, I think a lot could be accomplished for the better. Coming from a small town, raised in a Methodist family was a wonderful upbringing that I wouldn’t change for the world but…after coming into contact and becoming friends with individuals of other cultures, religions, political views, and sexual preferences has made me appreciate the world I live in even more. I was raised in only a VERY small portion of this huge world. There is so much to learn and see that it can’t be done in a lifetime.

Alright, I’ll get off my soapbox now but let me tell you…if you have a chance to interact and learn from someone totally different than you, DO IT!!! It’s the best feeling in the world!

Now it’s off to PARIS!!! Yes, you read that correctly. Traci and I are headed to Paris, France for the 4^th of July weekend. The students have already made a variety of plans and I am confident they will all have a safe, exciting weekend. I am REALLY looking forward to as well as nervous about Paris. I speak no French. You’ll have to stay tuned for the details from the French get-a-way….

And another week begins!!

Monday, June 21^st

Before I begin with today’s events, I would like to wish a very Happy Birthday to Kelley Mann, my cousin and friend. Hope it was a great one Kell!!

Ok…so now down to business. The morning started off pretty early. Andrea and I were in Regensburg and had decided the night before what we wanted to do the next day. The first thing on our list was surprisingly enough, not breakfast. We decided to see the Cathedral first. It was exquisite! I have been in and out of several churches and cathedrals in Europe. Every time I go, I am still in awe of the masterpiece. What’s mind blowing is the massive structure with beautifully colored windows and carefully crafted carvings that was built hundreds of years ago. Many of these structures have survived wars, plagues, financial crisis, etc. but still stands as a refuge for all who enter. This particular cathedral is one that was unharmed by WWII. There are no words for the feeling one has when entering. Of course, the second thing on our list was to have some breakfast. Maria, from previous entries, recommended a café just across from the cathedral. We had looked over the menu last night only to find it would suit us just fine. I had scrambled eggs with ham, a baguette, and a café latte. As usual, it was delish! We then headed for the 3^rd thing on our list; shopping. I had seen a couple of shops that could be promising for my future nephew. I don’t want to give everything away but I will say it was a successful souvenir trip for Davis. I CAN’T wait to give him his gifts. While he’ll only be a few weeks old, it will still be a joy. Some of them are educational, some are souvenirs, and some I just thought were cute. For the rest of my family though, don’t worry, I’m shopping for ya’ll too. After spending most of the day walking around the city, seeing more of the sites, and doing way to much shopping, we loaded the car for our next destination; Bergen. Regensburg is an amazing city and I could’ve stayed all week but there other lists that needed to be crossed out!

Now our final destination was not Bergen but Chiemsee. Bergen happened to be where we found a place to stay for an extremely reasonable rate WITH breakfast. We stayed at the Hotel Mariandl. It’s a house run by a lovely Bavarian couple. The town is quite small but has character and is nestled beautifully in the mountains. It would be a perfect place for a relaxing, not so touristy vacation. We arrived with plenty of daylight. It rained off and on during the drive down. Upon arrival, we were given our key and shown to our room. Of course, the first question we asked…”Could you recommend a place to eat?” The wife of the house recommended the Italian and the Bavarian restaurant. We opted for the Bavarian. EXCELLENT CHOICE!! I ordered a schnitzel with a pretzel crust and fries. To wash it down, I ordered a Radler (beer with a lemon soda). Andrea chose the Knödel (dumpling) in a mushroom cream sauce. Now Josh, you will be disappointed in me so you may want to skip ahead a little. Apfelküchle was on the menu but I didn’t have the room for dessert. I had the desire though. Sorry Josh! After a filling meal, we went for a walk around town before calling it a night. To give you an idea about how big the town was the walk took us about 15 minutes to walk to the city limit.

Tuesday, June 22^nd

We got up early and headed down to breakfast at 8 am. There was coffee and bread which made me happy. The lady of the house made sure we had what we needed and chatted with us for a few minutes. Once we were caffeinated, we headed for the Chiemsee about 15 minutes away. The Chiemsee is a lovely lake in southern Germany. The lake possesses 2 islands, Herrenchiemsee (Herr = man) and Frauenchiemsee (Frau = woman).

On the Frauenchiemsee is a nunnery. On the Herrenchiemsee is one of the 3 castles built by Ludwig II. He was the king of Bavaria at one time. To me, he is the Michael Jackson of the time. He was quite extravagant and was entitled the “Fairy Tale King”. He wanted a childhood that he never had. Much of this can be seen not only in castles, but also his designs for developments. As for his castles, I have been in Neuschwanstein (what the Magic Kingdom castle is based off) and I have seen but not toured Linderhof. Since Andrea is a wonderfully accommodating friend, she agreed to go with and drive me around southern German to Vienna. One of my desired stops was this castle. We caught the first ferry to the island and went immediately for our tour. This particular castle was based on Paris’ Versailles. It’s situated wonderfully on the island with a view I could only dream of waking up to every morning. The inside is ornately decorated with gold, marble, candles, chandeliers, mirrors, and so much more. Picture in your head the most ornately decorated room you can think of…have it? Not even close. I am speechless as to how to describe the décor. While I know it’s touristy, I am really glad to have seen it and can’t wait to see Linderhof. Now after our tour and walk around the grounds, I’ll give you one guess what was on our minds….If you guessed food, you’re right. We stopped for lunch at a nicely located Biergarten on the island. I had lintel soup and Andrea had white sausages with bread. Now we were ready for the next island.

The Fraueninsel is not near as big as the Herren. The ferry took us to the island where we had several hours to explore. To walk around the entire island took about an hour. We were able to see the church and walk around the nunnery just a little. The people were friendly and the weather was nice. We came to the conclusion that we had earned a treat. We situated ourselves on one of the patios of a restaurant to have a piece of cake and a cup of coffee. It was a relaxing journey; one that I would love to take again with family ;) We leisurely enjoyed our dessert before catching the last ferry off the island. Once back in Bergen, we decided to play a little mini gold.

It was set up a little differently than what I’m used to but the concept was still the same. It was tons of fun but let’s just say I wasn’t in it to win =) Andrea slaughtered me. I took it like a pro though. After 18 holes of “golf”, it was time to eat. We both agreed on pizza so we tried out the Italian restaurant in town. This time though, we decided to save enough for a cold pizza lunch on Wednesday…always thinking about future meals. It was a great decision. The pizza was good and I had a scoop of ice cream for dessert. Nice end to a relaxing day!

Wednesday, June 23^rd

This morning was not an extremely early one. We slept about a ½ hour longer than usual and had our breakfast at 9. We then loaded the car and headed off to Linz, Austria which was the European City of Culture for 2009. Now I don’t really know why, but I’ve always wanted to see Linz and Graz. Since Andrea was driving to Vienna, Linz was an on the way stop we could make so once again, she humored me with an overnight. We arrived at our hotel around 1 pm. Before heading out into the city, we had our cold pizza lunch…yummy! The reception had a city map so we picked one up to look it over. We walked around the city and visited quite a few churches and cathedrals. We found a rooftop café to have a cup of coffee while overlooking the city. While enjoying our coffee, we discussed the plans for the evening. Germany was playing Ghana at 8:30 and must when to continue in the World Cup. Since this was important, we decided to pick up some bread, meat, and cheese for a cold dinner in the room. It was a quiet evening watching Germany beat Ghana. It was a stressful game and it didn’t look like Germany was going to get a goal. Andrea decided to take a bathroom break which did the trick. She was in the bathroom when I yelled, “Tor!” (Goal). That was all they needed to pull out the win. Germany plays against England Sunday night and Ghana plays against the USA on Saturday. Since we had internet access, I decided to call mom and Nae to check in. Mom reported the cats well but that my washer had bit the dust. Luckily, I have such a mom to take care of things like that. She made sure everything was replaced so I would be able to wash clothes when I returned. I just love her! Nae had had an eventful day. She had a doctor’s appointment which proved all’s well. She then had a visit from my aunt, cousin, and her two boys. From what I understand, there was a lot going on. It was good to see her on the webcam. I even got to see Davis move a little. Sometimes technology gets on my nerves but I am extremely glad to have it this summer =)

Now you may be wondering what else I have to tell you about Linz. Well, nothing really. It was a nice city and I’m glad I can check it off my list but it was not so impressive that I feel the need to go back. It’s the type of city I would enjoy living or studying in. It’s beautiful and large enough to have something to do but not so large that it’s overwhelming. As a tourist, I didn’t feel it had enough to do and see. I’m glad we made a brief stop though and would recommend if you’re in the area to stop by for a brief walk around.

Thursday, June 24^th

This morning we slept in a little longer. I got up at 8 to get a shower and pack. We didn’t have to check out until 12 so we decided to head into the city for breakfast and then pack the car. On our way to breakfast, I stopped to purchase a cell phone. I had seen it yesterday for 29 Euros. It was 1/3 the price of everything else I had seen so I slept on it before deciding to purchase. I then felt like I was in contact with the world. We then stopped by a café to get a roll and a latte for breakfast. We ate in a lovely little park. As we made our way back to the hotel, Andrea convinced me to stop by a shoe store. I finally gave in to the peer pressure ;) I found a pair of sandals for 8 Euro. I was glad she twisted my arm =) Back in the room, we fixed ourselves a sandwich with our leftover meat and cheese for lunch. We then packed the car for the last leg of our trip.

From Linz, we were headed for Leobersdorf. It’s a small town just outside of Vienna. Andrea has a friend, Wolfgang, who had offered to let us stay with him for a couple of nights. We were extremely grateful! Andrea is a wonderful driver! She chose a good piece of the trip along the Danube before hitting the interstate. We drove through several lovely towns. Along the way, we chose to stop in Melk for a picnic by the river. Melk is a small town with an amazingly beautiful Byzantine monastery situated at the top of the hill. (I’ll have to post a picture later cause Andrea has it.) We found a place to park and walked toward the river front. It was a nice 10 or 15 minute walk. We found a bench to enjoy our sandwiches and some chips. The weather was perfect; sunny with a breeze. I just love breezes when the sun is shining. Once we had finished eating, we walked back into town for a short walk through the streets. It was then time to load the car for the last little bit of our journey.

We left Melk, hit the interstate, and arrived in Leobersdorf before Wolgang got off work. We drove by his apartment to make sure we knew where to go. Then we went to the train station to investigate tickets to Vienna. After that, we drove into the city center to find, what else, a café for a cup of coffee. The market square was quite comfortable. There was a nice open area with places for kids to play and places where water would come up out of the ground much like a sprinkler. This was surrounded by shops, cafes, and the town hall. It was nice to watch the children play while drinking a latte. Wolfgang met us there after he got off work. We followed him to his apartment and he took us on a tour. Of course, it was time to eat again. He recommended we walk to a local Heurigen for dinner. Vienna is famous for lots of things; one of them being their Heurigens. A Heurigen is a family owned restaurant which serves food and wine during certain times during the year. Sounds like a normal family owned restaurant. Well, there’s a little difference. The wine served is from their vineyard from the previous year. It’s nice to share the fruits of your labor with others. This particular one was great. The food and wine was great, the service was friendly, and the company was enjoyable.

Friday, June 25^th

Today was a day in Vienna. Wolfgang had to work and Andrea and I had some things to take care of in the city. We took the train into the city and headed straight to the institute. The students wouldn’t be arriving until Saturday but I wanted to stop by to say hello. Markus was there to greet us warmly. I made sure there was nothing they needed from me. After chatting briefly and checking email, we headed to the Austrian Red Cross. Andrea works for the German Red Cross in the blood donor lab. She met a technician, Andrea, from the Austrian branch last year and made contact with her since we were coming to Vienna. Andrea was excited to have us stop by for a hello and a tour of the lab. Now, everyone who knows me knows I don’t do well around needles and blood…I normally pass out. Not knowing what to expect, I was extremely nervous but agreed to go. The lab was actually really cool to see but really confusing. There were machines everywhere doing all sorts of things with viles of blood. I sort of listened while watching the machines but the vocabulary wasn’t in my dictionary. I waited until we left to ask my Andrea a couple of questions. While I didn’t understand it all, it was neat. It reminded me that I’m due to donate again. It’s on my list of things to do when I get back in August.

We left the Red Cross for the city center. I had made plans to meet Traci for lunch and had we had a couple of hours to kill. We leisurely walked around the center. Andrea has planned a trip to Japan in September so we stopped by a bookstore for a “learn Japanese” book. I got a text from Traci saying she would be late so Andrea and I went ahead to the restaurant. We ordered and ate before Traci even got there. It was nice though. We took our time eating and enjoyed the nice weather. When Traci got there, we were ready for a cup of coffee. If you haven’t noticed, coffee and food is an important part of travel =) Traci and I discussed a few “business” things as well as enjoyed a leisurely conversation with Andrea. We cleared up a few topics and then dispersed. Andrea and I headed to one of the parks. She wanted to study her Japanese and I wanted to finish a book I had been reading for what seems like forever. I laid in the grass under the rose bushes while Andrea chose a bench. I read several pages before deciding to take advantage of the free time for a nap. It was great!! Wolfgang called when he got off work and we made plans to meet at 6 at the Stephan’s Cathedral.

We all met around 6. Now I’m sure you think we went to eat but surprisingly, we decided on something else…before eating =) We took a 2 hour walking tour. Vienna has some wonderful walking tours on all sorts of topics. You can take a highlights tour, Vienna in film, food, the Viennese underground, etc. You name it, they probably have it. It was really interesting but after 2 hours of walking, it was time to eat. We went to the Bermuda Triangle for dinner. The triangle is an area packed with restaurants, bars, and clubs. We chose a table outside and enjoyed our meal. I ordered a chicken and cheese baked potato. Wise choice! After dinner, we stopped by one more bar for a drink and just to enjoy the company. You know, it’s surprising. I used to be a night person but not anymore. I’ve never been one to like being out to bars and clubs but I’ve always stayed up late. When I travel, I’m exhausted by 10 or 10:30. It has taken all I had these past couple of days to keep my eyes open while sitting at the table. Man…I definitely can tell I am too old to be staying up late. On the ride home, I slept so hard that when I got back to the apartment, I crawled straight into bed. It was 1 am.

First week...over already????

It’s been a while since I’ve posted but I’ve been on the road and haven’t had internet connection. I have written from Tuesday to Sunday and will catch up as soon as I get to Vienna…enjoy!

Tuesday, June 15^th

My first full day in Herne was quite relaxing. Val and Werner both had to work so I got to spend most of the day just hanging out. I got up early to have breakfast with them before they left and then took some time to watch some tv. It was nice to flip through the channels and what I love the most is catching up on my music videos. Of course, right now, they are mostly songs for the WM (World Cup) but there are still some good ones out there. I also took the time to watch a couple of soccer games and talk with my Lil’ Sis. We talked for over an hour which is easy for us to do =) I knew I would be on the road so I took the opportunity to check in with her. So far so good and there will soon be a nephew in my life. But more on that later…Val called around 4:30 so say she was on her way home. Once they got home we went to Hoheward. It’s a hill, or what Alabamians would call a mountain, that has a beautiful view. It took us about 20 minutes at a nice pace to reach the top. From there, we got a beautiful view of several different cities. It was perfect weather for a climb. The sun was shining and the wind was blowing. It was chilly at the top but perfect for the walk up. At the top we took our time looking around and enjoying the weather. We then headed back down to head into Bochum. In Bochum, we went to the Dreieck (a pedestrian area with tons of bars and restaurants) for some dinner. There is a famous Wursthaus famous for it currywurst but I chose the bratwurst and was not disappointed. They were delicious along with some warm crispy fries. We then came to conclusion that some dessert would be just right so we walked into town for some ice cream and coffee. It was DELICIOUS!! It was so nice to simply “hang out” with friends. We spent some time watching a little more tv before deciding to head to bed. I had a long train ride ahead of me in the morning.

Wednesday, June 16^th

It was an early morning but I knew Val had to get to work and I didn’t want to make her late. She took me to the train station and dropped me off. We said our good-byes but a year will go by so fast and it’ll be time to visit again. She left for work while headed in to get some breakfast from the bakery. Delish! I bought a sandwich and coke for the train ride. I had a good 30 minutes before my train left so I mosied around the train station to kill some time. There was a wonderful fresh market just outside so I looked at all the fresh fruits, veggies, eggs, meat, cheese, and flowers. As I walked through, I wished such a market would appear in Opelika. Man oh man that would be great! Anywho, I went back into the train station so as not to miss my train and noticed I had a 45 minute delay. I know many of you think the Germans are extremely punctual but that is a false stereotype. These delays appear quite often with trains and busses. So I went out into the city for a brief walk. I found the 1€ store and looked through the tourist information. I couldn’t walk anymore, I was so tired, so I decided to head to the platform and just wait. The train arrived on its delayed time, I found my seat, and went to sleep. I woke up about an hour from my destination. I made it safely to Baden-Baden and met Andrea for coffee and cake. Again, it was delish! After coffee, we had a couple of errands to run before getting on the road tomorrow. We stopped by the grocery store to get some picnic food for our trip and then to her god daughter’s for dinner. Anna, the god daughter, turned 11 and Andrea wanted to take her gift. I was fortunate to get to tag along. The family is extremely friendly. Anna, 11, and Felix, 9, were quite entertaining. Their mother, Simone, has been friends with Andrea for years. It was fun to watch the kids play. During our visit, Simone got a phone call. She told the person that Andrea and America was there to visit. From that point on, I was America. In honor of the WM everyone decided they should all be a country. It was fun but it couldn’t last too long. Andrea still had to pack so we headed “home”. I didn’t have to stress too much about packing because I still had the morning while Andrea worked. So it was off to bed for me =)

Thursday, June 17^th

Once again, I had a morning of nothing much. Andrea went to work and I got to have the apartment to myself. I couldn’t believe it. I woke up at 10:30. I had slept 10 full hours and only woke up once when I heard Andrea walk through the living room. It was a great feeling but it was also one of those, “Man, that’s half the day”. Either way, I took time to sit around and watch some more tv. I also packed for our trip to Schwandorf and also had to repack my suitcase for Vienna. As soon as Andrea got home from work, we loaded the car and headed to Karlsruhe. There we met the rest of the group for our trip. There were a total of 10 so Christiane rode with us in Andrea’s Mercedes A class and the others in a VW bus. We had to pick up a couple of people along the way but before long, we were all ready to head to Oberpfalz. The group included Uwe, Ines, Steffi, Achim, Isolde, Fritz, and Maria. Gerhard and Wolfgang met us later at the hotel. Now, you’re probably wondering what this trip was all about. Well, I just kind of happened to be here when they had their “Home Town Tour”. They are all friends from various aspects of life and decided a couple of years ago to plan yearly trips to each others’ hometowns. This year was Maria’s turn. They planned the trip and were gracious to let me tag along. I personally think it’s a great idea to plan such weekends. It’s a great time to get together and share your past with your friends. I personally know a good bit about my hometown but not everything. I’m sure many of you are like me. There are things just around the corner that I’ve never seen but feel the need to see when there are guests that need to be entertained. It took us about 6 hours from Karlsruhe to Schwandorf. Of course, about 45 minutes of that was spent in a traffic jam but we finally made it to our hotel. It was in a beautiful location with a restaurant just across the parking lot. The first leg of the trip ended with a meal together. The VW bus riders were extremely hungry but the A class riders were content. We were prepared with snacks and sandwiches. That didn’t stop us from enjoying yet another meal for the evening because we were unsure of our next one.

Friday, June 18^th

Well, the day began with a lovely breakfast buffet and some nice hot coffee. The weather has been a little chilly so it was nice to have a warm drink. After breakfast we loaded up to attend our first event, a brewery tour. It was quite interesting…especially for me. The tour guide was extremely nice but spoke quite softly. What made it even worse was his use of the Bavarian dialect. I don’t know really how to explain it but in 10 minutes of the tour I understood maybe 10 words. All in all it was a descent tour. We then loaded back up to have some lunch. There was a beer garden waiting for us with white sausages. White sausages are the typical Bavarian breakfast which should be served warm with a wheat beer before 11 am. I personally am not a fan of them so I choose the bratwurst with kraut and apple juice. Maybe it’s my Methodist/Baptist background but beer before noon seems wrong. Either way, we enjoyed yet another meal together and then loaded up for our next stop, the farm. Maria took us to her family’s farm where she grew up. The first and MOST important thing to do was watch the soccer game between Germany (0) and Serbia (1). That was so much fun. It was much like watching a football game on any given Saturday in the fall. We all took our places and no one talked until half time. Even after the game, there was conversation of what was done wrong and what should be done for the next game against Ghana. I just loved it! Before taking a tour of the farm, we were all escorted to a beautiful balcony for some coffee and cake. It was just perfect. The tour of the farm was also extremely interesting. I mean, I had seen cows and been in a pasture with them but this was something different. Maria’s father and brother told us the ins and outs of the dairy farm which has been in the family since the 1500s. Amazing! They were all so wonderful about asking me if I could understand or had any questions. From the farm we headed back into the city for a tour of the underground…literally. We met our tour guide for a tour of the underground system in Schwandorf. There was a connection of cellars that were used for beer brewing and later for storage. During WWII, 4000 people spent 4 weeks in the underground. I cannot imagine. There are no words and there would be no way I could ever know what that must have been like. It was freezing down there. The tour lasted about 2 hours and it was difficult to focus on anything but being cold after about an hour. A nice schnapps helped but not for long. We finally reached the surface, which made me happy, and headed to dinner. Once again, it was time to eat!!

Saturday, June 19^th

After a long day of tours and travels, it was time to start all over again. We started once again with a healthy breakfast and then we were off. Our first stop was Wackersdorf. We had planned a tour but the tour guide wasn’t there and we were a few minutes late so we made other arrangements. We took an hour and a half walk through the forest. Once again, perfect weather. It was a little chilly but the sun was shining so I had no complaints. Then it was off to a nice lunch at the Sternberger See (lake). This was something neat to see. I saw a sign for water skiing. Of course, I’m thinking a lake with boats and skiers. That was not the case. There were skiers but no boats. The skiers held a rope that was attached to a line. It appeared to be much like a ski lift but on water. They had ramps set up for jumps and stunts so it was definitely something different. There is probably something similar in the states but I have never seen anything like that on Lake Martin. Well…we ate lunch and had an appointment to tour Schwandorf so it was back to the city. Our tour guide was great! He was young and mixed history with jokes and folks tales about the city. I was impressed and ready for our next adventure. This was a tour of the church and kindergarten that Maria attended. It was beautiful and it was great to have Maria talk about her memories. Then, you know what comes next…dinner time! There was a small family owned restaurant just across the street where I ordered pork shoulder with a potato dumpling and salad. Again, it was DELISH! While I was stuffed, there was a dessert on the menu that I couldn’t pass up, Apfelküchle. Josh understands why! I managed to order and eat it. I went to bed with a full belly. There was one more day in the weekend so I needed a good night’s sleep.

Sunday, June 20^th

Alright…so here we go again. After another lovely breakfast, we made our way to the city of Nabburg. It’s a beautiful place that is still surrounded by its original fortification wall from the Middle Ages. Our tour guide was friendly and knowledgeable while giving us just enough info to keep it interesting. They have a renaissance fair every year and that would be something to see. Everyone dressed as if from years past. Maybe that should be on my list for future trips =) Of course, we finished the tour and began thinking about food. We all decided to head to our next destination, the Freilandmuseum (Open Air Museum). We were scheduled for a tour at 2 entitled “Before there were tvs”. I was unsure of what to expect until I got there. It reminded me a lot of Old Alabama Town. It was set up in various “cities” with the typical house from that area. We were shown what children and families did during the day before there was a tv in the house. The families spent their days working and spending time together. It was quite interesting to see and our tour guide spoke in a dialect I could understand…most of the time. She switched between the dialect and the high German quite often which was nice for me. One of the highlights of the day was the elder bloom cake “Hollerküchl”. It was like eating a funnel cake but with an elder bloom holding the deep fried dough together. There was even some powdered sugar sprinkled on top. I think a deep fried elder bloom would have great success in Alabama…of course, anything could succeed in Alabama if it were deep fried. Speaking of Alabama, I made my mother proud. I took my Lake Martin Living with me to the museum and we took a group photo. You have to understand, we gave her a hard time last year for wanted to take group pictures everywhere we went with Lake Martin magazines. Either way, I should ask for her forgiveness. It was fun to take the picture. In fact, everyone enjoyed flipping through looking at the pictures of the lake. Sorry mom…I love you!!! Any who, after our tour it was time to eat again. We sat together one last time for some coffee, hot chocolate, or beer with a piece of apple cake. I chose to have a cup of hot coffee but passed on the cake. I thought I had eaten enough for one weekend. We said our good-byes from the group. It was an amazing weekend and I felt blessed to be a part of it. It was so much fun to meet families and to make new friends. I was extremely nervous about spending time with a group but they made me feel like I was part of it.

Andrea and I hit the road headed for Regensburg. The drive took about 30 minutes. Along the way, we discussed the weekend together and were in agreement that it was great! We had reserved a room in the Altstadt (city center). We arrived with plenty of sunlight to discover the city but we had to brave the rain which was no trouble. After checking in, we headed into the city. It’s an amazingly old city that was spared during WWII. Everything is still as it was which is something to see. We saw many of the sites and churches but also did quite a bit of window shopping. Before we knew it, it was time to eat once again. As we ate our pizza and pasta, we made a shopping/to do list. There were a couple of things that we wanted to definitely to do before leaving the city. At the top of my list was the Dirndl shop, tourist info, and to see the cathedral. There were also some shoe stores and souvenir shops that needed to be viewed from the inside ;) After making our list we headed back to our hotel for the night. Before hitting the hay, we decided to make some plans for the rest of our travels. We reserved rooms for our next 3 nights via the internet. We were so tired that we decided to make other decisions on the spur of the moment. As long as we had a place to sleep we were happy. Now it was off to sleep until our next meal =) Stay tuned…