This week has been so much fun! Vienna has definitely taken the top spot on the list of places I’ve traveled so far. The light-colored buildings made the city feel so bright and welcoming. Prague was neat, but it wasn’t my favorite city. The medieval architecture was incredible, but it was very busy and centered on nightlife. Here’s a not-so-short recap of my week:
Monday was a pretty normal day, except we found out that Dr.
Wasser, Rike, and Mason all had covid. Thankfully, they only had mild symptoms,
and our trip to Vienna was only minimally affected. Mason was able to get to
Vienna on Wednesday, but Dr. Wasser and Rike couldn’t come. Mara led the trip,
and only one activity had to be canceled. Anyways, Dr. Wasser taught via Zoom
on Monday, and then we had our pre-departure meeting. Erin and I stocked up on
snacks for the trip and then worked on homework for a while. I had my interview
for grad school, and now I am officially enrolled in the MS Business program at
Mays starting this summer. I went home and packed for a while. My host mom and
I had fries and wine for dinner, and it was probably the most fun I’ve had with
her so far this trip! She even hugged me goodbye before I left for Vienna.
On Tuesday, I woke up at 4am to make it to Bonn hbf for our
train to Vienna. We had 9 hours of travel ahead of us. The ICE train we caught
in Koblenz was really nice. While on the train, Erin, Elizabeth, Colby, Matt, and
I booked an Airbnb in Nice, France and a flight back to Cologne for the weekend
after Paris. We, along with Jackson and Milo, also booked flights to and from
Split, Croatia for next weekend. A lot of us played Code Names online for a
couple of hours, and that was a fun way to pass time. When we got to Vienna, we
grabbed a quick meal at McDonalds before heading to St. Michael’s Church to see
the crypt. We saw lots of wooden coffins and bones, along with a skeleton and
two mummies. I got to hold a tibia and fibula from the 18th century,
which was really cool. After, we ate a group dinner at Zwölf Apostelkeller. The
Viennese wine we had was really good, and the atmosphere was a lot of fun!
On Wednesday, we had quite a bit of free time, which I made
good use of. In the morning, I went to Schönbrunn Palace. We couldn’t go in
front of the palace because they were filming a Viennese crime/detective show,
but we still got to wander the gardens and hike up the hill to see some
incredible views of the city. I had hot chocolate at the café on top of the hill,
where the imperial family used to host dinner parties. Elizabeth, Erin, Matt,
and I had lunch at Maria’s Pizzeria and Street Food, and then we met up with
everyone to go on our tour of the Pharma- und Drogistenmuseum. My favorite part
of that museum was the collection of mortars and pestles. After, some of us
went to Café Demel and got what Dr. Wasser considers the best hot chocolate. He
was right. Then, Erin, Elizabeth, Amy, and I went to the National Library,
which was incredible. The collection of books and globes was extensive, and the
frescos on the ceiling were stunning. Then, we went to see Mozart’s grave. We
had dinner at 7Stern Bräu, where I had a delicious pork schnitzel, and then
went ice skating at Rathausplatz. Ice skating was definitely the highlight of
the trip for me. The ice rink was two stories and was lit by string lights in
the trees and around the rink. And having Rathaus (city hall) as a backdrop
while skating was just the coolest thing.
Thursday was a very tiring day but still fun. We started the
day with a tour of the Narrenturm, or “Fool’s Tower”. The wax molds of different
diseases were slightly disturbing, but I can understand their use as teaching
models for how diseases presented. The preserved organs, though, were really
cool to see, and I found the skeletons of different types of conjoined twins to
be particularly interesting. Afterwards, we went to the Freud Museum, where Dr.
Wasser gave us a Zoom lecture on Freud and psychoanalysis. Then, we got to
explore the museum, which was housed in Freud’s former residence. We had lunch
at a Pakistani all-you-can-eat buffet, and then walked to meet Dr. Schnabel, a
17th century plague doctor. He led us on a walking tour of Vienna’s
medical history and had us try various plague medicines like cloves, the urine
of a healthy young boy, and vinegar with herbs. I thought the walking tour went
surprisingly well, given that Dr. Schnabel had to be on Zoom on Reagan, Mara,
and Blanche’s phone. My only complaint was how cold it was, especially with the
wind. After the tour, I ate a quick dinner and then got dressed for the classical
concert at St. Anne’s Church, which I really enjoyed. The church was beautiful,
and it was really nice to just sit and listen to classical music for a while.
On Friday, we toured the Natural History Museum, which was
housed in a remarkably ornate building built solely for the museum. You would
think it was a former palace converted into a museum, but it was always the museum.
I found it funny when the tour guide said he is always embarrassed to talk
about the Vienna dinosaur exhibit with Americans because the Smithsonian
dinosaur exhibit in DC is the largest. My favorite areas of the museum were probably
the mammal exhibit and the precious gems exhibit. Then, I had lunch, went souvenir
shopping, and headed to Wien hbf to catch the train to Prague. The train ride
was pretty uneventful. It was nice to have our own compartment, but the last
hour or so felt like forever. Once in Prague, we settled into the Airbnb, and
then Elizabeth, Erin, Amy, and I met up with the guys to eat wings and hang
out.
On Saturday, Elizabeth, Erin, Amy, and I ate delicious ham
and cheese pastries at a bakery near the Airbnb. Then, we met up with the guys
at the astronomical clock and watched it hit the top of the hour. We made our
way up to Prague Castle and wandered through the cathedral and courtyard. We watched
the changing of the guards and then headed into the square to get hot chocolate
(because it was so cold!). We met up with some of the guys again to eat at Restaurace
U Mlynáře. The food was good, but the atmosphere was even better. Our waiter
was funny, kind, and accommodating, and the host didn’t get upset at all when he
had to come rescue me and Elizabeth from the women’s bathroom after I locked us
in there. Why do they not leave door handles on doors? Anyways, then we went to
see the Dancing House and an old fortress. After a quick break at the Airbnb,
Amy, Elizabeth, Erin, and I ate dinner at Las Adelitas, which was one of the
best meals I’ve had so far in Europe. We met Colby for a river cruise on the
Vltava, and then got a traditional Czech dessert – Trdelník. Delicious!
On Sunday, Elizabeth, Erin, and I grabbed another ham and
cheese pastry and headed to the airport. We had a quick flight to Frankfurt, caught
an hour-long train to Cologne, and then rode the street car back to Bonn. I was
home by 4:30pm. I spent the evening unpacking and catching up with my host family,
parents, and boyfriend and was asleep by 10pm!
Thankfully, I got a lot of sleep last night because I have a
busy week of tests ahead, and then I’m heading to Croatia this weekend!
No comments:
Post a Comment