Dear Family, Sunday November 30th 2008
We got up early, I thought I was going to die as one by one everyone's alarms went off. We had an amazing breakfast, and then went to church, where I spent the entire 3 hours in a personal struggle against what my body wanted and what my mind wanted. They had to compromise, so rather than sleeping or paying rapt attention, I only was able to pay attention to a little and stare off in a stupor for the rest of it.
Everyone lined up in front of the Temple and we took a group picture, we had lunch, and then we loaded up on the bus. I was sent by Cindy to find lost articles in everyone's rooms and found loads of junk. We all boarded the bus and started the long drive home. And for the record, buses=car sickness for the entire group. It was not fun.
We finally arrived in Vienna around 9 and then I went home. I unpacked and basically just enjoyed being in my own room again. I talked to Mommy and Daddy for about an hour, and then showered. I'm going to bed, and am excited to get more than 6 hours of sleep tonight!
Love,
Anna
Sunday, 30 November 2008
Saturday, 29 November 2008
Dresden, one year later
Dear Family, Saturday November 29th 2008
We got up absurdly early to make breakfast for everyone, and overall it went pretty well. I had to run off to the grocery store at 7 in the morning to buy 11 more dozen eggs, but other than that it was great. In the end we had two skillets of eggs leftover, but fear not, they were not wasted. We definitely gobbled them tonight after such a long day.
The second group went into the Temple, and I hung around really wanting to take a nap. I got back into my church clothes and went to my Religion class, listening to a spiel by the Temple President. It was very interesting, but I had not gotten any sleep, so I spent most of the time putting every ounce of energy I had left into staying awake.
Afterwards we all got into regular clothes and drove to Dresden. Everyone tried to sleep on the bus, and the fact that our tour guide was speaking into the microphone the entire drive there was really not appreciated. We visited the Karl Maeser monument there, and were let loose finally at 4, so it was already dark and we couldn't take any good pictures because there was no more light.
The Frauenkirche was closed for a performance, and so I didn't get to go up it again sadly. We just walked around to the different Christmas markets for a couple hours, and then drove back to Freiberg. We stayed up pretty late, and I'm going to bed.
Good night,
Anna
We got up absurdly early to make breakfast for everyone, and overall it went pretty well. I had to run off to the grocery store at 7 in the morning to buy 11 more dozen eggs, but other than that it was great. In the end we had two skillets of eggs leftover, but fear not, they were not wasted. We definitely gobbled them tonight after such a long day.
The second group went into the Temple, and I hung around really wanting to take a nap. I got back into my church clothes and went to my Religion class, listening to a spiel by the Temple President. It was very interesting, but I had not gotten any sleep, so I spent most of the time putting every ounce of energy I had left into staying awake.
Afterwards we all got into regular clothes and drove to Dresden. Everyone tried to sleep on the bus, and the fact that our tour guide was speaking into the microphone the entire drive there was really not appreciated. We visited the Karl Maeser monument there, and were let loose finally at 4, so it was already dark and we couldn't take any good pictures because there was no more light.
The Frauenkirche was closed for a performance, and so I didn't get to go up it again sadly. We just walked around to the different Christmas markets for a couple hours, and then drove back to Freiberg. We stayed up pretty late, and I'm going to bed.
Good night,
Anna
Friday, 28 November 2008
Freiberg Temple, the Second Time
Dear Family, Friday November 28th 2008
I got up early, finished last minute packing, and went to go meet the bus in front of the Institut. We got on the bus at 7 in the morning, and arrived in Freiberg at 5 o'clock. We were told it would be a six hour bus ride. Those last few hours were some of the most painful I have ever experienced.
I was so tired from the late night before that I tried to sleep several times, but every time there would be a conversation that I could hear too clearly in the area and I would become wide awake listening to them. But then whenever I tried to do homework I was too tired for my eyes to stay open for it. Story of my traveling life. Basically, let it be known that no one used the time on the bus efficiently.
The shortest way to Freiberg from Austria is through the Czech Republic, so we drove through Prague and a few other cities. There was a fair amount of snow driving up, but when we were about an hour away from the German border there was about a foot of snow the rest of the way, and it's all Winter-Wonderland-like in Freiberg. So far none of the snow in Vienna has stuck, and it's even a particularly cold winter. I just wish I would have brought warmer clothes for when we're walking around Dresden. Last year in December Dresden wasn't that cold, so I didn't think it would be a problem...
We finally arrived, and then ran off to the grocery store to buy stuff for breakfast tomorrow, as my group is cooking. We changed into our church clothes and entered the temple. Oh, yeah, we're staying at the hostel on the Temple grounds, so it's ridiculously close and convenient. I am loving it.
The Freiberg Ward youth were there as well, so we did a session with them. I read the German Book of Mormon the entire time, and it was so much easier to understand and follow! It was great, I got several chapters read. Several girls in the group left their Temple Recommends in Vienna, even though we have been told every day for a week not to forget them, so they had some stressful times. In the end they all got a hold of their bishops and were able to get temporary recommends.
I did a lot of Spanish names during the confirmations, but during the baptisms they were German/Austrian. I even baptized an “Anna Maria-Theresia.” It was great!
Afterwards we walked back to the hostel and they had dinner and hot chocolate waiting for us, it was great! I hung out with my roommates, and then we we're going to bed pretty early to get up at the crack of dawn to make breakfast for everyone.
Life's great!
Love,
Anna
I got up early, finished last minute packing, and went to go meet the bus in front of the Institut. We got on the bus at 7 in the morning, and arrived in Freiberg at 5 o'clock. We were told it would be a six hour bus ride. Those last few hours were some of the most painful I have ever experienced.
I was so tired from the late night before that I tried to sleep several times, but every time there would be a conversation that I could hear too clearly in the area and I would become wide awake listening to them. But then whenever I tried to do homework I was too tired for my eyes to stay open for it. Story of my traveling life. Basically, let it be known that no one used the time on the bus efficiently.
The shortest way to Freiberg from Austria is through the Czech Republic, so we drove through Prague and a few other cities. There was a fair amount of snow driving up, but when we were about an hour away from the German border there was about a foot of snow the rest of the way, and it's all Winter-Wonderland-like in Freiberg. So far none of the snow in Vienna has stuck, and it's even a particularly cold winter. I just wish I would have brought warmer clothes for when we're walking around Dresden. Last year in December Dresden wasn't that cold, so I didn't think it would be a problem...
We finally arrived, and then ran off to the grocery store to buy stuff for breakfast tomorrow, as my group is cooking. We changed into our church clothes and entered the temple. Oh, yeah, we're staying at the hostel on the Temple grounds, so it's ridiculously close and convenient. I am loving it.
The Freiberg Ward youth were there as well, so we did a session with them. I read the German Book of Mormon the entire time, and it was so much easier to understand and follow! It was great, I got several chapters read. Several girls in the group left their Temple Recommends in Vienna, even though we have been told every day for a week not to forget them, so they had some stressful times. In the end they all got a hold of their bishops and were able to get temporary recommends.
I did a lot of Spanish names during the confirmations, but during the baptisms they were German/Austrian. I even baptized an “Anna Maria-Theresia.” It was great!
Afterwards we walked back to the hostel and they had dinner and hot chocolate waiting for us, it was great! I hung out with my roommates, and then we we're going to bed pretty early to get up at the crack of dawn to make breakfast for everyone.
Life's great!
Love,
Anna
Thursday, 27 November 2008
Rebecca! (long, held out note)
Dear Family, Thursday November 27th 2008
I slept in to the late hour of 9, not really appreciating it at all as the apartment was too loud beginning at 7. It's terrible. Whoever invented doorbells was not very smart. They're terribly unfortunate devices.
I hung around, kind of doing homework, kind of trying to rest up a bit, and then I headed out to Cindy's. Cindy and a bunch of other students had baked pies all night, so there were 12 pies to be eaten, and I definitely took a sliver of each. We had some soup, and then I went off to my German class.
It was probably the longest German class I have ever attended...it was never ending. I was not too happy about that. Afterwards I went to the theater and finally got to see the musical “Rebecca,” which everyone in our class has been obsessing about for forever. It was pretty good, the movie definitely has better acting and the plot is slightly better, but the music is very good, and I'll memorize it before it arrives in Broadway in two years. Then I'll be ridiculously hip and happening.
After the performance I came home, and am now very slowly and lethargically packing. It's a painful process.
Love,
Anna
I will make everyone listen to the music when I get home.
I slept in to the late hour of 9, not really appreciating it at all as the apartment was too loud beginning at 7. It's terrible. Whoever invented doorbells was not very smart. They're terribly unfortunate devices.
I hung around, kind of doing homework, kind of trying to rest up a bit, and then I headed out to Cindy's. Cindy and a bunch of other students had baked pies all night, so there were 12 pies to be eaten, and I definitely took a sliver of each. We had some soup, and then I went off to my German class.
It was probably the longest German class I have ever attended...it was never ending. I was not too happy about that. Afterwards I went to the theater and finally got to see the musical “Rebecca,” which everyone in our class has been obsessing about for forever. It was pretty good, the movie definitely has better acting and the plot is slightly better, but the music is very good, and I'll memorize it before it arrives in Broadway in two years. Then I'll be ridiculously hip and happening.
After the performance I came home, and am now very slowly and lethargically packing. It's a painful process.
Love,
Anna
I will make everyone listen to the music when I get home.
Wednesday, 26 November 2008
Stomachs in Jars?
Dear Family, Wednesday November 26th 2008
I got up, and went to meet Willow and Annalise at an U-Bahn station for a cultural trip Annalise had planned. That ended up not working out, so we went to the opposite end of the city to visit another museum. When we finally got there we discovered that it was closed on Wednesdays, so we looked in our Vienna books and went to the closest museum in the area.
That museum happened to have been a medical school, so the displays were all diseased stomachs in jars, models of people with a disease of the retina, their eyes half the size of their face, etc. It was pretty gross, but the wax figures of bodies were pretty cool. They had wax models of every organ and muscle and bone, so going through the rooms you got to see everything. Needless to say, we didn't spend long in that place.
We headed off to our Opera and Theater class, where we discussed' “Salome” and “Rebecca.” Afterwards I went to a second hand store with a bunch of friends and we desperately tried to find some dirndls. I was the only one who didn't find one. It was awful. We did have loads of fun though.
After not finding a dirndl, we went to Institut where we listened to a lecture from a BYU professor about evolution. That was kind of pointless, as I'd heard that entire lecture at BYU last year, so I didn't really learn anything new. However, afterwards I talked to my friend Stephan for an hour and a half, so I got loads of German practice in.
Love,
Anna
I got up, and went to meet Willow and Annalise at an U-Bahn station for a cultural trip Annalise had planned. That ended up not working out, so we went to the opposite end of the city to visit another museum. When we finally got there we discovered that it was closed on Wednesdays, so we looked in our Vienna books and went to the closest museum in the area.
That museum happened to have been a medical school, so the displays were all diseased stomachs in jars, models of people with a disease of the retina, their eyes half the size of their face, etc. It was pretty gross, but the wax figures of bodies were pretty cool. They had wax models of every organ and muscle and bone, so going through the rooms you got to see everything. Needless to say, we didn't spend long in that place.
We headed off to our Opera and Theater class, where we discussed' “Salome” and “Rebecca.” Afterwards I went to a second hand store with a bunch of friends and we desperately tried to find some dirndls. I was the only one who didn't find one. It was awful. We did have loads of fun though.
After not finding a dirndl, we went to Institut where we listened to a lecture from a BYU professor about evolution. That was kind of pointless, as I'd heard that entire lecture at BYU last year, so I didn't really learn anything new. However, afterwards I talked to my friend Stephan for an hour and a half, so I got loads of German practice in.
Love,
Anna
Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Buckeyes in Vienna
Dear Family, Tuesday November 25th 2008
I got up, gave my presentation, took a test, went to a museum for class, and then came home, relaxed, studied a bit, and reorganized at home.
Rather than going to see a musical tonight as planned, I went and saw a film for my Opera and Theater class, and FINALLY made my buckeyes! I'm so excited to have those out of the way, and they didn't turn out too poorly. They have pretty big holes in them from the toothpicks that I was too lazy and in a hurry to fix, but they taste fine and dandy. So yeah, there's a thing off my list and out of my apartment. I've been thinking of how to get rid of everything I have here without wasting it, so I've been a lot more liberal about contact solution, lotion, and conditioner than I previously was, but I still think I'm going to end up wasting some of each. Hopefully it all works out!
Tomorrow I've got a busy day, and NO tests or presentations, or papers, so I'm thoroughly excited!
Love,
Anna
I got up, gave my presentation, took a test, went to a museum for class, and then came home, relaxed, studied a bit, and reorganized at home.
Rather than going to see a musical tonight as planned, I went and saw a film for my Opera and Theater class, and FINALLY made my buckeyes! I'm so excited to have those out of the way, and they didn't turn out too poorly. They have pretty big holes in them from the toothpicks that I was too lazy and in a hurry to fix, but they taste fine and dandy. So yeah, there's a thing off my list and out of my apartment. I've been thinking of how to get rid of everything I have here without wasting it, so I've been a lot more liberal about contact solution, lotion, and conditioner than I previously was, but I still think I'm going to end up wasting some of each. Hopefully it all works out!
Tomorrow I've got a busy day, and NO tests or presentations, or papers, so I'm thoroughly excited!
Love,
Anna
Monday, 24 November 2008
Unbelievably Unexciting Day
Dear Family, Monday November 24th 2008
I had classes, then I went home and worked on my presentation, went back to class, and then went to the opera. Tonight it was “Salome,” and if I didn't have to see it for my opera and theater class I never would have gone, especially after reading the libretto. It's just creepy. There's a 20 minute song where Salome is talking about kissing the head of John the Baptist before actually doing it. Very long, drawn out, and boring. Thank goodness it was less than two hours, because it was certainly not engaging enough for me to forget the pain in my feet.
I have my presentation and a test tomorrow, so have fun, good night,
Anna
I had classes, then I went home and worked on my presentation, went back to class, and then went to the opera. Tonight it was “Salome,” and if I didn't have to see it for my opera and theater class I never would have gone, especially after reading the libretto. It's just creepy. There's a 20 minute song where Salome is talking about kissing the head of John the Baptist before actually doing it. Very long, drawn out, and boring. Thank goodness it was less than two hours, because it was certainly not engaging enough for me to forget the pain in my feet.
I have my presentation and a test tomorrow, so have fun, good night,
Anna
Sunday, 23 November 2008
No Electricity
Dear Family, Sunday November 23rd 2008
Sunday mornings are always a little hectic, but getting ready for church without any electricity is way worse. I got dressed in the candlelight, thoroughly enjoyed using nothing but cold water, and tried not to trip over anything in the dark on my way down the stairs. The electricity was out from 7 in the morning until 7 at night.
At church I got to talk to my friend Aaron again, his wife still isn't at church yet, but I talked to him about their situation. Apparently she couldn't feel the baby for a week before they were sure, because they had been out of town. I talked to the Bishop and his family, and I had to reschedule my interview with them because they had family in town. Today was the Primary Program, and it was absolutely hilarious. All of the kids were so funny, it was hard to not laugh throughout. They have about 20 kids, so it's pretty big, and the Bishop's 3-year-old threw a tantrum so he had to go up and sit with her throughout the entire program. I adored it.
After church I went over to Cindy's to enjoy her electricity and made a pan of brownies. Something went wrong and I have no idea what. They didn't taste like scrumptious moist brownies, they tasted more cake-like than they should and it was terribly disappointing. I miss brownies, not cake-like stuff.
I did my religion reading, and then went to class. We heard from a 26-year-old Slovenian today, it was really interesting to hear about Slovenia, I never really knew anything about it before. She's lived in Vienna for a pretty long time though, she just visits relatives there every once in a while.
After class I copied pictures from friends, ate taco salad, and came home to put my room back in order—getting ready in the dark tends to cause a really big mess.
Love,
Anna
Sunday mornings are always a little hectic, but getting ready for church without any electricity is way worse. I got dressed in the candlelight, thoroughly enjoyed using nothing but cold water, and tried not to trip over anything in the dark on my way down the stairs. The electricity was out from 7 in the morning until 7 at night.
At church I got to talk to my friend Aaron again, his wife still isn't at church yet, but I talked to him about their situation. Apparently she couldn't feel the baby for a week before they were sure, because they had been out of town. I talked to the Bishop and his family, and I had to reschedule my interview with them because they had family in town. Today was the Primary Program, and it was absolutely hilarious. All of the kids were so funny, it was hard to not laugh throughout. They have about 20 kids, so it's pretty big, and the Bishop's 3-year-old threw a tantrum so he had to go up and sit with her throughout the entire program. I adored it.
After church I went over to Cindy's to enjoy her electricity and made a pan of brownies. Something went wrong and I have no idea what. They didn't taste like scrumptious moist brownies, they tasted more cake-like than they should and it was terribly disappointing. I miss brownies, not cake-like stuff.
I did my religion reading, and then went to class. We heard from a 26-year-old Slovenian today, it was really interesting to hear about Slovenia, I never really knew anything about it before. She's lived in Vienna for a pretty long time though, she just visits relatives there every once in a while.
After class I copied pictures from friends, ate taco salad, and came home to put my room back in order—getting ready in the dark tends to cause a really big mess.
Love,
Anna
Saturday, 22 November 2008
Elefanten in Wien
Dear Family, Saturday November 22nd 2008
I got up this morning, went off to the Art History Museum finishing it finally. I don't have to go back there again for my cultural list, it's great. Afterwards I worked on my project for a while, and then met up with some friends at the Zoo. It was so great to hang out with an Austrian! We've been out of town so much I hadn't done anything outside of church with a native. We saw loads of animals, and got a pretty long lecture about elephants from the Elephant guy.
After we froze our little endés off, we went to a Christkindlmarkt, where we froze even more, and got to see some expensive Christmas wares.
I limped home in my cold and wet shoes, and immediately got under some blankets. I've been sitting here doing homework and trying to figure out how to load pictures onto blogs/ Facebook in some faster form. But yeah, hope everyone has some warm shoes!
Love,
Anna
I got up this morning, went off to the Art History Museum finishing it finally. I don't have to go back there again for my cultural list, it's great. Afterwards I worked on my project for a while, and then met up with some friends at the Zoo. It was so great to hang out with an Austrian! We've been out of town so much I hadn't done anything outside of church with a native. We saw loads of animals, and got a pretty long lecture about elephants from the Elephant guy.
After we froze our little endés off, we went to a Christkindlmarkt, where we froze even more, and got to see some expensive Christmas wares.
I limped home in my cold and wet shoes, and immediately got under some blankets. I've been sitting here doing homework and trying to figure out how to load pictures onto blogs/ Facebook in some faster form. But yeah, hope everyone has some warm shoes!
Love,
Anna
Friday, 21 November 2008
Die Zauberflöte
Dear Family, Friday November 21st 2008
I met some friends at the Natural History Museum, and spent the entire day going through it. It was so much fun! We saw loads, and LOADS of rocks, some from Ohio! Then of course there was the whole cave-man exhibit. Haha, it was just like any Natural History Museum you'd see in the states, but it was fun with all of us.
We hung out in my apartment for a few hours, and then went to see “Die Zauberflöte” at the Staatsoper. It was my second favorite performance of it I've ever seen. Even though it was standing room, I was so mentally prepared for that pain, that I was able to just get into it and enjoy. I think I'm finally beginning to enjoy standing room! Haha, although I only have one more performance left at the Staatsoper. Maybe I could fit in two more...I don't know. We'll have to see. My time here is going so fast! It's awful, I only have a few weeks. I still have so much to see, and learn! I don't want to go!
Anna
I met some friends at the Natural History Museum, and spent the entire day going through it. It was so much fun! We saw loads, and LOADS of rocks, some from Ohio! Then of course there was the whole cave-man exhibit. Haha, it was just like any Natural History Museum you'd see in the states, but it was fun with all of us.
We hung out in my apartment for a few hours, and then went to see “Die Zauberflöte” at the Staatsoper. It was my second favorite performance of it I've ever seen. Even though it was standing room, I was so mentally prepared for that pain, that I was able to just get into it and enjoy. I think I'm finally beginning to enjoy standing room! Haha, although I only have one more performance left at the Staatsoper. Maybe I could fit in two more...I don't know. We'll have to see. My time here is going so fast! It's awful, I only have a few weeks. I still have so much to see, and learn! I don't want to go!
Anna
Thursday, 20 November 2008
Too many Operas, not enough Time
Dear Family, Thursday November 20th 2008
It is so stressful trying to figure out how to fit in all of the performances I want to see with the 3 weeks I have left in Vienna. The Nutcracker, Carmen, Die Zauberflöte, Madame Butterfly, Salome, Rebecca, etc. It's so rough! I'm not going to be able to make it to all 8, I'll probably have to cut it down to 5 or 6. It's a hard life.
I took another test today, I don't think it went too poorly. I had lunch with my host parents, which was an experience as always. And I have just spent the last 4 hours trying desperately to find information about my politics presentation topic. It's been a nightmare, I cannot find any English speaking websites, and so far none of the German ones I've pulled up have been right either. How in the world am I going to do this? It's ridiculously difficult.
Wish me luck for future researching endeavors!
Love,
Anna
It is so stressful trying to figure out how to fit in all of the performances I want to see with the 3 weeks I have left in Vienna. The Nutcracker, Carmen, Die Zauberflöte, Madame Butterfly, Salome, Rebecca, etc. It's so rough! I'm not going to be able to make it to all 8, I'll probably have to cut it down to 5 or 6. It's a hard life.
I took another test today, I don't think it went too poorly. I had lunch with my host parents, which was an experience as always. And I have just spent the last 4 hours trying desperately to find information about my politics presentation topic. It's been a nightmare, I cannot find any English speaking websites, and so far none of the German ones I've pulled up have been right either. How in the world am I going to do this? It's ridiculously difficult.
Wish me luck for future researching endeavors!
Love,
Anna
Sunday, 16 November 2008
I have some smashing tights!
Dear Family, Sunday November 16th 2008
I went to Church, understood loads, and my favorite couple still aren't there, she had a miscarriage a week and a half ago, but they still haven't been at church and I'm so worried about them! There were transfers this past week, and we have a Greenie in the ward whose vocabulary, grammar, and accent are all better than mine. And he never studied German before his mission. Am I really embarrassed and ashamed of my German level? Yes. Yes I am.
Going home from church I was on an escalator to enter the U-Bahn, and all of a sudden I felt something on my leg. I turned around and there was a little toddler, maybe 1 ½-2 years old, petting my tights! Haha, his mother was mortified, and it was absolutely hilarious. They are pretty cool tights, they have a really interesting pattern on them, bought with Florints I needed to spend before leaving Budapest while I was in the train station.
I went home for dinner with my host family. They had a guest so we (my roommates and I) were pretty much ignored during those two hours. Afterwards I did my religion reading, and then went to class. Class was really good, Cindy was our guest speaker tonight, and it was so interesting to hear so much about her life.
I am currently home and putting off studying for my big test tomorrow. I have never done so much homework on Sundays as I do here. It's awful. But when you travel all weekend, what else can you do?
Love,
Anna
I went to Church, understood loads, and my favorite couple still aren't there, she had a miscarriage a week and a half ago, but they still haven't been at church and I'm so worried about them! There were transfers this past week, and we have a Greenie in the ward whose vocabulary, grammar, and accent are all better than mine. And he never studied German before his mission. Am I really embarrassed and ashamed of my German level? Yes. Yes I am.
Going home from church I was on an escalator to enter the U-Bahn, and all of a sudden I felt something on my leg. I turned around and there was a little toddler, maybe 1 ½-2 years old, petting my tights! Haha, his mother was mortified, and it was absolutely hilarious. They are pretty cool tights, they have a really interesting pattern on them, bought with Florints I needed to spend before leaving Budapest while I was in the train station.
I went home for dinner with my host family. They had a guest so we (my roommates and I) were pretty much ignored during those two hours. Afterwards I did my religion reading, and then went to class. Class was really good, Cindy was our guest speaker tonight, and it was so interesting to hear so much about her life.
I am currently home and putting off studying for my big test tomorrow. I have never done so much homework on Sundays as I do here. It's awful. But when you travel all weekend, what else can you do?
Love,
Anna
Saturday, 15 November 2008
One word to sum up my day: Lost
Dear Family, Saturday November 15th 2008
We got up pretty late, although due to construction we were up far earlier. We ate breakfast at 9, and then went out on the city to discover a market. We got lost for a few hours and finally got to the market. Nothing really looked good, but with the knowledge of the 12,000 Florints still in my pockets, I bought a trinket or two. Souvenirs here are not at all like Prague, which we were actually surprised at, so there were complications in figuring out what to spend our money on.
We wandered around for hours and hours, and finally settled on buying hats and tights, so in the end I have less than a dollar worth of change here. What in the world am I ever going to do with leftover change from Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Hungary?
Anyway, there was a lot of wandering around lost, a lot of tired feet, the sun was bright, it was pretty hot and then an hour later pretty freezing, and we were stressed about the large amount of money we took out. I only took out 15,000 Florint, and compared to everyone else that was barely any! Girls were pulling out 30,000 and 50,000, so I figured I'd play it nice and safe with 15,000. What a waste! So I bought a bunch of stuff I feel ok but not amazing about. Just wait until you get to see my hat!
We're on the train now, pretty exhausted, and pretty busy with homework, so I'm gonna get to work on studying for a midterm. Have fun, and I'll take advantage of my internet once I get home,
Love,
Anna
P.S. Oh, Cindy just came around and gave me a piece of KFC, which I shared with Willow. Do you have any idea how much better KFC tastes in Europe after several months without fast food, than at home?
We got up pretty late, although due to construction we were up far earlier. We ate breakfast at 9, and then went out on the city to discover a market. We got lost for a few hours and finally got to the market. Nothing really looked good, but with the knowledge of the 12,000 Florints still in my pockets, I bought a trinket or two. Souvenirs here are not at all like Prague, which we were actually surprised at, so there were complications in figuring out what to spend our money on.
We wandered around for hours and hours, and finally settled on buying hats and tights, so in the end I have less than a dollar worth of change here. What in the world am I ever going to do with leftover change from Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Hungary?
Anyway, there was a lot of wandering around lost, a lot of tired feet, the sun was bright, it was pretty hot and then an hour later pretty freezing, and we were stressed about the large amount of money we took out. I only took out 15,000 Florint, and compared to everyone else that was barely any! Girls were pulling out 30,000 and 50,000, so I figured I'd play it nice and safe with 15,000. What a waste! So I bought a bunch of stuff I feel ok but not amazing about. Just wait until you get to see my hat!
We're on the train now, pretty exhausted, and pretty busy with homework, so I'm gonna get to work on studying for a midterm. Have fun, and I'll take advantage of my internet once I get home,
Love,
Anna
P.S. Oh, Cindy just came around and gave me a piece of KFC, which I shared with Willow. Do you have any idea how much better KFC tastes in Europe after several months without fast food, than at home?
Friday, 14 November 2008
A 3 Hour Tour....(plus 5)
Dear Family, Friday, November 14th 2008
We got up, had breakfast (yes, hot dogs were an option, but instead I just had as close to an Austrian breakfast as possible) and then we met our tour guide. We then began our 8 hour tour, which included going through the caves of Budapest, a boat ride up and down the river, visited a market, Heroes' Square, a castle, etc. Afterwards we tried to visit a market, but it had closed one minute previous, and then we got lost on our way back to the hotel.
Thankfully, this nice Hungarian man saved us, after we'd tried speaking English and German to many people, with no results, and he worked in the states part of the year, so he wrote down the directions for us and was ridiculously nice and polite. We made our way home and spent the rest of the evening resting up and jumping on the beds. We did stay up fairly late though....time to sleep!
Love,
Anna
We got up, had breakfast (yes, hot dogs were an option, but instead I just had as close to an Austrian breakfast as possible) and then we met our tour guide. We then began our 8 hour tour, which included going through the caves of Budapest, a boat ride up and down the river, visited a market, Heroes' Square, a castle, etc. Afterwards we tried to visit a market, but it had closed one minute previous, and then we got lost on our way back to the hotel.
Thankfully, this nice Hungarian man saved us, after we'd tried speaking English and German to many people, with no results, and he worked in the states part of the year, so he wrote down the directions for us and was ridiculously nice and polite. We made our way home and spent the rest of the evening resting up and jumping on the beds. We did stay up fairly late though....time to sleep!
Love,
Anna
Thursday, 13 November 2008
220 Florint=1 U.S. Dollar
Dear Family, Thursday November 13th 2008
This morning we got up early and took off for the train station. After doing some homework on the train, we arrived in Budapest, dropped our stuff off at the hotel, and then went on a tour of the city. The tour was moderately interesting, but we're all exhausted, so when we stopped in the biggest Synagogue of Europe, and the second largest in the world, we nearly all fell asleep in our seats, much to the dismay of our tour guide. It was awful. We just could not help ourselves.
After 4 hours we were finally free, pulled out money, and found somewhere to eat. We are currently vegging in the hotel room, and going to bed ridiculously early. I'm just trying to write a paper before losing consciousness. So yeah. I'm in Hungary, but Budapest is a much dirtier, scarier city than the others I've visited. The normal people walking by are fine, I just get a weird feeling walking by the beggars. They aren't like any others I've seen before.
Ok, I really have to get things done and go to bed, because we have an 8 hour tour tomorrow (WHOSE IDEA WAS THAT? IT'S THE STUPIDEST IDEA OF EVER HEARD OF! Why would you go to a city, and not give us time to discover it? The first time we'll have daylight to see the city for our own is Saturday, and we're leaving that day. Dumb.)
Good night!
Love,
Anna
This morning we got up early and took off for the train station. After doing some homework on the train, we arrived in Budapest, dropped our stuff off at the hotel, and then went on a tour of the city. The tour was moderately interesting, but we're all exhausted, so when we stopped in the biggest Synagogue of Europe, and the second largest in the world, we nearly all fell asleep in our seats, much to the dismay of our tour guide. It was awful. We just could not help ourselves.
After 4 hours we were finally free, pulled out money, and found somewhere to eat. We are currently vegging in the hotel room, and going to bed ridiculously early. I'm just trying to write a paper before losing consciousness. So yeah. I'm in Hungary, but Budapest is a much dirtier, scarier city than the others I've visited. The normal people walking by are fine, I just get a weird feeling walking by the beggars. They aren't like any others I've seen before.
Ok, I really have to get things done and go to bed, because we have an 8 hour tour tomorrow (WHOSE IDEA WAS THAT? IT'S THE STUPIDEST IDEA OF EVER HEARD OF! Why would you go to a city, and not give us time to discover it? The first time we'll have daylight to see the city for our own is Saturday, and we're leaving that day. Dumb.)
Good night!
Love,
Anna
Wednesday, 12 November 2008
When in Vienna...
Dear Family, Wednesday November 12th 2008
I got up and went to the Sisi Museum, which happens to be three museums in one, so it ended up being a good deal, for only €8,90 I saw the Imperial Silver Collection, Imperial Apartments at the Hofburg, and also the Sisi Museum, plus the audio guides were free there. It was great! I was thoroughly impressed.
Afterwards I ran home, got some things done, and then went to class. In my Theater and Opera Class we're learning about Tabori's “My Mother's Courage.” It's really different, not at all what I was expecting.
After class I hung out with Willow and Marinda for a while, we bought tickets to a Fußball game next week, and then went to Institut. I got a lot of practice with my friend Marvin there while eating dinner, we talked for a long time and I learned a few new words.
I came home, lounged about, and packed. Tomorrow I'm going to Budapest! Eva's home city! I'm super excited
Love,
Anna
I got up and went to the Sisi Museum, which happens to be three museums in one, so it ended up being a good deal, for only €8,90 I saw the Imperial Silver Collection, Imperial Apartments at the Hofburg, and also the Sisi Museum, plus the audio guides were free there. It was great! I was thoroughly impressed.
Afterwards I ran home, got some things done, and then went to class. In my Theater and Opera Class we're learning about Tabori's “My Mother's Courage.” It's really different, not at all what I was expecting.
After class I hung out with Willow and Marinda for a while, we bought tickets to a Fußball game next week, and then went to Institut. I got a lot of practice with my friend Marvin there while eating dinner, we talked for a long time and I learned a few new words.
I came home, lounged about, and packed. Tomorrow I'm going to Budapest! Eva's home city! I'm super excited
Love,
Anna
Tuesday, 11 November 2008
St. Martin's Fest
Dear Family, Tuesday November 11th 2008
Pretty much just went to class, we walked around the city for my fine arts class, which was freezing and my cold did not appreciate it. I definitely hacked up a lung or two while there.
Afterwards I went to “St. Martin's Fest,” with my friend Willow and her host family. Still a little iffy on the details, but it's just a fun little tradition where the children light lanterns and walk around in a circle while singing specific songs.
They invited me over for dinner, so Willow and I played with their two and five year old, as the seven year old was at a friends'. We had dinner, I went home, and am going to bed nice and early, as to fight off this wretched illness. I cannot sleep because I cannot breathe. Awful, awful situation. Wish me luck,
Love,
Anna
Pretty much just went to class, we walked around the city for my fine arts class, which was freezing and my cold did not appreciate it. I definitely hacked up a lung or two while there.
Afterwards I went to “St. Martin's Fest,” with my friend Willow and her host family. Still a little iffy on the details, but it's just a fun little tradition where the children light lanterns and walk around in a circle while singing specific songs.
They invited me over for dinner, so Willow and I played with their two and five year old, as the seven year old was at a friends'. We had dinner, I went home, and am going to bed nice and early, as to fight off this wretched illness. I cannot sleep because I cannot breathe. Awful, awful situation. Wish me luck,
Love,
Anna
Monday, 10 November 2008
Pain
Dear Family, Monday November 10th 2008
Got up early, took Mommy to the airport, and then class, class, and more class, then I went to FHE for just the dinner and lesson, and left before the game and went home to do homework and go to bed early. I feel ridiculously ill, my throat, my nose, my sinuses, my entire body aches. It's awful.
Love,
Anna
Got up early, took Mommy to the airport, and then class, class, and more class, then I went to FHE for just the dinner and lesson, and left before the game and went home to do homework and go to bed early. I feel ridiculously ill, my throat, my nose, my sinuses, my entire body aches. It's awful.
Love,
Anna
Sunday, 9 November 2008
Last Day with Mommy
Dear Family, Sunday November 9th 2008
We got up early and went to church. By the third hour is was rather painful trying to stay awake, although I think it was much earlier for Mommy. After church we went home and had lunch while I rested up enough to walk around some more. My body aches so much from being tired and sick, and I could not sleep at all last night because it hurts so much to swallow and breathe. Woe is me! (First person to tell me that quote gets two points).
We went out and visited Stephansdom, and Karlkirche, and in the process we saw a bunch of break dancers performing right by Stephansdom. It was crazy! We came back to the apartment, and went off to my class. Tonight it was two friends of the Brewer's, who are Catholic, and they talked about the Catholic church to us, as it's such an important part of the history of the church in Austria. We came home, packed, talked, and are going to bed pretty early.
Mommy has to leave tomorrow morning in less than 10 hours, so good night!
Love,
Anna
We got up early and went to church. By the third hour is was rather painful trying to stay awake, although I think it was much earlier for Mommy. After church we went home and had lunch while I rested up enough to walk around some more. My body aches so much from being tired and sick, and I could not sleep at all last night because it hurts so much to swallow and breathe. Woe is me! (First person to tell me that quote gets two points).
We went out and visited Stephansdom, and Karlkirche, and in the process we saw a bunch of break dancers performing right by Stephansdom. It was crazy! We came back to the apartment, and went off to my class. Tonight it was two friends of the Brewer's, who are Catholic, and they talked about the Catholic church to us, as it's such an important part of the history of the church in Austria. We came home, packed, talked, and are going to bed pretty early.
Mommy has to leave tomorrow morning in less than 10 hours, so good night!
Love,
Anna
Saturday, 8 November 2008
Wien is Home
Dear Family, Saturday 8th November 2008
Mommy and I got up early in Nuremberg today and went straight to the train station. I cannot say we were sad to go, after everything we had to go through there, dogs barking the whole night in the room next door, our hotel was right next to railroad tracks, and then of course, the whole hotel losing our reservation thing.
The train was 5 hours back to Vienna, and pretty uneventful. I did loads of homework, and when we got into Vienna we ate salads (Vegetables were absolutely amazing at that moment) and then wandered around Vienna, seeing the sights, visiting the grocery store, and eating out at a sub-par place. But now I know never to go there again. I just like the food in Berlin more....we packed Mommy's bags, and then have stayed up late talking, so my throat hurts a bit, and we're both exhausted.
Good night, and pray for us that we'll be able to stay awake in church tomorrow!
Love,
Anna
Mommy and I got up early in Nuremberg today and went straight to the train station. I cannot say we were sad to go, after everything we had to go through there, dogs barking the whole night in the room next door, our hotel was right next to railroad tracks, and then of course, the whole hotel losing our reservation thing.
The train was 5 hours back to Vienna, and pretty uneventful. I did loads of homework, and when we got into Vienna we ate salads (Vegetables were absolutely amazing at that moment) and then wandered around Vienna, seeing the sights, visiting the grocery store, and eating out at a sub-par place. But now I know never to go there again. I just like the food in Berlin more....we packed Mommy's bags, and then have stayed up late talking, so my throat hurts a bit, and we're both exhausted.
Good night, and pray for us that we'll be able to stay awake in church tomorrow!
Love,
Anna
Friday, 7 November 2008
Disaster Strikes
Dear Family, Friday November 7th, 2008
We got up early this morning, and got on the train to Leipzig. Kira showed us around for a half hour, and then we got back to the train station and got on a train to Nuremberg. At Nuremberg station we bought tickets and followed the direction from the website on how to get to our hotel. After getting there, it turns out that the reservation didn't go through on the website, so we suddenly had no place to stay. The hotel itself charges 35 more Euros than we had signed up for on-line, so we opted to get another place closer to the city center. We lugged our stuff back into town, looking for other hotels and internet cafes on the way. When we finally found an internet cafe the Turkish man recommended a hotel, and in the end we couldn't find anything closer that wasn't outrageously expensive, so we got it.
After walking there we dropped off our stuff and went out into the city. We found a particular fountain I was looking for fairly quickly, but then the Bratwurst place I had eaten at last year was either closed up and gone, or they've moved (it was a street vendor). So we tried three different kinds of Bratwurst, which was really cool. We also got some good Lebkuchen, and looked in at the shops.
We're both pretty exhausted, so I think we'll be getting up early tomorrow and going home to Vienna, this trip to Nuremberg hasn't been the best....
Love,
Anna
We got up early this morning, and got on the train to Leipzig. Kira showed us around for a half hour, and then we got back to the train station and got on a train to Nuremberg. At Nuremberg station we bought tickets and followed the direction from the website on how to get to our hotel. After getting there, it turns out that the reservation didn't go through on the website, so we suddenly had no place to stay. The hotel itself charges 35 more Euros than we had signed up for on-line, so we opted to get another place closer to the city center. We lugged our stuff back into town, looking for other hotels and internet cafes on the way. When we finally found an internet cafe the Turkish man recommended a hotel, and in the end we couldn't find anything closer that wasn't outrageously expensive, so we got it.
After walking there we dropped off our stuff and went out into the city. We found a particular fountain I was looking for fairly quickly, but then the Bratwurst place I had eaten at last year was either closed up and gone, or they've moved (it was a street vendor). So we tried three different kinds of Bratwurst, which was really cool. We also got some good Lebkuchen, and looked in at the shops.
We're both pretty exhausted, so I think we'll be getting up early tomorrow and going home to Vienna, this trip to Nuremberg hasn't been the best....
Love,
Anna
Thursday, 6 November 2008
Berlin ist am besten!
Dear Family, Thursday November 6th 2008
We got up at 8:30, and were a little slow getting moving, so much to my chagrin, we didn't leave the hostel until a little after 9. It was terrible. We went to the Holocaust Memorial first, and then on to the Brandenburger Tor, in the daylight this time. We then went to Potsdamer Platz and saw pieces of the Berlin Wall, saw the Christmas Market there, and then went to Checkpoint Charlie. Afterwards we went to the Deutsche Oper Cafe and had some amazing food there, some Hackfleisch and some Huhnchen Brust. It was fabulous, and made me ridiculously regret not having ordered anything but the Kartoffelsuppe when I was here last year.
We then went to the Zoo and walked around there a bit, climbed the Siegesäule, and then walked around Unter den Linden. For dinner we had some pretty amazing Döners (the ones in Vienna are disgusting, so I've missed them terribly).
At 6 o'clock the museums were free, so we hit up the Ägyptisches Museum, the Pergamon, and the Gemäldegalerie. We then had some Bienenstich at my favorite bakery, and called it a day.
Love,
Anna
We got up at 8:30, and were a little slow getting moving, so much to my chagrin, we didn't leave the hostel until a little after 9. It was terrible. We went to the Holocaust Memorial first, and then on to the Brandenburger Tor, in the daylight this time. We then went to Potsdamer Platz and saw pieces of the Berlin Wall, saw the Christmas Market there, and then went to Checkpoint Charlie. Afterwards we went to the Deutsche Oper Cafe and had some amazing food there, some Hackfleisch and some Huhnchen Brust. It was fabulous, and made me ridiculously regret not having ordered anything but the Kartoffelsuppe when I was here last year.
We then went to the Zoo and walked around there a bit, climbed the Siegesäule, and then walked around Unter den Linden. For dinner we had some pretty amazing Döners (the ones in Vienna are disgusting, so I've missed them terribly).
At 6 o'clock the museums were free, so we hit up the Ägyptisches Museum, the Pergamon, and the Gemäldegalerie. We then had some Bienenstich at my favorite bakery, and called it a day.
Love,
Anna
Wednesday, 5 November 2008
I belong in Berlin!
Dear Family, Wednesday November 11th 2008
Sleep did not work out so well last night, as my dream the entire night was about missing the train. It was not pleasant, nor was it particularly restful, as there was a lot of stressful sprinting involved. Mommy and I got up, finished pulling our stuff together, and made the train, contrary to the fears of my subconscious mind. We had an uneventful train ride, and arrived in Berlin a little after noon.
We checked in at the hotel, left a note at Yvonne's, ate at the Deutsche Oper Cafe (and the woman remembered me!), then headed out to see the city. We visited the Gedaechtnis Kirche, the Siegesaeule, the Brandenburger Tor, Potsdamer Platz, Unter den Linden, Museum Insel, the Fernsehturm, Marienkirche, Rotes Rathaus, Alexander Platz, etc. We ate at my favorite pizza place for dinner, and even found half of a Christmas Market. Basically we did as much as possible before dropping. Oh, and we spent an hour at Yvonne, talking to her for fun. She is so nice! I love her. She's working on finding a husband for me so I can live here. Haha, but yeah. We're all doing great, have fun,
Love,
Anna
Sleep did not work out so well last night, as my dream the entire night was about missing the train. It was not pleasant, nor was it particularly restful, as there was a lot of stressful sprinting involved. Mommy and I got up, finished pulling our stuff together, and made the train, contrary to the fears of my subconscious mind. We had an uneventful train ride, and arrived in Berlin a little after noon.
We checked in at the hotel, left a note at Yvonne's, ate at the Deutsche Oper Cafe (and the woman remembered me!), then headed out to see the city. We visited the Gedaechtnis Kirche, the Siegesaeule, the Brandenburger Tor, Potsdamer Platz, Unter den Linden, Museum Insel, the Fernsehturm, Marienkirche, Rotes Rathaus, Alexander Platz, etc. We ate at my favorite pizza place for dinner, and even found half of a Christmas Market. Basically we did as much as possible before dropping. Oh, and we spent an hour at Yvonne, talking to her for fun. She is so nice! I love her. She's working on finding a husband for me so I can live here. Haha, but yeah. We're all doing great, have fun,
Love,
Anna
Tuesday, 4 November 2008
Cologne, Wuppertal, and Duesseldorf, all in one day!
Dear Family, Tuesday November 4th 2008
Mommy and I slept in a bit this morning, which as we still dozed off a bunch during the day, we obviously needed. We got up, went to the chocolate museum (stopping at many a Christmas store along the way) and enjoyed watching the production of chocolate. We had some cake and hot chocolate in the cafe, and then boarded the train to Wuppertal.
Wuppertal is a small city, famous for its suspended monorail called the Schwebebahn. We rode around it all the way, then got back on the ICE to Düsseldorf. There it was too dark to take pictures of the churches or anything, so we just walked around, looked in stores, and ate dinner.
We arrived back in Köln just in time to go to the Dom and listen to Mozarts Requiem. It was clear after 5 minutes that we had not received enough sleep, so we left and stopped by at a few corner stores along the way to the hotel.
Currently we are packing our bags for tomorrow, and going to bed early!
Hope all is well,
Anna
Mommy and I slept in a bit this morning, which as we still dozed off a bunch during the day, we obviously needed. We got up, went to the chocolate museum (stopping at many a Christmas store along the way) and enjoyed watching the production of chocolate. We had some cake and hot chocolate in the cafe, and then boarded the train to Wuppertal.
Wuppertal is a small city, famous for its suspended monorail called the Schwebebahn. We rode around it all the way, then got back on the ICE to Düsseldorf. There it was too dark to take pictures of the churches or anything, so we just walked around, looked in stores, and ate dinner.
We arrived back in Köln just in time to go to the Dom and listen to Mozarts Requiem. It was clear after 5 minutes that we had not received enough sleep, so we left and stopped by at a few corner stores along the way to the hotel.
Currently we are packing our bags for tomorrow, and going to bed early!
Hope all is well,
Anna
Monday, 3 November 2008
Anna isst ein Berliner!
Liebe Familie, Montag November 3rd 2008
Mommy and I arrived in Munich, with our train having been 20 minutes late. We hopped off the train and sprinted off to the next one, hoping not to miss our connecting train. We got on the ICE, and struggled to gain just a few more hours of sleep. Around 12 we pulled into Cologne exhausted, but on time and ready to discover the city! We came straight out of the train station, where the Köln Dom happens to be right there. We walked around for a miraculously short time before finding the hotel. Our hotel is perfectly situated in the middle of town, only two streets away from the train station AND the Dom, so it is amazing here. We brushed our teeth, washed our faces, recovered from our train ride, etc. We then went out walking. We stopped by in some Christmas shops here and there, and such. We visited the Dom, saw loads of old Roman ruins, including a tower from the Roman city wall, saw the original Köln City Wall, the Rhein, LOADS of churches, etc. It's really pretty, but the day was pretty overcast most of the time, so none of our pictures have turned out that well.
After getting lost a few times, losing my backpack, finding my backpack, we called it a day. We bought some sandwiches, two Berliners (I know! I never once had a Berliner when I was in Berlin!) and this strange bread man with a lollipop stuck in his chest. We enjoyed our dinner, our showers, and lounged about for a while before going to bed. Tomorrow will be pretty full, so good night!
Love,
Anna
Mommy and I arrived in Munich, with our train having been 20 minutes late. We hopped off the train and sprinted off to the next one, hoping not to miss our connecting train. We got on the ICE, and struggled to gain just a few more hours of sleep. Around 12 we pulled into Cologne exhausted, but on time and ready to discover the city! We came straight out of the train station, where the Köln Dom happens to be right there. We walked around for a miraculously short time before finding the hotel. Our hotel is perfectly situated in the middle of town, only two streets away from the train station AND the Dom, so it is amazing here. We brushed our teeth, washed our faces, recovered from our train ride, etc. We then went out walking. We stopped by in some Christmas shops here and there, and such. We visited the Dom, saw loads of old Roman ruins, including a tower from the Roman city wall, saw the original Köln City Wall, the Rhein, LOADS of churches, etc. It's really pretty, but the day was pretty overcast most of the time, so none of our pictures have turned out that well.
After getting lost a few times, losing my backpack, finding my backpack, we called it a day. We bought some sandwiches, two Berliners (I know! I never once had a Berliner when I was in Berlin!) and this strange bread man with a lollipop stuck in his chest. We enjoyed our dinner, our showers, and lounged about for a while before going to bed. Tomorrow will be pretty full, so good night!
Love,
Anna
Sunday, 2 November 2008
Tired....
Liebe Familie, Sonntag November 2nd 2008
This morning came far too soon, but Mommy and I got up, got ready for church, and went straight to the Westbahnhof to straighten up our tickets. We happened to be dealing with a very nice man, so he helped us through the dilemma, and although we lost our first class sleeping car, as well as half of the money used to pay for it, we got our reservations made for the correct train, just in sitting places. We went to church where it was a struggle for Mommy to stay awake. After being jet-lagged, not having slept much in the past few days, being drug around the city for days by me, and of course, being immersed in a totally foreign language, it's no wonder she had troubles.
After church we went immediately to Schönbrunn where we wandered the grounds, had a picnic, and took pictures. Afterwards we went back to my apartment where I finished homework, we packed, and took care of last minute details.
We went off to my Religion Class, had dinner there, and came back to the apartment where we bummed around until it was time to catch our train.
Our car included a man and a woman, but thankfully there were two empty seats, so we were able to spread out somewhat. Although the woman kept talking on her cell phone into the early hours of the morning, after she got off the train Mommy and I quickly spread out across our seats, and slept for maybe an hour. Tiring, tiring night.
Love,
Anna
This morning came far too soon, but Mommy and I got up, got ready for church, and went straight to the Westbahnhof to straighten up our tickets. We happened to be dealing with a very nice man, so he helped us through the dilemma, and although we lost our first class sleeping car, as well as half of the money used to pay for it, we got our reservations made for the correct train, just in sitting places. We went to church where it was a struggle for Mommy to stay awake. After being jet-lagged, not having slept much in the past few days, being drug around the city for days by me, and of course, being immersed in a totally foreign language, it's no wonder she had troubles.
After church we went immediately to Schönbrunn where we wandered the grounds, had a picnic, and took pictures. Afterwards we went back to my apartment where I finished homework, we packed, and took care of last minute details.
We went off to my Religion Class, had dinner there, and came back to the apartment where we bummed around until it was time to catch our train.
Our car included a man and a woman, but thankfully there were two empty seats, so we were able to spread out somewhat. Although the woman kept talking on her cell phone into the early hours of the morning, after she got off the train Mommy and I quickly spread out across our seats, and slept for maybe an hour. Tiring, tiring night.
Love,
Anna
Saturday, 1 November 2008
All Saints Day
Liebe Familie, Samstag November 1st 2008
Mommy and I went to the Wienerwald (Vienna Woods) early in the morning, which I had never done before, so it was an adventure getting there. We took Strassen-bahns, U-Bahns, buses winding through the curved streets up a mountain, and it was very fun. We wandered around the forest for a while, had a picnic, and then climbed a tower. The tower, “Stephaniewarte” was closed yesterday, but the woman in charge of it had just come to pick up a few things, and let a few of us in during that time. The tower will not be open again until next May, so it was very lucky we were able to do that.
We then went directly to the Zentralfriedhof, or Central Cemetery, as it was All Saints' Day. We got to see all of the Austrians going to their family's graves and decorating them with wreaths and floral arrangements. There were masses in the Friedhof Cathedral every hour, and it was really cool.
Afterwards we headed home, showered, and then went to the Volksoper where we saw “Die Zauberflöte.” I was very impressed with the performance, although the Queen of the Night was definitely lacking. The costuming, sets, and other performers were actually quite good. Even though it was a modern interpretation, I did not mind it at all.
Mommy and I came home and then stayed up late trying to plan our week of traveling.
Good Night!
Anna
Mommy and I went to the Wienerwald (Vienna Woods) early in the morning, which I had never done before, so it was an adventure getting there. We took Strassen-bahns, U-Bahns, buses winding through the curved streets up a mountain, and it was very fun. We wandered around the forest for a while, had a picnic, and then climbed a tower. The tower, “Stephaniewarte” was closed yesterday, but the woman in charge of it had just come to pick up a few things, and let a few of us in during that time. The tower will not be open again until next May, so it was very lucky we were able to do that.
We then went directly to the Zentralfriedhof, or Central Cemetery, as it was All Saints' Day. We got to see all of the Austrians going to their family's graves and decorating them with wreaths and floral arrangements. There were masses in the Friedhof Cathedral every hour, and it was really cool.
Afterwards we headed home, showered, and then went to the Volksoper where we saw “Die Zauberflöte.” I was very impressed with the performance, although the Queen of the Night was definitely lacking. The costuming, sets, and other performers were actually quite good. Even though it was a modern interpretation, I did not mind it at all.
Mommy and I came home and then stayed up late trying to plan our week of traveling.
Good Night!
Anna
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