Prague and Vienna

This past weekend was nothing short of a wonderful adventure. It was the second study trip organized by the school- this time with the destinations of Praha and Wien. Our overnight train was not nearly as comfortable as the one Sarah and I took to Krakow, but we felt like seasoned Veterans nonetheless. Arriving in Prague at 6am is as rough as it sounds, but we did manage to refuel with an early breakfast and restyle our train-hair before heading out for the day.

Prague was one of the very few cities that was not bombed into obliteration during WWII, making it one of the best preserved Medieval cities in Central Europe. A few words that we came up with to describe it include: Quintessential, Preserved, Charming, Cobblestone, and Photogenic. Our first activity was quite fun, for we climbed to the top of the clock tower in the central square where we enjoyed a clear view of the city. Once back in the square, we awaited the 11:00am performance of the Astronomical clock; a 15th century masterpiece, the clock comprises of an astronomical dial of the moon and sun, a Zodiac ring, a calender dial, and a rotating performance of the Apostles on the hour. Pretty cool, if you ask me. Before breaking for lunch, we took a brief tour of the Jewish District, which included walking through the Old Jewish Cemetery. It was used between 1450 and 1787, and has more than 100,000 Jews buried on the small plot -sometimes as many as 12 deep. Walking alongside these ancient tombstones in the crisp October air, watching the golden leaves drift and settle from the towering trees was a very surreal experience. We then broke for lunch, and finished the day with a visit to the Mucha Museum.



The next morning started as cold as ever as we made our way to the Castle-side of Prague, crossing over the picturesque Charles Bridge. The Medieval culture simply thrives in the district, and I had a great time admiring the ancient and gargantuan church that seems to pierce the sky in the middle of the great fortress. We walked down Golden Lane, which seems like a good idea in theory, but has inevitably been corrupted by tourism. The armour exhibit was pretty neat though, and I had a funny little moment when I sniff-sampled some clove leaf oil, for I accidentally got a bit on my scarf, but enjoyed the aroma for the rest of the afternoon! I was quite chilled by this point in the day, and warmed up over a glass of mulled wine and hot soup.


Our last excursion was to the Franz Kafka museum, which I loved. I've read one or two of his works, and really appreciated the exhibit in the sense that it was an invaluable experience for my English major. After some shopping, and fawning over the fantastic Czech crystal and glassware, a few of us settled down for a delightful dinner of pizza and Czech beer. The next morning we were on our way to Vienna! The SuperCity train we took rivaled any airplane, but without the obnoxious ear-popping and air turbulence, and a much better view of the fall foliage. They say it is a dying form of transportation, but I feel now that if I ever had the opportunity to travel a scenic route via train I would most certainly consider it.

In regards to Vienna, I loved it. On our first evening we had a most unique experience of taking an elevator up to a platform that had been constructed in the dome of an old Baroque church. Like the picture below, the interior is typical of the era; tastefully decorated with heavenly paintings across the dome ceiling. Now imagine yourself within arms reach of those paintings - that's where we were! We could continue our ascent to the very, very highest overlook from which the whole city could be seen, but the sway of the scaffolding was a bit unnerving, to say the least. For dinner later that evening, I was quite pleased with myself to have authentic Schnitzel with sauerkraut and a glass of the classic Austrian beer, Zipfer.

(Near)

(Far)

The next morning we headed out to the Hapsburg summer palace of Schönbrunn. I thought the building itself was impressive, but the expansive of gardens was incredible. The fountains, maze work, ornate french designs, all left me with an unwavering impression of splendor and grandeur. I really enjoyed the audio-guided tour throughout the palace too and felt like I walked away with a lot more knowledge than when I started. We visited two more churches after the palace, and in the second we were greeted with the throaty melodies of the organ. I love how the sound resonates off of every wall as if it was God's embrace itself.

We were left to our own devices for the evening, and I was very glad I chose to stalk the teachers. Something about adults always seeming to know what they want to do makes following them all the more appealing. Our first stop was an International speciality/delicacy store, which was just fascinating in the variety of things that were available. From American marshmallows, to British mincemeat tarts, to Italian seashell pasta, there was a cornucopia of things to choose from. Next on the agenda was a much needed coffee break, and it was here that I sampled the traditional Viennese Sacher torte. Mmm Mmm Good. It had begun to drizzle, and was still as cold as ever, so we slowly made our way back to the hotel where I called it a night.

The next morning we were all armed with audio-guides and set loose upon the Museum of Fine Arts. I loved being able to wander about and listen to all of the valuable information that the guide provided; never before would I have considered spending the money on such a commodity, but now I feel like it is undoubtedly worth the fee. My favorite piece was Ruben's Four Continents (pictured above) but there were many other Italian works that I enjoyed as well. I then visited the few exhibits available in the Museum of Modern Art; uniquely disturbing, provocative, and abstract are a few words that come to mind. I didn't much like it, but I suppose not all art is for everyone. By now it was grey and raining, and I headed back to the hotel to join the other students for our transfer to the train station.

Upon our arrival to Keleti Station, we were strictly instructed to only take below-ground transportation in Budapest as there has been some rioting since last night. There is still a bit of unrest in the population regarding the political situation, however it is also the anniversary of the 1956 revolution, which began on October 23. I'm sure things will settle down by tomorrow, but we were wary nonetheless.

The trip was nicely planned, and I'm so glad I got to see the two beautiful and charming cities. They were so very different from each other! I'm a bit sad as I did not have the opportunity to attend a performance of the Spanish Riding School, an Opera, nor visit the Sigmund Freud Museum in Vienna; I feel like there is still much more for me to see and do, and so I hope to someday return to the city.

Only 9 days till Andy arrives! I feel like my excitement, were it to be rocket fuel or something of that nature, could propel me to the moon and back. It will be the highlight of my semester, no doubt! I miss him terribly, though I know that the time apart has allowed me to grow and develop in ways that I won't appreciate until I'm older. Aunt Shelley, if you're reading this, I shan't want you to feel at all slighted, for your arrival will be the highlight of my post-semester!