Well folks, I am home in the USA.
It felt so good to wake up in my comfy bed this morning, rested like I haven't been for the past 7 weeks. I woke to the familiar sound of my dad grinding fresh coffee beans.
It was amazing to drink filter coffee (I think I've had enough cappuccinos for a lifetime), eat breakfast, shower, do some laundry. Nothing felt as good as jumping in my car and cranking the AC as well as country radio.
As I was driving along the road, happily, I saw a familiar form--my sister. I pulled over and we embraced, then caught up briefly. She is my kindred spirit in a way no one else will ever be.
I got back in the car and drove to the DMV-- I had to get a replacement license. I was assigned a number and a wait time of over 90 minutes, so I went to the nearby Gardens Mall.
Our Hilton was in a mall in Budapest, and my mom and I just walked through it the other day, but for some reason the Gardens Mall amazed me. It was like I had never seen it before!
Also the palm trees that lined the road were extra beautiful to me.
I truly missed Florida. The sun shone brightly this morning and in the late afternoon a thunderstorm rolled in. I love that about summertime here.
Eventually I went back to the DMV, got my new license, and drove home.
I made a fantastic grilled cheese sandwich with tomatoes for lunch and we ordered pizza for dinner. It's great to make my own food again, and the pizza was pretty delicious.
I spent the rest of the day arranging work things in the coming week in Gainesville, doing more laundry, talking with my family, and watching the Batchelorette with my mom and sister.
I could not be more ready for Independence Day tomorrow.
Nothing has made me more appreciative of America as traveling abroad has.
I am so excited to don my red, white, and blue, possibly go to the beach, eat some barbecue, drink sweet tea, and watch a baseball game and fireworks.
I learned so much about American culture by seeing other cultures.
I am proud to be an American. :)
I'm still a little jet-lagged because it's 9pm (3am in Europe) and I'm feeling super sleepy.
I'll be wrapping up this blog shortly with a few more entries. Thanks again for checking in with me. :)
Goodnight,
Princess Samantha
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Reality Check: 4 Days Left
Well, all of the instructions on my blog are now in Hungarian...I am in Budapest!
It feels like I have been in Europe for forever. Perhaps because I kind of have been. It's been almost two months!
I have been feeling like this trip will just sort of...never end, but reality slapped me rather harshly this morning when I realize that including today and excluding the day of my flight, I have four days left of my trip.
AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
In some ways I am very ready to go home. I want to see my family, my friends, and my dog. I miss the familiarity of the culture, the assurance of the language. I will be home just in time to sleep off the jet lag and then celebrate the 4th of July. I am so read to don my red white and blue, go to the beach, listen to country music, eat BBQ, drink sweet tea, and watch the fireworks. 'MERICA!
But until then, I want to soak up every last moment that I have in Hungary. Yesterday my grandma, mom, and I took a taxi to the best cafe in Budapest. No really, it has the best reputation.
We started the meal with the most refreshing lemonades, complete with a tower of ice cubes, fresh fruit slices and mint leaves inside of the glasses. I ordered a summer salad with lightly fried chicken, and my mom and grandma split a double-decker club sandwich. Dessert was the inarguable best part...we indulged in two sundaes- one with chocolate ice cream and cake, the other a strawberry shortcake. We relaxed and digested and enjoyed the view, then walked down the main pedestrian street nearby. It was full of adorable shops so of course we bought a few things.
Then we went to the market. My grandma told us that it was huge, full of everything you could imagine, and absolutely worth seeing. She was right. It was such a colorful place. The smells were delicious. After strolling through for a few minutes we decided to go home...it was already evening!
My mom and I took advantage of the "pre-dinner drinks and snacks" in our hotel, and enjoyed a nice view of the city from the terrace.
It's time to go to breakfast now on that same terrace-- we are doing a private tour of the city today and I couldn't be more excited. Budapest is just as regal as Vienna but a bit more lively. I absolutely miss Austria (and Germany)..I think they will always feel like home to me now... but this place is pretty fantastic too.
Thanks for tuning it! I still have to write about my weekend in Italy and my last week and a half in Salzburg.
Ciao!
Princess Samantha
It feels like I have been in Europe for forever. Perhaps because I kind of have been. It's been almost two months!
I have been feeling like this trip will just sort of...never end, but reality slapped me rather harshly this morning when I realize that including today and excluding the day of my flight, I have four days left of my trip.
AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
In some ways I am very ready to go home. I want to see my family, my friends, and my dog. I miss the familiarity of the culture, the assurance of the language. I will be home just in time to sleep off the jet lag and then celebrate the 4th of July. I am so read to don my red white and blue, go to the beach, listen to country music, eat BBQ, drink sweet tea, and watch the fireworks. 'MERICA!
But until then, I want to soak up every last moment that I have in Hungary. Yesterday my grandma, mom, and I took a taxi to the best cafe in Budapest. No really, it has the best reputation.
We started the meal with the most refreshing lemonades, complete with a tower of ice cubes, fresh fruit slices and mint leaves inside of the glasses. I ordered a summer salad with lightly fried chicken, and my mom and grandma split a double-decker club sandwich. Dessert was the inarguable best part...we indulged in two sundaes- one with chocolate ice cream and cake, the other a strawberry shortcake. We relaxed and digested and enjoyed the view, then walked down the main pedestrian street nearby. It was full of adorable shops so of course we bought a few things.
Then we went to the market. My grandma told us that it was huge, full of everything you could imagine, and absolutely worth seeing. She was right. It was such a colorful place. The smells were delicious. After strolling through for a few minutes we decided to go home...it was already evening!
My mom and I took advantage of the "pre-dinner drinks and snacks" in our hotel, and enjoyed a nice view of the city from the terrace.
It's time to go to breakfast now on that same terrace-- we are doing a private tour of the city today and I couldn't be more excited. Budapest is just as regal as Vienna but a bit more lively. I absolutely miss Austria (and Germany)..I think they will always feel like home to me now... but this place is pretty fantastic too.
Thanks for tuning it! I still have to write about my weekend in Italy and my last week and a half in Salzburg.
Ciao!
Princess Samantha
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Weekend Two: Vienna
Vienna was an excursion I was excitedly anticipating ever since I knew that I was going to Austria.
The weekend was absolutely packed to the minute with activities but also absolutely fantastic.
Because we did SO much I'm just going to list everything, and then go back and add details.
I have John Mayer pulsing through my headphones and my cappuccino by my side--LEGGO.
Thursday:
The weekend was absolutely packed to the minute with activities but also absolutely fantastic.
Because we did SO much I'm just going to list everything, and then go back and add details.
I have John Mayer pulsing through my headphones and my cappuccino by my side--LEGGO.
Thursday:
- Tram around the Ring Strausse/Walking tour of the city
- Highlight: St. Stephan's Cathedral
- Hapsburg cemetery
- Turkish Bakery
- Summer night concert at Schonbrun Palace
Friday:
- Musical Instruments Exhibit at the Fine Arts Museum
- Lunch at the Market
- Tour of the Vienna State Opera
- Seeing "Die Rheingold"
- Hostel bar
Saturday:
- Belvedere Palace
- Lunch at Turkish restaurant
- Coffeehouse
- Photos in the garden
- Winery
- Ferris Wheel
Sunday:
- Vienna Boys Choir
- Apfelstrudel at the royal bakery
- Seeing dancing in the square
- Tour of Schonbrun Palace
We arrived in quite a rainy Vienna, and luckily I had already donned by trench and rainboots, and packed my umbrella. Who knew rain gear was such a must in the summer in Austira, as it is in Gainesville?
Despite the precipitation I could tell that Vienna was a beautiful city. I am not much of a city girl, so the fact that I loved it so much from the beginning was actually surprising to me. Here are a few photos from the tour:
My favorite part was by far St. Stephan's cathedral. We have been to many beautiful cathedrals and churches since the first one on our walking tour of Munich, including the amazing Salzburg Cathedral, but something about St. Stephan's literally took my breath away.
Maybe it was the gothic architecture, or maybe it was the string quartet playing classical music on the "stage" (altar). Maybe it was the quiet refuge from the storm outside, or maybe it was the mere presence of the Lord in His house. Whatever it was, it was powerful, and I had to consciously focus on taking air into my lungs and silently releasing it back into the holy space.
Technically before we even started the walking tour we went to the Imperial Crypt where the Hapsburg family members are buried. The Hapsburgs were rulers in Vienna for many years and...that's about all the history I can tell you. MUSIC nerd here ;)
Nevertheless, the caskets were truly beautiful:
Nevertheless, the caskets were truly beautiful:
We learned more about Franz Joseph when we toured Schönbrun Palace a few days later...But here he lies:
People still bring flowers to his grave.
After the walking tour we made our way back to our hostel, WOMBAT!! (We stayed at a Wombat in Munich too, they're so cheap and include breakfast and have a bar...they're fantastic).
It was soon time to grab a bite to eat and then head to the Sommernachtskonzert (yes, there really are German words as long as English sentences), which just means Summer night's concert. It is a tradition for the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra to play at Schönbrun Palace. There are seats close to the stage for the elite but it is free for the public! There are also a limited amount of seats for those who show up early. My advisor Mutlu goes early every year, and since it was rather chilly and rainy this year, we were definitely hoping and praying to be able to sit down. Mutlu is Turkish, and brought us to a Turkish bakery that she likes. We all tried feta pastries (which were delicious) and on a whim a bought baklava, which later changed my life.
Seriously. This baklava was probably the best thing I have ever tasted. I wish I had a picture but that wouldn't necessarily look appetizing to most people so...Just take my word for.
We scored seats and then had to sit and wait for roughly...3 hours. I had no idea what I was going to do with myself for that long amount of time but before I knew it I was having hilarious conversations with a couple of classmates and the time was flying by. Before the concert started we took a bathroom break and got hot chocolate and I split the largest pretzel I have ever laid eyes on. It was tasty.
I was absolutely exhausted by the time the orchestra began playing, but the music was undeniably beautiful. They played Strauss, Berlioz, and Lizst. Before long, the featured soloist Lang Lang came out and played his piano concerto, immediately followed by Rondo alla Turca by Mozart (I love that piece!).
Lang Lang was my favorite part of the evening--his playing was incredibly emotional. I have always struggled with getting caught up in getting the music right--it is only when I write my own songs that I indulge in emotional playing and singing. But Lang Lang was emotional in his performance through and through. This is what touches people, especially those who don't know to listen for the rondo form or analyze his piano technique. I have to remember that music is inherently emotional, as much as it is inherently vibrations in the air.
I wish I had photos of this event, but since it was raining I did not bring my camera or phone. I'll have to steal some of my friend's photos on Facebook and put them on here at some point. :)
The next morning we rose early and excitedly to have our first full day in Vienna. We by going to the Fine Arts Museum, where we were given a tour of the musical instruments exhibit. I feel that this part of the trip was not given enough hype at all, so here is my attempt to compensate--
THIS. MUSEUM. HAS PIANOS THAT BEETHOVEN AND SCHUBERT PLAYED ON. THE BENCH THAT CLARA AND ROBERT SCHUMANN SAT AT TOGETHER, COMPOSING, EDITING, SINGING, PLAYING..I SAW IT!!!
*Swoon.*
Hopefully that did it for ya. It truly amazed me.
Our tour guide had a great sense of humor and was able to play all these instruments that he told us about...he started with different recorders and ended with the bagpipe. I took so many photos. Here we go...
We grabbed lunch at the market--I went for a grilled chicken sandwich and split a strawberry cake with Hannah--and then met back up at the Opera house for a tour! This place was so freakin' gorgeous I really just need to show the pictures. But you should know that they put on a different show every single night. Different singers, costumes, and sets. These productions are so expensive that the government has to heavily subsidize them!
As if our day wasn't packed enough, there was still one more tour on our agenda. We met back up with everyone (we missed the EU kids who met with an Ambassador while the music students checked out the opera house), and got a tour of the United Nations. There we talked about nuclear weapons and some other things I don't remember because I was so tired. We did see a conference room which I thought was rather fantastic! They talked about interpreters which interested me because both my grandmother and uncle are Spanish interpreters!
As soon as we were released from the UN, a group of us sprinted back to the subway station to get back to the Opera House. We ran to the line for standing room, and then waited. And waited. And took pictures. And snacked on some gross salami jerky. And waited some more. And got scared that we weren't going to get tickets. And waited some more.
And then the line moved!! And we slowly but surely got inside and got tickets. We were slightly confused because the tickets had assignments which told us to go to the top floor. So we did. Konrad had told us that everyone brings a scarf to mark their place, then leaves and doesn't return until the show started. What he didn't tell us was that people used one scarf to save 2-3 standing spaces. We frantically looked around and settled for the second to highest row. I was immediately extremely disappointed. During the tour earlier that day the guide mentioned that in the worst seats in the house the acoustic was still wonderful, but only half the stage can be seen. From where I was standing, I had an incredible view of the orchestra pit, but could only see stage left. Depressed, I left to use the restroom and find some food before the show started.
My friend Kayla and I decided to round out our experience by buying some overly priced food (really we were just starving). I got a tuna salad open-faced sandwich and a tiny little chocolate cake. Both were delicious and were able to tide me over for a few hours.
We got back up to the top floor and had to check our coats. Then I took a few photos and anxiously awaited for the show to start while the orchestra warmed up.
The show was enjoyable, but standing was more painful than I had anticipated, especially after a full day of walking and standing. Nevertheless, we all pushed through and had a good time. The only thing that was open to satiate our hunger was the classic, all-American MICKEY D'S! Yay.
I ordered a huge cheeseburger and ate happily, discussing what we could make of the plot and things we liked and disliked about the performance.
You'd think after this long day that we were all ready to pass out face-down on our hostel beds (and we were), BUT we decided to go check out what was happening at the bar downstairs. It had been weeks since all of us got to hang out like we did in Munich, since we all live with different host families that are spread out across town. We got drinks and danced to old favorites (even put in a song request for "Yeah" by Usher). I really needed to burn off all the calories I consumed at McDonalds! ;) It was a great end to a great day.
Again, we got up early on Saturday, but this time on our own accord. It was our free day in Vienna, and we had a lot in mind to do! We started the day at Belvedere Palace, which is the perfect combination of a beautiful palace and fantastic art museum. We took photos, took our time going through the museum, and then it was off to the city center for lunch!
We sat down at a Turkish restaurant that Hannah had been to the night before, and ordered "kabob", which are delicious lamb medallions. It was served with rice, lettuce, and a fabulous sauce. Then, since we couldn't possibly be done eating quite yet, we hit up the coffeehouse that our tour guide had recommended, and all ordered coffee and pastries.
After we were all stuffed beyond comprehension, we roamed the city, doing shopping and brief photoshoots along the way. The gardens were so huge and just breathtaking, with views of all of the important, tall buildings surrounding us.
My feet were aching because I chose the worst shoe imaginable for our busy day, so I was grateful when it was time to go home and change. We briefly rested then got dressed up for the winery.
After two trains and a bus ride we arrived at an adorable town that reminded me so much of Germany. We entered into the winery and were immediately glad that we decided to check it out. However...it was not AT ALL what we were expecting.
We soon realized that hardly no one in the entire place spoke any English. Our waitress brought us two containers of the house wine, one red and one white, and never came back to us. We sat there trying to decide what to order and then waiting for her to return for at least twenty minutes. Finally we called her over and she explained that where we were sitting was not served by the waitstaff--we had to go to the buffet. A couple of us went over to check it out, and there are no words to describe how confused we were...one of us grabbed a tray only to be abruptly reprimanded in German.
Photos to come with all of these stories :)
Eventually we were all happy with our delicious food and wine. We went back to the hostel for those who were tired, stopped by the bar to say hello to those who were spending the evening there, and then went to the city ferris wheel. It was a few Euros and a nice view. Hannah and Kayla took it to the next level by going on a grippy-looking indoor roller coaster...I opted out and enjoyed the horror stories afterwards, lol.
The next morning I woke up more exhausted than ever before, but powered through and packed and got ready to go see the Vienna Boys Choir. We grabbed a quick breakfast, and then met Allison, who affectionately refers to herself as "Mom" (because she is actually old enough to be our mom, haha), downstairs in the lobby. We dropped off our luggage in the storage room and were off!
Vienna was empty and quiet on a Sunday morning, as well as sunny and just gorgeous. After riding the subway, the walk to the church was lovely. We waited for a while in a beautiful garden outside of the church, then decided to buy cheap tickets so that we wouldn't have to stand. (Standing at one performance that weekend was more than enough for most of us..)
The venue was absolutely gorgeous--full of white and gold like the Mozarteum recital halls. Of course we took a few photos...
(Photos to come).
I enjoyed the performance so much, more than the opera two nights before, and the orchestra concert the night before that. I never knew how much choir was "my thing" until I was there, swooning over the angelic blend of sweet voices. Before they started the Mass, they openly rehearsed. When we went to the water closet (restroom), the rehearsal space was only a few feet from us...When I realized this I "fan-girled" pretty hard.
After the Mass finished the Boys Choir did a special performance at the altar. I took a video (of course).
Our ears were delighted so of course, it was time to entertain our tastebuds again. Another place on our Vienna bucket list was the "royal pastry shop". I chose a classic apfelstrudel and was not disappointed.
Before long it was time to meet everyone back at the hostel, but before getting on the subway, we happened to come across a huge group of people folk dancing! There were trained dancers in traditional dirndls and lederhousen, and one dance leader (with whom I identified with after singing a song called "Hans und Grethe" by Mahler). I took photos and a video because it was just so charming. I wish I had the guts and the time to jump in there and dance with an elderly Viennese man in lederhousen. That would have been quite the memory.
We met at the hostel to go to Schonbrun Palace, the same place we saw the Vienna Philharmonic on our first night. At this point the adrenaline and caffeine were wearing off and I was starting to crash.. We rode the subway to the palace, took lots of photos, and then took an audio-guided tour through the museum. It was beautifully decorated/preserved, and the information coming from my headset was quite interesting. After the tour, I was really crashing, but we simply had to take photos with this gorgeous trellis adorned with red roses, especially since they are a symbol of Hannah and I's fraternity, Sigma Alpha Iota...
(Photos to come).
Our trip ended here and my beyond sleep self was quite grateful to head back to the hostel, grab a bite, and board the train back "home" to Salzburg. Our first test in music history (which just happened to be the midterm), was the next day, so I tried to study as much as I could. Inevitably, I ended up napping (especially after nibbling on the AMAZING Turkish baklava that I packed).. I also indulged in numerous laughing fits with Hannah.
And that's all folks. That was Vienna.
Tschus!
Princess Samantha
People still bring flowers to his grave.
After the walking tour we made our way back to our hostel, WOMBAT!! (We stayed at a Wombat in Munich too, they're so cheap and include breakfast and have a bar...they're fantastic).
It was soon time to grab a bite to eat and then head to the Sommernachtskonzert (yes, there really are German words as long as English sentences), which just means Summer night's concert. It is a tradition for the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra to play at Schönbrun Palace. There are seats close to the stage for the elite but it is free for the public! There are also a limited amount of seats for those who show up early. My advisor Mutlu goes early every year, and since it was rather chilly and rainy this year, we were definitely hoping and praying to be able to sit down. Mutlu is Turkish, and brought us to a Turkish bakery that she likes. We all tried feta pastries (which were delicious) and on a whim a bought baklava, which later changed my life.
Seriously. This baklava was probably the best thing I have ever tasted. I wish I had a picture but that wouldn't necessarily look appetizing to most people so...Just take my word for.
We scored seats and then had to sit and wait for roughly...3 hours. I had no idea what I was going to do with myself for that long amount of time but before I knew it I was having hilarious conversations with a couple of classmates and the time was flying by. Before the concert started we took a bathroom break and got hot chocolate and I split the largest pretzel I have ever laid eyes on. It was tasty.
I was absolutely exhausted by the time the orchestra began playing, but the music was undeniably beautiful. They played Strauss, Berlioz, and Lizst. Before long, the featured soloist Lang Lang came out and played his piano concerto, immediately followed by Rondo alla Turca by Mozart (I love that piece!).
Lang Lang was my favorite part of the evening--his playing was incredibly emotional. I have always struggled with getting caught up in getting the music right--it is only when I write my own songs that I indulge in emotional playing and singing. But Lang Lang was emotional in his performance through and through. This is what touches people, especially those who don't know to listen for the rondo form or analyze his piano technique. I have to remember that music is inherently emotional, as much as it is inherently vibrations in the air.
I wish I had photos of this event, but since it was raining I did not bring my camera or phone. I'll have to steal some of my friend's photos on Facebook and put them on here at some point. :)
The next morning we rose early and excitedly to have our first full day in Vienna. We by going to the Fine Arts Museum, where we were given a tour of the musical instruments exhibit. I feel that this part of the trip was not given enough hype at all, so here is my attempt to compensate--
THIS. MUSEUM. HAS PIANOS THAT BEETHOVEN AND SCHUBERT PLAYED ON. THE BENCH THAT CLARA AND ROBERT SCHUMANN SAT AT TOGETHER, COMPOSING, EDITING, SINGING, PLAYING..I SAW IT!!!
*Swoon.*
Hopefully that did it for ya. It truly amazed me.
Our tour guide had a great sense of humor and was able to play all these instruments that he told us about...he started with different recorders and ended with the bagpipe. I took so many photos. Here we go...
We grabbed lunch at the market--I went for a grilled chicken sandwich and split a strawberry cake with Hannah--and then met back up at the Opera house for a tour! This place was so freakin' gorgeous I really just need to show the pictures. But you should know that they put on a different show every single night. Different singers, costumes, and sets. These productions are so expensive that the government has to heavily subsidize them!
As if our day wasn't packed enough, there was still one more tour on our agenda. We met back up with everyone (we missed the EU kids who met with an Ambassador while the music students checked out the opera house), and got a tour of the United Nations. There we talked about nuclear weapons and some other things I don't remember because I was so tired. We did see a conference room which I thought was rather fantastic! They talked about interpreters which interested me because both my grandmother and uncle are Spanish interpreters!
As soon as we were released from the UN, a group of us sprinted back to the subway station to get back to the Opera House. We ran to the line for standing room, and then waited. And waited. And took pictures. And snacked on some gross salami jerky. And waited some more. And got scared that we weren't going to get tickets. And waited some more.
And then the line moved!! And we slowly but surely got inside and got tickets. We were slightly confused because the tickets had assignments which told us to go to the top floor. So we did. Konrad had told us that everyone brings a scarf to mark their place, then leaves and doesn't return until the show started. What he didn't tell us was that people used one scarf to save 2-3 standing spaces. We frantically looked around and settled for the second to highest row. I was immediately extremely disappointed. During the tour earlier that day the guide mentioned that in the worst seats in the house the acoustic was still wonderful, but only half the stage can be seen. From where I was standing, I had an incredible view of the orchestra pit, but could only see stage left. Depressed, I left to use the restroom and find some food before the show started.
My friend Kayla and I decided to round out our experience by buying some overly priced food (really we were just starving). I got a tuna salad open-faced sandwich and a tiny little chocolate cake. Both were delicious and were able to tide me over for a few hours.
We got back up to the top floor and had to check our coats. Then I took a few photos and anxiously awaited for the show to start while the orchestra warmed up.
The show was enjoyable, but standing was more painful than I had anticipated, especially after a full day of walking and standing. Nevertheless, we all pushed through and had a good time. The only thing that was open to satiate our hunger was the classic, all-American MICKEY D'S! Yay.
I ordered a huge cheeseburger and ate happily, discussing what we could make of the plot and things we liked and disliked about the performance.
You'd think after this long day that we were all ready to pass out face-down on our hostel beds (and we were), BUT we decided to go check out what was happening at the bar downstairs. It had been weeks since all of us got to hang out like we did in Munich, since we all live with different host families that are spread out across town. We got drinks and danced to old favorites (even put in a song request for "Yeah" by Usher). I really needed to burn off all the calories I consumed at McDonalds! ;) It was a great end to a great day.
Again, we got up early on Saturday, but this time on our own accord. It was our free day in Vienna, and we had a lot in mind to do! We started the day at Belvedere Palace, which is the perfect combination of a beautiful palace and fantastic art museum. We took photos, took our time going through the museum, and then it was off to the city center for lunch!
We sat down at a Turkish restaurant that Hannah had been to the night before, and ordered "kabob", which are delicious lamb medallions. It was served with rice, lettuce, and a fabulous sauce. Then, since we couldn't possibly be done eating quite yet, we hit up the coffeehouse that our tour guide had recommended, and all ordered coffee and pastries.
After we were all stuffed beyond comprehension, we roamed the city, doing shopping and brief photoshoots along the way. The gardens were so huge and just breathtaking, with views of all of the important, tall buildings surrounding us.
My feet were aching because I chose the worst shoe imaginable for our busy day, so I was grateful when it was time to go home and change. We briefly rested then got dressed up for the winery.
After two trains and a bus ride we arrived at an adorable town that reminded me so much of Germany. We entered into the winery and were immediately glad that we decided to check it out. However...it was not AT ALL what we were expecting.
We soon realized that hardly no one in the entire place spoke any English. Our waitress brought us two containers of the house wine, one red and one white, and never came back to us. We sat there trying to decide what to order and then waiting for her to return for at least twenty minutes. Finally we called her over and she explained that where we were sitting was not served by the waitstaff--we had to go to the buffet. A couple of us went over to check it out, and there are no words to describe how confused we were...one of us grabbed a tray only to be abruptly reprimanded in German.
Photos to come with all of these stories :)
Eventually we were all happy with our delicious food and wine. We went back to the hostel for those who were tired, stopped by the bar to say hello to those who were spending the evening there, and then went to the city ferris wheel. It was a few Euros and a nice view. Hannah and Kayla took it to the next level by going on a grippy-looking indoor roller coaster...I opted out and enjoyed the horror stories afterwards, lol.
The next morning I woke up more exhausted than ever before, but powered through and packed and got ready to go see the Vienna Boys Choir. We grabbed a quick breakfast, and then met Allison, who affectionately refers to herself as "Mom" (because she is actually old enough to be our mom, haha), downstairs in the lobby. We dropped off our luggage in the storage room and were off!
Vienna was empty and quiet on a Sunday morning, as well as sunny and just gorgeous. After riding the subway, the walk to the church was lovely. We waited for a while in a beautiful garden outside of the church, then decided to buy cheap tickets so that we wouldn't have to stand. (Standing at one performance that weekend was more than enough for most of us..)
The venue was absolutely gorgeous--full of white and gold like the Mozarteum recital halls. Of course we took a few photos...
(Photos to come).
I enjoyed the performance so much, more than the opera two nights before, and the orchestra concert the night before that. I never knew how much choir was "my thing" until I was there, swooning over the angelic blend of sweet voices. Before they started the Mass, they openly rehearsed. When we went to the water closet (restroom), the rehearsal space was only a few feet from us...When I realized this I "fan-girled" pretty hard.
After the Mass finished the Boys Choir did a special performance at the altar. I took a video (of course).
Our ears were delighted so of course, it was time to entertain our tastebuds again. Another place on our Vienna bucket list was the "royal pastry shop". I chose a classic apfelstrudel and was not disappointed.
Before long it was time to meet everyone back at the hostel, but before getting on the subway, we happened to come across a huge group of people folk dancing! There were trained dancers in traditional dirndls and lederhousen, and one dance leader (with whom I identified with after singing a song called "Hans und Grethe" by Mahler). I took photos and a video because it was just so charming. I wish I had the guts and the time to jump in there and dance with an elderly Viennese man in lederhousen. That would have been quite the memory.
We met at the hostel to go to Schonbrun Palace, the same place we saw the Vienna Philharmonic on our first night. At this point the adrenaline and caffeine were wearing off and I was starting to crash.. We rode the subway to the palace, took lots of photos, and then took an audio-guided tour through the museum. It was beautifully decorated/preserved, and the information coming from my headset was quite interesting. After the tour, I was really crashing, but we simply had to take photos with this gorgeous trellis adorned with red roses, especially since they are a symbol of Hannah and I's fraternity, Sigma Alpha Iota...
(Photos to come).
Our trip ended here and my beyond sleep self was quite grateful to head back to the hostel, grab a bite, and board the train back "home" to Salzburg. Our first test in music history (which just happened to be the midterm), was the next day, so I tried to study as much as I could. Inevitably, I ended up napping (especially after nibbling on the AMAZING Turkish baklava that I packed).. I also indulged in numerous laughing fits with Hannah.
And that's all folks. That was Vienna.
Tschus!
Princess Samantha
Friday, June 20, 2014
I can't believe it's...over?
Was that really the "final" celebration dinner last night?
It's not real for me at all...that our little group that has become a family all flew to Europe six weeks ago...and that most people are getting not trains and planes back to the U.S. tomorrow.
I'm meeting up with my mom and grandma tomorrow, to stay in Salzburg for a few more days and then go to on to Prague and Budapest and possibly a side trip to Zurich, Switzerland. I'm so excited to see my family, and I'm so happy I don't have to leave quite yet, but I can't believe that all my friends are!!
I don't even know what to do with myself.
This week everyone has been in "go mode", our term papers were due on Wednesday and our finals were on Friday. (This is also why I haven't been keeping up with the blog..sorry!)
I will miss these people and this life so much. I got too comfortable here too fast...I have called Salzburg home for five weeks now and it's hard for me to remember that I don't actually live here.
Nevertheless, despite this extremely strange feeling, yesterday's final concert and celebration at Augustiner Brewery was quite fantastic.
The concert was different than I imagined it to be, after seeing pictures in my advisor's office every since my freshman year when I would come and visit her, hoping to become a music major or minor. But it was beautiful. I got to be a part of the last piece, since my arranging class put it together.
The space was so resonant that for the first time I was especially sad about not getting to sing a solo (because I took two classes, while most musicians take one class and private lessons). Nevertheless, I lived vicariously through my friends and took photos and videos throughout their performances.
Afterwards, my host mom drove Katelyn and I (and our host siblings) to the Augustiner, where we met up with all of our friends and their families. The food was so good, kind words were said by Phoebe, our program director, and we even got cute little certificates and a cake with graduation caps on it. This is probably one of the most adorable study abroad programs, ever.
After taking endless photos in various combinations, we all went to Murphy's Law (lol) which is an awesome, tiny Irish pub, to watch France beat Switzerland. After we all had a cider it was unfortunately time to catch the last bus home. The time always goes by so fast...once again, I can't even wrap my head around it!
Photos to come, and I promise I will go back and tell you all about Vienna, and three other awesome excursions: Ice caves, Eagle's nest, and Hellbrun palace.
Until then, I'll just be here crying. Lol.
With a heavy heart,
Princess Samantha
Was that really the "final" celebration dinner last night?
It's not real for me at all...that our little group that has become a family all flew to Europe six weeks ago...and that most people are getting not trains and planes back to the U.S. tomorrow.
I'm meeting up with my mom and grandma tomorrow, to stay in Salzburg for a few more days and then go to on to Prague and Budapest and possibly a side trip to Zurich, Switzerland. I'm so excited to see my family, and I'm so happy I don't have to leave quite yet, but I can't believe that all my friends are!!
I don't even know what to do with myself.
This week everyone has been in "go mode", our term papers were due on Wednesday and our finals were on Friday. (This is also why I haven't been keeping up with the blog..sorry!)
I will miss these people and this life so much. I got too comfortable here too fast...I have called Salzburg home for five weeks now and it's hard for me to remember that I don't actually live here.
Nevertheless, despite this extremely strange feeling, yesterday's final concert and celebration at Augustiner Brewery was quite fantastic.
The concert was different than I imagined it to be, after seeing pictures in my advisor's office every since my freshman year when I would come and visit her, hoping to become a music major or minor. But it was beautiful. I got to be a part of the last piece, since my arranging class put it together.
The space was so resonant that for the first time I was especially sad about not getting to sing a solo (because I took two classes, while most musicians take one class and private lessons). Nevertheless, I lived vicariously through my friends and took photos and videos throughout their performances.
Afterwards, my host mom drove Katelyn and I (and our host siblings) to the Augustiner, where we met up with all of our friends and their families. The food was so good, kind words were said by Phoebe, our program director, and we even got cute little certificates and a cake with graduation caps on it. This is probably one of the most adorable study abroad programs, ever.
After taking endless photos in various combinations, we all went to Murphy's Law (lol) which is an awesome, tiny Irish pub, to watch France beat Switzerland. After we all had a cider it was unfortunately time to catch the last bus home. The time always goes by so fast...once again, I can't even wrap my head around it!
Photos to come, and I promise I will go back and tell you all about Vienna, and three other awesome excursions: Ice caves, Eagle's nest, and Hellbrun palace.
Until then, I'll just be here crying. Lol.
With a heavy heart,
Princess Samantha
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Tuesday: The Sound of Music
Today was a marvelous day, just as I was expecting it to be.
J
I awoke to the sound of rain. I looked outside the window
that is literally only inches from my face to see the mountains surrounded by
mist. Sigh. Paradise.
Katleyn and I had breakfast, including a delicious cappuccino,
and caught an early bus to school. We met up with Hannah, whose generous host
sister’s offered three of their precious dirndls to our cause. These are the
traditional Austrian/German dresses that include a ruffley short sleeved dress
shirt, long (ish) jumper, and apron (sometimes a contrasting color, other times
the same color/pattern as the jumper).
They’re really cute, and Austrians wear them for special
occasions i.e. church, going to see a show, etc. We tried them on and loved
them! Jenna, former Salzburg College student who is now in charge of student
relations, immediately snapped a few photos for us.
Before I knew it, it was time for Hannah and I to hurry off
to the Salzburg Cathedral for the organ demonstration (excursion for our Arranging
class). My friend Clary who had taken the class a few years ago told us about
this excursion and I had ben looking forward to it ever since. It was
definitely different than I imagined it, but still AMAZING. I got a few photos
but unfortunately they are only for personal use. I can only use words then,
and can simply quote my professor Johannes, “The organ is like an orchestra”.
We learned about all of the different timbres that can be adjusted with levers,
the octave doubling (which is the most important in terms of arranging), and
how the pipes are varying heights. It was all so cool. About twenty to thirty
minutes we stepped back out into the rain and made our way towards the
Landestheater for our showing of the Sound of Music. It was the earliest
matinee I’ve ever been to, but that did not detract from the charm.
First we met up with everyone else from Salzburg College and
took a group picture. We also took a special photo with those of us in
traditional garb, which was just Hannah, Katelyn and I and our friend John, who
rocked his host brother’s lederhosen.
Then we entered the theater. Staircases to the mezzanine and
balcony were coated in red carpet. We made our way to the orchestra where our
seats were, and saw the coat checking station. The theater almost reminded me
of the performance hall of the Mozarteum, all white and gold. The ceiling
reminded me of Beauty and the Beast, with a grand chandelier and a beautiful
mural. I suppose a lot of Baroque ceilings are like this, and I should not all
compare them to the “Tale as Old as Time” scene. But I simply cannot help it.
This blog title does have the word “PRINCESS” in it after all.
We all enjoyed the show very much, even though it was sung
in German. There were helpful English subtitles, although we had to crane our
necks to see them. At intermission I couldn’t help but buy myself a little
snack. I was hoping for a Snickers bar but all of the children beat me to them.
I ended up purchasing wafer cookies, which had a chocolate hazelnut flavor in
between them. I hadn’t had wafer cookies in way too long! They remind me of
ballet class, because I think I used to have them for a snack when I went to
dance as a five-year-old. J
One of the coolest parts of the show involved Nazi guards standing
in front of the doors of the theater while the Von Trapp Family singers
performed at the festival at the end, making us feel like we were really there.
I got goosebumps multiple times throughout the show, and there happened to be a
kindergarten class on a field trip sitting in the very front row. A certain boy
and girl within sight were especially excited, clapping their hands and leaving
their seats to lean forward on the bar that held them from falling into the
orchestra pit. They particularly loved the “Do a Dear” and “Lonely Goatherd”
songs. Now that I am older I forget that the film/play has a plot for adults as
well as parts for children.
After the show we all headed to lunch because we were
STARVING. I joined Allison, Hannah, Sam, and another girl for a trip to the dirndl
store, where Hannah finally got lederhosen swim trunks for her little brother.
They’re pretty awesome, and everything in the store was half price! They went
to the train station to inquire about tickets, so Hannah and I made a trip to
the music store. She got the music she needed while I played with music boxes
and took photos. We were still in our dresses and our feet were soaked in our
little black flats.
We then grabbed a hot drink and hung out at the college,
attempting to plan our trip to Italy for the free travel weekend. Really
though, Hannah and I cracked up over silly things for at least two hours.
When she left to help set up for the evening barbeque, I
decided to practice. It felt so good to actually sing. I learned my part for
the Bach Chorale we are doing in Arranging. It is a possibility for the final
concert. Right now we only have a miniature tuba, flute, violin, piano and
voice, but hopefully for the final concerts we will add at least a viola to
have a bit more of a complete orchestra.
After practicing classical singing, I went into another
practice room to play to college’s guitar. I played covers by myself, and I
can’t possibly describe to you how amazing it is to sit down and remember why
you love something, purely through the feelings that are released.
I even played four chords over and over again and started
improvising (basically scatting), and words came to me and there I had a lick
to a new song. Creativity always strikes when I feel a bit melancholy on rainy
days. I love it.
Time flew, I changed out of my dirndl and we walked to the
student Catholic center where dinner was being held. We immediately met a few
young Austrians and chatted with them. Then we were led to tables with cards,
got drinks, and were playing Egyptian ratscrew within five minutes. Then it was
time to get food.
I ended up waiting about twenty minutes to get a bratwurst
(I simply couldn’t settle for an American hot dog, not even if it was
cheese-filled), and therefore fell into the role of hostess. I started telling
people about the options, helping them cut their rolls, and opening and
throwing away bags. Lol. I don’t even know.
After I got my bratwurst I squeezed a bit of mustard on it
and paired it with a beer. Unfortunately my seat had been stolen but I found a
chair on the opposite end of the table. We were somehow labeled the “Fun table
“or maybe it was just “loud”…Needles to say we were all having a good time. As
usual, I whispered to my friends about the cute Austrian boys who we saw step
in. Eventually we did talk to a few, and they were all nice.
We left a couple of hours later since we have class early
the next morning. It was still raining when we went outside to catch the bus.
It is rare that it rains all day continuously in Florida; we typically just get
brief showers, especially in the summertime. I was cold walking home but you
know me. I love the rain and the cold. When I’m inside though, I must admit.
Tomorrow is another day of class, which I’m not particularly
looking forward to, but I love music history and arranging is growing on me. We
also get to hear a talk from Konrad preparing us for our weekend trip to
Vienna. We are all so excited to be in a hostel together again, since we are so
far from each other at night, in different houses all around town.
I just love this trip so much, I never want to leave (just
like my mom predicted…why are mom’s always right?). But of course there are
good things awaiting me at home.
Peace from this quiet home,
Princess Samantha
Sat/Sun: Relax/Run
This weekend consisted of two fairly opposite days, back to back!
On Saturday I wasn't feeling too hot. We had done two hikes back to back and I knew that I needed rest. I met up with my best friend Hannah
*talk about rehearsal*
We ended up uniting with some more friends at the weekly farmer's market in Old Town.
This farmer's market is far more gourmet than anything you've seen in the US though.
I grabbed a schnitzel sandwich (that's right, like in the song "My Favorite Things") and some grapes, and we all headed to the river!
Victoria had also picked up some wine, and Hannah bought a few Mozart chocolate balls. John accidentally bought way too much salami, and Jesse did not realize that he was buying an entire loaf of bread. Needless to say, we all kind of shared and had a marvelous time. Christine had perfectly planned for her sandwich with the right amount of meat, cheese and bread...don't ask me how she did it. We all had a lovely time chatting and enjoying the view.
We walked around town and took care of a few errands, then went to Cafe Tomaselli, where Mozart used to dine, and drank coffee and ate delicious cake.
SUNDAY--
Canyoning. I must preface this entire paragraph with a warning: There is absolutely no way that words, nor photographs, not even VIDEOS could do this experience justice. It is truly indescribable.
The night before, even day before, I was freaking out. It only got worse as time inevitably ran out and it was time to meet up with everyone at the college. I couldn't stop expressing my worries to my friends, or just standing around quietly until hearing something that worried me, and then piping up to hush everyone from freaking me out even more than I already was...!
Finally, the canyoning guides from Crocodile Sports arrived at the college and drove us to our destination. I'm still not exactly sure where that was lol but I will let you know when I do. I know that it was around the area where the Salt Mines are.
Anyways, we soon arrived and stripped down to our bathing suits, were assigned a wet suit and put it on with further equipment (shoes, helmet, and harness). Putting the wetsuits on was a struggle. Even more than squeezing into skinny jeans right after they come out of the dryer and you had 5 too many brownies the night before. But something like that.
"This is already an adventure", I remarked to a friend as I watched everyone writhe in the stretchy material and crack up with the people around them while asking for help and reassurance.
After I put all my equipment on I felt pretty prepared for anything. My shoes were sturdy and fit properly, my head was protected, and my wetsuit was incredibly warm. My nerves started to fade.
Eventually we were all suited up and were following one of our leaders down the side of the canyon below.
Somehow I was leading the pack.
He instructed us to walk down the "ladder", which was made of ROOTS! Lol. Hardly a ladder. Barely able to move in my tight wetsuit, I did my best to quickly step down without falling. Soon I reached an actual metal ladder, so my confusion subsided.
We were given a safety talk, which stirred some of our nerves a bit. He mentioned that it was important to look up and around from time to time, to realize the beauty. I liked this bit of advice.
Before I knew it, it was time to get up and start the adventure, for real. My friend Leann and I sang "I Have Confidence" from the Sound of Music softly to each other in an attempt to get pumped. (I know, we're such girls).
All of a sudden, half of the group had disappeared around a bend, and I heard hooting and hollering followed by splashes
*Gulp*
They're already jumping in. We're jumping in. I'm jumping in.
To get to the first jumping area, we had to climb a bit. I can't tell you how out of my element I felt at first.
"Channel Tris", Leann reminded me, referring to the Divergent series that involves a sheltered girl choosing to abandon her old life to pursue a fearless one. [We're all been reading and talking about this series, the movie just came out in March].
Once again, minutes turned into seconds and seconds ran out and I was standing on the edge of a small cliff with the water before me. I was wondering desperately just how cold it was going to fill. I mentally and physically prepared myself for the kind of cold that takes your breath away.
And then, I jumped, trying to remember to keep my knees slightly bent, my feet together and my mouth completely closed. I feel for a short bit and hit the water. I don't know how deep the water was, but it felt like a second or two before I was at the surface again. It was cold, freezing cold, but my body still felt warm inside the wetsuit. It also made my buoyant, as did my shoes. I smiled. This was fun.
I swam over to everyone else who was basking in the sun by a rock, also in disbelief after the first jump.
Pretty soon I couldn't stop smiling.
I cheered for my friends Leann, Katie, and Hannah before they did their first jumps. Everyone did so successfully and seemed happy once they were swimming in the water.
I can't remember every detail of the course, but it involved swimming, sliding, jumping, and climbing. My favorite part was actually the climbing. Pretty soon I fell right into the groove, my muscles alive and my brain alert, moving quickly and efficiently. It feels great to be alive in that sense. Physically and mentally, survival instincts ticking like a clock.
Towards the beginning, we popped out individually through a small opening and the instructor just sort of laid you down and hooked your head up to the person behind you's feet. Before long we had constructed a human chain. Hannah and I held hands afterwards, and asked the instructor to snap a photo. I'll post that one soon. :)
There were two opportunities to do a high or low jump, and I am proud to say that I had the courage to try both high jumps. The first was terrifying because you had to take quite a large step out in front of you to avoid a lot of rock that was in the way. The second was much higher, approximately seven and a half meters. After this one, I felt like I was just falling and falling and falling and didn't know when I was going to stop, when I finally I hit the water.
Multiple times my feet hit rock on the bottom, so I was very grateful for my awesome shoes to protect me and if anything, help me bounce back up towards the surface.
All of a sudden I was slap happy. Somewhere between the release of fear and worry and the adrenaline rushes, I was more joyful than I had been in months. I felt brave, and that was a good feeling. My friends Katie and Hannah mentioned that they were proud of me, which made my heart swell even more. I also just enjoyed my first wetsuit experience, haha! This energy made me start fooling around, laying on my belly on rocks saying "I'm a beached whale. My best comedic moment (in my humble opinion), was at the very end of the adventure, when we were coming out of the water for good. I started running in slow motion and singing some kind of mash-up between the Chariots of Fire theme and "Rocky"...and then fell flat on my face. I got up, laughing, hoping someone had seen it! People had...they just didn't think it was as funny as I did. And then I knew that it was time to call it a day. Lol.
I felt my muscles working hard and properly at the beginning, but towards the end started to feel a little bit like jello. Other highlights include taking a group photo underneath a freezing cold waterfall, getting teased by the instructors once they realized how much fun I was having i.e. swimming by one saying "Don't splash me, only to be dunked.. Pushed into a hole, helped up, and then almost dropped again while being helped up...laughing the entire time. It was just so much fun.
I was so grateful that for most of the adventure the sun was shining brightly above us, warming our bodies in a way that the wetsuits just couldn't compete with. It was the perfect day.
Photos to come,
Princess Samantha
On Saturday I wasn't feeling too hot. We had done two hikes back to back and I knew that I needed rest. I met up with my best friend Hannah
*talk about rehearsal*
We ended up uniting with some more friends at the weekly farmer's market in Old Town.
This farmer's market is far more gourmet than anything you've seen in the US though.
I grabbed a schnitzel sandwich (that's right, like in the song "My Favorite Things") and some grapes, and we all headed to the river!
Victoria had also picked up some wine, and Hannah bought a few Mozart chocolate balls. John accidentally bought way too much salami, and Jesse did not realize that he was buying an entire loaf of bread. Needless to say, we all kind of shared and had a marvelous time. Christine had perfectly planned for her sandwich with the right amount of meat, cheese and bread...don't ask me how she did it. We all had a lovely time chatting and enjoying the view.
We walked around town and took care of a few errands, then went to Cafe Tomaselli, where Mozart used to dine, and drank coffee and ate delicious cake.
SUNDAY--
Canyoning. I must preface this entire paragraph with a warning: There is absolutely no way that words, nor photographs, not even VIDEOS could do this experience justice. It is truly indescribable.
The night before, even day before, I was freaking out. It only got worse as time inevitably ran out and it was time to meet up with everyone at the college. I couldn't stop expressing my worries to my friends, or just standing around quietly until hearing something that worried me, and then piping up to hush everyone from freaking me out even more than I already was...!
Finally, the canyoning guides from Crocodile Sports arrived at the college and drove us to our destination. I'm still not exactly sure where that was lol but I will let you know when I do. I know that it was around the area where the Salt Mines are.
Anyways, we soon arrived and stripped down to our bathing suits, were assigned a wet suit and put it on with further equipment (shoes, helmet, and harness). Putting the wetsuits on was a struggle. Even more than squeezing into skinny jeans right after they come out of the dryer and you had 5 too many brownies the night before. But something like that.
"This is already an adventure", I remarked to a friend as I watched everyone writhe in the stretchy material and crack up with the people around them while asking for help and reassurance.
After I put all my equipment on I felt pretty prepared for anything. My shoes were sturdy and fit properly, my head was protected, and my wetsuit was incredibly warm. My nerves started to fade.
Eventually we were all suited up and were following one of our leaders down the side of the canyon below.
Somehow I was leading the pack.
He instructed us to walk down the "ladder", which was made of ROOTS! Lol. Hardly a ladder. Barely able to move in my tight wetsuit, I did my best to quickly step down without falling. Soon I reached an actual metal ladder, so my confusion subsided.
We were given a safety talk, which stirred some of our nerves a bit. He mentioned that it was important to look up and around from time to time, to realize the beauty. I liked this bit of advice.
Before I knew it, it was time to get up and start the adventure, for real. My friend Leann and I sang "I Have Confidence" from the Sound of Music softly to each other in an attempt to get pumped. (I know, we're such girls).
All of a sudden, half of the group had disappeared around a bend, and I heard hooting and hollering followed by splashes
*Gulp*
They're already jumping in. We're jumping in. I'm jumping in.
To get to the first jumping area, we had to climb a bit. I can't tell you how out of my element I felt at first.
"Channel Tris", Leann reminded me, referring to the Divergent series that involves a sheltered girl choosing to abandon her old life to pursue a fearless one. [We're all been reading and talking about this series, the movie just came out in March].
Once again, minutes turned into seconds and seconds ran out and I was standing on the edge of a small cliff with the water before me. I was wondering desperately just how cold it was going to fill. I mentally and physically prepared myself for the kind of cold that takes your breath away.
And then, I jumped, trying to remember to keep my knees slightly bent, my feet together and my mouth completely closed. I feel for a short bit and hit the water. I don't know how deep the water was, but it felt like a second or two before I was at the surface again. It was cold, freezing cold, but my body still felt warm inside the wetsuit. It also made my buoyant, as did my shoes. I smiled. This was fun.
I swam over to everyone else who was basking in the sun by a rock, also in disbelief after the first jump.
Pretty soon I couldn't stop smiling.
I cheered for my friends Leann, Katie, and Hannah before they did their first jumps. Everyone did so successfully and seemed happy once they were swimming in the water.
I can't remember every detail of the course, but it involved swimming, sliding, jumping, and climbing. My favorite part was actually the climbing. Pretty soon I fell right into the groove, my muscles alive and my brain alert, moving quickly and efficiently. It feels great to be alive in that sense. Physically and mentally, survival instincts ticking like a clock.
Towards the beginning, we popped out individually through a small opening and the instructor just sort of laid you down and hooked your head up to the person behind you's feet. Before long we had constructed a human chain. Hannah and I held hands afterwards, and asked the instructor to snap a photo. I'll post that one soon. :)
There were two opportunities to do a high or low jump, and I am proud to say that I had the courage to try both high jumps. The first was terrifying because you had to take quite a large step out in front of you to avoid a lot of rock that was in the way. The second was much higher, approximately seven and a half meters. After this one, I felt like I was just falling and falling and falling and didn't know when I was going to stop, when I finally I hit the water.
Multiple times my feet hit rock on the bottom, so I was very grateful for my awesome shoes to protect me and if anything, help me bounce back up towards the surface.
All of a sudden I was slap happy. Somewhere between the release of fear and worry and the adrenaline rushes, I was more joyful than I had been in months. I felt brave, and that was a good feeling. My friends Katie and Hannah mentioned that they were proud of me, which made my heart swell even more. I also just enjoyed my first wetsuit experience, haha! This energy made me start fooling around, laying on my belly on rocks saying "I'm a beached whale. My best comedic moment (in my humble opinion), was at the very end of the adventure, when we were coming out of the water for good. I started running in slow motion and singing some kind of mash-up between the Chariots of Fire theme and "Rocky"...and then fell flat on my face. I got up, laughing, hoping someone had seen it! People had...they just didn't think it was as funny as I did. And then I knew that it was time to call it a day. Lol.
I felt my muscles working hard and properly at the beginning, but towards the end started to feel a little bit like jello. Other highlights include taking a group photo underneath a freezing cold waterfall, getting teased by the instructors once they realized how much fun I was having i.e. swimming by one saying "Don't splash me, only to be dunked.. Pushed into a hole, helped up, and then almost dropped again while being helped up...laughing the entire time. It was just so much fun.
I was so grateful that for most of the adventure the sun was shining brightly above us, warming our bodies in a way that the wetsuits just couldn't compete with. It was the perfect day.
I soaked in one last view of the canyon in all its glory, taking a mental photograph, before beginning the walk up the mountain. It was quite a hike, and after a while, I got to lead everyone, which gave me one last burst of adventure-confidence.
There truly are no words to do this experience justice. If you get the opportunity to go canyoning: GO!
Photos to come,
Princess Samantha
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Weekend One: Lake District and Day in the City
I write this morning from my bedroom, chugging water in an attempt to get completely over this cold.
My host family, Katelyn (my roommate) and I just had a typical breakfast of wheat bread with jam, butter, or nutella, and fruit. The nutella was a new addition to the table today! As was a fruit smoothie that my host mom whipped up, which contained the grass portion of a wheat stalk! Who knew you could eat that stuff..? It was a light brown color but tasted delicious. Host mom always makes sure we eat healthily. :)
Katelyn and many of my friends are going on an excursion today to the salt mines. A part of me wishes I was going too, but I am thankful for the day to just explore Salzburg a little bit more (especially after getting lost last night...I clearly don't know the city as well as I thought I did. It looks completely different when it is overcast!), and also to rest. I originally passed up the opportunity to save on cash, and now that I am sick I don't think I would have been able to handle four days of excursioning in a row. Tomorrow I am going canyoning. I am absolutely terrified but I've heard it's amazing, so I'm giving it a shot. My goal for today is to rest and drink tons of water so that I wake up tomorrow feeling healthy and ready to go.
Yesterday was in a word: breathtaking.
Literally.
We ran out of breath.
Because we hiked up a freakin' mountain!!
But also the scenery was picturesque.
To all you outdoorsy people: Bear with me. This was my first real hiking experience, so I was a little unprepared. Aka I am in the worst shape of my life thus far, lol.
Okay, let's start from the very beginning. (It's a very good place to start.)
We met bright at early at Salzburg college and then boarded a charter bus. Konrad (our Viennese fearless leader) came on the intercom system and debriefed us for the day. We took off toward the lake region and were almost immediately surrounded by gorgeous mountains.
About half an hour and 20 pages of Divergent later, we reached our destination. We got out and the first thing I notice was a cable car going up to a mountain. After a quick pit stop, we walked towards a little town. This place was so quaint my friend Leann and I broke out into the opening number of Beauty and the Beast for the fortieth time since arriving in Europe. (There are just so many little towns!!)
We proceed to hike all the way around the lake to get to our hiking trail, and the view was just...incredible. I was actually a bit angry at Konrad for not allowing us more time to take photographs. I had never seen anything so gorgeous in my life.
Except for Schloss Neuschwanstein maybe. ;)
When we reached the end of the trail we were greeted by SWANS!
Swans are kind of a big deal in the US, at least in my experience. They are somewhat rare, and so beautiful. I snapped like 10,000 photos of these swans...
Then the actual hike (aka DEATH) began. It was all uphill, at an incline greater than I'd ever attempted on a treadmill at the gym! At one point I got separated from the group as I fell behind the speed demons but was still ahead of the few that formed the caboose, and I just took a second to connect with God in nature. To really absorb the beauty that surrounded me. To appreciate the peace that nature brings. I was very thankful for that moment. I think it might be what I remember most when I reminisce about this hike later in life.
FINALLY we reached the peak where the view was SPECTACULAR.
And then, the descent. Which was fun but allowed for even more separation among our group. A few of the boys used the downhill to their advantage and SPRINTED down. These were the same boys who slid down the steep hill of the fortress a little over twenty-four hours ago.... (*sigh*)
When we reached the end of the hike, the view became even BETTER. The hills looked just like the ones that Maria sings in at the beginning of the Sound of Music. So of course, we took photos. Unfortunately my camera had already died by that point, so I will have to wait to mooch those ones from my friends when they post them on Facebook.
All of us worked up an intense appetite, and could not wait for lunch. It was a two or three minute walk to the farmhouse where food awaited us. Unfortunately, as fate would have it, we got chewed out by a scary German lady for running around in the hills before we made it down there. It's actually kind of funny though, getting reprimanding when you don't understand the language. Their frustration intensifies, and you just stand there dumbfounded, not knowing what to say or do. These are my cultural observations, lol!
Lunch was delicious. On the tables there were giant slabs of...tree. It looked like bark on the underside, and smooth wood on the top where the food was. There was all kinds of meet and cheese on this board, surrounded by a few vegetables (tomatoes, radishes and peppers), potato salad, and condiments (butter and horseradish spread). To accompany all of this was wheat bread, which was so soft and spongey!
I went to wash my hands and by the time I came back most of the platter was empty. I then realized that I had chosen to sit at a table of mostly BOYS! Struggle. Thankfully Konrad noticed that all of our food was gone in the first five minutes and nicely asked the waitresses if we could have more, and shortly it arrived. In the meantime I mooched off of the table behind me--my friend Kasey provided a piece of salami and goat cheese. To drink there was water, but also a special syrup--elderberry! I had just gotten some elderberry cough drops at the grocery store the previous day, so it was cool to see the fruit pop up again! And it is SO GOOD.
Our next stop was the adorable town of Halstatt. On the way, we passed through , where Brahams and other famous people vacationed! Very cool.
Halstatt stole my heart almost immediately. Tiny, quaint, and full of tourists, this stop is definitely one of the highlights of the entire trip so far for me. I will just let this picture speak for itself:
Right before jumping back on the bus my friend John and I decided that we need something to satisfy our sweet teeth (even though we had gelato less than hour ago...whoops). We ran into a cute bakery and quickly decided to get two different things and split them. I chose the last apple strudel and he selected a chocolate cherry cake. We made it back to the bus with a minute or two to spare, and happily munched on our pastries which were DELICIOUS. It may be a bit pathetic but the amazing food is enough reason to make me consider moving to Austria.
Speaking of food, dinner with my host family is definitely one of my favorite parts of every day. We usually have a traditional Austrian dinner on the weeknights, which consists of meat, cheese and bread. Because my host mom has a green thumb and enjoys eating healthily, we usually have fresh-picked salad too. Twice in this first week though we have been treated to exceptional meals; the first, barbecued chicken and asparagus and tonight, spaghetti with a cream sauce that had asparagus and bacon. Both times we were indulged with dessert too; the first being chopped fruit with yogurt and sherbet, and tonight rhubarb sponge cake. I am thankful that I walk a lot in the city otherwise I wold have gained at least 5 pounds! ;)
Also, we enjoy the company of the two children for the meal, but soon they are ready to hop up from the table and resume playing or if it is a Friday night, watch TV. This gives my host parents time alone with Katelyn and I. They are intellectual and humanitarian people, so we always have interesting discussions. Sometimes we compare and contrast our cultures, sharing details and stories. Other times we talk briefly about our days. I know that this time in the evening, sipping on champagne with my host parents, will definitely be something that I miss greatly.
It was wonderful to have a rather relaxing day in Salzburg, as tomorrow I will be embarking on a bit of a crazy adventure--CANYONING! I have heard it is amazing, a must-do, if you will. I am definitely terrified, but it's nothing that prayer and encouragement can't get me through! Hear my cry, Lord! Lol.
OH! I don't know how I forgot until the end, but ALSO, this morning began with observing a rehearsal of the Mozarteum symphony orchestra. I don't know what to say other than that it was the most heavenly music I have ever heard. The blend of the strings was flawless. The sound was so incredibly warm. Music in heaven will be something like that, I'm sure.
Also, we witnessed some drama because one of the singers was under the weather and the violins were upset that they couldn't hear him. Poor baritone, I felt his pain. Being sick is no fun. As I described to Hannah, it is like your voice is trapped in a glass box, banging on the walls screaming hoarsely, "Let me out!!" It is frustrating when you want to do a good job and your body simply won't let you. Athletes with injuries feel the exact same way, I'm sure.
Thanks so much for reading. Hope you are doing well where ever you are. :)
Gute Nacht,
Princess Samantha
My host family, Katelyn (my roommate) and I just had a typical breakfast of wheat bread with jam, butter, or nutella, and fruit. The nutella was a new addition to the table today! As was a fruit smoothie that my host mom whipped up, which contained the grass portion of a wheat stalk! Who knew you could eat that stuff..? It was a light brown color but tasted delicious. Host mom always makes sure we eat healthily. :)
Katelyn and many of my friends are going on an excursion today to the salt mines. A part of me wishes I was going too, but I am thankful for the day to just explore Salzburg a little bit more (especially after getting lost last night...I clearly don't know the city as well as I thought I did. It looks completely different when it is overcast!), and also to rest. I originally passed up the opportunity to save on cash, and now that I am sick I don't think I would have been able to handle four days of excursioning in a row. Tomorrow I am going canyoning. I am absolutely terrified but I've heard it's amazing, so I'm giving it a shot. My goal for today is to rest and drink tons of water so that I wake up tomorrow feeling healthy and ready to go.
Yesterday was in a word: breathtaking.
Literally.
We ran out of breath.
Because we hiked up a freakin' mountain!!
But also the scenery was picturesque.
To all you outdoorsy people: Bear with me. This was my first real hiking experience, so I was a little unprepared. Aka I am in the worst shape of my life thus far, lol.
Okay, let's start from the very beginning. (It's a very good place to start.)
We met bright at early at Salzburg college and then boarded a charter bus. Konrad (our Viennese fearless leader) came on the intercom system and debriefed us for the day. We took off toward the lake region and were almost immediately surrounded by gorgeous mountains.
About half an hour and 20 pages of Divergent later, we reached our destination. We got out and the first thing I notice was a cable car going up to a mountain. After a quick pit stop, we walked towards a little town. This place was so quaint my friend Leann and I broke out into the opening number of Beauty and the Beast for the fortieth time since arriving in Europe. (There are just so many little towns!!)
We proceed to hike all the way around the lake to get to our hiking trail, and the view was just...incredible. I was actually a bit angry at Konrad for not allowing us more time to take photographs. I had never seen anything so gorgeous in my life.
Except for Schloss Neuschwanstein maybe. ;)
When we reached the end of the trail we were greeted by SWANS!
Swans are kind of a big deal in the US, at least in my experience. They are somewhat rare, and so beautiful. I snapped like 10,000 photos of these swans...
Then the actual hike (aka DEATH) began. It was all uphill, at an incline greater than I'd ever attempted on a treadmill at the gym! At one point I got separated from the group as I fell behind the speed demons but was still ahead of the few that formed the caboose, and I just took a second to connect with God in nature. To really absorb the beauty that surrounded me. To appreciate the peace that nature brings. I was very thankful for that moment. I think it might be what I remember most when I reminisce about this hike later in life.
FINALLY we reached the peak where the view was SPECTACULAR.
And then, the descent. Which was fun but allowed for even more separation among our group. A few of the boys used the downhill to their advantage and SPRINTED down. These were the same boys who slid down the steep hill of the fortress a little over twenty-four hours ago.... (*sigh*)
When we reached the end of the hike, the view became even BETTER. The hills looked just like the ones that Maria sings in at the beginning of the Sound of Music. So of course, we took photos. Unfortunately my camera had already died by that point, so I will have to wait to mooch those ones from my friends when they post them on Facebook.
All of us worked up an intense appetite, and could not wait for lunch. It was a two or three minute walk to the farmhouse where food awaited us. Unfortunately, as fate would have it, we got chewed out by a scary German lady for running around in the hills before we made it down there. It's actually kind of funny though, getting reprimanding when you don't understand the language. Their frustration intensifies, and you just stand there dumbfounded, not knowing what to say or do. These are my cultural observations, lol!
Lunch was delicious. On the tables there were giant slabs of...tree. It looked like bark on the underside, and smooth wood on the top where the food was. There was all kinds of meet and cheese on this board, surrounded by a few vegetables (tomatoes, radishes and peppers), potato salad, and condiments (butter and horseradish spread). To accompany all of this was wheat bread, which was so soft and spongey!
I went to wash my hands and by the time I came back most of the platter was empty. I then realized that I had chosen to sit at a table of mostly BOYS! Struggle. Thankfully Konrad noticed that all of our food was gone in the first five minutes and nicely asked the waitresses if we could have more, and shortly it arrived. In the meantime I mooched off of the table behind me--my friend Kasey provided a piece of salami and goat cheese. To drink there was water, but also a special syrup--elderberry! I had just gotten some elderberry cough drops at the grocery store the previous day, so it was cool to see the fruit pop up again! And it is SO GOOD.
Our next stop was the adorable town of Halstatt. On the way, we passed through , where Brahams and other famous people vacationed! Very cool.
Halstatt stole my heart almost immediately. Tiny, quaint, and full of tourists, this stop is definitely one of the highlights of the entire trip so far for me. I will just let this picture speak for itself:
Right before jumping back on the bus my friend John and I decided that we need something to satisfy our sweet teeth (even though we had gelato less than hour ago...whoops). We ran into a cute bakery and quickly decided to get two different things and split them. I chose the last apple strudel and he selected a chocolate cherry cake. We made it back to the bus with a minute or two to spare, and happily munched on our pastries which were DELICIOUS. It may be a bit pathetic but the amazing food is enough reason to make me consider moving to Austria.
Speaking of food, dinner with my host family is definitely one of my favorite parts of every day. We usually have a traditional Austrian dinner on the weeknights, which consists of meat, cheese and bread. Because my host mom has a green thumb and enjoys eating healthily, we usually have fresh-picked salad too. Twice in this first week though we have been treated to exceptional meals; the first, barbecued chicken and asparagus and tonight, spaghetti with a cream sauce that had asparagus and bacon. Both times we were indulged with dessert too; the first being chopped fruit with yogurt and sherbet, and tonight rhubarb sponge cake. I am thankful that I walk a lot in the city otherwise I wold have gained at least 5 pounds! ;)
Also, we enjoy the company of the two children for the meal, but soon they are ready to hop up from the table and resume playing or if it is a Friday night, watch TV. This gives my host parents time alone with Katelyn and I. They are intellectual and humanitarian people, so we always have interesting discussions. Sometimes we compare and contrast our cultures, sharing details and stories. Other times we talk briefly about our days. I know that this time in the evening, sipping on champagne with my host parents, will definitely be something that I miss greatly.
It was wonderful to have a rather relaxing day in Salzburg, as tomorrow I will be embarking on a bit of a crazy adventure--CANYONING! I have heard it is amazing, a must-do, if you will. I am definitely terrified, but it's nothing that prayer and encouragement can't get me through! Hear my cry, Lord! Lol.
OH! I don't know how I forgot until the end, but ALSO, this morning began with observing a rehearsal of the Mozarteum symphony orchestra. I don't know what to say other than that it was the most heavenly music I have ever heard. The blend of the strings was flawless. The sound was so incredibly warm. Music in heaven will be something like that, I'm sure.
Also, we witnessed some drama because one of the singers was under the weather and the violins were upset that they couldn't hear him. Poor baritone, I felt his pain. Being sick is no fun. As I described to Hannah, it is like your voice is trapped in a glass box, banging on the walls screaming hoarsely, "Let me out!!" It is frustrating when you want to do a good job and your body simply won't let you. Athletes with injuries feel the exact same way, I'm sure.
Thanks so much for reading. Hope you are doing well where ever you are. :)
Gute Nacht,
Princess Samantha
Finally...an update!
A few nights ago I was incredibly restless, frustrated that I was at home, fifteen minutes away from the city where I truly wanted to be.
Tonight I set at my desk listening to the Sound of Music original soundtrack as the sun sinks below the mountains outside, happy as can be.
My allergies started flaring up a couple of nights ago, and now it seems they have turned into a full-blown cold. It's like I'm experiencing Gainesville allergies all over again. Yay.
Nevertheless, I'm grateful that not feeling well is forcing me to rest.
Today we walked up to the highest point in the city of Salzburg--the fortress!
The view was absolutely amazing, and I'm so glad that I could even muster the energy to go after waking up feeling like my head was encased in a box...
We hiked up and around and then all the way up to the fortress. We learned that it was literally in-conquerable, surrounded on all sides by mountains and the steepest ramps ever.
The view of the city was fantastic.
Just hanging out with this gorgeous view like it's no big deal. Casual, as my friend Victoria would say.
More photos of the fortress to come!
Thanks for tuning in. :)
Gratefully,
Princess Samantha
Tonight I set at my desk listening to the Sound of Music original soundtrack as the sun sinks below the mountains outside, happy as can be.
My allergies started flaring up a couple of nights ago, and now it seems they have turned into a full-blown cold. It's like I'm experiencing Gainesville allergies all over again. Yay.
Nevertheless, I'm grateful that not feeling well is forcing me to rest.
Today we walked up to the highest point in the city of Salzburg--the fortress!
The view was absolutely amazing, and I'm so glad that I could even muster the energy to go after waking up feeling like my head was encased in a box...
That building right above my head is the house of the Von Trapps in the Sound of Music! (Sidenote: This was not the ACTUAL house of the Von Trapp family.)
The view of the city was fantastic.
More photos of the fortress to come!
Thanks for tuning in. :)
Gratefully,
Princess Samantha
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Day 4: So This is Love
This post will probably the one that most resembles the name of this blog, because... I visited Schloss Neuschwanstein!!!!!!!
I know that probably means nothing to you. Let me clue you in:
This is the castle that inspired Cinderella's castle in Disney World/Land!!!
Day 4 was our free day, and honestly, I didn't know what to do with myself, UNTIL...I started chatting with some friends and we deciding to spontaneously check out this famous castle.
Five of us woke up at the crack of dawn to take the 8am train, and our dedication was soon gratified with the sight of gorgeous, snow-capped mountains.
About two hours later, we arrived and boarded a bus that took us uphill to the tiny town that surrounds the castles. All of us grabbed the very back row of the bus, and got a British dude to snap a photo of us for the memory. The little town is essentially composed of restaurants and cafes for people to dine at after touring the castle. We soon saw two castles from the bus window! One was the one we expected, beautiful in all it's Cinderella-esque glory:
The other reminded us of Spanish culture:
We bought our tickets, deciding to tour only the Cinderella castle, and then learned that we could take either a bus or a horse and carriage up to the castle. Can you say FAIRYTALE?! To save on Euros and precious time we opted for the bus. But seriously. A HORSE AND CARRIAGE!! Okay I'm done.
The bus driver made sure that he packed us all in as tightly possible which brought me right back to UF (anyone who rides the 38 from Gainesville Place to campus for an 830 class...you feel me). THEN he proceeded to take the tiny, winding road at high speed! My friends and I clung to each other, holding on for our dear lives and observing aloud to one another that if we were to slip by taking a turn too fast, the small guardrail would be no small feat for the bus to topple over...and down the mountain we would go...
"He does this drive so many times every day", someone tried to reassure. We tried to distract ourselves, and soon arrived at the top of the mountain, where the castle was!
We had about twenty or thirty minutes until our tour began, so we walked up a hill to "the bridge" that we had heard about. This rickety thing brought me right back to The Emperor's New Groove:
Uh-oh.
Don't tell me. We're about to go over a huge waterfall.
Yep.
Sharp rocks at the bottom?
Most likely.
Bring it on.
BOO-YA-HA-HA-HA!!
Genuinely felt like that was going to happen, and quoted it aloud to my friends but hey, I'm still here! Alive and well. Except I'm sick. But I'm alive!
ANYWAYS, after weaving through loads of tourists (that's the other thing, there were people packed tighter than we were on the bus on this bridge), we started taking photos.
Because it was a breathtaking view...
On the other side too:
The weather was rather overcast, the air was damp and cold. My friend Katie wished the sun was out for better picture light, but I remarked that I loved a bit of melancholy in life. I know it was a castle, and usually fairytale things are bright and sunny in my mind, but for some reason it seemed fitting. The castle was gray and regal, and the weather matched its color and dignity.
After an extensive photo shoot, it was time for our tour! It was a bit of a hike to the actual castle, and we put a bit of pep in our step to make sure that we weren't late! ...We ended up being early, which meant...more photos!
This was truly the most amazing thing I had ever seen.
And then we went inside.
I wish, SOMEHOW, I had the words to describe the magnificence that was the castle interior. Photographs were prohibited, so I will leave the images to your imagination...
We moved through a hallway, past servants quarters, and entered the throne room. The tour guide described various features of the room, most significantly, the gigantic murals on the walls. She told us that the twelve disciples were depicted in two lines of six, and above them, a row of kings. And the top, she said, was the King of Kings.
I looked up at Jesus, ruling over all of those noble and amazing people, truly holy and the most amazing of them all.
Goosebumps covered my entire body.
If this is the throne room of a particular king, WHAT will the throne room of THE KING of Kings look like?!
The astounding beauty made me wonder HOW I ever doubted the existence of God.
The details simply never stopped. Even the floor was made of mosaics.
The other rooms were quite beautiful too, and before I knew it the tour had ended. And I could not stop picturing that throne room. I still can't. Such regality.
Of course, there was a gift shop. My friends and I bought postcards and such, then made the trek back to the bus to take us to the little town, where we had a casual lunch outside.
The next part of the adventure is the most exciting...
We finished our lunch and noticed that a bus was waiting to head back towards the train station. Katie asked us if we should try and catch it. Unsure, and distracted by insanely delicious french fries, I hesitated. Two or three minutes later, we actually got up and started hurrying towards it. As life would have it, the driver pulled away just as we were approaching the rear of the bus.
Frustrated, but also laughing (because we had joked about such a thing happening), we waited in line for the next bus. ..The next bus did not come.. for almost forty-five minutes we waited, knowing that if we did not get to station soon, we would miss our train. There was another train at six, but we were tired after rising early and were ready to get home and pack, as we were leaving for Salzburg early the next morning.
FINALLY a bus came. We were first in line, so we jumped on quickly. To our dismay, the driver waited for EVERYone to get on....which took at least five minutes (hey, that's a long time when you're in a rush to catch a train)!
The ride felt like eternity, as we were watching the clock intently, feeling that truthfully, there was absolutely no way we could make our train. Trains are almost always extremely punctual in Europe, departing exactly when they say they will, if not earlier.
Nevertheless, with determination, we kept off the bus as soon as it stopped, and sprinted towards the train station. We looked around, and almost everyone around us was sprinting with us, trying to catch the same train back to Munich! Adrenaline pumped through our blood as we caught sight of the train, miraculously at the station! We reached an entrance, and suddenly noticed that Leann and Katelyn were not right behind us, and Leann had our train ticket! I anxiously craned my neck, hoping to spot their faces somewhere in the stampede, and after a few minutes, saw them running towards me! They had gotten trapped in a crowd, but MADE IT.
We grabbed seats near each other and sat down with long sighs of relief. What a day.
Still in disbelief,
Princess Samantha
I know that probably means nothing to you. Let me clue you in:
This is the castle that inspired Cinderella's castle in Disney World/Land!!!
Day 4 was our free day, and honestly, I didn't know what to do with myself, UNTIL...I started chatting with some friends and we deciding to spontaneously check out this famous castle.
Five of us woke up at the crack of dawn to take the 8am train, and our dedication was soon gratified with the sight of gorgeous, snow-capped mountains.
About two hours later, we arrived and boarded a bus that took us uphill to the tiny town that surrounds the castles. All of us grabbed the very back row of the bus, and got a British dude to snap a photo of us for the memory. The little town is essentially composed of restaurants and cafes for people to dine at after touring the castle. We soon saw two castles from the bus window! One was the one we expected, beautiful in all it's Cinderella-esque glory:
The other reminded us of Spanish culture:
We bought our tickets, deciding to tour only the Cinderella castle, and then learned that we could take either a bus or a horse and carriage up to the castle. Can you say FAIRYTALE?! To save on Euros and precious time we opted for the bus. But seriously. A HORSE AND CARRIAGE!! Okay I'm done.
The bus driver made sure that he packed us all in as tightly possible which brought me right back to UF (anyone who rides the 38 from Gainesville Place to campus for an 830 class...you feel me). THEN he proceeded to take the tiny, winding road at high speed! My friends and I clung to each other, holding on for our dear lives and observing aloud to one another that if we were to slip by taking a turn too fast, the small guardrail would be no small feat for the bus to topple over...and down the mountain we would go...
"He does this drive so many times every day", someone tried to reassure. We tried to distract ourselves, and soon arrived at the top of the mountain, where the castle was!
We had about twenty or thirty minutes until our tour began, so we walked up a hill to "the bridge" that we had heard about. This rickety thing brought me right back to The Emperor's New Groove:
Uh-oh.
Don't tell me. We're about to go over a huge waterfall.
Yep.
Sharp rocks at the bottom?
Most likely.
Bring it on.
BOO-YA-HA-HA-HA!!
Genuinely felt like that was going to happen, and quoted it aloud to my friends but hey, I'm still here! Alive and well. Except I'm sick. But I'm alive!
ANYWAYS, after weaving through loads of tourists (that's the other thing, there were people packed tighter than we were on the bus on this bridge), we started taking photos.
Because it was a breathtaking view...
On the other side too:
The weather was rather overcast, the air was damp and cold. My friend Katie wished the sun was out for better picture light, but I remarked that I loved a bit of melancholy in life. I know it was a castle, and usually fairytale things are bright and sunny in my mind, but for some reason it seemed fitting. The castle was gray and regal, and the weather matched its color and dignity.
After an extensive photo shoot, it was time for our tour! It was a bit of a hike to the actual castle, and we put a bit of pep in our step to make sure that we weren't late! ...We ended up being early, which meant...more photos!
And then we went inside.
I wish, SOMEHOW, I had the words to describe the magnificence that was the castle interior. Photographs were prohibited, so I will leave the images to your imagination...
We moved through a hallway, past servants quarters, and entered the throne room. The tour guide described various features of the room, most significantly, the gigantic murals on the walls. She told us that the twelve disciples were depicted in two lines of six, and above them, a row of kings. And the top, she said, was the King of Kings.
I looked up at Jesus, ruling over all of those noble and amazing people, truly holy and the most amazing of them all.
Goosebumps covered my entire body.
If this is the throne room of a particular king, WHAT will the throne room of THE KING of Kings look like?!
The astounding beauty made me wonder HOW I ever doubted the existence of God.
The details simply never stopped. Even the floor was made of mosaics.
The other rooms were quite beautiful too, and before I knew it the tour had ended. And I could not stop picturing that throne room. I still can't. Such regality.
Of course, there was a gift shop. My friends and I bought postcards and such, then made the trek back to the bus to take us to the little town, where we had a casual lunch outside.
The next part of the adventure is the most exciting...
We finished our lunch and noticed that a bus was waiting to head back towards the train station. Katie asked us if we should try and catch it. Unsure, and distracted by insanely delicious french fries, I hesitated. Two or three minutes later, we actually got up and started hurrying towards it. As life would have it, the driver pulled away just as we were approaching the rear of the bus.
Frustrated, but also laughing (because we had joked about such a thing happening), we waited in line for the next bus. ..The next bus did not come.. for almost forty-five minutes we waited, knowing that if we did not get to station soon, we would miss our train. There was another train at six, but we were tired after rising early and were ready to get home and pack, as we were leaving for Salzburg early the next morning.
FINALLY a bus came. We were first in line, so we jumped on quickly. To our dismay, the driver waited for EVERYone to get on....which took at least five minutes (hey, that's a long time when you're in a rush to catch a train)!
The ride felt like eternity, as we were watching the clock intently, feeling that truthfully, there was absolutely no way we could make our train. Trains are almost always extremely punctual in Europe, departing exactly when they say they will, if not earlier.
Nevertheless, with determination, we kept off the bus as soon as it stopped, and sprinted towards the train station. We looked around, and almost everyone around us was sprinting with us, trying to catch the same train back to Munich! Adrenaline pumped through our blood as we caught sight of the train, miraculously at the station! We reached an entrance, and suddenly noticed that Leann and Katelyn were not right behind us, and Leann had our train ticket! I anxiously craned my neck, hoping to spot their faces somewhere in the stampede, and after a few minutes, saw them running towards me! They had gotten trapped in a crowd, but MADE IT.
We grabbed seats near each other and sat down with long sighs of relief. What a day.
Still in disbelief,
Princess Samantha
Day 3: Nuremberg
I don't know if I've ever had so much to say and such writer's block when it comes to actually saying it!
There is no way to describe in words how amazing the beginning of this trip has been.
The pictures do not do the beauty justice.
I can't seem to be able to wrap my mind around it either.
But I will try my best. :)
Day 3 began with breakfast and grabbing a sandwich at the train station. I opted for the one that was literally called "Big Sandwich". Because it was cheap and well, big. Lol.
We rode the train for a little over an hour and then met up with our tour guide. I wrote these thoughts in my "Notes" app on my phone...
To my surprise, the city of Nuremberg was significantly more charming than I expected!
We continued through the city, only to discover a huge church, ornate fountain, and fortress on a hill.
After climbing the hill to see the castle/fortress, we ate our packed lunches in the shade. I found that two of my new friends had also chosen the Big Sandwich, which was rather delicious.
The amazing cathedral!
Ornate fountain!
Fortress and tower. (Tower reminds me of Rapunzel)!
Before long it was time to hop on another train to check out the courtroom where the Nuremberg Trials were held. There was a museum and although we were all pretty exhausting, it was still interesting. We listened to audio guides and moved through the exhibits at our own pace.
We soon hopped back on the train to go back to Nuremberg, and then back to Munich.
My four friends and I planned our trip for the next day, which is described under "So This is Love"...
In awe,
Princess Samantha
There is no way to describe in words how amazing the beginning of this trip has been.
The pictures do not do the beauty justice.
I can't seem to be able to wrap my mind around it either.
But I will try my best. :)
Day 3 began with breakfast and grabbing a sandwich at the train station. I opted for the one that was literally called "Big Sandwich". Because it was cheap and well, big. Lol.
We rode the train for a little over an hour and then met up with our tour guide. I wrote these thoughts in my "Notes" app on my phone...
"It was beautiful on the train, but I could only look out the window for so long because fate had chosen for me a seat that moved backwards. I also believe it to be true that I can only take in so much at once and truly appreciate and enjoy it. The concept of sensory overload if you will. So I let the story of The Fault in Our Stars transport me to another place as we traveled across German countryside, knowing that when we arrived at Nuremberg I'd truly be able to absorb it all.
I wanted to look at new things with the fresh eyes of a child for the next five and a half weeks. I never wanted to get used to it. I never wanted to take it for granted. I wanted to stay amazed.
My ears are popping like crazy on this train!! The Germans all seem use to it.
I hear German all around me, unlike on the subway where they prefer silence. There are lots of children but they seem well behaved. No one really looks me in the eye. The sound of German over the intercom sort of scares me, maybe because the voice sounds harsh and sharp.
The houses and rolling hills are ever so charming. I think it's the most beautiful place I've ever seen, but I also think Salzburg will soon take its place."
To my surprise, the city of Nuremberg was significantly more charming than I expected!
Case in point.
We continued through the city, only to discover a huge church, ornate fountain, and fortress on a hill.
After climbing the hill to see the castle/fortress, we ate our packed lunches in the shade. I found that two of my new friends had also chosen the Big Sandwich, which was rather delicious.
Before long it was time to hop on another train to check out the courtroom where the Nuremberg Trials were held. There was a museum and although we were all pretty exhausting, it was still interesting. We listened to audio guides and moved through the exhibits at our own pace.
We soon hopped back on the train to go back to Nuremberg, and then back to Munich.
My four friends and I planned our trip for the next day, which is described under "So This is Love"...
In awe,
Princess Samantha
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