Aug 14 - Day 1 in Prague

Arrival in Prague! Today was a long bus day, but with a most excellent destination – the mysterious city of Rudolf II and the economic and political center of the Czech Republic and Bohemia! Returning to Eastern Europe was wonderful, but Prague is certainly very different from Budapest. It is on the way to total economic rejuvenation and is bustling (actually, overflowing) with tourists.

After the five or so hour ride, we checked into our hostel. It is a very good hostel, reasonably clean and safe, as well as perfectly located. We then went on a walking tour with our guide, Irena, who is a native of Prague and has some great and detailed stories. We saw the main square of the old city, which is called Staré město. The square features the famous Astronomical Clock, which we watched at around 5 p.m. The clock is gorgeous and definitely upholds the mysterious and mystical stereotype of Prague. Additionally on the tour we saw the Estate Theatre, where Mozart’s Don Giovanni premiered; an advertisement covering the statue of Jan Huss; many historical buildings; and Wenceslas Square, the site of many historical events, such as Jan Palach setting himself on fire in 1969 in protest of the Soviets entering Czechoslovakia and the Velvet Revolution demonstrations of 1989.

Irena provided great information, in particular about the Velvet Revolution. She described the masses of students marching down the square in vivid detail, as a first-person source would be able to do. I greatly enjoyed the tour and I look forward to more thorough ones in the coming days.

With the ending of the tour, we headed out to dinner at a delicious and cheap restaurant, Apetit. I enjoyed some goulash and amazing Czech beer, as well as a mostly local environment not overrun with tourists. We ended the night by going out to a nightclub, which was extremely fun (and the love of David Hasselhoff continues, with the club playing the theme song of Baywatch), but super touristy.

I’m definitely looking forward to looking deeper into Prague. My first impressions are to note the difference from it to Budapest – both Eastern and once under communism, but in such different states now. Budapest has not yet recovered, but Prague is flourishing. But at the same time, Prague is overwhelmingly touristy in the location we are in, by the Old Town, while Budapest definitely does not reek of being a huge tourist attraction. Prague also seems fairly easy to navigate, with the Old Town in such prominence and the Charles Bridge as a good guide. I’m definitely excited for the next few days!

Aug 13 - Day 13 in Vienna

Today was the first day back in Vienna and it definitely felt like returning home. I was very excited to get back to my daily ‘routine’, if I can claim to have one in this exciting city. I headed out to a museum – the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum, or Museum of Military History – enjoyed a delicious dinner and headed out to the Rathaus for some fun at night. It was simply a wonderful day in Vienna mixing history and the present.

The Military History Museum has to be one of my personal favorite museum going experiences. It is housed in the Arsenal, a former military complex and the first museum built in Vienna, according to the guidebook. It features several styles, such as Byzantine and Neo-Gothic. The museum, which is absolutely massive, has several major sections: Austria and Europe, 1789-1866; the Thirty Years’ Way, the Ottomans, and Prince Eugene of Savoy; Maria Theresia (and the War of Austrian Succession); Naval Power Austria (which was a surprise to me, as I had been in a modern mindset about Austria’s military and couldn’t imagine a land-locked country having a navy. Yet, of course, it was a great navy during the Habsburg empire, when the lands stretched as far as the sea); Republic and Dictatorship; Francis Joseph, Sarajevo; World War I; and the Tank Collection.

I went alone, and even better, very few people in Vienna decided to attend the museum today as well. I got to spend so much time alone in exhibits, wandering and looking to my own personal preference. I found the displays extremely good. The artifacts, such as the oldest military uniform in existence, Franz Ferdinand’s coat (with the bullet hole and blood stain!!!!! Wow, I had a history seizure when I saw that – what an incredible thing to witness in person; to be able to find the bullet hole and ponder what it caused was an experience only to be had in Vienna), guns, swords, and modern military objects, filled the museum and allowed me to spend three happy hours looking at all the history and imagining the great military conflicts Austria has embroiled itself in.

While I do not usually favor early modern history, I got a bit obsessed with the exhibit on the Ottomans. I was fascinated to learn about their army, which was organized much differently than western ones and used bows and arrows. Their weapons were stunningly beautiful and absolutely deadly. The Ottomans also used mercenaries and paid them with salary, as opposed to the feudal system of other armies.

I also enjoyed the exhibit on the Austrian navy. The first Austrian military watercraft was built during the wars against the Ottomans to assist the military on land and fight the Ottomans on the Danube. Later, thanks to Venice becoming a part of the Habsburg Empire in 1797, the navy expanded enormously with Venice as the chief harbor of the navy. In addition to military achievements, such as the battle at Lissa, I also found the expeditions to the Arctic interesting to learn about. I’ve always been fascinated by Arctic explorers, such as Ernest Shackleton, but I’d never heard of an Austrian mission! One story (with an epic accompanying painting) particularly intrigued me as it was a survival tale against all odds. The team’s ship was stuck in the ice and they had to abandon it to search for rescue. Unbelievably, they survived.

The exhibition on World War II was decent, but the way they approach it, as noted before, is quite passive. And the display on the Holocaust is surprisingly small and not well dealt with. The audio guide is not detailed on that aspect and the rest of the exhibit does not reference it as much. However, some of the propaganda and signs they have is quite good and I found it interesting overall, albeit slightly disappointing.

After exploring the other displays, I left the museum and returned to go out to dinner with everyone for Rricha’s birthday. We ate dinner at an amazing Italian restaurant that is in the courtyard of a beautiful Baroque church. After the delicious meal and amazing setting, we headed off to the Rathaus for some movie watching fun and good times. With that ended another great day in Vienna!

Aug 12 - Day 2 in Budapest

Today was my final day in Budapest and I definitely felt unprepared to leave such an amazing city. I started the day by checking out of the hostel and headed out to find a bit of breakfast. What I ended up eating ranks as my top most delicious item eaten ever: kifli, a traditional Hungarian pastry. That helped solidify my love for the city and country – I really cannot begin to describe how great it was. Overall, I was absolutely pleased with the quality and price of food in Budapest. And the waiters and shopkeepers I encountered were quite friendly and always willing to help out with English or with the all important and difficult task of figuring out where we were.

We then set out to explore more of the Buda side of the city, in particular, Castle Hill. We took the funicular up, which was most excellent as I am always up for a funicular ride. The Castle Hill includes sights such as the Royal Palace, various statues, and most crucially, a fantastic view. After the Mongols invaded in the 1400s, the city decided that a place on a hill with fortifications and better protection would be a wise choice, so many people moved to Buda. Also interesting is that Castle Hill was the last stand of Nazi fighters in WWII in Budapest for several months, and sadly, several buildings were heavily damaged. Castle Hill has seen a great deal of history and I was very pleased to spend a few hours wandering around, taking pictures, and enjoying the gorgeous view of the city.

After Castle Hill, we returned to the Chain Bridge fair, where I purchased some sweet bread and bought some souvenirs. It was interesting to me that some stands accepted Euros – I hope that means there is a change in the air in Hungary and a sign of economic improvement with a future move to the Euro.

Then I had, hands down, one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Pure satisfaction. After traveling for several weeks, I didn’t feel tired or exhausted somehow, but I needed a little rejuvenation. The famous (and completely justified in their fame) Budapest baths provided exactly that. A few of us went to the Gellert Baths and Swimming Pool and I have to say it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. After the stress of travel and the intensive walking, entering the warm thermal bath and lounging for an hour was heavenly. I also enjoyed the structure itself, which was built in my favorite artistic style – Secession style. The inside, where the baths are located, is luxury at its best. It appears to have been built with the idea of a Roman bath – statues everywhere, decorative walls, vases… It was just a happy time, and I must say that going to a bath is a requirement for any trip to Budapest. The Gellert Baths (and the cold, refreshing swimming pool) will always hold a special place in my memory for providing me relaxation and a ton of laughs with friends I have made on this program.

With that wonderful finale, we left for our train to Vienna. This time we had seats and it turned out to be a very enjoyable ride back to Vienna, complete with naptime, a game of categories, and witnessing an epic chess match between Henri and my roommate Murphy. Overall, I had one of the most amazing times of my life in Budapest – a mix of some stress and annoyance with certain situations – which I am happy to report did not ruin the trip – with the most enjoyable experiences in a wonderful city in Eastern Europe.

But coming back to Vienna taught me something as well – Vienna feels like home. I believe I know some of it very well and beyond that, the level of comfort I feel here equates to home. And that is a pretty special feeling.

Aug 11 - Day 1 in Budapest

Welcome to Eastern Europe! From the exciting train ride on, I knew this would be an amazing trip in a place wholly new to me. These two days in Budapest showed me a new part of Europe that I cannot wait to return to and learn more about, and additionally, taught me a great deal about myself as an individual and a traveler.

As much as I love public transportation in Europe, it’s certainly not perfect! But in its faults, it provided a big adventure for me today. I was pretty much in charge for organizing the weekend jaunt to Budapest. Figuring stuff out for fifteen people is a little difficult. By the way, that is the biggest understatement in the world.

I found a hostel that could fit all of us and then organized a group ticket for the train. Yay for getting 20 euros off the normal price! Unfortunately, we found some problems at Westbahnhof, but nothing impossible. I hadn’t completely figured out the seat reservations, so we were very confused for awhile. Of course, the minute we got settled, we were told the wagon was not safe and we had to get off! We were already running quite late, sadly, but I am very flexible so I was not concerned.

We evacuated and waited for a new train wagon to be attached. With the new train went our seat reservations as well. The train didn’t have enough spots, so many of us ended up on the floor in the aisle. It turned out to be a European adventure! Not bad at all – in fact, it ended up being so fun!

After being in charge of planning, a bit of spontaneity is pretty exhilarating. And watching everyone react differently to the situation, both those in our group and other travelers as well, taught me many lessons about people in a very short period of time. We encountered some not so friendly travelers, but I must say that it was nicely balanced by the many friendly Hungarians we met throughout the trip!

Now I’m in the other half of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire. I’m in another country, one with an amazing history – from its beginnings to the Habsburgs to communism.

After the train ride ended, we entered Budapest. It is immediately nothing like Vienna – the scraps of communism, of being a part of the poor Eastern Bloc, and not yet benefiting from the Euro show clearly, especially at the train station. We saw some people clearly on drugs, homeless… I do not want to say it is a ‘dirty’ city, because it certainly is not. It is most definitely one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. At night, the city lights up in a way that is probably second only to Paris. But the city is grungier and not westernized. It feels Eastern, and thus, there is a mystique to it for me as I’m very interested in exploring places once dominated by communism.

It was pretty much love at first sight for me, and I was also very excited to be traveling on my own terms. Of course, it turned out that wasn’t completely true – only a few of us had done any examination into Budapest prior to arriving. So I served as one of the main leaders and the tour guide for the trip.

At the train station, one of my classmates, Henri, had gone to get directions to the hostel. Of course, the information booth at the station had led us somewhat astray, so we got off a bus and found ourselves in a crazy rain storm! I thought it was a blast – it literally started to feel like the drops were hail at one point. Henri and I were waiting for the right bus to arrive so we could gather everyone in it, so we waited in the rain while it pounded down – only after it eased a bit did we notice the awning right behind us that would have shielded us. I find stuff like that absolutely hilarious and memorable. The rain storm was a great highlight, and I think that Budapest overcast and misty is perfect.

When we found our hostel, it was a bit depressing. I am glad we only had to spend one night there, because it was not great - but definitely not terrible for a single night. What made it worse for me, however, was that it serves as a dorm for students during the year. That dorm is no place to live, although the area it is in – Buda, the hillier and prettier side – seems wonderful. The divide between my life at UC Santa Barbara, with my ocean view dorm and the lives of students at the university in Budapest is enormous – I cannot imagine day to day life in that type of living situation. It made me wonder – do the students know that a place like that, with its graffiti, broken glass, and absolute grunginess is not normal? Or are they perhaps just happy to be attending college? I wish I knew. However, for me, the hostel was not terrible. All I care about while staying somewhere when I travel is safety, and these doors locked well, we were on the 7^th floor, and there was a person at reception for 24 hours. Also, I spent probably 6 hours sleeping in the hostel, so it was not my destination at all, and thus, no part of it caused me great concern since I had the feeling of security.

After settling in the hostel, I asked the desk to recommend a place for dinner, since most of us had not eaten for hours. The hostel may have been pretty terrible, but the recommendation was absolutely fabulous. We went to Kis Borostyán (http://kisborostyan.hu/), a local Mediterranean restaurant that also featured Hungarian specialties. It was adorable, and more importantly, delicious! The staff was so accommodating to us, rearranging the tables, speaking English, and basically providing some of the best service I have experienced in Europe. I ate delicious Hungarian pancakes stuffed with spicy meat (Stuffed pancakes Hortobágy art), a large pizza with egg and pepper on it, and a sour cherry-cinnamon strudel (which the menu described as “the dessert of our Holidays”). The menu was amazing – so much to choose from – but best of all were the hilarious English descriptions under each item. For example, under pizza, it said “More to Pleasure You!” The dinner was delicious, and thanks to the exchange rate, excellently priced. I was more than happy to throw down 3000 forints for three courses, 2 juices, and a coffee. It was delicious!

After the filling dinner, I thought it would be amazing to just walk along the Danube and experience Budapest at twilight and into the night. We walked to the river bank (still on the Buda side) and spotted a cave church in the hill (Gellert Hill, next to the famous hotel and baths). When you see something like that, you of course have to hike to it! There was a mass going on inside the church at the time, so we just wandered through the entrance and enjoyed it. The history of the Cave Church is quite interesting – it opened in 1926, but was blocked up by the Communists and only reopened in 1989. I don’t understand anyone who wants to cover up such beauty. I hope many people come to it now that they can.

On the walk up to the Church we found the best slide I have ever been on. I mention it because I love the random finds when I travel and wonder off from my initial set plan. This slide was so thrilling – entering a black hole and shooting down a hill, slamming down at the bottom! Those of us who went on it, I’m sure, all had a blast!

Walking along the Danube here was wonderful with everything lit up. We saw Castle Hill, various bridges, and many buildings. In the summer, they put up a fair on the most beautiful bridge – the Chain Bridge, designed by a Scot and finished in 1849. It has small shops, food places, and music throughout the weekend. It’s great just to stroll down, look at the wares, and eat delicious sweet bread. The shopping is pretty wonderful there – especially being out of doors on a bridge flooded in light and with flowers draping the top - and I got some nice gifts.

I just loved being in a new city and witnessing the Danube in a different light, the light of a new and fascinating city. I love Vienna and I definitely can picture living here – but I’m not sure about Budapest. All I know is I have to go back someday.

After the bridge, we headed to a bar for a bit to hang out, but it was not too fun so we decided to head back to the Buda side. Some people chose to return to the hostel, but a few of us were wise and chose to check out a bustling bar/club along the river. I don’t recall ever having so much fun before! It was such an interesting experience – music ranged from Salt ‘n’ Pepa, Prince, and older American music to crazy techno and people of all ages were there from fifteen to forty-five. Just a slight observation I had was the height of the people. Hungarians are quite tall.

This club was outdoors and we were dancing up a storm, so it was actually really pleasant when a slight rain began. When we left, I definitely ended satisfied with my night in Budapest.

I’d seen the ‘scene’ in Budapest, the Danube and all the gorgeous buildings lit up at night. I found I could organize a large group and yet maintain the independence that is crucial to who I am as a traveler. I was very happy with my first night’s promenade in Budapest and my first time in the wonderful land of Eastern Europe!

Aug 10 - Day 10 in Vienna

Mozart day! Today I focused on Mozart entirely, with the class lecture on him, a visit to the Mozarthaus museum, and concluding the day with The Marriage of Figaro!

Mozart by Peter Gay was one of my favorite readings for the class. I felt that it not only gave me a great deal of information and historical insight into Mozart, but more importantly, gave me a feeling for Mozart, his time, and his compositions. The book allowed me to see Mozart as a human being, rather than just a famous name. The lecture today helped highlight the assigned reading and it was great to be sitting in Vienna learning about the composer who wrote so much here.

After the lecture, I headed out with the group of fifteen people who are going to Budapest this weekend. I somehow was put in charge of the trip, which surprised me since I am the youngest going, but I believe it had to do with the fact that I really wanted to go and am very proactive about traveling. Vienna has taught me that I am very independent and confident in myself in a new place, so I feel I will probably be able to bring that to Budapest. I guess I already have, since I found the hostel online and organized the group ticket purchase with the help of a few other classmates. After getting a great train ticket deal, a few people headed to Mariahilfestrasse, one of the main shopping streets in Vienna. I bought a Budapest guidebook for the trip and I am very excited about going into Eastern Europe. I hope I can go to the world famous baths when I am there! I also did a little shopping and poking about the street, as it was my first time on it.

Yesterday I bought the combo ticket for the Haus der Musik and the Mozarthaus, so I decided to get into the mood for the night’s opera with a trip to the museum. Of all of Mozart’s apartments, it is the sole one that still exists. He lived there from 1784-1787 and wrote the Marriage of Figaro in the house, which was absolutely exciting to me since I knew I’d be seeing it later that day! The museum provided a lot of cultural context for the era of Mozart. I loved walking through his apartment – although it is not furnished with his actual possessions – because it gave me an immense awareness of being inside the actual walls of where he lived. The museum has a great deal of interesting objects and information (the audio guide is amazing, with great facts set to Mozart’s beautiful music), but my favorite part was imagining it as it once was under Mozart’s ownership.

After returning from the museum, I got ready for a night at the opera! It was great fun seeing everyone dressed up. The Theater an der Wien, where Le Nozze di Figaro played, was a gorgeous opera house decked out in red and gold, with the nine muses gracing the ceiling. I had heard that the opera would not be totally traditional, so I was not completely surprised by it. However, I was not prepared for the Count, Figaro and Cherubino to all be cast as famous soccer players. This was the Marriage of Figaro Footballers’ Wives style, and sadly, it did not totally work. I am no traditionalist in opera or plays – I adore Baz Luhrmann’s versions of La Boheme and Romeo and Juliet, in which he updates and changes the pieces in an absolutely stunning fashion. Yet he has a gift that this production did not – the ability of follow through. The soccer star ‘storyline’ is pretty successful in the first half, but seems to be dropped altogether after the intermission. There is no continuity and thus, the idea feels strained, and worse, not at all fun. I did enjoy the stage design, with the large tree and slightly cheesy changing of the seasons theme. Even though that is certainly overused, it played well with the falling snow in one segment that truly made me shiver with wonder at the music.

The woman playing Cherubino was definitely the star, stealing the opera with her wonderful voice and great sense of physical comedy. The performance of Figaro limply carried the opera, while Susanna was perfectly decent. Other than Cherubino, I felt that the Contessa was also great and I enjoyed her singing and very Hollywood style. Needless to say, the music cannot be affected by a somewhat failed idea, so that was insanely enjoyable to hear Mozart live. The Marriage of Figaro is such fun to listen to and half the time I would watch the orchestra rather than the performers!

After it was over – and of course, getting a group picture – several of us went to the 1516 Brewing Company to hang out and enjoy some pretzels and beer before the weekend trip to Budapest. I cannot wait to see what Hungary has to offer, but I will definitely miss Vienna – it really feels like it is another home!

Aug 9 - Day 9 in Vienna

German Word of the Day: Deutschstunde – German class

Today was our big day at the U.N. to tour the premises and have a lecture on the IAEA. This is my second UN visit; last year, I went to the headquarters in Geneva. This tour was much less extensive, showing us nearly nothing of the building. However, it did provide a good question and answer period.

Visiting the UN is somewhat of a family joke, since my parents visited the one in Geneva the day of their wedding and it was rather boring (it still is – they never show you any of the good stuff, like what actually happens behind closed doors), so I was happy to keep up the family tradition.

Many of my questions were answered by our excellent guides and speakers, so I was overall pleased with the experience. However, concrete details are hard to come by on tours such as these, it seems, and many things were vague rather than substantive.

Here is my list of prepared questions and talking points:

IAEA Q: What are the IAEA’s thoughts on the UC connection with nuclear research?

UN Talking Point: Kosovo under UN administration, its future possibility of independence

UN Talking Pt: Peacekeeping – does it really work? How has it changed since its formation during the Cold War? How has it evolved after the failures in Rwanda and Bosnia and Herzegovina (the Srebrenica massacre/genocide, which peacekeepers did not prevent)?

UN Talking Pt: Sustainable development – can you give examples and future plans?

UN Q: How do you work with the other headquarters? Does Vienna have a ‘specialty’?

IAEA Q: What is the process of a nuclear weapons lab inspection? When is one required, and if it is refused, when does the threat of sanctions come into play?

UN: How would you describe the UN’s current role in Iraq? What is the planned role of the organization there?

UN: How does the UNO-City function?

UN and IAEA: Why a headquarters in Vienna? What does this location provide?

UN: Human Rights – how come Sudan was elected to the Human Rights Council in the middle of the genocide in Darfur (2004)?

UN and IAEA: What is the budget? How do finances work and how is it decided where funds go?

UN and IAEA: How do you deal with the press? How much access are journalists given? What is the organization’s opinion of news coverage of the UN and IAEA?

UN: How has the UN’s presence changed Vienna? What is the reaction of locals?

IAEA Talking Pt: North Korea and Iran; how would the IAEA rank its effectiveness? What concerns does the organization have about these two countries’ nuclear labs?

UN: Structure – is there ever discussion of changing the structure and bureaucracy of the UN? How is it dealing with the EU? Has that changed policy for the UN in the region? How is the Secretary General selected?

UN: How has the UN dealt with the Waldheim controversy?

(end questions)

After the tour, a few of us decided to go to the Haus der Musik, the sound museum. It is a truly wonderful museum – interactive, fun, and informative. The first floor features a museum for the Vienna Philharmonic. The second floor – the sonosphere – begins with a room that recreates the sounds one hears in the womb. You stand or sit in the dark and here the most bizarre plopping and goop sounds. Another great spot includes the ‘sea of voices’ where you are just surrounded by the sounds of people. The third floor is filled with rooms detailing the lives and music of Vienna’s greatest musicians. The Beethoven one was my personal favorite, as the story of the “Immortal Beloved” – the letter he wrote to his mysterious great love – is so unforgettable, as of course, is his music. I also listened to some Schönberg, and while it was clearly different from Mozart and Beethoven, it felt just as revolutionary, if not as utterly and unmistakably gorgeous. It is challenging music, the twelve tone, but overall I definitely enjoyed it and would love to see it performed in concert. I’m so excited to see The Marriage of Figaro tomorrow, especially after reading about Mozart in the book and listening to the opera.

On the way back to the dorms I finally got to see the Wagner designed Karlsplatz station! I only got the chance to snap a quick picture, but it looked so gorgeous (and there was a touristy café) that I will have to go back soon.

But the most exciting part of the day came at the end with a truly unforgettable experience. Just after I arrived back at the dorm, a huge rain storm erupted, complete with thunder and lightning. I have never experienced anything that massive and it was beautiful to watch the lightning over the city’s landscape. I even went hippie for awhile and hopped on a rooftop garden to dance in the rain. Vienna is a city of surprises – surprise thunder storms, art discoveries, and delicious foods. Each day I feel more alive in its history – such as at the Haus der Musik and its information about famous Viennese composers – and in the way it is now, with the UN and enjoying the summer rain.

Aug 8 - Day 8 in Vienna

I may not have completed anything on the syllabus today – no museums! –, but I did have what I bet is a pretty traditional day for Viennese looking for a little outdoor fun and relaxation.

I loved class today. I’m a Protestant Reformation nut. I went to a Lutheran school from pre-school through eighth grade and I attended a Catholic high school, so it was definitely nice to have a lot of background information. I also obsessively studied the Reformation in ninth grade just for fun, and I’ve always been fascinated by religious history and theological questions. One new bit of information was the two reasons why Luther did not die at the stake. I had been aware of the power of the printing press, but the political reason had never made sense to me until this class. Frederick the Wise of Saxony was an elector for the Holy Roman Emperor and Luther was his star professor, so in order to please him, essentially, Luther was spared for the vote. You have to love politics. I was also fascinated by the knowledge that Luther’s German New Testament translation forms the basis of the modern German language. The printing press’ power to break apart religion and additionally, solidify a language, is stunning. It is, I believe, the greatest invention of all time.

Just as a fun fact, one of my cats is named Martin after Martin Luther. I have to represent my other cat as well, Maximus, named after the character in Gladiator.

Anyway, it was great to hear the professor discuss Bruegel’s painting, The Battle of Carnival and Lent, especially since I had just seen it. I love how the connection with class and history and art is here – I learn about it and then I get to see it in person and experience it for myself. The professor also brought up Hieronymus Bosch’s The Last Judgment as a great example of the medieval world’s idea of demons and hell. His art left an indelible impression on me when I saw it his other The Last Judgment (the picture to the left is a fragment of it) in Munich at the Alte Pinakothek. His view of hell is probably one of the most amazing and disturbing things I have ever encountered – certainly trippier than even Hundertwasser. She let us know that there is also some of his work in the Academy of Fine Arts here in Vienna, so hopefully I have the chance to go freak myself out again soon with his work.

After a great class, I went back to the room for a bit before deciding what to do with the rest of the day. For a moment a few of us decided to check out the Haus der Musik, but then we reasoned that due to the coming rain and the lovely weather right now, it would be great to check out the Danube.

We went to what was clearly a locals’ spot – I believe we were the only tourists there. It was so enjoyable, and a really great opportunity to see what the Viennese are like. It’s fun to note that at the beach, everyone is always the same – enjoying the sunshine, going into the water, reading a book… the only difference here is that some people (many kids) decide to do this all partially nude.

We spent a few hours at the Alte Donau and we even got some work done! We did a dramatic reading of The Marriage of Figaro, which I’m so excited to see this week! I also got more reading done for the class and I hope to finish soon. After getting a kebab in a box on the way home, I came back to prepare for the trip to the UN and IAEA tomorrow and do some laundry (which turned out to be quite an adventure figuring out). It was great to have a relaxing and all around ‘regular’ day in the midst of this trip. I loved not just having to rush to all the tourist attractions, but to take things slow and experience the city in a way often only locals can. I’m looking forward to more opportunities of that!

Aug 7 - Day 7 in Vienna

I love being able to say I spent a day at an abbey. It’s something that is so European and such a historical experience – certainly one that you can’t duplicate elsewhere. Melk Abbey, where we spent the day, is a monastery that has been operating nonstop since 1089, and prior to that, served as a Babenberg castle. This abbey is a survivor – even lasting through such traumas as the massive closing of hundreds of monasteries by Joseph II.

We took a morning train to Melk from the Westbahnhof and enjoyed the scenery for the ride. Austria is a gorgeous country, with its rolling green hills and mountains, as well as its beautiful cities and towns, like Melk. Upon arrival in Melk, we began the walk up to the Benedictine monastery.

After a quick lunch, we started our tour with the guide, Hubert. He was quite adorable and had funny jokes, as well as an impressive knowledge of every single detail of the monastery – dates and all. He shared the sad information that in 1297, a catastrophic fire destroyed the abbey and a large portion of its books. After being built in the Gothic style, the abbey was then converted to a Baroque structure.

Benedictine monks live by the code of “ora et labora et lege” – “pray and work and read.” Their major text – the Rule of St. Benedict – was the second most copied book of the Middle Ages, after the Bible of course. Currently the monastery caters to tourists and runs a school.

Interestingly, the courtyard features some modern art amongst all the baroque architecture, which provided a nice contrast. The abbey itself is a work of art, which stuns with its yellow elements.

The abbey museum, and Hubert, had lots of great information. One particular interesting work in the museum depicted the story of St. Benedict and the Cup of Poison. Apparently, Benedict was so strict that some of his followers became so irate with him that they poisoned a cup he was to drink out of. Of course, by the power of Christ, when he held the cup in his hand it broke and he did not drink and die. The abbey had other great artifacts, such as saints’ relics, including what they claim is a portion of the true cross. The abbey church also has full body saints, which they have somewhat hilarious posed and dressed up.

Just for a bit of fun information, the abbey’s saint is St. Coloman who Hubert let us know is the patron saint of headache, tired feet, and woman who want to marry. Wow.

Hubert also let us know that a few buildings in the distance (see picture) were once a labor camp during the Holocaust. The juxtaposition of a holy and serene place like the monastery with that – in such a close radius in the very same town – was shocking.

After a bunch of photo ops, we headed out into the town for a nice break before returning to the monastery to hang out in the gardens. The garden is absolutely gigantic, featuring roses, trees and fruit everywhere. After walking through it, a few of us found a nice place to sit and enjoy the summer day.

We had a great group dinner at the Stiftsrestaurant Melk, which is located directly next to the abbey. We sat outside and ate a three course meal with three accompanying local wines. I loved the Grüner Veltliner. It was a relaxing and absolutely delicious end to a great day trip.

Aug 6 - Day 6 in Vienna

Today I took the opportunity to visit the world of the opulent Habsburgs, as well as the artwork of the modern artist Hundertwasser. During class, we watched a film about the early rulers of Austria and the formation of Habsburg rule. The power of marriage is a common theme in monarchies, and none better represents it than “you – lucky Austria – marry!” The movie pretty much covered the Berenger and Vienna: The Past in the Present readings, but it was helpful due to providing visual context. It highlighted the beginning of the Habsburgs’ dream of an empire. Most of all, it got me excited for my next excursion – the Schatzkammer, or Imperial Treasury. After seeing the crown of the Holy Roman Emperor in the film (as well as in our syllabus and on Rick Steve’s Vienna show), I knew it had to be seen immediately in person.

After a delicious kasekrainer, I headed into the treasury. Filled with swords, cloaks sewed with gold, crowns, and saints’ relics, it certainly ranks as one of the most impressive and, quite frankly, disgusting (but oh so gorgeous) displays of power I have ever witnessed. The Imperial Regalia – which I learned is the only fully preserved imperial regalia of the Middle Ages – blew me away in person. Just imagining someone wielding such a show of power gave me a thrill! I think I’d even buy into the myth of the Holy Roman Empire, despite it not fulfilling any of those titles if I someone decked out in the imperial regalia. The crown of the HRE appears like it would take a head of pure steel to be able to hold that many jewels. It is also quite an interesting crown, as it is not a circular shape, but octagonal. The plates on the crown are made of gold and portray things from the Bible (trying to convince everyone of the Holy part of the HRE title), as well as huge gems. It was certainly one of the highlights of the treasury.

I also particularly enjoyed a small artifact on the bottom of one of the display cases – it features a tiny casket of Ferdinand III surrounded by dancing skeletons. I have googled it, but no information has yet come up.

The saints’ relics included such likely objects as a piece of the thorn crown of Christ.

Thanks to the earlier tour by “Dr.O,” a few of us remembered that Mondays meant half-off for the Hundertwasser museum – KunstHausWien! Since I love modern art and I completely adored his building, I was so excited to further investigate his work. Being in Vienna is teaching me how to work an art museum – slowly and ALWAYS with a pen and notebook. His museum was incredibly fun – mainly because his work is! His art made me laugh – not at it, but with it with enjoyment - at his creativity and individual vision. I used to despise modern art, but then when I was sixteen I pretty much had an eye opening and life changing art experience looking at an Edward Hopper exhibition and one on the Pop Art/poetry book “1 Cent Life” that made me ‘see the light’ on modern art. Now it’s a deep love and Hundertwasser can be added to the list of artists that I truly enjoy and whose art I can feel. So far on this trip, the art that has made me feel truly alive like that have been Hundertwasser’s buildings and paintings, Wagner’s architecture, and Bruegel’s works. I think he had a very unique vision of the world, one of perfect cohabitation with nature, and it’s interesting to see how he attempted it in an urban city such as Vienna. My favorite Hundertwasser quote (the museum features his artwork, building plans and his quotes) is “our illiteracy is our inability to create.”

I don’t know if I agree so much with another Hundertwasser quote: “The line I trace with my feet walking to the museum is more important and more beautiful than the lines I find there hung up on the walls.” His museum was filled with so much beauty... my particular favorite was The Way to You, even though it is not the craziest Hundertwasser creation.

However, I guess he is partly right, as getting to the museum actually was quite fun, as it was my first time on the tram. I went around the Ringstrasse and felt so tempted to get out at every stop to explore – I’ll definitely be doing that another day. On the way to the museum, I really must say I impressed myself with my growing ability to spot Wagner’s works. I looked at a bridge and instantly knew it was an Otto Wagner creation. Just getting to know art so well is absolutely exciting for me. I can now easily tick off Baroque and any kind of neo- building imaginable, it seems.

After eating in the awesome KunstHausWien café, which embodied Hundertwasser’s architecture and dream of living with nature (we were surrounded by trees) and getting my first delicious apfelstrudel, it was time to head back to the dorms and grab some dinner. After a bite to eat, I headed out with two others to check out the Schwedenplatz night scene. Since it’s on the Danube Canal, it had perfect weather and a nice environment. We hung out on the top deck of the Badeschiff Wien (http://badeschiff.at/) – a stationary boat/café with a swimming pool. Since it was a Monday, it was very relaxed so we had a nice evening enjoying the Danube. I really can’t remember having such a lovely Monday in a long time. I find the Viennese way of life truly amazing, with its offerings of such a variety of amazing nightlife opportunities. After awhile, however, it was time to get back so we would be able for tomorrow’s excursion to Melk!