Pierce in Vienna Spring 2010

May 8th, 2010 - Saturday

2010-05-12T02:47:00.000-07:00

Blog to be done by Erin Drwyer

Photos of Boat Tour and Dinner by Michele

Day 90.

2010-05-10T21:11:00.000-07:00

I will always love you, Vienna. And I will always love all of you guys for making the trip everything it was.

ONE LOVE,

Matt

Photos of Leaving Vienna by Michele

May 7, 2010 Amusement Park!

2010-05-07T10:02:00.000-07:00

Today was a very fun filled day in the great city of Vienna, as well as our last class of the semester! All of us awoke today this morning to take our last final, for Math and Politics. I was a little nervous going into the final because we have had so much information to study. It was relief when I got the test because I looked it over and it actually was not too bad! Hopefully Professor Carl will give me a nice A+ on this final.

After the final we ate lunch, and all of us planned on going to the local amusement park on the subway stop Praterstern, which is only four to five stops away from our dorm. It is not like typical amusement parks as we know from back home in America, because you are able to walk in and just pay for rides, more like a carnival scene, but the park is always there. The weather was kind to us until a few rides in when it started to downpour for about a good twenty minutes.

Before it rained we got to try out bumper cars first for two Euros, and it was a blast. We all had huge smiles on our faces the whole time. The next ride was a crazy one that flipped upside down, had techno music, and went extremely fast. A few of the girls tried it out, and it actually was an intense ride that lasted a good five minutes. At one point Ally and Steph lost change out of their pockets because the ride spins you upside down for a long period of time. After that ride we all went to this ride that is 117 meters high in the air, and you sit on swings while it constantly spins you in a circle! This ride was 5 Euros and was worth every penny. Once we started going up a 1/4 of the way we realized how high we were going to be in the air! It spins you around at a pretty decent speed, and once you reach the top you can see the whole city of Vienna. This ride was such a thrill and I loved every minute of it, and everyone else said this was their favorite ride. After researching about this ride Matt found out that this is the highest flying carousel in the world! None of us had any idea before we rode it, and it is awesome to find out about this. Its construction had only recently been completed at the end of April.

Here is a link about the ride if anyone wants to take a look at it: http://www.austriantimes.at/news/Panorama/2010-0 23/22755/World%27s_highest_flying_carousel_set_up_in_Vienna

Overall, it was quite the fun-filled day!

May 6th, 2010 - Thursday

2010-05-07T09:52:00.000-07:00

This is my last blog of the trip, and I realize that this is the end. This is the last time I will get to write about my feelings and experiences of my time in Vienna. I have gotten to know many of the people here, good and bad. I have experienced a lot of things that will impact my life forever. I have gotten to know the 16 people that we are here with, the good and bad characteristics of their personalities. This has been one of the most influential and most memorable experiences of my life.

I have come to realize that the people that mean the most in my life are the ones who have given me the resources to be here. I will miss the days when I could go to any country that I please and do anything I please. This is an unusual part of my life where I have realized the best in myself and what I do best. I have learned a lot that I will take to heart. I have loved every minute I have spent in Vienna and wouldn't take it back for the world. Even days where I felt homesick, I realized I will have the opportunity to be home whenever I want.

I am in Europe for one time in my life, and I'm going to make the best of it. I have done everything I have ever wanted and made memories that I will be able to tell my kids and that they will be able to tell their kids. I have seen and had the adventure of a lifetime. I recommend this program to everyone and tell them to take the chance to be able to experience the adventure and worries of everything studying abroad has to offer. I have loved the time I have spent here and couldn't imagine not taking this offer. Thank you Franklin pierce for giving me the time of my life.

Samantha Cooper

May 5th, 2010 - Wednesday

2010-05-05T11:59:00.002-07:00

FAREWELL VIENNA:

I am so sad that this is my last blog, as this means the trip has come to an end. Words can't even explain the time I have had here and the things I have learned. I am so beyond fortunate to have been able to have this experience. Vienna is a great city that I will miss dearly! Never in a million years would I have guessed I would have the opportunity to live in Europe and go to school for three months. It is all still so mind boggling!!

I am leaving here, but I have gained so much. Not only life lessons, but I have learned so much about myself and what I can accomplish. I left America with 15 strangers by my side, and I am coming home with 15 close friends. Each person here has brought something different to our group. Erin brought all types of humor to the group. You never know what she will do or say or sing, hahaha. And I love her for it! Then we have Matt: he is the peace maker, a charmer and just a good guy. He always has a smile on his face and likes everyone for who they are. He is a talented musician who plays his guitar 24/7, and, to be honest, I loved listening to him play all the time. Sometimes I would keep my door open in the morning just to hear him play on his guitar. Matt is a very dependable person, and I will hopefully be keeping in touch with him. Then we have Bobby: Bobby is someone who likes to be in charge all the time. I love Bobby like a brother but we definitely have a lot of different views and opinions, which isn’t a bad thing because it made me learn how to deal with people different from me. Overall, though, Bobby is a good person, and I will miss hearing him and Erin fight.

Next is Murielle. Murielle is the oldest one, the senior, the math major. She is the quiet one and an observer. She is a very good person who just likes to watch the people around her, and I could only imagine how many good laughs she has gotten from our group. She never ceases to surprise me with the things she says and how she will just break out singing and dancing. I am going to miss seeing her in the early morning smiling and singing. Good luck Murielle in the real world!! Then there is Ryan. Ryan is kind of quiet, too, but just likes to have a good time--a good guy that I wish I had gotten to know better.

Then we have Mae and Cristina--I put them together because they are always by each others' sides, no matter what. Cristina is funny and loves to just go out and experience new things. Mae is the quieter one of the two, but in no way is she shy. Mae is a beautiful girl who also likes to have a good time. They won't let anyone bring them down from having a good time, which I admire. Even though at the beginning things might not have started out so well with them, I love them so much and am so happy to have met them.

Another pair that just makes me laugh thinking about them is Mike and Kunj. These two together are characters! Mike is the calmer one of the two and will always be there for you, no matter what. Then we have Kunj (kunjybear); he is the crazy one. You never know what he is going to do or say, but you know whatever it is it's going to be hilarious. Living with these two has given me so many stories to tell people. Being around them was never a dull moment, and I am truly going to miss them! I have to say thank you to them as well. They made me realize that its ok to kick back and do whatever, since we are only young once!

Then there is Sam Cooper, another person whom I wasn’t really close with or really talked to all that much. She is the tough one, the one who doesn’t take crap from anyone. I just started to really get to know her as the trip was coming to an end, but I will say she is a good person. I learned that she is someone who is there for her friends 100%, which I like about her. I know I'll be seeing her around next year.

Then we have my favorite twins in the whole wide world, Chrissy and Ally. I can't even begin to explain how much these two make me laugh. Even though they are twins they are so very, very different. Chrissy is the crazy one; the things that come out of her mouth are ridiculous sometimes, but she never keeps me from laughing. She can make the best facial expressions, too. Ally is a little quieter and not as wild, but also can make me laugh so hard. One of my favorite things about Ally is that she will say something that she thinks is funny and then laugh at herself. Put these two together and just watch them interact, and it’s a brilliant comedy. My favorite memory is watching these two have a fight, a loving sister fight. As they are yelling at each other they are laughing at the same time but just kept repeating how mad they really are. Then watching Ally tear through Chrissy’s closet and take clothes back is even funnier. I would have to say I have become the closest with these two and am excited to spend the summer with them. (They live only 10 minutes from me.)

Then there is the lovely Christina Gallo. She is honestly the nicest person you could ever meet and always has a smile on her face. Christina is someone that I love to be around because of all her positive energy. Christina is another one here that I have become extremely close to and will be staying friends with once we return to America. And then we have Kate. Kate is someone that you can trust and know that she always has your back. She is the one I consider the most dependable of the group and will defend any of us no matter if we are in the wrong or not. Kate makes me laugh with things that she says or comes up with. I love going out places with her because she makes me feel safe. I have always had trust issues with people, but I have to say that Katie has made me gain back trust for people. I will miss her dearly but know she won't let me off the hook that easily, hahaha. She has already told me that, because she won't be able to annoy me first thing in the morning when I am all crabby and hating life over the summer, she will be sending me texts saying “good morning sunshine” when she goes to work...can't wait for that.

Last but not least is Sam Bizon. I was fortunate enough to share this experience with my best friend. I have known Sam since freshman year when we were roommates, and we have been best friends ever since. Sam brought calmness to the group and nutrition, hahaha. She always has that “can do” attitude and is friends with everyone. I love her to death and being here has made our friendship even stronger. Overall, we have become one big, giant dysfunctional family, but I wouldn’t pick anyone else to share this experience with. I will truly miss every single one of these people. I love you all and I can't wait for us to share stories with everyone.

I would also like to thank Carl and Michele so much! You two should truly get some award for putting up with all 16 of us! Thank you Carl for everything, and I am so glad that you were the professor that I got to come on this trip with. Even if your jokes really aren’t that funny. Thanks Michele for all the hard work you put into everything. We never would have had such a good experience like this with out you. You two will truly be a part of all our lives now and forever, because we will all remember this trip and will be talking about what an awesome professor we had and how much his wife did for us.

I also need to thank my parents. Without them none of this would have ever been possible. I am truly lucky and so fortunate to have parents like mine.

To anyone who Is looking into studying abroad: don’t overanalyze, just DO IT! It is the best experience of your life. Yes it is scary at first, but believe me its worth the homesickness that you might feel at first, and it's defiantly worth missing a few FPU parties! JUST DO IT AND DON’T THINK TWICE ABOUT IT.

Well its cinco de mayo, so we are celebrating it by going to eat some of Vienna's Mexican food. Hope you all enjoyed reading our blogs. Here we come, AMERICA.

Stephanie Gilbert

May 4th, 2010 - Tuesday

2010-05-05T11:59:00.001-07:00

If I were to begin to share everything that has happened to me and the people in this abroad program, I could probably write a book. This has been the best, dirtiest, most liberating experience of my life. I have had some of the funniest moments of my life here. I have met the strangest people and done some things that I will probably only tell a few people in my lifetime. I hope that everyone who hasn’t had the opportunity to go abroad does it, and does everything that is thrown at them.

I'm left with a sense of accomplishment and can't wait to move onto the next chapter in life.

I want to thank my parents for giving me a bigger piece of the world that I ever thought I’d see or experience. And I want to thank Stella, Carl and Michele for all of the hard work and effort that it took to work with us. It’s been the adventure of my life! I will never go a day without thinking about something that has happened here.

I also want to say that I was lucky to be with a great group of peers. I am so happy to have met all of you and cannot wait to spend my last year at Pierce with you all.

PHOTOS

Mae McGlone

May 3rd, 2010 - Monday

2010-05-04T11:40:00.000-07:00

Our time here in Vienna is slowly coming to a close. Slowly, I notice people packing and tossing out clothes that have been worn to their last thread. Everyone is either crashing, finding they want to spend their last days here in Vienna focusing on end of the semester work, while others are out and about not wanting to waste a second of the time left here in Europe. It is sad to think that in only a week our time here in Vienna will be a memory that we can only talk about, look back through pictures and journal entries written. We have all experienced a truly once in a life time opportunity, we have formed friendships and memories stronger in the three months in Vienna than we have with friends from home and school.

Cristina Tyris

May 2nd, 2010 - Sunday

2010-05-04T08:34:00.000-07:00

Today I went to Salzburg. It is one of the places that was on my top 10 places to go while I was over here. I’m so happy that I made the decision to hop the train in the early morning to see such a beautiful place. When I was younger, I had watched the “Sound of Music” and had heard that the tour was really neat to go on. So, I figured that I am only in Salzburg once, even though I wish and hope to be again, and I should just take the tour, so I did.

I had a bit of time before the tour started, so I could explore a little bit of the other parts of town. On my way to the bus stop, I went into the Mirabell Gardens. An orchestra was warming up for a show later that day, and it was really cool to hear traditional Austrian music while walking around looking at all the beautiful flowers and fountains. The bus tour was great. They took us to a bunch of different scenes from the movie, including the two places used for the front and back of the Von-Trapp residence, the gazebo and the wedding church in Mondsee. “One of my favorite things” about the whole day was going into the Lake Regions where some of the scenes from the beginning of the film were set. I grabbed a quick sandwich for our lunch stop and was able to sit on a mountain overlooking one of the lakes.

After the bus tour ended It started to thunderstorm. I walked in it for a little while trying to take in as much of the city as I could before I had to catch the next train back to Vienna. Riding on the 3 hour train ride in soaking wet jeans and shoes was not too much fun, but definitely well worth the wonderful day that I had.

Katie Dougherty

It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to

2010-05-04T07:11:00.001-07:00

Today was my birthday. It was a great day, all the way through. I woke up around 10 am and made french toast. It was great to sit in the room and enjoy a delicious breakfast at my window side, sun gleaming and birds chirping. Spring is in full bloom here.

After enjoying my breakfast, I took a quick shower and then worked on my History of Math paper. At around 3 pm Matthew and I went to Stadt Park [City Park] to throw the frisbee and enjoy the weather. We lounged for an hour or so, and then it began to rain. I had my camera with me, and Matt brought his guitar, so we met our French friends at a classic Viennese cafe for drinks. As a group of eight, or "acht" in German, we enjoyed cold beers, coffees, and desserts. It's really an experience to be around others who can speak upwards of four other languages. They all speak English, French, and German fluently, and some even speak one or two others.

Later that night we went to a social gathering at a city friend's house. It was great to meet new people, and make awesome memories with the people I've gotten close to here.

Today was such a great day, and it really makes me look back at how great of an experience I've had these past three months. The group as a whole has gone through a lot together, and we have had a great time sharing the experience with each other. As the semester wraps up, I wonder if I'll ever see any of the European friends I've made here again. This has been a true once-in-a-lifetime experience that I was fortunate enough to be a part of, so I'm just grateful for the time spent here. I look forward to returning home to my friends and family May 10th. It's been nice talkin' to ya.

Bobby Greggerson

April 30th, 2010 - Friday

2010-05-01T13:59:00.000-07:00

Friday April 30^th

So this being my last blog I decided it would be a good chance to reflect on my time in Europe. Coming into this trip I would have never imagined all of the things I would see, the places I would go, but most importantly the bonds I would make with the people I came with. The past three months were not always easy, of course: people missed home, friends, and family, and people got on each other’s nerves here. But it always worked itself out. Looking back on all of the trips we took, it seems like Greece was years and years ago. I would have to say, though, that Greece was my favorite group trip. Everything about the trip was amazing, and everything about Greece was breath-taking! The sights, sounds, and it didn’t hurt that in February it was about 75 there(: As the trip went on travel became a large part of our everyday life. It was all about class and then travel--no down time--just see everything; it was amazing.

Places that I had never even heard of like Bratislava or places I never thought I would be to like the Eiffel Tower, everything was like magic. Sometimes the trips didn’t seem real: did we actually just spend 3 week exploring Europe?! Going to Poland, Prague, Berlin and Ireland, it almost seemed too good to be true. Sometimes it was hard being with the same 16 people all day every day, but I wouldn’t have changed anything about it except the long train rides.

As our trip is coming to an end, all I can think about is how lucky I am to have had this experience. I mean, some people live their entire lives and never see anything of what I have seen in these few, short months. I am a very lucky girl. So now it’s time to try and pack up 3 months worth of memories, gifts, and clothes, and back home I go.

Ally Billingsley

April 29th, 2010 - Thursday

2010-04-30T12:14:00.000-07:00

April 29th was a great day: it was my birthday. Today we woke up 9:30 for math and politics class with Carl, and then I took nap. Then all the BROS went to the park for the day. First we just laid around and got our tan on, which was nice and relaxing. After an hour or so of relaxing, we decided to play Frisbee, which was a blast. But every now and then someone would over-throw it, and it almost hit a couple people, and they were not too happy.

When we left the park we stopped for a couple of birthday drinks, which was great because we got to sit outside in the sun and just chill. For dinner we went out to the Mexican restaurant and sat outside and enjoyed a delicious meal with our macho, which is a specialty drink they have there. Later that night a group of us went out into the city for a couple hours. We had to return early to be prepared for our Vienna Across the Ages final at 9am. Overall, I was really happy that I got to celebrate my 20th birthday in Vienna with all my great friends.

Kunj Shah

April 28th, 2010 - Wednesday

2010-04-29T12:15:00.000-07:00

monument tour and Imperial Crypt.

blog to be done by Christina Gallo

Photos by Michele

April 27th, 2010 - Tuesday

2010-04-28T11:34:00.000-07:00

Belvedere tour

by Ryan Stipetic

Monday, April 26

2010-04-26T10:12:00.000-07:00

In exactly 14 days, our trip will officially be coming to an end as we fly over the ocean towards Logan airport, back to Boston. Our last remaining weeks will contain so many emotions, and though it all seems we are ready to head back, there will be hesitation to leave this place that has become so close and familiar to us. This week is the birthday week. Three birthdays to be exact, so it is a time of celebration. Happy birthday to Steph, Kunj, and Bobby. Next week will be the, "oh dang, do I really have to pack all this up again" week. I wouldn't trade this experience for the world. And as for the world, well, I want to see more of it now that I have gone on this trip. I have made this place my home with a group of people so dysfunctional and so amazing, they are nothing less than family to me now. Fortunately, there are two weeks still left so I must make the most of it. This will include: ice-cream pizza (yes you heard right), Budapest, a boat tour of this beautiful city we live in, and for me personally, many more trips to my favorite place here, the Belvedere.

Thank you Vienna for opening my eyes, and thank you everyone for keeping my eyes open.

April 25th, 2010 - Sunday

2010-04-26T05:22:00.000-07:00

Since this blog entry is my last one, I thought it’d be nice if I dedicated it to my reflections on my experiences abroad. I have to say that it took me a little bit longer to love Vienna as compared to the other places I’ve been to in Europe. I think part of that is due to the fact that I had to view it as a place I would be living in for the next three months. The first time I got out in the city, I questioned a lot whether I would love here and be comfortable, instead of just seeing it for what it is. Now I love it!! I don’t feel like going back yet.

When I signed up for this program, my expectations were that I would turn out to be less scared of being in new situations, and that I would deal better with the change that occurs with them. I’m just a very, very cautious person (like Bobby once said to me), and I rarely engage in something when I’m not sure of the outcome. If I manage to imagine what it would be like, what I do next is that I keep breaking it apart to find where I would fail. That alone made me feel that I would not be able to handle it. Then since, I only count on myself to clean my mess, I just end up not doing it when I feel it might be too much. During this trip, I have not only come to the recognition that this is what I do, but I think I’m now a little bit less like that. I’m more willing to experience something new without having the development contained in my mind. I feel like I trust myself to be able to handle whatever comes my way a little bit more.

In summary, regarding self-discovery, this trip opened my eyes to not only things I need to improve about myself, but also to qualities that I already have within me. The past few years I neglected thinking about what my strengths are because I would always be focused on my imperfections and self-improvement. It is with this recognition that I think I’ve come to trust myself with myself a little bit more.

Although I want to relate every detail of this trip that contributed to my inner self, I know it would be impossible to do that. I could try to relate my awe moments, but there are so many. All I can do is just say that there were and that my pictures cannot even translate everything I’ve experienced in that moment. I enjoyed and loved most of the places I’ve been to. I now have a long list of things to look into by what I’ve been able to see. I could go on forever, so why not stop here. Big thanks to my family, bisous!!!

Murielle.

Saturday in Vienna.

2010-04-25T09:08:00.000-07:00

April 23rd, 2010 - Friday

2010-04-25T00:20:00.000-07:00

Friday was our first full day in Paris. Ally, Katie, Christina, and I had already set out a game plan of what we would be doing the night before. We all woke up pretty early to shower and get ready for the day. As we left our hotel and headed for the Eiffel Tower, we were drawn into Sephora, and ended up getting our make-up done and buying more than we should have.

After getting all done up we continued towards the Eiffel Tower. As we approached it we were all in shock by its size. It truly is so beautiful to see, and it didn't hurt that that weather was beautiful that day, either. After finally reaching our destination we took many pictures and then got in line to head to the top. We got there early enough that the lines were moving pretty quickly, which was awesome. The first elevator brought us to the second level of the tower. When we got out it was so windy and cold, but the views were incredible! We did a little shopping and then got in line to head to the top. The elevator ride was a little scarier than the previous one, but still very exciting.

We got the the top and it was much warmer than the second floor. This part was in closed with windows all around, and there was even a champagne bar. After looking at the views again we realized there was a stair case to take you to the very top, so of course we climbed. Being on the very top of the Eiffel Tower was so surreal and so hard to explain--I do not think I could describe the feelings we had. It was something that I will never forget and one of the coolest things I have ever done. Then we started our descent. Seeing the tower from the bottom make you appreciate how high it really is.

After leaving the tower we made a quick stop at our hotel to drop off our bags, and headed towards the Arch de Triumph. Another amazing building in Paris. Much like we did at the Eiffel Tower, we just stared in amazement. We hung out there for a good chunk of time and then headed out to dinner. My Friday in Paris made me fall in love with the city and all it has to offer.

by Chrissy Billingsley

April 22nd, 2010 - Thursday

2010-04-23T12:37:00.000-07:00

blog to be done by Errin Dwyer

April 21st, 2010 - Wednesday

2010-04-22T14:17:00.000-07:00

April 21st was a beautiful day, and Professor Kroll took us around Vienna to see two important churches: St. Stephens and St. Charles. Roughly every other Wednesday our Professor takes us around the city to talk and show significant monuments, buildings, sculptures, etc.

To start off the sightseeing we all hopped on the subway to Stephensplatz to see St. Stephen's Cathedral, a Gothic church that dates back to the 12th century. The cathedral is amazing to see in person, and I encourage anyone who ever travels to Vienna to make this a must-see on your list. Professor Kroll talked to us outside of the church for a while about the construction and how the city has to replace blocks from the Cathedral, which is the reason why it looks black in some areas and white in others. After being outside for awhile, we gathered inside the Cathedral and were given a tour of the inner part of the church. In order to go into some sectioned-off areas of the inside part you need to pay a few Euros.

After seeing St.Stephan's and learning about the history, we traveled to Karlsplatz to see St. Charles, a Baroque-style church. We did the same approach as St. Stephan's, first gathering in front of the building to learn about the structure and history, then touring the inside. This church is brighter, and has two victory poles on either side of it, with a green dome sphere on the top. Once we got inside we found out that Vienna has been spending 10 years remodeling it and has spent a large amount of money in this effort. Another thing that was interesting was that the bottom moulding is pure marble, but the other parts of it are fake, called French "stucko". The stucko feels nothing like marble, but does look similar from a distance. After learning about that we were able to go up to the top of the dome because of the construction taking place. This has never been allowed, because the elevator is new so most people will not be able to do this in the future once it is taken away when the restoration is complete. It was amazing, but scary, to be at the top, and you were able to see the whole city! Overall it was a great experience, with Professor Kröll providing a wealth of information.

Michael Niesen

PHOTOS with students by Michele

April 20th, 2010 - Tuesday

2010-04-21T12:49:00.001-07:00

Instead of relating this day's events, I thought I would share my unique experiences from later in the week:

Before even coming to Austria I had always wanted to go to Ireland and Switzerland. I had saved the place I wanted to go the most for my last big trip during my time here in Europe. Switzerland’s amazing scenery has always left me wanting to take a trip there. I asked anyone if they had wanted to go, and no one was interested. Finally Erin said she wanted to go with me, and our planning began. We had a lot of the same interests and thoughts on what we wanted to do while we were there. I had bigger plans of crossing out some things on my list of things to do before I died.

We got on a train without directions to our hostel and realized it when we got to the train station. Not really caring or letting our carelessness bring our mood down, we got on a late night train and waited for morning to see out the windows. Drifting in and out of sleep, I finally saw daylight and looked out the window. I was awe-struck. Speechless, I kicked Erin to wake her up and pointed out to the snow-capped mountains and bright blue lakes. We got off the train and picked a bus that was going to the same town as our hostel and hopped on. The roads were narrow and on the side of a steep mountain. We sat, not knowing where to get off or how to get to our hostel, but we didn’t have a care; we knew we would get there.

Arriving in Iseltwald, a small town with farms and fields of animals, we immediately fell in love with it. We found our way to our hostel, a lodge on a lake with a view of the Alps, and checked in. My eyes were drawn to the signs for paragliding, hang gliding, bungee jumping, and other activities. I asked about them, and we were soon signed up to go paragliding and canyon jumping directly after. To kill time before being picked up to go hang gliding we went on a hike that had the most gorgeous views. Erin was nervous but willing to do anything I was up to doing.

We were picked up in a van and brought to our jumping point. We were 3,000 feet above ground and had our lives in our crazy Swiss adrenaline junkie flyers' hands. Erin was first to run off the side of the mountain. The wind picked her up and brought her higher and higher. I was excited to go next and soon ran off the cliff as well. The wind picked me up, and I soared higher and higher into the sky. The houses looked like tiny dots, and the view of the Alps was stunning. Feeling brave I let my guide do some tricks in the air called roller coasters….. after almost throwing up with a smile, we began to land. The lake was bright blue from melting glacier water, and I couldn’t have felt more peaceful flying high above the ground with someone I had just met.

After my time in the sky we landed safe and sound on the ground and thanked our two new flying friends. We said our good byes and waited to be picked up again to go canyon jumping. I couldn’t believe I was just 3,000 feet above this ground and saw the picturesque scenery of Switzerland that I had always dreamed of seeing.

Next on our list was to do a type of bungee jumping called canyon jumping. On our van ride up to the cliff we would be jumping off of, we met more friends. We began talking with two guys that had just graduated from Ohio State. We shared stories of our past travels around Europe and enjoyed our time together. After the short walk to the cliff we signed our lives away in case something went wrong; I was picked out of the group to read the waiver to everyone. I hide my nervousness under my excitement. After volunteering to go first, I felt like it was too late to say, "hold on I need a few minutes before jumping over 150 feet attached to a rope." The guy that strapped me in could tell I was nervous and counted, 3..2..1. Without any hesitation I was already running to the edge before he finished saying two. After free falling for over a hundred feet (only 4 seconds, but the longest four seconds of my life) the rope finally caught and I felt my weight catch. Then the swing pulled me over a fast moving creek with jagged rocks sticking out of it. I swung for almost a minute between two canyons. I couldn’t have been happier. The sheer thrill and excitement made me want to do it all over again. After everyone had gone, the inventor of canyon jumping (the harness and idea) decided to jump with our group. Watching him do a front flip off the edge really impressed me. That guy was fearless.

Our trip didn’t end there. We spent the rest of our time out in the sun, soaking in the magnificent sights, souvenir shopping, and thinking: where can we go next? We decided we would do one last trip on our way back to Vienna. We decided on a destination to Paris. Arriving at the train station and saying we wanted to go to Paris, we were laughed at. The lady at the train station told us that everything was booked because of the volcano eruption that had happened. This was the first time our light-hearted travels had been affected. After a general consensus of ending our trip we decided to head home. She laughed at us again and told us it wasn’t possible to go to Vienna. I stood dumbstruck in front of her. After a long talk of declined possibilities we decided to go to Salzburg for the day before we went back to Vienna.

This trip was so unplanned and carefree that I loved every minute of it. We had ideas of what we wanted to see and where we should go, but nothing compares to doing something crazy and last minute. This trip that lasted only a weekend was a dream come true for me. I would not change any minute of this trip, and I know this was the perfect ending to the perfect trip of a lifetime.

Samantha Cooper

April 19th, 2010 - Monday

2010-04-20T13:12:00.000-07:00

blog to be done by Stephanie Gilbert

April 18th, 2010 - Sunday

2010-04-19T11:58:00.000-07:00

Today was a nice, spring day. I woke up early and spent the morning watching my new favorite TV show "Glee." It's very clever and funny. It makes me think about high school a lot. I can't believe I am going to be graduating in one year. Four years... and so much has happened. I feel like my life is catapulting by, and studying abroad has really put a lot of things into motion. While I watched Glee, I sent out some emails. Looking for an internship is hard when all you can do is contact people online.

After lunch I went into town with Ally, Chrissy, Christina, Steph, Sam, Kunj and Mike. We explored around and got a lot of dried fruit. I know the girls bought some jewelery, but I had to try my hardest just to look and save some money. Jewelry is a major weakness for me. Kunj, Mike and I got hungry--so we took off for kebabs and falafel wraps. The hummus had just been made... it was so good. I am definitely going to miss the food around here. I mean, I miss American food... but here everything is just a little tastier. After we sat and ate, we went grocery shopping and then just walked around and enjoyed the spring-time. It's gorgeous right now in Vienna.

The tulips are all blooming--it's making me wish I had been able to go back to Amsterdam and Holland. I bet the tulips there right now are incredible.

Photos by Michele

We also went to the Symphony at night! They played one of mine and my roommates favorite classical songs: Carmina Burana. I was so excited to hear it live. I was also amazed at the young boy choir. They sounded so wonderful, and powerful. And they were all such tiny people! I liked having the opportunity to get dressed-up too. I won't lie, I love an excuse to put on a pair of good high heels. I haven't had too many chances of wearing my favorite pair, and I got to last night.

All in all, the day and night were nice. Exactly what I would call a overall nicely blended day of relaxation and excitement. 20 more days until we go home... I can't wait to hug my mom, dad, sister and two dogs. Oh, and definitely anticipating my first Dunkin run... coupled with a good bag of cheetos and/or goldfish.

by Mae McGlone

April 17th, 2010 - Saturday

2010-04-18T14:34:00.000-07:00

Today was one of my favorite days as a group so far. We decided to take a break form the organized tours and venture to the Berlin Zoo/Aquarium. The Berlin Zoo is known throughout the world for the variety of animals that live there. The Zoo did not look like any other Zoo I had been to in the United States; there were no obvious cages holding the animals into a closed area. Instead there was a surrounding moat that gave the animal more of a feel that they were in their own habitat instead of caged in a zoo. We stuck around for feeding time and got to witness lions, tigers, and a panda feast on their late lunch. It was a breath of fresh air to do something in Berlin that wasn't a structured tour or museum, but instead something that those living in Berlin do on weekends. I look forward to the rest of our weeks of traveling to Prague, Paris, Rome, Venice, and eventually back to Vienna. This backpacking excursion has been an eyeopening experience and to think this is only the beginning.

Cristina Tyris

April 16th, 2010 - Friday

2010-04-17T11:17:00.001-07:00

Blog to be done by Katie Dougherty

April 15th, 2010 - Thursday

2010-04-16T11:00:00.000-07:00

Today, Thursday the 15th of April, was a great day of exploration and experience. It started off with our regular classes, and afterwards Matthew, Michael, Kunj and I took to the streets of Wien. Our first stop, the post office. While at the post office, we encountered one of the most peculiar scenarios. While exiting the post office, we saw a Gypsy woman walking quickly with a plastic bag in one had, and some other odds and ends in the other. As she approached the entrance to the post office, she locked eyes with us, and preceded to reach into the plastic bag and pull out a small caliber semi-automatic pistol. She quickly placed it down right up against the post office wall, with the assistance of the sidewalk. Leaving quickly, she walked a few hundred feet before she abandoned the plastic bag of who knows what. It was something you don't see everyday here in Vienna. In fact, it is very rare to ever see something happen that's irregular in Vienna.

After being fortunate enough to travel to nine different European cities, you begin to get an understanding for the cultural diversity that Europe really has. I would say that Vienna has been by far the safest, cleanest city we saw while we were here; so I am grateful that we spent the majority of our time here in beautiful Austria.

After our run-in with the Gypsy, we went to our favorite gelato place for [who would have guessed it] Gelato! We enjoyed the nice weather outside, and returned to the Theresianum by 4 pm. We lounged until dinner at 6, and then finished our homework by 9. Our average Thursday night here consists of bargain beers and wine, accompanied by great friends and experiences. We have thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Europe, and we will definitely bring back great memories and friendship. It has been just over two months here, and we look forward to our last twenty five days here.

Smeg Bobberson

April 14th, 2010 - Wednesday

2010-04-15T09:40:00.000-07:00

Today started off like a normal day in Wein: it was still raining like it has been the past few days. Today we had our first Math and Politics exam, and for me it was my first one of the semester. I guess it had to happen at some point. So instead of class we just took the exam. It was not as hard as I anticipated it to be, which was a pleasant surprise. After the exam everyone retreated back to their rooms for a brief, rainy-day nap or to watch a movie, but that didn’t last for long. Before we knew it, it was time for lunch; but lucky for us it was Wednesday candy bar day!

After lunch we all started to get ready to head out for our tour of Schönbrunn. As we were walking up to the building all I could think about was how beautiful it was and massive! As the tour started we were taken though so many beautiful rooms and told that anything gold was really 24k gold. The rooms were breathtaking! Every room was so different, yet they all had some common themes. Many of the rooms had a wood and gold color scheme. But my favorite room of them all was Maria Theresia's private room. It had a blue and porcelain theme with over 200 drawings done by friends and family. It was so beautiful! On the tour we also learned so cool facts like Maria Theresia loved to gamble and always won! There was even a room strictly for gambling.

I would have to say Schönbrunn has been my favorite place that we have visited in Wein so far--everything about it was beautiful. Unfortunately, because it was so rainy, we did not get to go outside and see the breathtaking gardens. But everyone agreed that we would go back on a nicer day; we even found out there is a zoo there, too. So in the near future we will be returning!

After we got back to school it was dinner time. Everyone ran back upstairs to take their rainy, wet clothes off and then back down to get some food. After dinner we all hung out and played cards. It was a very low key night, but a nice one too.

by Ally Billingsley

April 13th, 2010 - Tuesday

2010-04-14T11:06:00.000-07:00

Today was April 13th, and it is the official end to our spring break. I have really enjoyed traveling around; however, it is nice to be back in Vienna. We really didn’t do much today, we all got back and are really tired. So, most of us spent our day in bed catching on sleep. Mike and I just returned from Paris, a sixteen hour train ride back. We took a night train, and it was not so good. We had beds, but I found it too, too small.

Kunj Shah

April 12th, 2010 - Monday

2010-04-13T13:13:00.000-07:00

blog to be posted by Christina Gallo

April 11th, 2010 - Sunday

2010-04-13T07:47:00.001-07:00

Today is the end of spring break and all the traveling we did over the past 2 weeks.

It is a travel day for everyone to meet back in Vienna. I had to check out of my hostel by 10:30, so I decided I would catch the 10:00 train back to Vienna. The full train ride plus layover was about 13 hours. I first took the train from Amsterdam to Frankfurt. I was only there an hour, so I didn’t really get to see any of the city--from other people that went there is wasn’t much to go see any ways.

After that I had the long straight shot back to Vienna. I slept for most of it because the train wasn’t very crowded, so I just took up the 2 seats and lounged out. Besides sleeping I read my history of math book for our report. The book is on the mathematician Euler, and it contains a lot of formulas. Some of the stuff I can’t follow, because it is more advanced calculus than I have ever done, but I am still able to get through most of the book.

I finally arrived back in Vienna at 11 at night. When I finally go back to the school I went straight into my room and crashed on the bed because I was so tired from the past weeks of traveling.

Ryan Stipetic

Last Day

2010-04-13T07:18:00.000-07:00

Spring break was awesome. Saturday was the last day and a very busy one. Waking up in Brugge, Belgium; eating lunch in Brussels, Belgium; and falling asleep in Frankfurt, Germany.

Brugge was a fairy tale and ended on a high note. Fresh Belgian waffles, a climb up the belfry tower, and last minute shopping in various chocolate shops and hole-in-the-wall places.

The train ride from Brugge to Brussels was about an hour, and once off the train, the difference between Brugge and Brussels was uncanny. Brussels was a busy city, fuming with antiquity. There was a "march of the dead," as it appeared, with thousands of people dressed as zombies crowding the streets. It was a different kind of experience. Brussels was a short stay and after taking in everything in the city, it was on to Frankfurt.

Arrival in Frankfurt was after dinner sometime. Fortunately, the Frankfurt hostel was only 100 meters from the central station; unfortunately, it was also situated at the beginning of Frankfurt's red light district. Compared to Belgium, Frankfurt seemed to be a whole new experience in itself. The people at the hostel were easy to talk to, and it helped ease the intimidation of the city.

From Frankfurt, it was back to Vienna, where a familiar bed and private shower were welcomed with open, dirty arms.

April 9th, 2010 - Friday

2010-04-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

Friday morning was my last morning in Paris. Even though I’ve been there for the last three days, I wanted to stay longer because I feel there is so much more to see. If I had more time, I would have spent more time at the Louvre, and also at Notre Dame. These two places were so crowded that it was nearly impossible to properly explore them.

Looking back, I think Spring break in Paris was a great choice. The trees are in bloom. The weather is just perfect to walk around. I think it is definitely one my favorite places in Europe. The hostel I stayed at was not in the center of town, thus not in touristic area. I liked it very much, especially because I got to get a sense of the real Paris with everyday people instead of being crowded by souvenir shops at every corner. However, if you don’t know French, it could be a pain to try to communicate with the locals. Fortunately, Mae and Cristina had me to translate and speak for them when they needed it. Overall, it felt nice to finally be after five years in a French-speaking country. I have missed that.

One thing I noticed about the city itself is that it is very diverse, population-wise. There, for the first time, I talked to a French-speaking Asian (that was cool). The city can easily be explored using the subway or ‘métro’. Like most main cities I’ve been to, for example Berlin, the subway system is easy to understand and follow. The French food is great. Their regular coffee, bread, dessert and croquet-monsieur (type of sandwich) are a must try if someone goes to France. In almost every corner, there is a pastry or ‘Pâtisserie’. They all look so good, smell so good, and are very inviting. My favorite one was right down the street from the hostel; I took some pictures of it. I tried one of their baguette sandwiches, dessert, and croissant. They were delicious!!

Overall, the French were very nice to us. I remember when we were looking for our hostel, some English-speaking people going to the same place were looking at a map, and a French cyclist stopped and asked them if they needed help. Even in a non-touristic area, the locals were telling us welcome or ‘Bienvenue’.

Merci!!

PHOTOS by Murielle

When in Rome...

2010-04-10T08:59:00.000-07:00

What an eventful day Thursday was. Bobby and I parted ways from our fellow bro's after a couple awesome days in Munich, Germany. Mike and Kunj were headed to Paris, and we were off to Rome! The train ride from Munich to Rome was one of the highlights of this trip so far. I have never seen such beautiful scenery--passing through the Swiss Alps, with jaw-dropping views everywhere you looked. We finally got to Rome after a hefty train ride, only to find out some crappy news when we got to our Rome hostel: we were a day early for our booking and there was no vacancy in the hostel. Just a simple miscommunication, stuff happens (edited version of a term I'm sure we can all figure out). The people at the hostel here were nice enough to let us use the lobby and make a booking at another hostel on the internet. We made a booking and hauled our luggage back across the city to the other hostel. I must say it started out as the sketchiest hostel I have ever checked into. The reception room was one little table with a binder with all the information for the bookings in it. Turns out, we were not actually sleeping in this sketchy looking building. Our room was across the street in what turned out to be a very nice building. We were finally settled into our room by 11:30, just in time to enjoy a delicious meal at an Italian restaurant across the street before they closed at midnight. We knew this restaurant had to be good because in the back corner of the restaurant appeared to be a scene straight out of the Godfather. It looked as if a "meeting of the four fathers" was going down. Bobby enjoyed some pasta, while I feasted on a four cheese pizza. After that we walked around the city for a little bit, trying to enjoy as much of Rome as possible. We were obviously exhausted though, so we headed back to our room and got a much needed good sleep. Can't wait to experience more of Rome over the next three days! This has truly been the spring break of a lifetime!

Peace & love.

by Matt Lennon

April 7th, 2010 - Wednesday

2010-04-08T12:11:00.000-07:00

Today Ally, Christina, Sam, Katie and I were in Frankfurt, Germany. We had arrived yesterday afternoon after a long, packed train ride, during which we had to stand (the whole five hours), but it turned out to be even longer because the trains were delayed. Anyways, we stayed at a very nice place; it was a cross between a hotel and a hostel. When we got upstairs we found out that we had a roommate, but she was barely there. Instead of going out to explore, we all just crashed knowing we had the whole next day to explore.

When we woke up the next morning we all showered and tried to plan out what we were going to see. Originally we were going to go to the Birkenstock factory to get some new shoes; but after failing to find the subways and not wanting to walk for an hour, we thought we would just explore the city. Now don't get me wrong--Frankfurt is BEAUTIFUL, very clean, with some amazing skyscrapers. But it was probably one of the quietest and most boring cities I have ever been to. It seemed to be very business oriented. We sat in a park for a while and then continued our adventures into the early afternoon. By that time Ally had started not to feel so well, so we headed back to the hotel and waited for our taxi to come and get us to go to the airport.

Around five the taxi came and took us there. Little did we know that Frankfurt airport was one of the biggest airports in Europe. We made it through check in and security, and we were well on our way to Ireland for spring break! After our short flight we finally made it to Dublin, and if you ask anyone who went through the passport check, the Ireland stamp is by far all of our favorites. We hopped on a bus right after and it brought us to our hostel, where we all crashed for the night.

by Chrissy Billingsley

April 6th, 2010 - Tuesday

2010-04-07T12:41:00.000-07:00

blog to be done by Erin Dwyer

April 5th, 2010 - Monday

2010-04-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

(Astrological Clock)

Looking back at spring break, it was one of the most eye-opening experiences we have had on this trip. We traveled to Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic with the whole class for about a week and a half.

Before April 5th we were in Berlin, Germany. Berlin was by far one of my favorite cities next to Athens, Greece. I remember that day pretty well because it was our last day in Berlin, so we were trying to make the best of it! We had seen the city from a bus tour, but it was not the same as walking around to see the sights so we got in a big group and walked to the Berlin Wall. We wanted to make the best of our last day before we all split up to travel on our own for our spring break. We gathered up about 10 of us, and ventured out into the beautiful city with cameras in hand.

While walking there we walked through the main part of the city, Checkpoint Charlie, and then got lost; so we tried to follow the bricks on the ground that signify where the wall use to be. That worked for a little while. Then we got to parts of the city that were very quiet, and it did not seem that we were going to the right place. We eventually asked some locals and found our way to the wall! Once we arrived at the wall we were all just quiet because we were all so intrigued by the beautiful artwork on the remaining Berlin Wall. If I remember correctly, our tour guide said the wall was a mile and a half long. The artwork was done by so many talented artists from all different nationalities. The other side of the wall, what you can not see from the street, is just painted white with a sandy beach/park area behind it that is near the river.

After we saw the wall we all took the subway back to the Hostel and grabbed some dinner, eventually ending our night by relaxing to prepare for Prague, and then onto our spring break journey to Munich, Germany on our own!

Michael Niesen

Photos of the Clock and Downtown by Michele

April 4th, 2010 - Sunday - Easter

2010-04-06T08:28:00.001-07:00

Walking to the Prague castle and seeing the Easter Markets was really fun. They sold everything from food to hand-made wooden clocks. The aroma of the food items some of the places were selling smelled delicious. The Prague castle was really amazing on the inside. The stained glass windows, paintings and statues were all really interesting. The audio guide that was available to us made it easy for our group to learn about anything we thought was interesting. Only about 2 days after leaving the Prague castle, we learned that President Barrack Obama was there for business. I was alittle disappointed we weren't able to see him, but even if we had been there at the same time as our President, we probably wouldn't have gotten anywhere close to the castle.

by Samantha Cooper

Photos for the Day by Michele

April 3rd, 2010 - Saturday

2010-04-06T08:27:00.001-07:00

Today we all woke up around 8am to get ourselves organized and packed before we headed downstairs to eat our final breakfast in Berlin. After eating a big delicious breakfast we headed off to the train station to catch our 10:36 train to Prague.

Berlin was a great city that I enjoyed very much. To a lot of us seeing the Dunkin Donuts at certain corners gave a little sense of home. Now we are off to experience another great place and to see more fantastic things.

We arrived in Prague and took a short walk to our hostel. Once we got our room keys we all hurried to check out our new place. All 11 girls were in one room, and the boys were across the hall. Everyone was so tired we all just decided to take a nap before we went out to roam around Prague. After we all napped for a couple hours, we got ready for a big night out. Everyone decided to go out together and hit up the downtown area. Downtown was very beautiful, especially at night with all the lights. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it out for too long, since I wasn’t feeling too good. I personally called it a night early, but most of the group decided to go out to what promised to be the biggest European club, with 6 floors. They all seemed to have had a blast! The night seemed to have gone by so fast but we all were excited to see Prague Castle the next day and be able to see more of this awesome city.

by Stephanie Gilbert

April 2nd, 2010 - Friday

2010-04-06T08:25:00.000-07:00

On Friday we had our own day to spend in Berlin. Erin, Cristina and I walked around down town and bought some good candy and presents for our family. I got some really yummy potatoes and mushrooms with an onion sauce. After that we just explored the rest of the city... looking for the Birkenstock store, which unfortunately was closed. After that we decided we should go to the Dali Museum. Cristina and Erin were not that familiar with him, and I was excited to see some of the less famous art by one of my favorite artists. The museum was beautiful, and no one else was there. It was a lot of his earlier works: sketches, water colors and various other abstracts. I was so happy to be there.

Afterward, we came back and packed for Prague. We were exhausted from all of the traveling and adventures, so we decided to grab dinner early and just go to sleep.

Mae McGlone

The East Berlin Wall Art by Michele

April 1st, 2010 - Thursday

2010-04-06T08:21:00.000-07:00

We had an amazing day at the Berlin zoo today. It contains the largest number of species of all the world’s zoos. So we had to check it out.

We all went out at around noon; we knew perfectly how to get there after the bus tour we took a day earlier. We took the subway to the zoological garden stop, and there it was. The tickets we bought not only allowed us access to the zoo but to the aquarium, also. It was my second time going to a zoo, but first time to an aquarium. I was excited!

We saw all kinds of animals, birds and else (check the pictures). We saw tigers, pandas get fed. We saw different types of ants, which were interesting to me cause I’ve always been fascinated by them. The aquarium was nice--nice looking sharks--and a lot of different species that I cannot fully remember the name of.

Overall, it was very nice spending the day at the zoo. We all got back safely to our hostel, went out to dinner together, and enjoyed the night-life of the city.

Ich liebe Berlin!!!!

by Murielle Errie

Photos by Murielle

Sights of Berlin by Carl

Berlin Bears by Michele

March 31st, 2010 - Wednesday

2010-04-06T08:12:00.000-07:00

Bus tour of Berlin

Blog to be done by Katie Dougherty

Checkpoint Charlie
In front of a piece of the wall.

Brandenburg Gate
The front of the hostel.

Traveling Tuesdays

2010-03-31T06:59:00.000-07:00

Today: Today we woke up extra early for traveling. We woke up in our comfy beds of The Eden Hotel, eager for a long day of traveling ahead. I'm lying, I don't think anyone was eager to be up at 5:15AM, but it had to be done; so Matthew and I did our best to put on some happy [but tired] traveling faces. We were all aboard the shuttle ready to depart for the train station at around 6:20. By 6:45, we were all avidly awaiting our 7:24 train planned to embark for Berlin. We were all very excited to see what Berlin has to offer.

The train ride to Berlin was pretty uneventful. It took just over ten hours, and everyone was pretty stoked to finally put their feet on some solid ground. The whole group sat together, so it was a great bonding experience for everyone. We all suffered the intense heat of our train, complaining back and forth in order to relieve some of the "cabin fever".

The day before, Matthew and I were fortunate enough to find a nice little Bagel Shop/Cafe a stone's throw away from our hotel. It was moderately priced, and the food was delicious. It turns out the owner of the shop actually was from the United States. He was born in Illinois, and moved to New York City in his teenage years. Ten years ago he moved to Krakow, Poland, where he opened his own bagel shop. It was great to talk with a fellow American! Anyways, anticipating the ten hour train ride today, Matthew and I made the educated decision to get Chicken Tortilla wraps to eat for lunch. I anxiously waited for the mutually agreed time, 11:30, to break out the homemade wraps and feast. Matthew and I were both silent while we indulged in our fresh lunch. The wrap consisted of tender breaded chicken, mozzarella cheese, fresh lettuce, tomato, onion, a little salsa, and homemade pesto sauce with just a tint of lemon. Incredible.

Upon our arrival in Berlin, we embarked on yet another cultural experience. We took a short bus ride to our wonderful hostel, The Circus. We are the maiden guests here at The Circus, and we are very fortunate to be in a completely renovated building, with brand new beds, linens, and redone rooms.

After unpacking our stuff, Matthew, Kunj, Mike, Ryan, and I walked a few blocks down the road to a cheap little chicken restaurant. It was 4,50 Euro for a chicken wrap, french fries, and a drink. PERFECT! Afterwards, we headed out to see what the city had to offer. It was an uneventful day, but we look forward to spending the next three days in this amazing city!

-Smeg

March 29th, 2010 - Monday

2010-03-31T06:50:00.001-07:00

Today was our second day in Poland, and we were off to the salt mines. I really had no idea what to picture when I found out we were going to the salt mines, as I had never really heard of them before. When we pulled into the place we had to wait a little while for our tour, but it seemed like before we knew it it was time to go underground. I was unhappily greeted by 300 something stairs that we had to walk down to get to the first part of the tour. What seemed like an eternity of walking down stairs finally came to an end. Then we were on our way for the tour. I would have never pictured salt mines like the one that we were in. We saw sculptures and even a full church underground. It was almost unreal to see. My favorite part of the tour, however, was getting to lick the walls! I was very hesitant at first, but after watching some other people do it I figured it was a once in a life time experience. So I tried it, and it was awesome! You have never tried salt like this before. Then we got to try salt water, and again it was awesome--such a cool experience. Another part of the tour I really enjoyed was a display of gnome sculptures, and we were told that if you smiled at one of them in particular it would bring you luck! I thought it was pretty cool!

Soon enough we were heading back to ground level. The ride to the top was a very, very scary 45 second elevator ride. I was pretty happy when we hit the surface. After the mines we headed back to the hotel and went out to grab some late lunch. After some pizza everyone felt the need for a nap. After napping it was dinner time we went to one of our favorite places in Poland, AWIW, and it was a wonderful last night dinner. We were able to get some amazing Polish food, followed by an even better dessert of raspberries and ice-cream.

After dinner we looked around for a store to find some snacks for the 10 hour train ride ahead of us. But after a little while of searching and not finding anything, it looked like it was time to head back to the hotel. Once we got back it was time to pack quickly and go to bed; we have to be up so early. Ugh! While lying in bed I couldn’t help but think about how much I loved Poland and that I cannot wait to keep traveling!

-Ally

Salt Mine

PHOTOS by Michele

Auschwitz- Birkenau 1940-1945

2010-03-30T15:17:00.000-07:00

After a really early start yesterday we got to sleep in today. We started our day today at 9am with a nice breakfast at the hotel, before the buses picked us up to leave for Auschwitz. The journey there took us about an hour, which was nice because we were expecting to have an hour and a half ride. As soon as I stepped off the bus at Auschwitz I got the chills; it was kind of creepy. The weather helped set the mood there, as it was a cloudy and rainy. We started our tour, and the sign in the main gate said “Arbeit Macht Frei”; translated in to English it means, “Work will Set you Free”, which I found to be ironic because they were brought there to be enslaved and murdered. Also, the tour guide informed us that upon arrival at the camp the Jews were told the only way out was through the chimney. As we continued through the camp we went to many different blocks. The one that had the biggest effect on me was the one with all the peoples' belongings. We first saw the hair of thousands of women and saw how the Nazis would make uniforms and blankets and sell it as cloth. When I saw full locks of hair in braids I was really shocked and just thought why. In the next room there were clothing, glasses, brushes, luggage and shoes from all the victims, and to see how much there was there hit me really hard. All I could think about was everything I have learned about the Holocaust, and then actually being where the biggest massacre occurred almost brought me to tears. We also went in the gas chamber, and crematorium. Being in there, it was very hard to absorb all that occurred right where I was standing. Looking around at the wall and stuff I could see scratch marks on the walls. I could just picture the people and how much they must have suffered; it was too much, and I didn’t want to stay in there.

After we finished this part of our tour we continued to Birkenau (Auschwitz II). This concentration camp was a lot larger in size. The gate into this camp was called the Death Gate. We first walked in and all we could see were the barracks where the prisoners lived and bathed. The conditions that they had to live in were horrible. The toilets where just stone slabs with holes in them, and the space in between each of them was a few inches. As for showers they had a rotation, and it could be up to a couple of months until they got to shower next. The “rooms” the Jews were forced to live in were adapted from field stables that the German army used, but instead of 52 horses, about 400 prisoners where housed there. They slept on three level wooden bunks using paper and other random things for blankets and pillows. As we walked towards the back of the camp we stopped on the spot where the train would bring everyone in, and the selections were made of who survived and who didn’t. This also was a lot to take in because 65 years ago the people standing in the same spot I was had no idea what was about to happen to them; millions of people took one of their last breaths where I was standing. Then we proceeded to the international holocaust monument, which is located in Birkenau, and it had a plaque that read, “Forever let this place be a cry of despair and a warning to humanity, where the Nazis murdered about one and a half million men, women, and children mainly Jews from various countries of Europe. Auschwitz- Birkenau 1940-1945.” After seeing this we also saw the other two gas chambers and crematoriums that the Nazis blew up, to cover up what had gone on at the concentration camps, when they found out they had lost the war. This part was also very hard for me to handle, because as we walked by the rubble my peers and I could smell the burning, which made it very rough to hang around there.

Over all today was a good day. I learned a lot of new things that I didn’t know before, and well I got a whole new prospective on the Holocaust. I have always known of the events that occurred there, but they really did not sink in until now.

-K.Shah

Auschwitz

PHOTOS by Michele

March 27th, 2010 - Saturday

2010-03-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

Saturday, March 27^th, begins our journey to Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic. We all got up bright and early to catch a train to Krakow, the first stop of a trip that we have been looking forward to since the beginning of our time in Vienna. After a morning of lugging our bags on and off of different subways, we finally made it to our seats on the train that we would be occupying for seven hours. I was so happy that I got a window seat, because I love looking out of the train at everything that passes by. As we came closer to reaching our destination, our excitement was building and the exhaustion that we once felt started to disappear. It is still so hard for me to believe that after only several hours I can be in a whole new country—one that I have never thought that I would be in before coming abroad.

We soon arrived at our beautiful hotel, after of course stopping at the local McDonald’s for a quick burger or drink. After we made it to our rooms and settled in, we found out that the hotel was providing us with a snack, which we were more than grateful for. I like what they consider a “snack”. There was a huge spread laid out for us in the coziest and prettiest restaurant that I have ever seen in a hotel. Platters filled with salads, sandwiches, cheese, veggies, fruit, pastries, and endless refreshments all reflected in our eyes as our jaws subconsciously dropped open out of pure awe and joy. After our stomachs were full from that very satisfying treat, our exhaustion hit us again, and many of us took a needed nap. When we woke up, a lot of us had pierogies on the mind. (Not sure how we were already craving food after that delicious “snack”, but hey, you gotta get some pierogies in Poland.) Fortunately, we found a place earlier with a sign that said “Probably the Best Pierogies”. I like how they didn’t want to jump to any conclusions. Nevertheless, we entered the restaurant, sat at the biggest table, and all ordered our pierogies. And let me tell you, they did not give themselves enough credit—they were delicious! We all sampled each other’s choices and walked out as very happy campers. As we walked back to our hotel on the cobblestone streets, I took a long breath in, breathing in this brand new city that I was eager to find out more about.

Christina Gallo

March 26th, 2010 - Friday

2010-03-27T13:18:00.000-07:00

This is for March 26-Beginning March 27

Blog done by Ryan

67 Eggs in My Basket

2010-03-25T14:00:00.000-07:00

I believe it is safe to say that everyone is getting a tad bit anxious to leave for our big trip on Saturday. We are all starting (or really should be) to pack and get ready. Today was also a swimming day for us, which was fantastic; no one was there. What a perfect way to unwind at the end of a busy day. The main event however, was the Theresianum Easter egg hunt. All the students living at the academy got together before dinner and were put into groups of three and then sent off in all directions to find the delicious chocolate eggs and bunnies, and, in Ally's case, very cute little chocolate sheep (which we're hoping she eventually eats and does not keep as a pet). After some time, the bell rang, and we were to count how many treats we found and give the total to Martin. The group with the most treats each won a big nutella-filled chocolate egg as its trophy. It was fun and a little pathetic to see how competitive we all were for some chocolate. All in all it was a good day, and I cannot believe this trip is already half over.

PHOTOS by Michele

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

2010-03-24T16:37:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was beautiful, sunny day in Vienna. I knew that after my two wonderful math classes in the morning that I would not wait too long to go out and enjoy this weather. I made sure to get my work done and to complete my plans for spring break before I ventured out in the city with Erin. I did not have anything grandiose in mind, simply because I want to save my money for the next weeks of traveling. Erin and I decided to walk around and to explore places we’ve never been to.

As I have been noticing, this city is very beautiful when it’s sunny. There always seems to have more things going on. For example, we’ve seen a group dancing, clowns…. Even the people walking in the streets seem to be kinder and happier. Erin and I stopped at one café to get coffee and dessert. We unfortunately didn’t know it was not a place for coffee and dessert, that we had to eat a main meal. So we were very surprised after the waiter told us that they are not the kind of place that serves only what we wanted. We found it strange that he told us that, too. Anyways we ate our not-so-good dessert and even joked about the waiter on our way back “who knows? Maybe he was concerned for our well-being? Or perhaps he knew we would be disappointed by the dessert, so he attempted to cover it with a meal….!!?!”; we know Austrians a little better now, so it was not a big deal to us.

I love the city when it’s sunny, and I enjoyed my peaceful walk with Erin. I can’t wait to visit other parts of Europe next week…

blog by Murielle

Best Days

2010-03-23T14:31:00.000-07:00

Second day back in Vienna since a weekend in Amsterdam with my b.ro's. It feels good to be back; this little 15 x 16 room truly feels like home (though I do look forward to getting back to my real home in Bow, New Hampshire, as much as I love the life in Wien).

I woke up for stats this morning, which was alright, because our great professor was gracious enough to cancel class the previous day after a majority of us had had a late night/early morning of travels via Eurail. After stats I made some toast and tea for the roomie and me, then it was off to Math and Politics. Once we all finished German class with our SECOND favorite professor in Vienna, Doris, it was time to plan out our day on this beautiful afternoon. It was about 60 degrees today in Vienna, and the rest of the week promises to be the same--gotta love spring! Especially in a beautiful city like Vienna.

I hit the city with Bobby around 3 PM to run a couple errands. We both had to send all our Amsterdam postcards to our friends back home, as well as pick some groceries at the best grocery store in town, SPAR! Once back at the Theresianum, we thought we would work off all the deserts we ate while in Amsterdam by going for a jog through the city on this gorgeous, spring day. We jogged to Stadtpark and back; it was good run. While on the run, Bobby and I saw the craziest thing; a bicyclist was crossing the street, naively thinking that no one was coming down the road, when, in fact, there was a motorcyclist traveling down the strasse. Bobby and I looked at each other, in shock as to what was about to unfold. The motorcyclist swerved and clipped the front tire of the cyclist, the motorcyclist caught himself before falling, but we couldn't say the same for the cyclists. He fell but got up right away, luckily, and everyone turned out to be okay. Despite the scrapes and bruises taken by both parties, everyone walked away from the scene, with all their limbs intact. It definitely made the jog a little more eventful.

We returned to the Theresianum, showered, ate dinner (pretty delicious fish), and then attended the weekly, Tuesday group meeting. We received the itinerary for the upcoming trips to Krakow, Berlin, and Prague, and were excited to see the the plans for the days ahead of us. After a fun time sorting out some Czech Republic & Poland currency among the group, it was time for our nightly SCHWIMMEN! Bobby and I always enjoy ourselves at the Theresianum Akademie pool, challenging each other on the diving board to do the craziest dive. We were delighted to have our two French friends, Solveig and Claire join us at the pool, making the night that much more enjoyable.

Now, here I sit, writing this blog, thinking back as we reach the half way point of our trip to Europe. I am sure I can speak for everyone in this group that we look forward to the days and experiences that are in our future. These are the best days that we have been waiting for!

Monday, Monday.

2010-03-23T13:10:00.000-07:00

Monday was our first day of classes back from our lovely four day weekend, ending with a not so lovely train ride back. Christina, Katie, Sam, Ally, Erin, Steph, and I all had enjoyed a wonderful long weekend in Rome, which we all loved, minus the travel days. Our train left Sunday night and we were all hoping that we could just pass out because we had been roaming the city all day. We were so wrong. Our cart was so packed that the aisle was lined with other travelers, many who had just run in the Rome marathon. Not only was the car packed, the air condiontioning was broken, and the car smelled horrible. We spent most of our 13 hour ride listening to music and trying to watch movies, but we were so uncomforatable that nothing seemed enjoyable.

When we finally arrived back in Vienna we were all so tired no one could even show any excitment to be back. Seeing as we had not slept at all on the train, half of us ended up missing class to sleep, while the other half champed it out and attended. After some much needed nap time and lunch, Ally and I went off to see a painting she needed for her class. When we got to the museum we found out it was closed, but it was such a nice day we really did not care. When we got back most everyone was just lounging around still tired from their journeys and trying to unpack. It was a good day for some rest and relaxation, only to have to pack up once again and leave Saturday.

March 21st, 2010 - Sunday

2010-03-22T14:25:00.000-07:00

Blog to be done by Erin Dwyer

March 20th, 2010 - Saturday-Amsterdam Excursion

2010-03-21T11:01:00.000-07:00

Our journey to Amsterdam, Netherlands, began on Thursday March 18th with a 12 hour train ride on the good old Euro Rail. Once we arrived in Amsterdam we began exploring all through out the city and got lost on several occasions. Getting lost is inevitable, but it helped us see the city, until we finally found our hostel after being given wrong directions from many different people. Our hostel was called "The Heart of Amsterdam" and was right in the middle of the Red Light District.

The location was great because you could step out of the door to find everything you need in sight. We got a much needed night of sleep Thursday and woke up Friday morning refreshed and ready to venture out once again in the city. On this day we got to see the Heineken Factory Tour, which is also known as the "Heineken Experience". We all had a blast at this brewery tour; they even had a virtual ride where you are a beer bottle going through the filling process and packaging. It was a very creative ride; it would even spray water at you when the bottles were being cleaned. Finally Saturday, my blog date, was actually Cristina Tyris's 21st birthday. Bob, Matt, Kunj, and I met up with the girls and went out to help them celebrate Cristina's birthday. Their hostel was about a 15 minute walk from ours, but it was in a very good location. After finding the girls at their hostel we all grabbed a bite to eat and explored the area by their hostel by going to different spots. Overall, it was a very enjoyable night, and we all had a great time hanging out with each other. The weather during the whole trip was overcast with rain, so that was one downside.

We left Sunday morning to find out that our train had left 45 minutes early. We ended up catching another train at 12:15 to Frankfurt, Germany, where we had a 3.5 hour wait for our next train to Munich. That train ended up being a half hour late and packed to the point where we had to sit on the floor for a few stops. After that we caught a night train that was not comfortable to sleep in. We eventually made it home at 6am, with Statistics class at 8am! Amsterdam is a place that should be on your list to see if you ever want to travel through Europe!

by Michael Niesen

Friday in Rome

2010-03-21T00:50:00.000-07:00

We woke up determined to see St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican. In Italian it is called, Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano, and is located in the Vatican City. St. Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world, holding 60,000 people. When we arrived we were awe struck at the magnificent architecture that stood before us. People from everywhere stood in a line that looked like it was a mile long to enter this beautiful place. We quickly got in line and thought it was going to take hours to be able to see the inside. While waiting, the surrounding area had so much to look at, it seemed as though the line moved faster than we had originally expected. We saw some of the famous Swiss guards outside wearing their colorful uniforms. The inside was just as, or maybe even more astonishing than the outside. Pristine marble figures of angels and saints were everywhere you turned; even the floor was styled. I caught myself staring at everything in sight. It was a place that I will never forget. I felt honored to have walked in and experienced it.

by S. Cooper

Thursday, March 18th

2010-03-19T15:50:00.000-07:00

Today I arrived in ROME!! After a long 14 hour train ride we were finally in Italy. Even though we were all exhausted and would have loved to nap we were just way too excited. We walked about five minutes from the train station to our hostel. We dropped our stuff off but had to leave because check in wasn’t until 3pm, and it was only 9am.

We took off to roam the city. It was beautiful; we were located close to everything. There were tons and tons of vendors everywhere and pretty cheap places to eat. After an hour of roaming around Erin’s cousin Sarah, who is studying in Rome, met up with us and was a nice tour guide for us. We ended up at the Coliseum. What an unbelievable site; never in a million years did I think I would get to see this! It is even more impressive in person! We were all just so happy to have the opportunity to experience being there. Walking back from the coliseum we stopped at the roman ruins and took tons of pictures. It was so cool!

After all the walking, Sarah took us to the best gelato place...she wasn’t kidding. This place had every type of gelato you could imagine. I had a chocolate and baileys crème gelato. It was so delicious and was only 3 euros. After we all finished our gelato we had to say bye to Sarah because she was heading to Amsterdam, and we went to the hostel. We got settled in our rooms and took a short nap, then went downstairs and had the complementary pasta dinner that the hostel served. Which was also very good. After dinner the seven us got ready for our first night out in Rome...

It was a good night. I hope I have the opportunity to go back again, as 3 days won't be enough. I am so happy I went with Erin, Sam, Ally, Chrissy, Kate and Christina. We all had so much fun and became a lot closer. Good bonding time!

by Stephanie Gilbert

March 17th, 2010 - Wednesday

2010-03-18T16:24:00.001-07:00

Today we went to a Monastery about half hour from Vienna. This was for our class Vienna Across the Ages, though the teacher of the class did not attend. When we got there, my initial reaction was that it was a very, very striking place. The architecture was beautiful, as are most things in this country. I still am always amazed thinking about the people who worked on these structures, without modern technology.

Our tour started, and at first I was a little bored. But as we started getting deeper into the building everything got much more intricate and interesting. Most of the things were religious, and covered in gold leaf. There was one sculpture of Jesus and Mary, where Mary was frowning from one side and smiling from the other.

I think my favorite part about the trip, though, were the stained glass windows. These monks back in the day, figured out a way to create stained glass--but when the light showed through it… it was white! Dang! That was pretty cool. I also loved all of the ceilings, but I find myself loving all of the ceilings. Who knew they would be so cool? There was also an extremely large barrel (the biggest in Austria) that was used for storing wine. I wish I had been around back then when they still used it!

Another exciting thing that occurred was my best friend from home is here! She flew in last night. Lydia, Cristina and I are planning on leaving for Amsterdam tomorrow! Cristina is turning 21 and it’'s Lydia’'s spring break, so celebration is definitely in order. Our friends from the group (Kunj, Mike, Matt and Bobby) will also come along. I have good feelings about this short trip!

I also get to see family that I have there. I know it means a lot to my mother that I get to visit them; she has not seen them since she was living in Europe. I hope that they are just as excited to meet me! They'’re taking us three girls (Lyd, Cristina and me) to a famous pancake house in a small village in Holland. Could life get any better?
Ciao!

by Mae McGlone

PHOTOS by Michele

March 16th, 2010 - Tuesday

2010-03-17T13:30:00.000-07:00

Today was the day that Mae and I have been waiting for, for weeks. Our closest friend from school, Lydia, landed in Vienna today to spend her spring vacation traveling around Europe. We spent the day showing her the area surrounding the Theresianum and eventually the “Bahnhof,” where she bought her ticket to Amsterdam for this, my birthday weekend. After she was settled with her ticket, I took her to her hostel in Keplerplatz. We eventually found the street the hostel was on only to then begin our search for building number 16. After seeing that building 11 followed building 17 we stopped at the corner to ponder over what could have happened to building 16, the most important building on that street for us. After several minutes we settled on the idea of walking across the street and asking the employee in a local café. The man in the café looked at us, looked where we had just walked from and pointed…we had been standing under a giant sign displaying her hostel and building 16; we convinced ourselves that they need to start numbering the buildings more obviously.

Lydia was quickly settled into her hostel, and we headed back to the Theresianum to meet Mae for a sushi dinner; it’s amazing how popular Chinese/Japanese food is in Vienna. As the day crept into evening, we decided to go into town to start off my birthday weekend, as well as St. Patrick’s Day. The night ended early for me, knowing that the next morning we would have to be up to visit the Monastery, celebrate St. Patrick’s day, and leave on an 8am train to Amsterdam the following day. My birthday weekend in Amsterdam is what I have been looking forward to most, and I hope whichever one of my classmates has the blog for that weekend is part of the trip, because it’s something you are going to want to read about.

by Cristina Tyris

Monday, March 15, 2010

2010-03-16T07:35:00.000-07:00

Today was the usual Monday in Vienna. The weather was a little bit chilly, and really windy. We went to classes, then some went to museums and others just walked around. A good majority of the group went to the train station to reserve tickets for the upcoming four-day weekend. I personally am really excited for that. A few of us are going to Rome then. In the afternoon, a couple psychology majors went to the Freud Museum, located in Sigmund Freud’s former residence, and came back saying it was a cool experience. After dinner, the students in the statistics class were busy studying for tomorrow’s exam, along with doing other homework.

Freud's Office

Signing in at the Freud Museum.

Sunday: An "I don't have to run" Day

2010-03-14T10:23:00.000-07:00

Today was a leisurly day here at the Theresianum. We slept in and enjoyed a fabulous lunch of baked chicken, rice, and stuffing. There was also a banana custard pie, with hardened chocolate coating, for dessert. After our meal, Matt and I took our usual walk up to the candy store to purchase some homemade chocolates.

We had awakened to a bright and sunny window this morning, but don't let those golden rays fool you; it's still under 50 degrees here. With the wind whipping down the street, we were grateful for our scarves. After getting the usual chocolate fix, I sought refuge in our room. The past weekend gave Matt and me a good chance to clean the room, neaten everything up, and even put up some new posters. It's been a month and five days since we have gotten here, and it's nice to have the feeling of home in our room.

Today I spent a lot of time reflecting on my trip thus far. It really seems like we have just gotten here, but in fact, we are a third of the way through our Great European Experience! It blows my mind when I really think about how fast time is flying by. Classes have been interesting, the food has been good, and for the most part I feel like everyone has really grown accustomed to living here. The internet keeps us connected to our loved ones back home, and we're simply enjoying the time we get to spend here.

I also noticed through the absence of over half the group, how much of an impact we have on each other. It wasn't the same being in the Theresianum without the whole group being here. It was nice to hear everyone coming back from their trips this morning. Everyone arrived home from his or her travels, high in spirit, rich with experience. As Christopher McCandless said in the 2007 film, Into the Wild, "The core of man's spirit comes from new experience.” This is derived from the ideas in Thoreau's book, Walden, and I think it exemplifies our lives here in the EU perfectly.

I look forward to the countless new experiences we are undoubtedly going to encounter here in the next two months. It's been nice talking, Cheers! Smeg

March 13th, 2010 - Saturday

2010-03-13T12:42:00.000-08:00

So today was our first full day in Bratislava! We all rolled out of bed around 9:30, went down to breakfast, and ate something quick. After breakfast we decided to explore the city. Right as we walked outside we realized that the weather was not going to cooperate with us. It was windy and rainy, but that did not stop us at all. We went into the historical district of the town, and it was so beautiful. I couldn’t help but think to myself that this is what I thought all of Europe was going to look like: wide open cobblestone streets, pretty window shops all lit up, and the most beautiful churches. It took my breath away how beautiful this city really was. As we walked around I began to notice the same statue of a man was all over the city. He was in different poses, of course, but it was the same guy in a top hat. Then I remembered that I had read something about him in the elevator and why he was all over town. It was so fun to take pictures with all the statutes. After walking in and out of some shops and getting some gift, there was a break-down of communication, and Sam was no longer with us. So we did what we thought was best and went back to the hotel. Luckily Sam had thought the same, and we found her sitting at our room door!

After the six of us were reunited we decided to take a quick nap before heading back into the city at night. We all soon woke up, and Kate, Sam and Erin went off to explore a castle that we had seen earlier, while Christina, Chrissy, and I stayed back to get ready. Once we were ready we decided to go out while the other three girls were still exploring. We ended up at this awesome café with huge leather couches and decided to get dessert before dinner(: It was delicious, and it was awesome to chill in the window and people-watch for a little while. After we ate it was time to go meet up with the other girls and go to dinner! We ended up at a Mexican restaurant, and it was delicious.

After we ate we decided to go back to the hotel and have some drinks there. While there we met up with some guys who were in town on a “holiday.” It was really great to meet some new people and hang out with them. As the night continued we decided to go out into the city to see what the night life had to offer. We ended up at some disco night club, and it was so fun! It was the downstairs of some bar, and the six of us girls literally danced the night away. It was so great! As early morning rolled around we all decided to head back and try to get some sleep, as we had an early check out the next day. When we got back to the hotel our British neighbors were sitting out in the hallway because they had been locked out. So we chatted with them for a bit and then it was off to bed!

It was really great to be able to plan a weekend get away by ourselves. For a lot of us it was a very new and exciting experience, and even a little scary making sure everything worked out. It turned out to be so great, being on a trip that we had all planned together and experiencing a whole different culture in a place so few of us had heard about. It was such a wonderful get away; I cannot wait to do it again!

Ally Billingsley

March 12th, 2010 - Friday

2010-03-13T12:41:00.000-08:00

Today I started of my day at 8:30am with statistics. After that Mike and I were set to leave for Brno, Czech Republic, to visit our friend Jim. After class we hopped on the subway to began our adventure. Our bus was set to leave at 11:35am; however, we arrived there and stood outside in the cold for an hour but the bus didn’t show. So we called the company, and it turned out that the bus had gotten in to an accident on the way to the stop, and they would not be able to send another one until 2pm. After hearing this we were a little discouraged and went to get some lunch and returned to the Theresianum. After waiting for two and a half hours we finally began our trip to Brno. The ride there was really comfortable. We had snacks and a movie on the bus we took, and the ride was just over an hour and a half.

When we arrived there we were greeted by our friend Jim, and he took us to his house. I felt right at home; his mother had prepared sandwiches and other little snacks for us. Then Jim took us to meet up with his friends. This was really interesting because we got the full experience of the local lifestyle, unlike when we travel to other countries not knowing anyone and usually end up at the tourist spots. We also went to a store called Globus, and that was real nice. They had everything there, like Wal-Mart on steroids. It was nice because we don’t have any stores like that in Vienna.

For dinner Jim's mom cooked us some of the best spaghetti I have had in awhile. Later on that night we went into the city and went to all the local spots where all the kids our own age hangout. It was really cool to meet kids there, and many of them spoke English. It was like being back at home, so I really enjoyed it. I really liked being in the Czech Republic for one of the most fun weekends I have had here. I can’t wait to go back for another weekend.

Blog by Kunj

March 11th, 2010 - Thursday

2010-03-12T04:24:00.000-08:00

This morning I woke up to snow falling by my bedroom window. My first thought was, "No, not another cold day!", but then I realized how pretty it really was. A very light dusting of white powder covered the cars and sidewalk, and there was a feeling of tranquility in the air. Plus, there was no time to be grumpy--I am in Vienna and need to love every second of it!

The day started off with Math and Politics at 10am. Being a psychology major, I really don't have much experience with the subject, but tried to keep focused as best as I could. After a pretty satisfying lunch of rice and veggie patties, four other rugby players and I got ready to teach some younger students about the game. We were all really excited to talk about the game that we love so much, but also a little nervous to be talking about it in front of a class of thirteen-year-olds. Once we got to the classroom, we were surprised to see that everyone was very attentive and interested in what we had to say; some of them knew more about the game than we had expected! Once we went over some of the rules, positions, and other aspects of the game, we all bundled up to go outside and put our lesson to the test. We were all so happy to see that all of the kids really enjoyed playing with us--all of them wanted to be the first one to try to kick the ball or be part of the scrum. After a lot of laughs and fun, it was time to go in.

Being outside with those kids and being able to interact with them, teach them, and share something that we are all so passionate about was a real gift. We were all in high spirits walking to the cafeteria for dinner, and all agreed that we would jump at the opportunity to do it again.
As we all crawled into our beds for some much needed rest (we would be going to Bratislava, Slovakia, the next day for a weekend trip), I looked out my window once more and felt very content to be looking into the city that was becoming more like home.

PHOTOS by Michele

Back To The Land Of The Living

2010-03-11T07:02:00.000-08:00

Sorry, but I didn't know you couldn't upload Documents to Blogger; so you won't be able to see the PowerPoint. But there are a lot of nice camera shots of the same thing in Matt's Video. Search for it on YouTube, if you want.

Here's to You, Tim Toupet

2010-03-09T12:41:00.000-08:00

So today was the first day of Mathematics and Politics, and Carl got everyone's hopes up during the lesson, as we all believed we would be traveling as a group to either Amsterdam, Barcelona, Paris, or Florence; however, those were just pawns in his game of deceit and we all realized he was just trying to teach us about math. The example did keep our attention, though, and we ended up covering a lot of material. But the real fun started while we were in German class. We all knew something was up when Doris had with her a boom box. The lesson flew by as usual but towards the end she handed us a sheet of lyrics titled, "Fliegerlied" (meaning Flyer song). We first heard Doris sing it to us, rather beautifully if I might add, and then we translated the lyrics to English. It turned out to be a pretty happy song, and I started to think that maybe it was a little too happy. Then the music turned on, and a man started singing the song. After two tries the entire group was singing along and dancing, having such a good time with it. Someone said it best, That Tim Toupet (the man responsible for the song) is like the European "Wiggles". No matter, it was a perfect way to end class, and shortly after a few were downloading the song when we arrived back at the dorms. It felt good to be reunited with our inner child. Tonight was also a pool night, so we all shlept down to the pool for a little while; it was especially beneficial to me, because I learned how to swim (properly). Again, bringing back my childhood. Who knew that everything interesting that happened today would all be during our lessons? It pays to go to class, kids.

March 8th, 2010 - Monday

2010-03-08T11:39:00.000-08:00

Today is our first Monday back in Vienna. After statistics at 8:30 am, we all headed to Hofburg Redoutensale museum. Professor Kröll was waiting for us there. I technically did not have to go since I am not taking Vienna Across the Ages. However, since I hate having the feeling that I might be missing on something, I went. I even brought a little notebook with me. I was determined to have a good time at the Museum.
As shown by the pictures, a lot of the stuff we saw was Royalty-related. At the beginning of the tour I was pleased to see the different crowns from different periods, and all the gowns. However, after spending 2 hours straight on my feet, my idea of ‘good time at the museum’ did not turn out quite well. I was tired and stopped taking notes, even pictures. I wish the tour had been shorter. I even started thinking about the kids from Prof. Martin’s class who told me they only love museums when they go by themselves. When they told me that, I thought to myself, “poor little kids can’t handle museum tours…hahaha” lol. Well now I understand them.
After that, my day ended well!
Danke schön!
Murielle.

PHOTOS by Murielle

PHOTOS by Michele

Sunday funday

2010-03-07T14:30:00.000-08:00

Slept in really late this morning, after a really fun (late) night with Mike, Bobby, Mae, and Cristina at the popular Wien dance club, Flex. Instead of going to lunch at the Theresianum this morning, Bobby and I thought we would go out to the city and get something. For our budget's sake, we ended up agreeing on some good ol' American food, Burger King. It was quite cold in the city today; we were teased with some 50 degree weather a couple weeks ago and now these 30 degree days are taking us by surprise. I just want it to warm up! Nonetheless, I always enjoy a walk in this beautiful city.

After strumming on my 6-string for a little bit, Bobby and I decided to begin writing a script for a little, short film. It is starting to come together really well; the title is "the Magic Gloves." I will say no more as of now! You should all be very excited, trust me.

Tonight, Bobby and a couple of guys we know who attend the Theresianum Akademie are going to the restaurant/pub, Four Bells, for their special Sunday deal, all meals 5.50 euro! Can't beat that, it's bound to be a fun time.

Until we meet again, peace & love.

matthewlennon

Saturday, March 6th

2010-03-07T14:25:00.000-08:00

Saturday was a pretty quiet day for us here in Vienna. Most of us were awake and ready for lunch at 11:45, which was pretty good. After lunch Christina, Sam, Mike and I ventured off to go shopping. Mike needed hair clippers, and we needed to get out of the Tressiaunum. We ended up at what looked like a huge department store named Muller. When you first walk in you are overwhelmed with how many different perfumes and colognes they have. So we went off and tried to smell all of them. After conquering all of those we looked upstairs, which was mostly DVD's and other tech stuff, and another floor was all kids toys. When we went all the way downstairs it was like a collection of everything you could need on a day-to-day basis. Soon after we left and hopped on the subway en route to Billa. On the way there Christina and I spotted a bagel shop, so of course we had to go in and get one. They were so good and gave us a little taste of home. After the grocery store we headed back. For the rest of the day we just lounged around waiting for dinner. Saturday was a pretty relaxing day; hopefully I can get some work done on Sunday :)

Christine Billingsley

Friday, March 5th

2010-03-06T12:31:00.001-08:00

I’m still reeling from my trip to Athens. It’s been hard to get back into the swing of things. Athens was like a fantasy in a lot of ways. Gorgeous weather, blue skies, ancient temples, friendly people… (cheap drinks). I’m trying to get back into the groove of school work and Vienna. Culturally Vienna is significantly different from Athens. Vienna feels safe, guarded, put together, organized, and the people come across as significantly emotionally unavailable. In Athens everything felt more alive. The people were raw, passionate, and even a little desperate as a result of the poverty being more visible. It’s good to be home in Vienna, but the memory of Athens is never far from my mind.

Today I woke up a little earlier then usual in order to prepare for my History of Math presentation. I presented with Sam Bizon about 17th century mathematics. I specifically focused on Galileo’s life and success as a mathematician, physicist, and astronomer. I also spent time explaining the ancient view of the universe that Aristotle proposed, which suggested that the earth was the center of all things and everything else in the universe revolved around the earth in perfect spheres. This ancient model of the solar system was particularly interesting because it held a concrete sphere for God in the Universe. Although Galileo didn’t invent the telescope, he created his own unique model. Through systematically looking at the sky with his telescope he was able to disprove that the earth was the center of astronomical motion. I also presented on the beginning of modern mathematical notation and the Decimal Fraction of Simon Stevin. I’m not sure if everyone else found it interesting, but at least I did.

I spent the rest of the day reluctantly unpacking, cleaning my third of the room, and relaxing. I worked on catching up on reading, especially for my directed study. I also spent a large part of the evening mapping out my spring break with Sam and planning small weekend trips to nearby countries and cities. Planning these getaways is turning out to be a lot harder then I thought it would be. Prices fluctuate significantly depending on the websites, so it’s a constant battle for the cheapest price and looking out for hidden fees and taxes.

After working on future trips I e-mailed my advisors at school in order to secure my classes for next semester. I also e-mailed friends and family back home and filled them in on how amazing my trip to Athens was and how excited I am to see so many other cities in the upcoming future. I look forward to the parts of myself that every trip will awaken. I can see things coming together now, and I can feel the dots connecting. It’s an odd feeling knowing that I’m in the middle of something that’s changing my life forever… and if I ever get a little homesick it always comforts me to know that I’m never more then a subway stop away from a McDonalds.

Erin Dwyer

Thursday, March 4th

2010-03-06T12:28:00.000-08:00

This was the first "real" day back from our amazing trip to Athens, Greece. Wednesday was a day to relax and to also get back into "Vienna" mode, if you will. Thursday was the start of classes again for those of us who have Statistics; the rest got to sleep in. Our transition back into Vienna was slow because we had to come back to depressing cold weather, when we had all just been in beautiful, sunny 70 degree Athens. Even though we all may not like the weather, Vienna is our home, and we are all settled in. We also know how to get around the city pretty well now. Thursday was also our second class of German, and it went very well. We learned greetings, and we had to pick a partner to write a quick description about to be presented to the class. Even though we have only had a few German classes, I have found it helpful to the point where I am picking it up rather quickly. I think the hardest thing is trying to interact with the people and understanding what the cashiers say to you for the price of your order. If they did not have the digital display, we would all be in trouble! After German class we had the pool available to us, from 8:30pm to 10:30pm. Mostly everyone on the floor took advantage of it, and we all went down to swim in the indoor pool. Besides that, nothing else is really new. We all are very excited to start traveling again. Traveling through Europe will be an experience that we will never forget, and we will have photographs to help us look back and tell the story.

Michael Niesen

Back to Austria

2010-03-06T03:18:00.001-08:00

Waking up early and getting ready to leave Athens was a little sad. Looking out the bus window as every part of Greece was going fast behind us, it was hard to say good bye to the nice weather, good times, and great food we had. After the Athens trip I think our group got a little closer and enjoyed every minute of being there. The plane ride was quick and we soon landed back in Austria. The weather was the first thing that hit me, back to freezing. No more flip flops and shorts for us. Getting on the train I realized how tired I was and napped most of the way. The subway was quick, and we arrived back at the Theresianum. I collapsed on my bed and didn't bother unpacking and slept most of the day away. Eating the food in the cafeteria made me instantly miss our happy meals that we shared together just the night before. I am excited to go on another trip because of how much fun we all had in Greece.

Last Night :(

2010-03-02T13:06:00.001-08:00

When I woke up today nice and early in the morning with the sun shining through the hostel I realized that it was our last day in Athens. Sam, Murielle, Chrissy, Christina and I were in such a hurry to spend all day shopping and enjoying the seventy degree weather. We all got up nice and early to roam around Athens one last time. I did some serious bartering with vendors and got such good deals on souvenirs for my family. Sam, Murielle and I walked around for hours and hours just taking in the culture in Greece. Everyone is just so friendly and welcoming. Around 3:30pm we headed back to the hostel to meet the rest of the group. Carl and Michele booked a small trip to Poseidon's Temple, which is about an hour and a half away. We all took a bus there and got to see more of Greece. The more and more I saw of this country the more I fell in love with it. The water, houses and scenery looked like it was out of a movie. Everything was just so beautiful! When we arrived at the temple everyone was in awe of how beautiful it was. As the sun set a bunch of us just sat together quietly watching it. None of us could even describe how amazing it was. This truly was the most spectacular thing I have ever seen. What a great way to end our trip to Greece. When we left the temple and arrived back at the hostel we all split up to get some dinner. Murielle, Sam and I ended up eating at this little cafe with Carl and Michele. The food was phenomenal; I had some pasta with tomato sauce that was so delicious. After dinner the 3 of us decided to get some dessert. Sam got a chocolate cake from this amazing little chocolate shop, and then we walked down a few feet and had some delicious frozen yogurt. The day was perfect! When we got back into the hostel and packed our things to go, I couldn't help but get a little sad. I felt that this trip really helped bring us together more, and we were all just so happy. This trip is something I will never forget, and I can't wait to go on more. Before we went to bed, we all stood on our balcony and just looked outside one last time and agreed we would definitely be back again. :)

Stephanie Gilbert

PHOTOS by Michele

March 1st, 2010 - Monday

2010-03-02T13:04:00.000-08:00

“We shall not cease from exploration and the end of our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” – T.S. Eliot.

The world around me is getting significantly bigger as my time here goes by. I find myself realizing a lot about my own ignorance towards the world and the people that are living in other countries. Today I woke up very eager to go out and explore more of Greece. Athens is completely different from Vienna. This place is loud, dirty, bohemian and absolutely beautiful. We spent a lot of the day walking, and walking a lot. My hip was hurting me pretty badly throughout the day, so I was walking far behind the group mostly by myself. It was nice to have the separation and be able to meander slowly, not letting any details pass me by.

We had breakfast with President Hagerty and his very nice wife. They gave us these candied fruit that were delicious and I FINALLY had normal, American coffee. I sucked down three cups before I had to stop myself. That is the one thing I miss more than anything: a big ol’ cup of coffee. Mmmmmmmm. After that, we went to a museum and looked at a history of Greece, which was interesting. It was hard to pay attention when all I wanted to do was run around outside. I especially fell in love with the jewelry that was in the exhibit.

After that, we went and walked through the craziest little market place I have ever been to. Gypsies, old Greek men and others all shouting and hustling everyone to buy stolen things for cheap. I’m glad we didn’t have time to go shop because I would have come back with a second suitcase of stuff. Then, it was my favorite part of the day: Lunch. And holy tomatoes was it a lunch. I got a Greek salad with pita. This was not a typical salad. This salad put to shame any salad I have ever had. And the tomatoes, which are my favorite thing to eat, were the ripest things that I have ever had the pleasure to engulf. I also had a lovely cup of Illy espresso, which is my favorite brand thus far.

After lunch, we went off to climb a mountain. Being a cripple with an ulcer, I opted not. I took the little trolley up the mountain. Best six euro I have ever spent. When I got to the top, the view was extraordinary. I then got to give a math lesson… excellent!

That night the group finally got some free time. My friend Cristina and I went out for dinner, another meal, which I consumed in about 1 minute. After that we went out with our other friends to get a taste of the nightlife. Athens is most definitely the place to be if you’re looking to be outdoors and have fun.

Having this opportunity to travel to Greece is eye opening. This area is going through a huge economic crisis. Being someone who is very interested in human rights, it is extremely liberating and enlightening to be in the middle of a country that is going through such a large change. Walking through the protests, seeing the police teams with riot gear on and carrying machine guns is heavy. I love that I am seeing people standing up for what they believe in, regardless of what it is.

Another thing that my time in Europe has done for me so far, is to reestablish my thankfulness to be American. Walking around Greece, there are endless gypsies and poor, illegal immigrants. It was very hard for me to comprehend that all of the venders and people selling things in the street were mostly likely victims of human trafficking. I could never imagine having to make a living by selling lighters or washing windows of cars in the middle of the street. It is all a lot to soak in, and I am beginning to view myself very differently, and perhaps starting to see the world around me more clearly.

Maegan McGlone

PHOTOS by Maegan

Photos by Michele

Sunday in Athens

2010-03-01T08:32:00.000-08:00

Today was our first full day experiencing Athens. It was an early rise, as our mornings tend to be, filled with tours, walks, and museums, as the beginnings of trips are starting to seem. We began our day with the Acropolis and a short climb to see the Parthenon looking over Zeus' Temple, as well as where the first Olympic games were held. It was surreal to stand on such historic ground, where countless world-changing events occurred.

After the Acropolis we walked through the Agora, which was sort of the town meeting place, where courts would be held, as well as music, competitions, poetry readings, and where Socrates would walk around and "pester" people. In the museum there we saw a lot of things that reminded me of familiar objects, such as the "water clock," which Ancient Greeks used as a timer similar to how we might use an hour glass.

Our one break in the day was used to have a short lunch where most got the famous gyro, but we vegetarians stuck with Greek salad. Straight from lunch we went to yet another museum, the New Acropolis Museum, which was filled with sculptures and other objects that once decorated the Parthenon.

After the museum some were able to walk around. I was fortunate enough to have time to myself to explore and take in the culture that you can't get in a museum or tour, but rather get a chance to see the everyday differences in life today. Those who were not able to walk around were inside preparing for History of Math presentations to be held today and tomorrow.

After class on the steps of that last museum we went to dinner with our university's former president, Dr. Hagerty, after which we were able to have the remaining evening to immerse ourselves in the nightlife of Athens. These breaks between structured activities are where I find I am getting most of my eye-opening experience. Getting lost, attempting to communicate, and soaking in the different lifestyles and cultures. So upon returning not only to Vienna but also to the United States I will have a totally different outlook on the way people in different parts of the world live, and I will better understand their actions and behavior from their perspective, something you could never capture in a classroom.

Cristina Tyris

Acropolis Photos

Agora Marketplace and Lunch Photos

New Acropolis Museum, Supper Photos

February 27th, Saturday

2010-03-01T08:31:00.000-08:00

This morning we embarked on our first traveling adventure outside of Vienna. We woke up to finish up last minute packing. Some made themselves breakfast, and we all had to manage the unwanted task of saying our goodbyes to Janet. We had to meet down in the lobby area by 9am. With all being fairly on time, hoping we didn’t forget anything, we headed to the subway to catch our connecting trains to the airport. The plane ride went quick with some of the best views of mountains and cities; I can’t even describe how cool the picturesque scenes were.

When we landed in Greece we were a little bit disappointed that we were greeted by rain, but as the shuttle took us to our hostel, it cleared up nicely and only sprinkled later on in the evening. I have never stayed in a hostel before so I am sort of looking forward to experiencing the different atmospheres within them in the next few months. Our rooms in Athens are nicer than what I was expecting. All of our rooms have a small balcony off of them, and the room in which I’m staying is over a big orange tree. They have orange trees lining the street here. Some of us tried tasting them, and they didn’t taste very good. We later found out from our tour guide that they are more for cooking than eating them fresh; they were just kind of cool to see.

Speaking of our tour guide, I think she is one of the reasons why I had such an amazing time in Athens this first day. It is an awesome city and she made it even better. On the first night we went on a walk with Ioanna. She gave us the choice to “take the road less taken” when we came to a fork in the road. We of course took it and were treated with an amazing experience. The Acropolis could be seen almost everywhere we went and is one of the coolest views that I have been able to see in my life. We made a few friends during our walk, too. I should mention that they were of the four pawed and legged kind. You see, in Greece they don’t have SPCAs or animal shelters. The strays become community pets. People feed them and take care of them. We even named a few of them that were with us, and they adopted us as if they were our very own loyal pets. This was a most welcomed change from what we have experienced in Vienna, where it is thought of as rude and inappropriate to pet a stranger’s dog.

As we were walking past it, a local priest invited us into a church that was built around 960, St. Dimitri’s. From what I can tell the people here are so laid back and genuinely just nice, it is quite refreshing to be in this atmosphere. We were even invited back for the next day’s services at the church. After that we kept on going and found a great look-off point. I wish that pictures could bring into focus the true beauty that you were able to see from off the cliff.

From there, it was off to supper, with a little bit more history and sights along the way. We walked down Tripod Street, which is the oldest known street in the world. And then there was the best part of the night, dinner. We really didn’t expect what we received. We went to this little place, whose name translates into “The Tavern of the Fisherman.” With live, traditional, Greek music playing in the background to our meal, we were able to sample a variety of different types of Greek food. And can I tell you, was it spectacular food. We were served round after round of it, too. Everyone left with full stomachs and in great moods because of what a great experience dinner was. To end the night off on a enjoyable note, we were shown where the night life for people our age takes place. In Greece nightlife doesn’t exist until after midnight, so we had to wait a little while for it to heat up, but it was well worth it. Well, I’m off to get a good night’s rest with hope that tomorrow in Athens brings as much joy as today.

Katie

PHOTOS OF DAY 1 of GREECE

2010-02-26T13:46:00.000-08:00

Today is Friday, February 26th. The entire FPU population woke up for one class today, at 10AM. Everyone's favorite, History of Math! After getting through two of the presentations today, everyone dispersed and went their separate ways before reuniting at 1PM for lunch in the caf. Which I may add, was absolutely delicious. It was fried fish with a rice medley. It's always a treat to come down to a meal we're accustomed to.

I have been in need of a haircut since we've been here, and, concerned that there isn't a barbershop around that can speak English, I decided to cut my hair myself. I figured, hey, you can either go to the barber and pay 20+ Euro for a haircut you're not going to like, or you can cut it yourself for free, and have a similar outcome. I was delighted to find my haircut didn't come out THAT bad. Thanks to a little help from young Matthew on the back [which is obviously a blind spot], I was pleasantly surprised in my hair cutting capabilities. I took a quick shower, and showed up to lunch a few minutes late. The lunch lady warned Matt and I that anytime later than 1:20PM, and we're not getting served. We smiled politely and, preceding her little warning, she hooked us up with double lunches because she knows we're growing young men.

Concluding lunch, Matty Boy and I embarked on yet another outstanding adventure into the urban playground we're quickly getting accustomed to. We went to the Spar, a local grocery store down the street, for some necessary ingredients for the fridge. We also payed a quick visit to my favorite place here, Bourbon de Corte's Candy shop. Delicious chocolates and candies for a great price. I've been in at least a half dozen times since we got here. The owner is always quick to light up with a smile when he sees his most valuable America customer. I bought a dozen dark chocolate truffles, and a 100 grams of rich chocolate nougat encased in a dark chocolate shell [total cost, 4,50 Euro].

After our trip to the candy store, we took to the subway to a music store near the center of the city. Matt got his guitar fixed, and we were lucky enough to "sample" a few different instruments in the store. I was also fortunate enough to be on the laundry schedule today, so now I have nice clean clothes to pack for Athens tomorrow! Tonight is also the last night we get to spend with our wonderful RA, Janet, who has been more than helpful the past seventeen days. She has helped schedule Spring Break trips, given us valuable information about the city and traveling, and also been there to let us into our rooms when our key is misplaced or in the room. She will be greatly missed, and we all look forward to seeing her back at FPU in May. Hope everyone's day went as well as mine! Cheers, Smeg.

2010-02-26T08:51:00.000-08:00

Today was Thursday and, overall, a very uneventful day! We did not have to go help Martin with the English class today so it was a chance to get a few extra hours of sleep before class, which was wonderful=] So, I got up around 9 and got myself dressed and ready for class, some more history of math presentations. After class we all just hung out until lunch. After lunch I came back upstairs and packed for Greece! Who knew packing for just four days would be so hard! With the weather in Greece being warmer than here I wanted to bring ever summer outfit I brought with me, but unfortunately my suitcase would not allow that at all=[ So I had to really think about what I would need and finally narrowed it down to all fit perfectly in my bag.

After I packed I decided it was way too nice of a day to be inside any longer! So I got changed and Steph and I went outside and walked on the track for a while. It was beautiful; it really felt like spring! It was so sunny, no clouds in the sky and, my favorite part of it all, was it smelled like spring! It was awesome. After the track we came back upstairs to a wonderful surprise from Chrissy: she had gone to the American food store and got me some Goldfish. I have been craving them since we got here and have tried very hard and failed at finding anything like them here in Vienna. It was a nice surprise! By the time dinner rolled around I had not even noticed the afternoon had flown by between being outside and come back in and doing school work. A bunch of us later that night tried this Mexican place we found. We went for dinner and happy hour. It was great. The food and drinks were awesome, and I was so excited because I absolutely love Mexican food! After dinner we all came back to school. I tried to finish up some work, but Sammy and I decided to go down to the pool to meet up with Katie and Steph. It was awesome--we had the pool to ourselves! So after we swam around for a little while we came back up stairs to relax and do some homework, eventually going to bed after a few card games. Not a very exciting day, but it was a fun day to say the least=]

Beautiful Day

2010-02-25T08:40:00.000-08:00

Wednesday Febuary 24, 2010
Today we had our first exam for statistics, so I woke up a little bit earlier to get some studying in. After Stats was over we headed to History of Vienna with Heinz Kroll. Originally we were suppose to go to see the Crown Jewels. However, the museum was being cleaned, so that was a little disappointing that we had to sit through a two hour lecture instead.
After Class Mike and I started to plan our spring break trip--we are starting in Munich, Germany, and then we are going to Bern, Switzerland. After that we went for a walk around the city. It was a gorgeous day, around 55 Degrees and sunny, and we found a section of the city that we had not been to before. As we tried to make our way back we got a little lost. However we found a couple of new cafes, which were really good. So we kept walking around, and we realized where we were. On this little adventure we saw a car that looked like the bat mobile. It was one of the coolest cars I have seen in Vienna.
Once we got back we went to dinner, which was good. After dinner we had a meeting with Carl and Michele, so they could let us know the itinerary for Athens, Greece. I am really excited to visit Athens, as I have wanted to go there for most of my life. After the meeting Bob and I worked on finishing our presentation for History of Math. Then the night came to an end and I retired to my bed.

I am starting to love this city more and more each day, I feel like I have been here for years and it is getting easier to travel around the city and fit in with the crowd.

Gelato=Love

2010-02-24T08:19:00.000-08:00

Our day began in the classroom, in which two groups presented their chapters to the class. In our History of Math class, we are learning about the earliest people to discover different mathematical techniques and the cultures in which they came from.

After lunch, which was either a vegetable quiche or fish and potatoes, a few of us went out to roam the city some more. We had heard about a street downtown that was supposed to have some really good shopping--so of course we had to check it out! As we were walking there, I was really proud of myself for remembering how everything connected, as if a map of Vienna was finally becoming more clear in my head. (I'm usually not very good with directions!) We walked up and down the busy street for about an hour or so, squeezing ourselves through mazes of people and looking into the windows of different bakeries with mouth-watering treats. We went into a few clothing stores as well, but our most prized purchase of the day (I think I can speak on behalf of everyone) was the gelato! Days of searching for a gelateria, and finally we were rewarded! The lady serving us at the counter was very pleasant and spoke some English--at least enough to tell us what the best flavors were! I took her word on one of her favorites and got the Hazlenut. It was SO delicious! After everyone ordered, we stood outside (probably about 5 feet from the store) because we couldn't even think about walking with this deliciousness in our hands! We scoffed down our cones in a matter of minutes, and then contemplated getting more!

Soon we decided it was time to head back to the Theresianum, and as we walked through the open streets of Vienna, I remember looking up in awe at everything that surrounded us. Even though I felt that I had learned so much about this city, there was still so much out there.

After dinner, which was a sort of baked macaroni/potato and cheese dish, we headed up to Janet's room to watch a movie! We played the movie through a projector and all lounged around her room to watch it. It was so wonderful just to relax and laugh with everyone. Times like that remind me of how much of a family that we are becoming.

Once the movie was over, some people went to the Ost Klub, a club right down the street that features live and local music venues. The atmosphere there is very relaxed and casual, which makes it a comfortable and friendly place to visit. Matt even went up on stage to show the audience some of his skills on the guitar!

The night had finally come to an end, so people snuggled up into their beds that overlooked this city with so much to offer. Gute Nacht Vienna!

Quiz Night

2010-02-23T06:25:00.000-08:00

February 20th, Saturday

2010-02-21T23:07:00.000-08:00

We missed lunch Saturday morning because we all thought it was at 1:00 instead of 11:45, but we survived that by making toast and sharing with each other. After that, I spent most of my morning getting my work done. The plan for the night was that some of us, Sam, Janet and I, were going to check out an electronic party not too far from the Theresianum.

We knew the Electronic party was supposed to start at 10 pm. Even though we got there at 10:15, it seemed to us that the party hadn’t quite started yet. We stayed a few minutes until we decided that it wasn’t really our crowd. In my opinion it looked like it was more of an after work party, where the co-workers all knew each other. Then, when we all realized that almost everyone looked like that they could have been our parents (lol), we decided to change our plans for the night.

I suggested that we go to Billabong, an Australian café. They have live music every Saturday, so it should be fun. Sam and I only went there once with the group, however I was able to remember which subway to take and the stops (I’m so proud). So we got there.

The place was crowded but we managed to get a table after a few minutes. Then we ran into one of the guys I met the night before. I thought they were interesting Austrians, and so were their opinions of Americans. Felix, good-looking Austrian, speaks French, English and German, thinks that Americans are very friendly. He just doesn’t like the fact that they’re always trying to take over. He gave the example of the McDonalds here in Vienna. He thinks that the American way of life is to work in order to have more than their neighbors. He loves Boston Red Sox (That’s what’s up!)… It was interesting to see how his opinion differed from what I expected it to be. During pre-orientation departure, we talked about how most of the Austrians form their opinion of us based on what they see on MTV, the reality shows, and else. So it was interesting to hear something different, and also interesting to chat with the locals.

by Murielle.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood

2010-02-21T11:35:00.000-08:00

The best memory of today has got to be the first; and after almost two weeks of awakening to knocks on the door and ear piercing tones of alarm clocks, it was finally the bright blue sky and luminous sunlight elevating through the windows that woke Vienna. Who knew that this city could become more picturesque, more stunning and even more vivacious, especially when stumbling upon the palaces on the Belvedere grounds?

Walking through the gates of the Belvedere, you automatically feel of royalty. The architecture leaves anyone who gazes at it in awe, and with the sun shining on the Belvedere buildings in all the right places, I must admit, there is nothing more beautiful than that view. Since it made most sense to stay outside today, the clear skies and inspiring sun led everyone to roam unnoticed streets, eager to discover new and interesting sites.

Some places included a dance studio, featuring ball room dancing (a big to do for some of the group), Demel, arguably one of the best chocolate shops Vienna has to offer, and the Hofburg Palace, the true home to Maria Theresa (not to invalidate the Theresianum, but this place was kind of a big deal, just saying).

And what could be more interesting than camels and Mercedes being captured in a motion picture? No lie. Walking through the streets of downtown Vienna, nearing the Hofburg Palace, a profusion of vehicles were clustered around traffic men clearing the way for what seemed to be mail ordered camels and an S class (the crème de la crème of Mercedes) just stock-still, surrounded by movie cameras. It was a little random, and a little ridiculous, but still awesome none-the-less.

Past, what seemed like a circus act was the Roman Ruins, a jaw dropping sight of water gates and brick structures, dating back to the Roman Empire; it was honestly unbelievable. Behind every turn of every street there seemed to be a piece of history more astonishing than the last; and it was all unearthed to us by the nicest day to date, this sublime Sunday.

Night of my life

2010-02-20T04:28:00.000-08:00

What an awesome day. Started off Friday the usual way, tiredly waking up for Stats, followed by History of Math. After Bobby made some delicious bacon & eggs, it was off to the city to meet the gentleman who was selling me my tickets to see Dave Matthews Band that night in Vienna. After getting a little turned around walking there, we finally made it to the Radisson Blu Paris hotel, to meet JD for the tickets. FINALLY, they were in my hand. I was seeing my favorite band in the very city I live in; it seemed so surreal. Bobby and I then took a stroll through Stadtpark, a beautiful park to say the least. I finally saw a statue I have been dying to see, the gold-plated statue of Johann Strauss. I really look forward to spending time in this park as the weather starts to warm up.

Before long it was show time, so we hit the underground and headed out towards the venue. After having trouble finding a good (cheap) place to get a beer and some food, we ended up choosing to eat at a McDonalds. Looking back, I do not regret this decision one bit, because Bobby and I met the nicest girl from Sweden. Her name was Ani; she is living in the city doing an internship with the UN and was going to the show by herself. We were quick to let her join our two man posse and enjoy the evening with us.

Then the waiting game began. We stood outside for over an hour, in order to give ourselves the best possible general admission seat. Boy was that worth it--we ended being about two rows back from the stage. Out of the many times I have seen Dave Matthews Band, I knew that this experience would be different than any other. Come 21:20, the boys hit the stage, and I was already in awe. My favorite part of the whole night was how intimate Dave was being with the crowd. He was chatting all night about the city and all the things he had done while being in Vienna, joking about wienerschnitzel and how beautiful the city was but, then, he "saw the ugly," referring to seeing a Mcdonalds in Stephansplatz. I could really relate to everything he was talking about, and it made me feel great on the inside.

The show came to an end and Bobby came INCHES from catching Dave's guitar pick he threw into the crowd after finishing. What a cool souvenir that would have been! Oh well. We took the subway back to Stephansplatz and parted ways with our new friend Ani. But THEN, the U1 had closed, so we had to get our strut on in the rain to make it back to Favoritenstrasse. We were so filled with joy from the awesome night we had just had, it didn't even phase us. We stopped at the infamous Four Bells on the way back, and sure enough our FP buddies were all there. We sat down, had a few drinks and told them about the night we had just experienced.

February 19, 2010, was the best night of my life. I love this city more and more every day, and it takes a unique experience like this to make you fall for such an awesome place. Vienna, I love you.

Scavenger Hunt Day

2010-02-19T10:11:00.000-08:00

Thursday was a pretty relaxed day here in Vienna. We had our normal math classes till twelve and then went to lunch around one. After lunch we came up into the classroom and had a meeting about our scavenger hunt items. Almost everything was found, which was good. After discussing our items, we hopped onto the subway and took off trying to find the most important items on our lists, and the most interesting. We saw a whole new part of the city, and the U.S Consulate. Then we walked through the alleyways of the city. They were absolutely GORGEOUS. While walking through them we stopped at one of the best candy store I have ever been to. While walking to the candy store we saw a car jacking attempt. It added a little excitement seeing a guy jump into some lady's SUV while she was in a store, but she saw him and ran out screaming and then she called the cops. After finishing our walk through the alleys some of us walked back and saw the city at dusk, and it was beautiful. We got back right in time for dinner. A little bit after dinner we had time in the pool. Overall, it was just another great day in the city.

SCAVENGER PHOTOS

Wednesday, February 17

2010-02-18T23:14:00.000-08:00

Wednesday morning Ally woke me up at 9:30, fifteen minutes before we had to meet downstairs for our morning trip to the museum. After rushing to get dressed I met up with the group, and we took the subway (which is starting to grow on me) to get to where we needed to go. The museum's architecture was beautiful. There were two museums parallel from one another both owned by the Hapsburg family with a common statue in the middle of them of Maria Theresia, one of the most prominent and influential leaders of the Hapsburg family, which ruled Austria.

After group photos we entered the Hapsburg museum which focused on man-made historical artifacts. Immediately the interior design was breathtaking. Once through the doors a gorgeous marble staircase welcomed us, which staged a colossal statue of a Greek soldier overpowering a centaur. The statue in and of itself drew significant emotion just through its visual appeal. We learned towards the end of our tour that the statue was built during the reign of Napoleon but was transferred to the museum because before the sculptor could finish his masterpiece, Napoleon had been exiled. The artistic background of the sculpture signified a Greek soldier protecting his people/country by defeating the centaur (the mythical half human, half horse creature), which had planned to kidnap Greek women.

The tour of the museum took approximately two hours and we barely got to see the museum in its entirety. The museum offered Egyptian, Greek, and Roman artifacts that ranged from sculptures, to tombs, to mosaics tiles, to commonly used jewelry and gold plates.

By the time we were back from the museum I felt exhausted. This fatigue was partly due to everything I had just taken in but more likely because of the Ost Klub I had checked out the night before, which offered amazing live music both in English and German. I skipped lunch in order to catch up on sleep and spent the rest of the day catching up on reading and other work. By the time dinner rolled around I had worked up an appetite…. But was disappointed to find only fish, shrimp, and calamari were on the menu for dinner. I sat with my group, ate a banana, and then hit up the pizza place down the street with Sam.

The pizza was pretty good but the sauce was mixed with green peppers which made it a little weird. In Austria you can’t order just “Cheese Pizza” or else they’ll give you what Americans refer to as “White Pizza” without any sauce. It’s called “Margarita” pizza here and it tastes different every place you go, but pizza’s pizza for the most part and its hard to do wrong.

So far this week has been going pretty good. I’m just trying to immerse myself in the culture, get more familiar with the city, and try and to get used to the food.

Erin Dwyer

PHOTOS OF KUNSTHISTORISCHES MUSEUM

Tuesday February 16, 2010 a.k.a Mardi Gras

2010-02-17T12:50:00.000-08:00

Fat Tuesday a.k.a Mardi Gras was pretty eventful here at the Theresianum in Vienna. All day people were dressed up in costumes as we would do for Halloween back home. It was a very good vibe throughout the school, and even the teachers were dressed up in goofy hats and costumes. Techno music seems to be very big over here, and that was played through out the school day with confetti being thrown around all over. This is one the few days that the students are allowed to have some fun and let loose during their tedious day of 8am-6pm. On this day we also had our first German class with Professor Genner. She first started us off by looking at a German newspaper and finding twenty words that were similar to English. Surprisingly enough most words are very close or similar to the English language. We also learned new greetings from formal to informal, as well as how to say goodbye correctly. After this one class I feel a lot more confident in my German speaking; it also has helped me out greatly when I go to grocery store because I now know how it's all correctly spoken. After class this was one out of two days when the Theresianum's pool is open for our use from 8pm to 10pm. A few of us went down to try out the huge indoor pool and its diving board. The pool was not as warm as we thought, but once we got in we found out that its not as bad as we first thought. There is always a lifeguard on duty because it is mandatory for the Theresianum. There is a huge diving board and four lanes for people to swim. We had the pool to ourselves because about 700 out of the 800 students live at home. Later that night after the pool some of us went out to experience Mardi Gras in Vienna, and we ended up running into Professor Genner on the subway, which was actually pretty cool. She had previously invited all of us to a local gathering where older students would be if we were looking for a true Austrian place to visit. I think mostly all of us are getting comfortable with the city and the subway system, especially. Besides that, Tuesday was pretty eventful and a gave all of us a look at a yearly event that occurs here in good old Vienna, Austria.

Monday :(

2010-02-16T12:51:00.001-08:00

After waking up and getting ready, I headed down the hall for class with Heinz Kroll. Vienna Across the Ages was much more interesting today because we learned about sculptures and how they have changed over time. The athletes that won the Olympic games used to be sacrificed and considered a hero. Years later they started to make sculptures of these heroes that started out as only a shape that looked like a person. They developed into very detailed statues that matched the person’s strength.

Heading into the kitchen from the class room everyone realized that the sink, the refrigerator, and the washing machine were broken. Since it was my day to do laundry I was very disappointed. Everyone had to put their food in the windows to keep it cold.

My scavenger partner and I decided to go out and take pictures of the ATM’s that we had already found previously for our scavenger hunt. We went into an H&M to check out some of the sales to find something that might make us look less American and fit in a little better.

When we were done shopping we headed back to the Theresianum for dinner. There wasn’t a lot of people in the dining room so I expected the students weren’t fans of whatever was going to be served. I understood why no one was at dinner after getting my plate of a cake with rice, apples, and raisins. It was the first time I had cake for dinner and thought it was interesting. I was hungry after not eating dinner and decided to take the microwave into my room (since the whole kitchen had no power) to try some Austrian bagel bites, which were much better than the dinner.

Martin had announced at dinner that the old gym would be open for all of us to use. I was excited to play basketball or soccer with some of the students. I got ready and headed down to the gym expecting to have someone to play with. When I got there no students besides for the ones that came from Franklin Pierce were in the gym. Not one of the students had shown up to play with us.

Valentines Day

2010-02-15T07:20:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

So, today was a late day for us all. Seeing that it is Sunday and lunch wasn't until 12:45 we all decided to sleep until 12:30. It was great, finally catching up on the lack of sleep. We have been in Vienna for a total of five days already! Its crazy how time passes here. Nothing is better than waking up and realizing where you are, In a huge palace that you are able to call home.

After I went to lunch I decided to go and explore the city more, especially since we now have the subway passes and I know how it operates. I love going into the city and seeing all the different stores and little cafes that are every where. Such a different atmosphere than back home in Massachusetts, but I am loving every second of it.

After roaming Vienna for an hour or so I came back to my room and all of the roommates just hung out and talked about how we are liking everything. In my opinion nothing is better than just being able to relax and communicate with the people you're living with; there is a sense of family already starting to be established with everyone. Around 5pm Professor Brezovec and his wife Michele took the whole group out to dinner at a small cafe up the street. The cafe was all German food, which is something we have not experienced yet, besides the food we are fed at the Theresianum (which is delicious). At the cafe I ordered the Beef Goulash with potatoes. It was Delicious! The most tender beef I have ever had in my life and the potatoes were just simply amazing. I was very pleased with the food there, and it was reasonably priced.

Overall, being here it has been a blast. Overwhelming at first because of all the scheduled events and meetings that you have and we were all very antsy too; but once everything started to slow down and finally get into a routine I think i can speak for all of us and say we all feel more at ease and comfortable. Carl and Michele do a good job keeping us busy, so there hasn't been much time to feel homesick.......I would just like to point out that I spent my first Valentine's Day in the past 20 years of my life in VIENNA :).

PHOTOS

I love this city!

2010-02-14T07:18:00.000-08:00

My Saturday started off a bit slow, but I eventually got moving after a shower and a quick skype session with my family. Once I was dressed, one of my roommates and I embarked to find the “nashmarkt.” This is an extremely large market filled with vendors and shops of all varieties. I think this is when it hit me most that I was finally in Vienna. There were many people there, all speaking different languages. One girl, I overheard, was trying to find a bagel. Something she clearly had never had. This shocked me, living your whole life without a bagel! I’m not sure if I could do something like that. Once we made our rounds, we met up with a couple of our friends from the group.

From there we took off towards the nearest subway station. We took two stops into the main part of downtown and spent the day trying to find something to eat and things on our scavenger hunt list. Downtown Vienna is very, very cool. There are a lot of people and lots of shops and cafes. The buildings and architecture are all very striking. It is a very cool feeling being somewhere that has been around for such a long time. Along this stroll through the city, we saw a man with a miniature pony, asking for money. Can’t say I had ever seen a pony in the middle of a city before! He denied us from taking pictures with it, but it was very cute.

The café that we went to is quickly becoming a favorite amongst the group. It is called “Café Bistro.” In one word it’s DELICIOUS. Today I ordered the brucshetta and Italian vegetarian soup. And trust me, this is not your soup and bread from your local Olive Garden. I demolished that meal in about .5 seconds.

As for the rest of the day, it was spent exploring downtown more and getting a feel for the subway stations. They’re different from the one’s I am used to in Boston. Just small things: like manually having to open the door when you need to get off. Or standing on the right side of the escalators for people who want to walk up the left side.

All in all it was a really nice day, I am starting to get a handle on moving about the city… all I need now is to learn a little more German!

PHOTOS

2010-02-13T10:47:00.000-08:00

In my opinion, today was the busiest day we have had in Vienna with classes, museums, tours, and symphonies; it’s obvious now that I did not mean busy in a negative way although it is a struggle to get up at 8:30 am for statistics. With the morning starting bright and early at 8am, we went from sitting at a desk learning how to create a frequency table to traveling back to Vienna during the 1400s. We spent the morning at an art history museum learning about the history of the Theresianum and the changes the city of Vienna went through from the 1400s to present time. It was amazing seeing replicas of homes during this ancient period, tomb stones, paintings. It was also incredible some of the artifacts that were not so different from what we used today, such as keys during that time as well as safety pins for clothing. We spend about two hours in the museum. Even though I am sure all of us would have been happy to spend all day there we had to get to lunch. The dining hall here is something we are all still getting used to, but I would say we are all making progress. Today they had potato pancakes for lunch and egg salad and cold cuts for dinner, one vegetarian food selection and one regular selection; being a vegetarian unable to speak the German language well is a struggle. I do have a story to contribute that involves tears being shed over pizza. Today Mae and I went to get some more excellent vegetarian pizza that we discovered days before; there was only one clearly vegetarian slice left and another that looked like just cheese. After I failed at attempting to ask if there was any meat under the cheese I just bought it and hoped for the best. I then sat down with my fork and knife, mouth watering over this delicious slice of Austrian pizza I was about to eat until I discovered ham under the cheese. I sat there with my fork in one hand, knife in the other staring at the meat as my eyes filled with tears thinking of how hard I tried to ask if there was meat. I did not want to give the slice back so I went with trying to surgically remove this meat. As I was failing, and crying, the wonderful Austrian employee noticed, called me over, and gave me two free pastries…so not all was lost.

After dinner we all went to the Mozart Ensemble, “Konzerte im Mozarthaus” in the city. It was nice to see everyone dressed up and to hear these musicians play Mozart’s pieces of music. This ensemble was in the tradition of the Viennese classical period and included works of Haydn, Schubert, and, of course, Mozart. I enjoyed that the small audience made the ensemble seem more personal. There was wine to drink during intermission, but they were 5 Euro glasses of wine, so I decided to use the restroom instead which I had to go literally outside across a courtyard to get to. After the ensemble I, as well as the rest of the group, was exhausted from the day’s activities and decided to have a quiet Friday evening doing homework and studying; that is in fact why we are here right? It has only been days since our journey across seas to Vienna, and the anticipation for the rest of the journey grows tremendously each day.

PHOTOS OF WIEN MUSEUM

PHOTOS OF CONCERT

First Day of Classes

2010-02-13T07:17:00.000-08:00

Thursday, February 11th. Today was the first day of classes. It was very structured and we were busy most of the day. The first class, statistics, starts at 8:30am. All of the student made it to class which is pretty easy because it is just right down the hall. I’m not really thrilled with being up that early, but the trade off is we will have most afternoons free to get the most out of the city and trip. Carl described it as being “afternoon people.” Not everyone is taking Stats so it also allows some people to get a head start on the showers. I have to say they are awesome; the hot water turns right on and the water pressure is better than Franklin Pierce and my house, even though we are on the American 5th flight in the building. The next class started at 10, which was History of Math. It is usually a two hour long class, but it was cut short today so we could go on an 11:15am tour with Herr Fritz. We got to learn a lot of the history behind where we are staying and the art in the building. We are all very fortunate to have an opportunity to be staying in a place like this. We were able to have more of a grasp of where everything is after the tour. Herr Fritz showed us some normally locked rooms, too. They were the most interesting. He showed us the school’s old library. It looked like a scene from the movies of Harry Potter. As we were leaving the library, we went over to an encasement with a cover over it. He told us a story about how the school was given a gift from Egypt and pulled up the cloth covering one of them. There were two mummies lying there. One even had a pet crocodile mummified with him! Next came lunch. I can’t remember what we had, but I do know we are all trying to smile and be nice to the cafeteria ladies so with hopes in the next meals there may be a little extra on our plates. Between 2-4 we had our final class (thank goodness) of the day, Vienna Through the Ages with Heinz Kröll. He is a very smart man and knows a lot about Austria. We learned a little bit about the evolution of modern-day Austria. One word that might describe this class was: Maps. We were all pretty worn out by this time and were struggling to be attentive to all of the slides he was showing. After napping or going to the grocery store we had dinner. A meeting to just touch base with everyone occurred, and then we were off on our own for the night. As was mentioned in the first post, the boy from Texas, “Brother Billingsley” invited Ally and Chrissy to a café with his parent to keep the “family” connection going. They got some of the scoop on the town and had a great time. Others chose to go to a local establishment for some karaoke and the rest hit the books or just relaxed. I’d say it was a very interesting day, and I can’t wait to experience more of what Vienna has to offer.

PHOTOS