Today was quite a whirlwind-- I'll start off my saying we made it on our bus to Vienna by the skin of our teeth! We thought we were doing good on time, but when we got to the train station, we realized that we needed to be at the bus station 10 minutes down the road. Yikes! We all booked it down the streets of Munich (just one... but it was a long one) with our luggage. Once we got there, there were probably 10-15 busses that all looked exactly the same, and we had to search for the right one. Finally, at 3:41pm, we boarded the bus that was scheduled to leave at 3:45pm. Woo! I will never forget that adrenaline rush I felt, nor will I forget how hot and heavy my luggage was... and I thought I packed light for this 5 day outing. Sheesh!
Another thing I won't forget is the importance of having water for a long bus ride. We exhausted ourselves getting to the bus station, and then I was SOOOOO thirsty until a few friends graciously let me drink some of their water. On another note, I love the people on this trip. They really have become like family!
Overall, this weekend's experiences were very positive. I learned a lot about the importance of friendship and availability, and wouldn't trade these people on this trip for the world. I'm so glad I have given the opportunity to travel so far with such amazing individuals as I have!
Monday, May 28, 2018
Day 14: A Free Day in Munich
Munich is a very interesting city! It was different than Vienna in a lot of ways-- one of the major ones being its size! Traveling seemed a lot more cumbersome than we were all used to. The map was bigger with more stops, and the subways took longer between runs. Traveling by train and on foot seemed to take up a lot of time, which was pretty exhausting, but all in all our weekend trip was worth it! I can say I spent a weekend in Germany-- woo hoo!
My favorite parts of the day were our trips to a local bookstore and a high-quality coffee shop. We found the book store on accident when we were looking (almost aimlessly) for our shop, Man vs. Machine. When we told the owner of the store that we only spoke English, she quickly changed from German to English with no hesitation-- I was impressed! She directed us to the English section of her tiny store (I was surprised it existed!), and after I bought a poetry book in German and another interesting looking book in English, she directed us to our coffee shop.
Man vs. Machine had really delicious coffee, reasonably priced beans that they roast at their shop (I got some!), and cool music playing! The workers were all jamming and I really enjoyed the atmosphere. Sierra, Lucas, and I sat outside and I was glad for some leisure time to sip on my coffee and read my new books.
Saturday, May 26, 2018
Day 13: Exploring Dorfgastein & Last-Minute-Mountains
Exploring Dorfgastein
A few of us decided to go off for the day in Dorfgastein to explore the small town and some of the walking trails that it had to offer. We had a great time bonding and exploring! There was really only one place to eat that was open, so we ended up eating at a cafe for both breakfast and lunch! They were very nice people, much friendlier than those we had encountered in the bigger cities so far, and were glad to serve us for both meals. We also wandered around to find an adorable plant shop. If it was easier to get plants through customs... I would've dropped some euros there! Walking around and looking at all of the houses reminded me of how much I love the mountain-town house styles. My ultimate goal is to live in a log-cabin-ish house with solar panels and a mountain in view. Yes mom and dad, you guys can come with me!
Last-Minute-Mountain
Day 12: Sound of Music Tour
Today went very differently than I thought it was going to, but I had a great time!
Kristoff, the tour guide that led our Salzburg tour a few days ago, led us around Salzburg for our Sound of Music tour. We rode around on our tour bus as Kristoff talked to us on the speaker system, playing songs from the music and giving us historical details about the filming of the movie and the real Von Trapp family. I was relieved to know we weren't going to be walking around in the rain all day!
Our first stop was the sight of the back of the house from the movie. We weren't here long, but we got some cool pictures!
Kristoff, the tour guide that led our Salzburg tour a few days ago, led us around Salzburg for our Sound of Music tour. We rode around on our tour bus as Kristoff talked to us on the speaker system, playing songs from the music and giving us historical details about the filming of the movie and the real Von Trapp family. I was relieved to know we weren't going to be walking around in the rain all day!
Our first stop was the sight of the back of the house from the movie. We weren't here long, but we got some cool pictures!
My favorite stop on the tour was the site of the gazebo from the "I am sixteen, going on seventeen" song!
Later on, we stopped at our last stop: the wedding church from the movie! We had an hour to kill, so right around the corner, several of us stopped at a coffee shop known for its delicious apfel strudel. Yum!
Day 11: Hallstatt
Day 11: Hallstatt
Today was beautiful! We ate a delicious breakfast in our Salzburg Hotel, Turnerwirt! I had perfect croissants, hazelnut spread, coffee, and some yogurt! I also discovered the deliciousness of nectarines. I will never go back!
After breakfast, we hopped on the bus for our trip to Hallstatt— which took about an hour and a half. It was beautiful!! Our day started off with a tour through the oldest salt mine in Europe! Our tour guide, Peter, led us through to the underground tunnels where we were able to see salt crystals all over the walls, slide down giant wooden slides, and see the oldest staircase in the world! I was overall impressed with the quality of the tour. There were several videos projected onto the walls of the mine, a light show, and detailed historical accounts. Don’t even get me started on Peter…….. He was a beautiful man. That’s all I can say.
When we finished the tour, we were set loose to find lunch and go souvenir shopping. Yay! I finally found a bear wearing traditional Tracht, and I affectionately named him after Peter.
Meet Peter Salzbear.
When we got home, we walked to a nearby grocery store, stocked up on some snacks and dinner foods, and had a sandwich party and hung out and played music until bedtime.
Day 10: Mauthausen
What an interesting way to start the day...
The first thing we did today was hop on a bus and drive towards Salzburg. Along the way, we stopped at Mauthausen, a concentration camp from WWII that was comprised mostly of Polish prisoners of war. After we stepped off the bus, the first thing we noticed was the beautiful view of the rolling hills/mountains from the concentration camp. What a juxtaposition, I thought, of beauty and horror. It must also be interesting for the people living in the town to have a constant reminder of the atrocities that occurred in that very camp. There is no way to avoid it. I think this could have one of two effects on a town. I think in some places, without intentions to remember, people may become desensitized to it. It may also be an effective way to remind the people in the town and elsewhere of what humans are capable of, and prevent something like that from happening again.
The first thing we did today was hop on a bus and drive towards Salzburg. Along the way, we stopped at Mauthausen, a concentration camp from WWII that was comprised mostly of Polish prisoners of war. After we stepped off the bus, the first thing we noticed was the beautiful view of the rolling hills/mountains from the concentration camp. What a juxtaposition, I thought, of beauty and horror. It must also be interesting for the people living in the town to have a constant reminder of the atrocities that occurred in that very camp. There is no way to avoid it. I think this could have one of two effects on a town. I think in some places, without intentions to remember, people may become desensitized to it. It may also be an effective way to remind the people in the town and elsewhere of what humans are capable of, and prevent something like that from happening again.
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
Day 9: Shades Tour, Victor Frankl, and Hundertwasser Village
Today’s was a thought provoking day.
Shades Tour
Prior to today, my feelings towards homelessness were somewhat undefined. I was aware of all sides of it— the legitimate reasons and the not-so-legitimate reasons (ex: the small percentage of stereotypical drug dealers/addicts). I know that many people have strong prejudices against homeless people based on the idea that they COULD be drug addicts... but I’ve never really felt that way. I’ve never really known a struggle— I have never wondered where my next meal would come from, never wondered where I would sleep (except when everyone was lagging on making Munich plans... hello guys??? just kidding— we got a hotel and i’m pumped!), etc. Because of this, it’s difficult for me to put myself in the shoes of someone who has lost everything. Not that I don’t try, but I will admit, it can be challenging.
Prior to today, my feelings towards homelessness were somewhat undefined. I was aware of all sides of it— the legitimate reasons and the not-so-legitimate reasons (ex: the small percentage of stereotypical drug dealers/addicts). I know that many people have strong prejudices against homeless people based on the idea that they COULD be drug addicts... but I’ve never really felt that way. I’ve never really known a struggle— I have never wondered where my next meal would come from, never wondered where I would sleep (except when everyone was lagging on making Munich plans... hello guys??? just kidding— we got a hotel and i’m pumped!), etc. Because of this, it’s difficult for me to put myself in the shoes of someone who has lost everything. Not that I don’t try, but I will admit, it can be challenging.
The Shades tour, given by a woman who is/was homeless (not sure of her current status), made that a little easier. She started off reminding us of the major ways that people become homeless... losing jobs, losing family providers, becoming mentally or physically ill, drug/alcohol addiction, etc. Our guide once owned a company, but had lower quality health insurance because of her self-employment (paying 20% of chemotherapy costs— which is still better than the 100% she would’ve payed in the US, but still an astronomical amount of money). She ended up selling her company and coming out without any debt, but was still stuck with paying large medical bills. Long story short, she ended up in Vienna’s homelessness program, and eventually found work through the Shades organization. Hearing her story reminded me that not all homeless people have done something to “deserve” that fate, and compassion compels me to say that even if they have, we all deserve the right to fulfill our basic needs.
Many of us were taken aback by the liberties denied to the homeless population in the United States. In Vienna, they have an AMAZING housing program for their homeless population that allows individuals to work their way through from a transitional housing situation (a shared apartment, sort of) to eventually owning “flat,” where they pay rent and can stay there for the rest of their lives. I don’t quite remember the numbers, but there are housing buildings scattered throughout the city, some in every district, to avoid the formation of “ghettos,” or class-based lines. In America, homeless women fear prosecution (?) and the loss of her children. This forces homeless women into the shadows and prevents process. In Vienna, all children are housed though their housing program, and women do not fear the loss their children or being arrested.
During lunch, we sat outside in the first district. I could hardly enjoy it, however, despite its deliciousness (it was like a tiny homemade pizza. Yum!), because of the thick cloud of smoke around our table coming at us from all directions. There was even a woman casually holding her cigarette down next to a baby sitting innocently in a stroller at a table next to us... In the colloquial language of the trip... I was shook. I thought about how energy efficient the people of Europe have been so far, and how contradictory it seemed that so many people would pollute the air so frequently and without a care in the world. We have a joke among the students... America does two things right. Cigarettes and dental hygiene.
Victor Frankl
Hundertwasser Village
The Victor Frankl museum was so cool! He was a unique and inspiring man. It reminded me the importance of approaching life with positivity, optimism, and resiliency.
My favorite part of today was visiting Hundertwasser Village in Vienna. It was colorful, interesting, and had a cool history behind it. In the book I purchased as a souvenir, I read a quote from the artist, Friedensreich Hundertwasser, that said "The Straight Line is Godless." At first I thought, wow, I love that! Then I remembered my personal photography style... which is dedicated to symmetry, order, and straight lines. Ha! Yet, somehow, I was in love with the village!
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