So I haven’t been up to that much this week aside from the daily orientation activities. This week, we went to the Austrian Parliament, a walking tour of the museums, a brewery tour, and finally a tour of the Schonbrunn palace. The Austrian Parliment was interested because we got to see the old meeting rooms and also a new one just constructed recently due to a bomb from WWII. Below are some pictures!
Panoramic picture of the old section of parliament-it was so cool!
Group Valentina takes Parliament!
#tourist with my audioguide
Snake door knobs
Tuesday was the Museum walk in the rain that consisted of going into the entry of all of the museums but not actually going to any museums-not very impressed. Wednesday we went to the Otterkringer Brewery for a tour and beer tasting! Most all of the Brewery is automated, but I did enjoy the bottling section and having it explained how they used to make beer in these giant kegs during the emperor’s time. Then we got to taste their beers which were good, though I am not much of a beer drinker. I am not going to lie my favorite part were the delicious homemade soft pretzels! After the Brewery we went out for bowling, dinner, and ice cream!
I must say that ice cream here is so much better than in the US and I haven’t even been to Italy yet! I wish I would have gotten pictures of the ice cream place becuase it was so quaint, but I will next time I go becuase I am definitely going there again!
Dinner from the kabab stands that are literally at every corner in Vienna!
Today, we went to the Schonbrunn Palace, which I have been looking forward to since coming to Vienna. Unfortunately, It wasn’t a nice day out, so I will to go back in the summer time to get some better pictures. The inside of the palace was gorgeous, although I wasn’t impressed with how they blocked everything off. There were rooms with glass from floor to ceiling and then above so that everything would stay persevered and people wouldn’t touch anything. Most of the rooms had glad about 6 feet tall glass, so to look at the furniture and such you just looked through the glass. My audio guide was also quite short and not as comprehensive as at the Mauthausen Concentration camp so I still have so many questions regarding the history of the Palace. Glad I got the opportunity to go and here are a few pictures though!
Shh I took a picture in the palace! (One of the only rooms without glass)
Random story! So today I was out looking for a bookstore with English books and as I was walking home some guy started talking to me in German pointing at my feet in my Ugg boots! No idea what he was saying and he looked like any normal guy so I just gave him a confused look. I mumbled “no” in German, but was just basically confused “did I have something on my shoes?” “did I step on something?” He then went down and started petting my feet before my roommate and I walked away. My roommate who speaks a little German thought he said something along the lines of, “I really like your shoes and they look soft, so can I touch them?” Well Austria you always throw surprises at me!
Well tomorrow is our last day of orientation and then most students start class (I have another 2 weeks till I start though :)) I am planning some trips in the next few weeks though so stay tuned for more travel stories and things that happen outside of Austria!
❤ Melanie
Smiles from Miles Away 