Auf Wiedersehen, Wien

As a little old Austrian lady dressed head to toe in fur, wearing heels, and carrying a teeny tiny coat-wearing dog viciously elbowed me out of her way in order to secure a seat on the empty tram this morning, I became a little emotional. The final countdown has literally begun. I only have three more full days here in Vienna before I fly back to Chicago for winter break. Aside from some last-minute chocolate shopping and taking three more finals (yes, chocolate comes first, I know where my priorities lie), there’s not much left for me to do here besides sit in my cozy apartment and watch the snow fall. I’ve really enjoyed my time here in Vienna, and I can’t believe this four-month adventure is basically over. It seems like just yesterday when we were all up in the Alps for orientation, guzzling our first “legal” beers.

If you asked me a year ago where I would be right now, I’m quite sure that I would never have said Vienna. A crazy trail of circumstances led me to this city, but after living here for four months I feel like fate might have played a hand in my choice. I can honestly say that this city suits me. Vienna is full of music, art, amazing writers, delicious food…There is a giant appreciation for culture here, as well as for the history that made the city what it is today. Even the fact that they choose to selectively forget some of the darker parts of their history endears me to Vienna, because it shows Vienna is not perfect. Neither am I. I’ve learned a lot about myself during these last four months, most importantly that I am capable of a lot more than I once thought. I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to study abroad; I know I’ll never forget all of the amazing things I experienced during these past four months and I know that in the end this experience has changed me for the better.

Roman Holiday

Last weekend was my final trip this semester, and I’d definitely saved the best for last. I finally got to travel to Rome, Italy, a place I’ve been dreaming about for as long as I can remember. I left on Friday, but thanks to the intense cold and never-ending snow that is Vienna’s winter weather, my flight was delayed over two hours. When I finally touched down, the sun had already set. I met Stephen and we began what was to become the epic journey to our hostel. First we walked in the completely wrong direction for several blocks in a pretty sketchy neighborhood, and when we finally found the right direction, our path was obstructed by a confusing cluster of piazzas, churches, and busy streets. Crossing the street in Rome is a journey in itself: the cars don’t ever seem to stop, so people just make a run for it. We usually crossed the street behind really, old Italian couples. We figured no one would hit them, right? After we found our hostel, we were relocated to a new hostel which was less then a block away from the main metro station, Termini (which is where we had come from in the first place…). For dinner we went to the Trastevere neighborhood, which is centered around St. Maria in Trastevere, Rome’s first Christian church, and is known for its plethora of restaurants. We had no problem finding a small traditional Roman restaurant where we indulged in delicious pizza, fresh pasta, and mouth-watering mozzarella. Across the street was a shop where one could buy books, or shots of liquor in homemade chocolate shot glasses. A book shop and a bar focused on chocolate, it was like a dream.

            The next morning, we had breakfast brought up to our room (or should I say suite, it had a living room, kitchen, and bathroom all for us) and then made our way to Vatican City. We saw the museums with The School of Athens by Raphael and the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. I secretly took a picture and felt a little bad, but then Abby told me that the only reason you can’t take pictures is because Kodak owns the rights. If that’s correct, I don’t feel too bad. We ate paninis from a street vendor while waiting in the long line to go inside St. Peter’s Basillica, which was incredibly huge and breathtaking. Inside we saw the canopy over the Papal Altar designed by Bernini, the sculpture by Bernini in the sanctuary, the Chair of St. Peter behind it, and Pietà by Michelangelo. From there we walked down the Via della Conciliazione to the Castel Sant’Angelo (which played a big role in Angels & Demons, if you recall) and went to the top which had a beautiful view of the whole city. I really loved Castel Sant’Angelo, because it was covered by statues of angels and the bridge which led up to it was flanked on both sides by rows of angels. It was so pretty. After that, we got a teensy bit lost…and we ended up on this tiny, crazy mini-bus which drove through the narrow streets of Rome and deposited us by the Spanish Steps. The entire bus ride, the Italians kept trying to give us directions and tell us what stop to get off on. No matter how many times we said “non parlo Italiano” to these people, they wouldn’t stop talking at us and pointing. Thankfully we made it to the Spanish Steps, where loads of couples were making out and the other people were drinking out of the Fontana della Barcaccia. We walked down Via del Corso, the main shopping street, to the Piazza del Popolo. Stephen had to tell me to stop pouting, which is what I did every time we passed a store full of $600 shoes I’ll never be able to afford. At the Piazza del Popolo, we had a delicious snack of Prosecco, prosuito and melon. For dinner, we wandered through several areas until we finally went to a pasta restaurant that had been recommended to us by some friends. It was packed, but I understood why. The pasta carbonara, while not quite as good as my mom’s, was really tasty.

            On Sunday, we went to San Pietro in Vincoli to see Michelangelo’s Moses, and after we took a tour of the Colosseum, which is where I found out that the gladiators didn’t really fight animals. All of my illusions were shattered. From there we walked down the Via dei Fori Imperiali to the Roman Forums, Palatine Hill, Arch of Constantine, the Imperial Forums, Capitoline Hill, and the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius. After another panini, we went to the Pantheon and saw the tomb of Raphael. From there, we trekked to Piazza Navona the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (fountain of the four rivers) by Bernini. Next was the Trevi Fountain, we threw our coins in and then munched on sweet and delicious gelato. After some shopping, we went to the church which had the statue of The Ecstasy of St. Teresa. Believe it or not, it was only about 4pm at this point, so we took a nap before heading back to Trastevere for some more delicious pasta, wine, and tiramisu. On the bus ride back, we saw all the monuments lit up. It was so pretty, the perfect last night in Rome.

            On Monday morning, we went to the Campo dei Fiori to see the big market. Once again, we munched on paninis for lunch and then ended our trip with one last gelato before heading back to the airport. The entire trip was amazing, and I really hope I get the opportunity to see more of Italy one day. (Family vacation, perhaps?

¡Viva Madrid!

I’m currently sitting in the Madrid airport, and I have about two hours until my flight back to Vienna takes off. I had an incredible Thanksgiving weekend in Madrid, despite the lack of turkey and the cold weather. I arrived here late Thursday night, and went straight to Stephen’s apartment where we enjoyed a lovely holiday meal of chicken and tortellini. After dinner, I got to Skype with all of my family members who were tucking in a delicious feast at my house. Despite my sister’s claims that the turkey was dry, the stuffing was cold…etc., I was pretty jealous of all the food they got to eat. (And yes, to all of you who have made comments about the extensive descriptions of food on this blog, food pretty much is on my mind all the time.) I had my own place card set up in front of the computer, and everybody just rotated around the screen. It was so nice to see everyone, even though they were more concerned with what I had eaten than with what I was doing.

The next morning, Stephen took me on a long and extensive tour of Madrid. For breakfast though, he brought me to a pastelería where we had churros with chocolate. SO GOOD. We started at the Jardín Botánico, the botanical gardens, which were right outside the Prado museum. There were so many rose bushes, I wish I could have been there in the summer to see the flowers all in bloom. Next, we walked down the Paseo del Prado to the Plaza de las Cortes, the Congreso de Diputados, and the house of Lope de Vega, a famous Spanish writer. We walked to the Plaza de la Puerta del Sol, next to which was a plaque that claimed the spot as the exact center of Spain. From Sol we walked to the Plaza Mayor, which was a big, enclosed square where there was a Christmas market being set up. After seeing the Christmas markets in Vienna though, I was not really impressed. For a snack, we stopped at the Mercado de San Miguel, where we ate some croquetas full of cheese and shrimp and a couple of tacos. We passed Sobrino de Botín on the way, which is the oldest restaurant in Madrid, and perhaps even the world. The rumor is that Francisco Goya worked there as a waiter. Our last stop was the Palacio Real, before we ate a delicious lunch of paella and more croquetas. It was only about 5pm then, so we went back to his apartment and took a siesta. When in Spain….right? I woke up at 8:30pm and the first thing out of my mouth was “We forgot to eat dinner!” Good thing we were in Spain though, and people don’t start eating dinner until very late. We went to a tapas restaurant for dinner, and after dinner we called it a night.

On Saturday, we took one of the high speed trains to Segovia, a town north of Madrid. We spent about five hours roaming the city, looking at the Roman aqueducts and taking a tour of the Alcazar. The entire town was beautiful, set on a cliff overlooking the plains. I couldn’t help but think about how the rain in Spain falls mainly on the plains! We got back to the apartment at around 7pm, and after another siesta we went to a restaurant called Cornacopia, where we ate delicious duck and stuffed pasta. After dinner, we went to a bar which had been made to look like a cave. Their famous drink is leche de pantera, panther’s milk. When you order it, the drink comes out of a rock hanging down from the ceiling. Pretty cool, huh?

On Sunday, Stephen and I went to the Museo de Reina Sofia to see Guernica by Picasso, the Parque del Retiro, and the Prado. The Prado was amazing, I was able to see so many paintings that I had studied back in Art History. I think my Prado experience may have surpassed the Louvre. After all the sightseeing, we had a boring evening of writing papers and finishing up homework. We made dinner, and I got to see one of my friends from Tulane who is studying at the same university as Stephen. After that, I feel asleep as soon as I hit the pillow. This morning I got to have one more round of churros with chocolate, and now I’m sitting in a random spot in the airport watching the snow fall outside, waiting for my gate to be announced and hoping that my flight doesn’t get delayed.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

♪♪ Christmas Time is Here ♪♪

Since Vienna has no Thanksgiving buffer between Halloween and Christmas, the city has been drowning in holiday spirit since November 13^th, the day the Christkindlmärkte officially opened. Christkindlmärkte are outdoor Christmas markets where you can find anything from cinnamon and clove ornaments to smoked meat. Possibilities are endless. I’ve come to consider myself a bit of a Christkindlmärkte expert, as I have now visited five: Schloss Schönbrunn, Schloss Belvedere, Karlskirche, the Rathaus, and another small one whose name currently escapes me. I love to visit the markets at night when everything is lit up and covered with twinkling lights. So far my main purchases at the Christkindlmärkte have been food, since it’s incredibly difficult to wander through all the stalls looking at ornaments and toys without a nice big mug of punsch or heiße Schokolade to warm your hands. While Glühwein, mulled red wine, is a must at the Christkindlmärkte, the drink stalls are becoming more and more creative with their punsch, which is a warm liquor and juice drink. I tried Apfel-Zimt punsch (apple cinnamon punch) once, and it was so delicious. They also have punches made of coconuts, chestnuts, oranges, mangoes, vanilla…there’s quite a variety. The hot chocolate will always remain my favorite though, with a big dollop of whipped cream on top. The traditional food at the Christkindlmärkte is scrumptious as well, though I’ve mostly only smelled it and eaten bits off my friends’ plates. Some of the foods they have to offer are fresh, warm waffles with your choice of powdered sugar, strawberry sauce, raspberry sauce or chocolate sauce on top; noodles drenched in gruyere cheese; more kinds of pretzels that you could possibly imagine (I had chocolate and nut); baked potatoes with all the trimmings; crepes; and – my favorite – donuts where you choose the filling. It’s pretty hard to go to a Christkindlmärkte without getting something to eat. I would have to say that the markets are probably one of my favorite parts of Vienna. The only problem with all of the markets and the city decked out in lights and decorations is that it makes me think Christmas is right around the corner, when in reality I’ve got a month to go until Christmas Eve. Until then, ♪♪I’m dreaming of a white Christmas…. ♪♪

Amsterdam and Athens!

A lot has happened in the last couple of weeks, so this is going to be a long post. Brace yourselves.

On November 5, I flew to Amsterdam and met Stephen. I had a connecting flight, so I didn’t get in until 5pm or so. My first flight started out perfect; they gave us each a huge bar of Milka chocolate! I was in heaven. But then the very large and very smelly man next to me proceeded to spill his coffee all over and inside my purse. No more perfect flight. When we arrived in Amsterdam it was pretty cold and it was raining, but as soon as we stepped out of Central Station and saw the beautiful canals all lit up, the bad weather didn’t matter at all. That night, we walked around the neighborhood our hostel was in – Leidseplein – which was full of people, restaurants, stores, coffee shops…oh yes, did I mention that the entire city smells of marijuana? Very different from Vienna! Our choices for food that night were Indian, Chinese, Greek, or Italian. I couldn’t understand why we didn’t see just a normal restaurant. We had dinner at a delicious Indian restaurant, on a street which was entirely made up of Indian restaurants. After dinner, we walked around the Red Light District. It was a Friday night, but – except for the prostitutes showcased in the windows – the whole area seemed somewhat like a boring version of Bourbon Street in New Orleans. I definitely prefer Bourbon to the Red Light District. My favorite part of the Red Light District ended up being the sleeping swans on the canal. They were so serene, just floating every which way. The next morning, we went on a canal cruise throughout the entire city and saw the Anne Frank house, Westerkerk, and City Hall, as well as a lot of houseboats and beautiful architecture. After the cruise, we went to the old Heineken brewery and took a tour. It was so much fun, especially the part where they taught us how to correctly drink beer and explained that foam is a good thing because it keeps the beer fresh. I never knew that! We walked A LOT that day, and we ended up once again in the Red Light District that night with a crazy waiter who was obviously high and developed a really strong crush on Stephen. We left the next morning, and I was disappointed that our trip had been so short. I wish I could have seen some other things, but a lot of museums and the Anne Frank house had closed early on that Saturday. I guess I’ll just have to go back! Preferably in the summer, when it’s warm and I can see all the tulips!

            Last Friday, I flew to Athens. I must say, Olympic Air might just be my favorite airline. Even though my flight was less than two hours, I was served an entire meal and they offered me something to drink about ten times. After waiting in the airport for Stephen, we took a train to the city and walked to our hostel. Since it was pouring rain, I was pretty excited that the hostel website hadn’t lied and the hostel was indeed about a five minute walk from the station and center of the city. The only downside of this hostel was the dirty pet shop across the street, where Stephen and I debated saving one of the sad puppies that were going for only 35 Euros. We ultimately decided it wasn’t the best idea. For dinner we went to a traditional Greek restaurant that (according to TripAdvisor) is popular among the locals. It was so good. We ate calamari, lamb, baked feta, and yogurt with fresh fruit. The wine, retsina, was delicious, too. After dinner, we walked to the Plaka neighborhood and went to Brettos. Brettos is a beautiful old distillery that makes its own ouzo, as well as over 50 different kinds of liquor. I had pomegranate liquor, and it tasted just like juice. As we were leaving Brettos, we made the mistake of petting some of the dogs outside. As a result, they decided to follow us home. I was glad for the company; being flanked by two huge dogs in dark, unknown neighborhoods usually deters people from mugging or pick-pocketing you (so I’ve heard). After the dogs (there were three now, we made another friend along the way) attacked a strange man who passed by us, we decided it was time to turn a couple corners and lose them. We made it safely back to the hostel, even though we didn’t have the dogs for the last few blocks. The next morning we had fresh spanakopita for breakfast and walked to the Acropolis. The weather was amazing; I was able to get away with shorts and a tank top. I think I might even have gotten a little tan! The walk up to the top of the Acropolis was a bit of a hike, but it was worth it. Aside from the views of Athens, I got to see the Parthenon and the remains of all the other ancient buildings. I can’t believe how well preserved they are. On the walk down the south slope of the Acropolis, we saw even more remains, like the Theatre of Dionysos. I had my handy dandy guide book with me, which made everything even more interesting because I could read the history which went along with it. We then walked to the Roman Agora, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, and the Ancient Agora. Everything is pretty close together, which makes it easy to do in one day. For lunch, we took the train to the Port of Piraeus, which is the major port of Athens and is where all the cruise ships come in. From there we walked to Zea Marina, which was a smaller port full of huge yachts. We had lunch at a restaurant right on the water. I tried mousaka, which is baked eggplant and mincemeat, and it was really delicious. Since the weather was only getting better, we walked along the water towards Mikrolimano, another port and beach. When we returned to Athens in the afternoon, we wandered through the Plaka and did some Christmas shopping. We ate dinner outdoors at a restaurant right in the middle of the Plaka while people-(and dog-) watching. After dinner we walked around the Plaka for a bit and then went to a bar. It was only about 8pm by then, and we were so tired. Stephen made me stay out until 10pm though, and to pass the time he tried to explain the current state of the U.S. economy to me and the whole deal with the dollar, Euro, and the Yen. Needless to say, it was pretty easy to fall asleep that night. The next morning we ate fresh fruit and pastries from a stand right at the base of the Acropolis, and did some more shopping. Then we walked up to the top of Filopappou Hill, and on the hike up we saw the Hill of the Nymphs and the prison of Socrates. At the top of the hill, you could see everything. The water, the mountains, the city…it was incredible. After we walked down and grabbed a quick lunch of gyros, we made our way back to the airport. Athens was definitely my favorite trip so far. I still have Madrid and Rome to go though, so we’ll see!

            This Monday I took a tour of Schönbrunn Palace. I’d been to the palace and the gardens once before, but this was the first time I’ve been inside. It was really cool, very large and very Baroque. The Christmas markets are beginning to open up around Vienna. They look so beautiful at night, all lit up with Christmas lights. I plan on going to a few this afternoon; hopefully I’ll get some good pictures (and presents!). Tonight, for the very first time, I made an actual dinner. Are you ready for this? First, inspired by the recent Athens trip, I baked some feta in the oven with olive oil and oregano. Next, I cooked pork, carrots, shallots, and some other peculiar looking root vegetables in a pot with olive oil and white wine. It was DELICIOUS. It’s not that I can’t cook…it’s just that I’m pretty lazy…I must say though, I was pretty pleased with my dinner. And now I have a lot of olive oil and oregano to use, so who knows what else I’ll cook!

            Stay tuned!

Fall in Vienna!

So my parents came for two days, and then left me in order to visit their friend’s hotel in Velden, Austria. Thankfully though, they returned on Friday and we went to Figlmüller, the famous Wiener Schnitzel restaurant. The Schnitzels were huge, they extended off the plate, but they were really thin, too. My mom and I split one, while my dad ate an entire one himself. He was pretty grumpy though, since we found out right when we got to the restaurant that they don’t serve beer. After the restaurant, we went to see L'elisir d'amore  at the Wiener Staatsoper. It was a really funny opera, with great music, and though our seats had a pretty limited view I think we all enjoyed ourselves. (Except for when audience clapped so long after one song, the main character had to sing an encore. Right in the middle of the opera, he sang the same song he had just sung. We started to get a little tired of the opera at that point…) The next day, after my German midterm, we visited the Naschmarkt, the popular open air market, and I introduced my parents and the Curran’s to Sturm, my favorite drink. Later that night, we went Heurige-hopping in the wine village of Nussdorf. Heurigen are wine taverns, and you basically sit at huge wooden tables drinking wine, until you feel the urge to walk up to the counter and purchase some meat, bread, or cheese.  Everything was so delicious, especially the Sturm.

The next morning we took a bus to the Wachau region in Austria, and then took a cruise up the Danube River to Melk Abbey. Melk Abbey is a very old Austrian Benedictine Monastery with a very impressive library. They used to have a copy of the Gutenberg Bible, the first major book printed with a movable-type printing press, but they sold it to Harvard in the 90s to pay for renovations. The monastery was really beautiful, and of course I fell in love with the huge libraries full of books. It looked just like the scene in Beauty and the Beast when the Beast gives Bell the huge castle library as a present. A girl can dream, right? The trip was a lot of fun, and when we got back my parents and I got a quick dinner and then they came to see my apartment. The next morning they left, and I was super sad, because that meant no more delicious dinners for me. Kidding! I’m going to miss them so much, but I’ll see them in about 6 weeks.

The week after my parents left was midterms week, and I studied a LOT. Unfortunately, nothing I studied seemed to be on the test…hmm. I wasn’t the only student who encountered this problem, though. To sum it up, midterms week allowed me to master the art of BS.

I spent a large part of last weekend working on a paper for my Female Austrian Literature class, but on Sunday (Halloween) I visited Schönbrunn Palace, which is about a 20 minute subway ride from where I live. The weather last weekend was beautiful, it finally felt like fall (instead of the dead of winter, like usual.) According to my trusty source, Wikipedia, Schönbrunn Palace was once the summer residence of the Hapsburg monarchs. Behind the palace is a huge garden, and even though the flowers weren’t in bloom, all of the changing colors of the leaves made it an incredible sight. I walked through the gardens, past the Neptune Fountain, and up the hill to the Gloriette, which is a beautiful structure Maria Theresa commissioned to be made out of otherwise useless stone. Ironically, the structure itself seems to be useless. It houses a small café, but after climbing up the hill all I wanted to do was look out at the view over Vienna. It was so beautiful. I can’t believe I only have 6 more weeks here!

After Schönbrunn Palace, I walked around the Prater amusement park with friends. We didn’t go on any rides, but it was interesting to see the Wiener Riesenrad (Viennese Ferris wheel), which is one of the earliest Ferris wheels ever built. Good luck ever getting me on that. After our long day of sightseeing, we went back to our apartments to get ready for Halloween. A few weeks earlier I had asked my mom to bring me some sort of Halloween costume, so she brought me a pair of mouse ears that I had worn in 6^th grade. In case any one is interested, my head has grown since then. My friend Ashley dressed up as a cat, so we had a bit of a tandem costume going on, and we got way too into the growling and squeaking. I was smart enough to incorporate a fur vest (which my mom says I will never wear again, but I’m totally going to prove her wrong) into my costume, so the chilly night air was no issue. My friends and I, plus about a billion other students from IES, went to a party where an IES staff member was performing with his hip-hop group. It was quite an experience. I can honestly say that I will probably never, ever listen to German rap in the crowded basement of a Chinese restaurant ever again. These are the experiences I relish.

On Monday, Ashley and I decided to wander around outside of our district. Everything was a bit bare since it was All Soul’s Day, a Catholic holiday Vienna strictly observes, and everything is closed on Viennese holidays. A few restaurants were open, and we had lunch at a little pizzeria. Our pizza had turkey, lots of garlic, and a fried egg on it. It sounds weird, I know, but it was actually really delicious. I had to fill up on lunch because I had very little food in my apartment, and since grocery stores are closed on Sundays AND holidays, I wasn’t going to be able to get food until Tuesday. I’ve realized that I’m not really a fan of these Viennese holidays, except for the one which will occur on December 8th. According to one of my professors, (who didn’t even know what the holiday was) December 8^th is the holiday where schools and offices are closed but all the stores remain open so people can shop for Christmas presents. Oh, how I love the overindulged people of Vienna!

This past week has gone by pretty fast, and tomorrow morning I’m flying to Amsterdam. Unfortunately, I don’t leave until after my German class, and my German teacher just decided we’re going to have a quiz tomorrow. So now I’ve got to go study my pronouns, as well as pack for the cold and rainy weather Weather.com is predicting for Amsterdam. Ciao!

Bonjour Paris!

Last weekend, I jetted off to Paris and met up with some fabulous Chi Omegas, Stephen, and a few other friends from Tulane. I decided to be a rebel and ditch my German class on Friday morning in order to take the slow (and cheap) way to the Vienna Airport, and I ended up arriving WAY too early. The slow way really isn’t that slow, FYI. I didn’t really understand how the Vienna airport worked, so I went through security to get to my gate, only to be given the boot because I wasn’t flying to Helsinki. I had to walk back through the metal detector, and I beeped, so it was pretty embarrassing. When I arrived in Paris, I found Stephen at the airport (or rather he found me, I was a little lost…) and we took the RER and the metro to our hostel in the city. Thankfully the strike didn’t really affect us during our trip, though it did hinder our friends coming in to the city from right outside Paris. The whole journey  took about 2 hours, so when we finally arrived at our hostel at 5:30 we had only a couple of minutes to freshen up before we went to meet with my Aunt Debbie and Uncle Tommy, who were renting an apartment for the week by the Louvre. I don’t get to see my aunt and uncle frequently, so it was really nice to meet up with them and have some delicious wine and cheese at their amazing apartment. After the little family reunion, Stephen and I met my friends for dinner at a small, but delicious restaurant. I ordered the escargot, the duck confit, and the crème brûlée; I was in heaven. We finished dinner at 11pm or so, as the Parisians do, and then took a quick trip to see the Eiffel Tower light up. So beautiful. After we took a bunch of pictures, we made our way to the Rue Princese where there is bar called the Princess and the Frog. It was getting late though, so Stephen and I took the last metro train back to the hostel at 2:30 in the morning.

The next morning everybody met in front of the Eiffel Tower at 11:30. We took tons of embarrassing Chi Omega pictures, and then decided to search for a café for lunch on our way to the Arc de Triumph. On our way, I ran into a girl who is two years older than me from my high school. Of all the rues in all of Paris…you know what I’m getting at…Needless to say, I was pretty excited to see her. After lunch, we walked to the Arc de Triomphe but found that because of the strike we couldn’t go to the top. In order to quell my disappointment, Stephen and I took a break from sightseeing and did some retail therapy on the Champs-Élysées. We then walked through the Tuileries Garden, where people were soaking up the sun around a huge fountain. The weather was perfect that day. We made our way to Notre Dame, only to find out that once again we couldn’t go to the top. We went to a big department store with my friend Kelly, and then got a drink before meeting everyone for dinner. The café we went to was full of bookshelves with stacks and stacks of books; in other words, my perfect café. For dinner we went to a fondue restaurant, and Stephen and I ordered what was basically a wheel of cheese set directly underneath a heat lamp, and the cheese just melted endlessly on to a plate. We got pieces of meat, potatoes, onions, bread, and pickles to eat with the cheese, and all of our friends had fun putting anything and everything underneath what basically looked like a cheese waterfall. After dinner we went to a little club called Pop In, where we were in a dark basement dancing to mostly American music.

On Sunday, Stephen and I went to the Catacombes de Paris, which was incredible but also very eerie at the same time. We walked through tunnels made completely out of human skulls and other various bones, all the while avoiding the water which was falling from the ceiling because we were so far underground. It was definitely one of my favorite things that we did in Paris. After grabbing a quick lunch, we toured the Musée du Louvre and saw all the important pieces of art: The Mona Lisa, Winged Victory of Samothrace, and Venus de Milo. I’m happy to report that tiny bits of information from AP Art History came back to me, and that was four years ago! (Oh my god, that was FOUR YEARS AGO…I’m so old.) From the Louvre, we made our way to Pigalle (think sex shops and strip clubs galore) and walked by the Moulin Rouge en route to Sacré Cœur Basilica. After lots and lots (and lots and lots) of steps, we finally reached the top and took in the magnificent view of the city. Bars with Happy Hour specials were plentiful in this area, so we had a few drinks before going to dinner at another super tiny, but incredibly delicious restaurant. I couldn’t help but order the escargot again, but I changed up my main meal with a steak and had chocolate mouse for dessert. After dinner, we went back to the hostel because we needed to wake up at 4am in order for Stephen to catch his flight. No public transportation is open that early in the morning, so we had to take a cab to the airport. It wasn’t cheap. After I said goodbye to Stephen, I had about four hours to kill, so I found a chair by my gate that was kind of like a recliner. The people next to me were sleeping, so after I did my homework I hid my purse under my jacket and clipped my carry-on to my person, and then promptly fell asleep. I’ve never slept in an airport before. I felt a bit like a homeless person. I woke up two hours later and got on my flight home. Paris was so much fun, but I met my parents at the Vienna airport and they’re in Austria until Monday. I’ve been loving eating real meals with them, as well as showing them around Vienna. Unfortunately, I have a German Midterm on Saturday for which I need to study. Guten Nacht!