The Blague: A True Account of a Semester Abroad

Hello Everyone! I know, I know. I am a total Blague delinquent! It has been such a crazy few weeks, especially since the professors here have started assigning actual work... weird. Anyway - I will get right to the point of the European adventuring! (Which is obviously much more exciting than me sitting at my desk writing papers...UGH)

The weekend before Thanksgiving, I went to Vienna with our AIFS group! I have to been to Vienna once before, but I was so young that I really didn't remember much of it at all. It really is just a beautiful and classy city, as well as really expensive! Although my bank account suffered a little from this particular boondoggle (that's for you Mama!), it was a really great trip. My definite favorite part was the newly set-up Christmas Markets! This is a European tradition that I had absolutely NO idea about before this trip, but I have fallen in love with it. Essentially, there are tons of booths set up selling a multitude of goodies, including hot wine, desserts, sausages, ornaments, candles, spiced nuts, and pretty much anything that has a holiday theme! From the list, I'm sure you guessed that the main reason I love the markets so much is the food. And you would be right. The markets are just lovely to walk around at night, and it really got me in the holiday spirit! :)

We arrived in Vienna on Friday afternoon, and we were given a free evening to eat, drink, and be merry. So what did Alex and I do? Go to a museum of course! Because we are very cultured and sophisticate ladies, if you didn't already know. We went to the Kunsthistorisches Museum in the Hofburg area, which is the museum of art history. We saw some great work by Raphael, Titian, Rubens, Vermeer, and Breughel. We got there only an hour before it closed, so we did a quick tour and even squeezed in the Egyptian exhibit. Then we, of course, spent the rest of the evening eating and shopping our way through the Christmas markets. The next day, the entire group went on an official Viennese tour with an official Viennese tour guide (she had a badge and everything!). Then Alex and I went to Demel (a place I would categorize it as the Laduree of Vienna) for coffee and cake. Honestly, it was so good that I can't even describe it! We split a lemon tart and truffle chocolate cake. We then joined the group again for a walk to the Belvedere Palace, and Z gave us some useful directions to the Military Museum. A group of us girls REALLY wanted to see this museum. Why, you ask? Well because we love history. And guess what is at the Military Museum... the car that Archduke Franz Ferdinand was shot in, sparking the first World War. It blew my history nerd mind right through the roof! After this, we went to the Christmas Markets (yes... again...) for a delicious dinner, and then went to the famous Hotel Sacher for dessert. Sacher Torte is supposedly the first chocolate cake, so of course we had to try it - even though we had already had cake that day. We went to bed quite happy and full, only to have to say bye-bye to Vienna the next morning. On the way out of town we stopped at the gorgeous Schonbronne Palace (the only place I remembered from my previous trip!). We ended the weekend completely exhausted, on a sugar high, and still a little full from all the cake. :)

Here are some pics!

Horse drawn carriages may be very romantic, but they will set you back 60 euros! They sure do make for a nice atmosphere though!

Me proudly displaying the delicious Sacher torte. Yummmmm

On the left - best lemon tart ever in the history of mankind.

On the right - delectable truffle chocolate cake.

The main streets of Vienna were all lit up for Christmas. Doesn't it just make you smile?

St. Stephen Cathedral was very cool!

The Belvedere Palace in the fog. Please note: the man in the foreground on the left looked very much like Stalin. Although it could have just been the mustache!