Hello all and I apologize for not posting for a while, I have been on vacation in England with my grandmother and when I first came to Austria, my first host family had pretty slow internet. So, now that I am with my third family, I can blog.
Ok...so, what have I been doing for the past month and a half, a lot! After my trip to Berlin with Ashley (Colorado IFYE) & Sarah (Michigan IFYE)I basically left the Saudhof house bound for England. I spent the first week with Jo Layton, a college friend of my mother's, and was able to do a lot of relaxing and independent walking/shopping in Cambridge. Jo took me to Ely (small town with cute shops and a pretty cathedral and we had a great British Bacon Sandwich)!
Early on the Friday morning when I was going to travel to my grandmother's house in Willington Derby...Jo came with me and we made a day trip to London. I used one of those handy luggage lockers at the St. Pancras Train Station and we were off, 'on the town!' We caught the Underground (British Metro) to Westminster and came out with a view of Big Ben!!! Oh, how I love that clock tower!!! Since we were near the London Eye (The huge pod ferris wheel that the Fantastic 4 keep from falling into the dried up Thames created by the silver surfer, if you didn't know) we decided to check out the prices and how long the wait would be. Anyhow, we opted to do it, because we are, livin' large and the age-old phrase, "Carpe Diem!" It was a bit expensive, but all worth while, the wheel is in continuous movement, so when you get on, you have to jump quickly...and it takes about half an hour to get all the way around and the top was a spectacular view of London. Everything was in view: Big Ben, House of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and it's park and so much more. Jo bought and gave me the 360 degree reference guide, so we would know what we were looking at and that was cool. I took many photos and will have much to upload on the next slideshow (coming soon). When our 'flight' was over on the eye, we walked back across to Big Ben, The House of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. Jo and I were getting hungry, so we stopped at a lovely outdoor cafe with a view of Trafalgar Square (what fun)!!! Jo & I ate delightful chicken sandwiches and had Cafe Lattes (lecker=delicious). Our final stop together was Covent Garden where we watched some Jamaican men do acrobatics and 'limbo low,' of course. We looked around the open-air market, then Jo had to leave for Cambridge before her kids got off of school. So, she went back to the Underground, whilst I walked back toward Trafalgar and Big Ben. Did a bit more shopping and had a nice brit girl take one last picture of me and my man BEN! I was then back on the Underground to St. Pancras, where my 'super european train travel skills' came into action. When I arrived at Willington Station, it greeted me with rain...but it was only a short walk to gran's and I had my trusty umbrella and so was not a wet rat when I came to her door. We had a loving reunion (it had been 4 years since I had seen her, when my mom treated us to the trip after our high school graduation and now I am treating myself after my college graduation), had a bit of catching up to do over a cup-a-tea, then of course I crashed into the bed. My week with my grandma was delightful, she and I had many days where we just spent time together, me listening to her stories of her romantic existance with my grandfather and in turn her sitting through all my travel news and future plans. I also, spent a day with my Uncle Tony and Aunt Sue, they took me to Kedleston Hall (where parts of the new Kiera Knightley movie 'The Duchess' were filmed) we had a great tour (I just love old mansions). We then went to a little restaurant near a canal lock, ate Bacon & Egg Cob Sandwiches and watched the boats make their way through the lock. The day was fun and it was nice seeing them again after such a long time. I also took 2 trips with my handy-dandy railpass, to Stratford-upon-Avon and Bath. Stratford-upon-Avon was where William Shakespeare was born and lived most of his life. So, naturally I went to Shakespeare's Birthplace, Nash's House/New Place (the house where Willam lived the majority of his life), The Courtyard Theater, Trinity Church (I saw Shakespeare & Anne Hathaway's Graves), Hall's Croft (where William's daughter lived with her doctor husband Mr. Hall...which is interesting because that is the last name of my grandmother-Mrs. K. Hall, perhaps I am distantly related to Shakespeare!) The trip was great, although when you are alone it is REALLY hard getting pictures with you in them...the ones that I do have are either a nice person I asked or my life-saving, self-timer on my Cannon Camera! So, I want to send out a big THANK YOU to whoever invented the self-timer, God Bless you I would be lost without it! I might add that the train trip was no problem and I got home early enough to have dinner with my Uncle Tony at 'The Green Man Pub,' where I had Yorkshire pudding (baked batter) with sausage, onions, gravy & curly fries.
My Bath trip was the long day, I awoke at 5:30 a.m. (primarily because my grandmother worries too much and wanted to be sure I got breakfast and to the train on time, when really I could have slept longer) and had a nice leisurely breakfast and tea with grandma and got to my train with time to spare of course. The trip was about 2.5 hrs. and I listened to music and read a bit in my Austrian Travel Guidebook. When I arrived at 9:30 a.m in Bath I immediately found an internet cafe, where I transferred my pictures from my camera to a zipdrive as well as sending e-mails to my family letting them share in my Bath experience! I made my way to the Cathedral and unknowingly stood in fron of the Roman Baths Museum whilst consulting my city map. I advantageously looked up and caught sight of a 'Free Walking Tour' beginning in the next 10 mins. So, I took full opportunity of my poorer, student status and waited. They broke us into 2 groups of about 15 people and I was with an older lady, who turned out to be very lively and funny. She took us to all the main sights of Bath, giving us extra little facts and tales. WE saw the Bath Abbey, Orange Grove, the River Avon (I found out that there are 7 River Avons in England, so it isn't the one I saw in Stratford) Guildhall, Alfred Street, The Assembly Rooms, The Circus, Royal Crescent and the lawn, Georgian Garden, Gravel WAlk (Note Jane Austen Fans: In Persuation, where Captain Wentworth and Anne Elliot walk arm-in-arm back to where she was staying with her father in Royal Crescent), Thermae Bath Spa, then back the the Abbey where we wrapped up the tour. I thanked the tourguide and decided to retrace our steps in order to see more of them and take more pictures. But, I stopped for lunch across Pulteney Bridge and down near the river to a park, where I had my packed lunch of cheese-n-ham sandwich, cherry tomatoes and a kitkat! I only rested for about 15 mins. because I knew that I only had a few more hours, so I pressed on. I happened upon, St. Michael's Church, got more camera batteries and made my way back up to The Circus and Royal Crescent. I used a large, red dumpster(ideal) as a camera stand in Royal Crescent and looked up to the windows to see many onlookers of this crazy tourist, but you have to use your imagination when traveling solo! I recognized both 'The Circus' and 'Royal Crescent' from Persuation and Northanger Abbey, so that was an experience in itself, being there...standing at the same place, seeing the same sights! I then, happened upon, the Jane Austen Centre and in the giftshop I bought a beautiful postcard of Mr. Darcy and the only book I didn't have, Jane Austen's Guide to Romance (stop laughing, since then I have read it and it is my #1 Dating Guide recommendation men & women alike!). I walked quickly back down to the city center and decided that I had to go into the Roman Baths Museum before leaving Bath, so I will catch the next train. The museum was great, I had an audio-guide and it was truly amazing. I really enjoyed it. I basically ran back to the train station, waited 5 mins. and was on my way home. All my travels went smoothly until Birminham New Street where they weren't running another train to Willington till 11 p.m. It was 6 by this time, so I thought quickly and instead caught the next train to Burton-on-Trent, where I knew I could catch a bus to Willington. I luckily only had to wait around for 15 mins, I had 3 pounds to my name and the one-way bus ticket was 2.80 (somebody up there loves me)! I got off in Willinton and walked back to Grandma's before 9 (which was the latest time I told her to expect me home), she greeted me with a smile and of course, a hot cup-a-tea! So, all-in-all my trips in England were fantastic and I wasn't ready to leave on the 19th. It was really nice to get a break from the hosting routine and to see family, so I felt more refreshed and ready for another 2.5 months of the IFYE life!
Another funny fact is luggage weights, my mother booked for me, the cheapest flights to England from Germany and back to Austria and there are always maximum weight limits for your luggage on those flights. So, I worried about that a lot and sent a package, that I wouldn't need, to Austria from Germany. Then, my heart beats quickly when it is my turn and I place my bag on the scale; but then, both times my bag ended up being well under the limit, so I had no extra charges to pay. WOHOO!! That is good because they charge extremely high prices per kg. over the limit. So, no worries, I checked in and was on the plane to Austria. Getting on the cheap flights is also an experience, there are no assigned seats, so basically it is a free-for-all. Everyone walking quickly, or even running, when they let us board; everyone wanting a seat next to family/friends, I had no problem...it's just me! I sat next to two delightfully, annoying teenage Austrian chics and felt quite relieved to exit the plane. I didn't know who was going to meet me, which was an adventure and I was surprisingly cool, calm and collected; I got my luggage and walked out to where the excited crowd was awaiting loved ones. I just circled the people and was tapped on the shoulder with a voice, "Are you Emiy?" So, I had been found by one of the Land Jugend Coordinators and she basically slapped me on a train with my schedule and ticket and I was on my was to Hollabrunn. Where I jumped off with my luggage, came out at the bahnhof (train station), looked around and yet again, met with..."Are you Emily?" My host father Johann had come to meet me and he basically got my luggage in the car and we were off for Sitzendorf. It was about a 15 min. drive, they live in a small village and have a small Vineyard as a hobbie, but are retired. I met my host mother Josefa and after a little unpacking Andrea, my 24 year-old host sister was back from work (ticketmaster on the train), she showed me the village and later on that night we went to the disco. It was fun, but I wasn't quite up to my usual, energetic self from the day of traveling. My life with the Hauser Family was a relaxing one, they were very flexible and only wanted me to have a good time. So, I took advantage of sleeping in and they also took me to a Kellerfest (basically a wine festival, given at different weekends each town holds one and a band plays, there is much wine tasting and I have discovered Sturm (it is the fermentation of the grapes to wine, but sturm is the middle product, I like it because some of it is sweet). The fest takes place on a road along which many Wine Cellars are located, where they put up tents to sell their wine. The band starts at the first keller, plays a song, drinks & eats something...then, playes up to the next keller. Needless to say, by the end the music is a little off and most of the band aren't exactly standing straight. HAHA! But, it is a tradition and they are in traditional Austrian dress and it is great fun! I also went to Retz, toured the Biggest Wine Keller In Österreich (which was neat) and attended Weinlesfest. Before we went to the fest, there was a parade, similar to at home in WV, but they threw out candy, gave out grapes and wine along the way. They had floats similar to the ones we have, but were all based around wine. They had many musical bands and also dancing groups, all in their traditional clothes. I enjoyed seeing that and comparing it to the ones in good ole' Hampshire County! The fest in Retz was in the town square and there was a stage and all around there were tents or huts selling various wines and foods. There was also a fountain of wine, which I had never seen before and many people celebrating the 'fruits of their labor.' Their town hall was decorated and in the evening they had the most spectacular fireworks display I have ever seen! They had it right in town, which wasn't a problem since all of the houses are made of stone. Some fireworks even burned directly on the wall of the Rathaus. Utterly unbelievable, I was directly in front of the crowd in the middle, It was a good feeling, watching the fireworks, knowing I was in Austria and having a great time experiencing all these fun things! My host family also took me to Vienna. Parts of the city are truly magnificent...I went 2 days in a row...one with my host family (where we went to a open-air market and I tried Liebekäse (which is horse meat-I felt guilty, but it is all part of the experience and it was surprisingly good, once you didn' dwell on what it was) and the next during my orientation day with the Land Judend Coordinator Maria Höblinger & a newly arrived U.S. IFYE Jeff Sather from Montana! We saw Stephan's Cathedral, Walked along Graben Street to the Stallburg 'Stable castle'-the home of the Lipizzaner Horses. We also saw Burgtheater, Rathaus (city hall-the most beautiful that I have seen yet and I have seen many...and I was told that during December, they use the building as a live, advent calendar) Volksgarten, Hofburg (where the president lives), Twin Museums (1. Museum of Natural History and 2. Art History-identical buildings mirroring eachother) Opera House, Prater Platz to see the Gigant Wheel (ferris wheel) and lastly, Schönbrunn Palace (where we enjoyed a wonderful audio-guide tour of the palace, with sadly...no photography and the gardens which were spectacular and on the hill there was a great view of Vienna)!!! So, Vienna was pretty cool!
My next adventure was on a Sunday, my host parents Johann and Josefa (Fene) took me to a magnificent palace, Stift Göttweig, it was on the top of a mountain overlooking a magnificent valley of little Austrian villages. Then, the highlight was Dürnstein Ruins where I found out, King Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned during his capture from the Crusades (awesome huh?)! It was on the side of a mountain, so we hiked up to it (my host parents are avid hikers and next time I visit they said, if I train hard, that they will take me on a week-long-hike in the Alps), walked around the ruins, then decided to hike more around the mountain. So, it was a great day of sightseeing. We came out in the village of Dürnstein, my host mother and I walked along the Danube river and watch the sunset, while Johann brough the 'auto!' It was a great, bonding day with just my host parents and I, Andrea (my host sister) had to work.
During the last week I was with my host family, we spent 4 long days working on their vineyard to finish up the wine harvesting. I worked with them, very hard to I might add and at the end when we finished they proclaimed me a 'Farm Frau,' which I was both entertained with (sound it aloud, you will laugh) and flattered by. A compliment none the less coming from two people who work so hard everyday and make me feel guilty for being younger and more able.
On the Saturday before I left the Hauser Home, my host father Johann and I took a long, day trip to Salzburg (I had mentioned how far it was and was interested in seeing it sometime before I left, so he said..."We go Saturday if you want." So, I naturally jumped at the chance). We took about 3 hours to get there and had a bit of bus trouble in the beginning (Stupid bus said it came every 20 mins, but we were definitely waiting for it an hour), but all worked out when the bus finally arrived. First we visited Hellbrunn, the lustschloss of Salzburg and went on the Wasserspiele (The appeal of Hellbrunn is due not least to the fact that today's visitors can enjoy almost unchanged the same endearing features that once entertained the Archbishop Markus Sittikus of Hohenems- strange and mysterious grottoes, water-driven moving figures, and mischievous water jets in every nook and cranny) where the tourguide showed us the hidden jets of water by turning them on when we went by, it was fun and I didn't get too wet (Hellbrunn was also the location where Maria sang, "I have Confidence" and the von Trapp home scenes in
The Sound of Music. We then took the train back to the city center where Johann and I, stumbled onto the path up to Stiftskirche Nonnberg (where Maria from the
Sound of Music was a nun apprentice & where the nuns sang, "How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria," but we were only allowed in the church area sadly, not the courtyard). We were already halfway up to the schloss, so decided to walk the rest, it was a good hike. We saw the Fürstenzimmer (360° views of the city and gothic state rooms), Burgmuseum (16th century excavations and stick figures displaying weapons used between 1300-1700). We made the walk down to the Dom, which was glorious, Mozart's Geburtshaus (birthplace) which which wasn't very impressive actually and Schloss Mirabell where I saw one of the fountains where they filmed the "Do Re Me" song in
The Sound of Music. I could see that my host father was getting tired, so we made our way back to the train station (stopping only for a Döner Kebab) and only had to wait 3 mins. for the next train home. It was a great trip to Salzburg and the leaves are turning, so it was truly picturesque. I think it is my favorite city in Austria so far, I'll let you know if my opinion changes!
I changed families on October 12th and my host father Johann wanted to make sure I got there safely, so came on the train all the way (he worked for the railway and has a lifetime free travel card, so at least he didn't have to pay). He was a great help with my luggage and when I met my new host sister Sophie and we packed the car, I felt bad leaving him. He had to wait an hour for the next train back, but he wanted to do it, so I guess it was no problem. He was such a great man, I intend to revisit him in the future and I am pretty sure he will come to the U.S. to visit me and see my country. So, I look forward to that. My new host family is going well so far, on my first evening here my host sister and I went to a semi-pro soccer match and our team tied. It was nice seeing a game and being surrounded by the mountains of Styria is pretty amazing. I have also been with my host mother to her Styrian Church Choir practice, where I initially sat quietly listening and reading a book; but after being asked to join in the singing, I immediately jumped up. The songs were of course in German and I stupidly sat in the Soprano Section; but it all turned out ok, I was able to hear the others around me and mimiced their sounds...HAHA! I think I was quite good and it was fun to sing, even if I didn't, and still don't, know what the song was about!
Well, now you are up-to-date and I will follow shortly with the slideshows. Hope you enjoyed it! Till later, Servus (bye)!
