June 1st is tomorrow? Where the heck has this year gone...
Went out with friends last night which was really fun to dance to 80s and 90s music! Though an $8 drink is so not worth it...never buying cocktails again!
Today I was woken up by more construction outside our window...it's getting quite annoying and reminds me of the gardeners back home whose mowers start at 8am right outside my window. Thought I'd be done with that while here.
I signed up to go to Berlin with our program in mid-July! Can't wait to go, definitely one of the reasons I came to central Europe!
In class today we went around Queen Anne's Summer Palace, the royal gardens, and the Schwartzenburg palace which contained the National Gallery. Again I had done the same exact tour with my parents so I'm hoping next week I'll see more new sites.
After class my roommates and I went to an ice bar! Casual after class activities haha. We put on coats and gloves and stood in the bar for 20 mins while drinking a small cocktail (incredibly overpriced.)
We headed back to our apartment and walked by a children's fair. The park down the street from us seems to have something going on every day which will be awesome. We each got a "trdelnik" which is a Slovakian, Hungarian, and Czech sweet pasty. It's basically a hollow roll of dough covered in cinnamon sugar. It was quite good!
Tonight we're starting the weekend off (no class tomorrow) by going out with other people in our program. We got "becherovka", a popular Czech cinnamon flavored vodka, to pregame with since none of us want to buy drinks while we're out. I've tried it before and it's actually really good and smooth!
Tomorrow I'm going to the Prague Zoo with some people which I'm real excited about though it may rain! Weather is getting weird here...hopefully the rain doesn't stay for too long.
Love and miss y'all
Sbohem,
Whit
SFO - Vienna - Prague - Munich - Krakow - Stockholm - Rome - Berlin - Amsterdam - Brugge
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
BOOKED Wednesday May 30th
Shout out to my pup Tucker for his 1st birthday today! Wish I was home to spoil you rotten.
Last night my roommates, Sam and Jesse, and I booked flights to Rome for a long weekend in July! We kind of have a 4th of July weekend as well. I hear only amazing things about the city and cannot wait to explore.
I also confirmed my flight to Stockholm to visit my cousins! So excited, love the Johnsons.
Today for class we walked across the Charles Bridge (most famous bridge in Prague) into Old Town Square. I did the exact route with my parents so it was, yet again, repetitive. We continued onto St. Agnes Monastery, the oldest Gothic building in Prague made in 1231. Our class focuses on the main characteristics of each type of architecture so it was interesting to be able to point out the various parts.
There was a massive flood in Prague in 2002 and in the monastery you could see how far up the water level went, about 10 feet. It was crazy to see how powerful nature is and how the building is still standing and most of its history remains. The monastery also contained a national museum that had various paintings of the Virgin Mary with baby Jesus and scenes of Jesus's life. It was interesting to hear more about the symbols in the paintings, definitely nothing I would've noticed.
My teacher LOVEs to talk and keeps our class over the scheduled time which is a huge pet peeve of mine...after class my roommates and I got lost trying to find the metro station (you'd think the signs would be bigger but they're about 1 foot by 1 foot,) and went to the farmers market down the street from our apartment. I got a sausage and roll for dinner for 55 kC (about $2.50) and a bag of dried mangoes for 36 kC (almost $2.) So great! And to confirm, some places here really do sell beer for cheaper than water...something I'll have to get used to!
Thinking of heading to Krakow and Auschwitz next weekend with one of my roommates. I've been so fascinated by the Holocaust that I definitely want to see a concentration camp whether it be Auschwitz or Dachau with Munich.
It's annoying how late people go out here! I'm waiting till we all meet up...hopefully it'll be a fun night!
Sbohem,
Whit
Last night my roommates, Sam and Jesse, and I booked flights to Rome for a long weekend in July! We kind of have a 4th of July weekend as well. I hear only amazing things about the city and cannot wait to explore.
I also confirmed my flight to Stockholm to visit my cousins! So excited, love the Johnsons.
Today for class we walked across the Charles Bridge (most famous bridge in Prague) into Old Town Square. I did the exact route with my parents so it was, yet again, repetitive. We continued onto St. Agnes Monastery, the oldest Gothic building in Prague made in 1231. Our class focuses on the main characteristics of each type of architecture so it was interesting to be able to point out the various parts.
There was a massive flood in Prague in 2002 and in the monastery you could see how far up the water level went, about 10 feet. It was crazy to see how powerful nature is and how the building is still standing and most of its history remains. The monastery also contained a national museum that had various paintings of the Virgin Mary with baby Jesus and scenes of Jesus's life. It was interesting to hear more about the symbols in the paintings, definitely nothing I would've noticed.
My teacher LOVEs to talk and keeps our class over the scheduled time which is a huge pet peeve of mine...after class my roommates and I got lost trying to find the metro station (you'd think the signs would be bigger but they're about 1 foot by 1 foot,) and went to the farmers market down the street from our apartment. I got a sausage and roll for dinner for 55 kC (about $2.50) and a bag of dried mangoes for 36 kC (almost $2.) So great! And to confirm, some places here really do sell beer for cheaper than water...something I'll have to get used to!
Thinking of heading to Krakow and Auschwitz next weekend with one of my roommates. I've been so fascinated by the Holocaust that I definitely want to see a concentration camp whether it be Auschwitz or Dachau with Munich.
It's annoying how late people go out here! I'm waiting till we all meet up...hopefully it'll be a fun night!
Sbohem,
Whit
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Tuesday May 29th
Not much to talk about today except having to deal with things back home such as my cell phone for here was sent home instead of to Prague and my credit card didn't work because they were protecting me from fraud but luckily things were figured out.
The server at our school was down so I got behind on my homework...leaving me to do a lot of reading tonight. Today we visited the Prague Castle which I've already been to with my parents so it was a long day, but learned some more facts!
I booked my flight to Stockholm to see my cousins but not sure if it went through with the credit card so we'll see about that!
I've been so tired and hungry all the time which is probably due to all the walking we've been doing so that's going to be something to get used to.
I have so many places I want to go visit but it's so hard to plan things out and figure out who to go with. Wish I had one of my pals here so I could just plan to do everything quickly!
My roommates were walking back from the metro and saw something going on in the park next to our apartment so we all went out to investigate. It was "überfluss", a music and water show in the park! It was hilarious and fire works went off. We found a schedule for stuff going on around our apartment so we'll definitely be venturing out around our place!
Sbohem,
Whit
The server at our school was down so I got behind on my homework...leaving me to do a lot of reading tonight. Today we visited the Prague Castle which I've already been to with my parents so it was a long day, but learned some more facts!
I booked my flight to Stockholm to see my cousins but not sure if it went through with the credit card so we'll see about that!
I've been so tired and hungry all the time which is probably due to all the walking we've been doing so that's going to be something to get used to.
I have so many places I want to go visit but it's so hard to plan things out and figure out who to go with. Wish I had one of my pals here so I could just plan to do everything quickly!
My roommates were walking back from the metro and saw something going on in the park next to our apartment so we all went out to investigate. It was "überfluss", a music and water show in the park! It was hilarious and fire works went off. We found a schedule for stuff going on around our apartment so we'll definitely be venturing out around our place!
Sbohem,
Whit
Monday, May 28, 2012
1st Day of Class - Monday May 28th
Last night I slept a lot, thanks to my 1pm class! Though I kept waking up due to construction going on around our apartment complex...that's going to get annoying real fast.
It's weird to not be home celebrating Memorial Day with my family and friends so I hope everyone had a great day off!
My roommate and I have the same class so we went over to school together. We saw some familiar faces in our class (it only has about 10 people) and then 3 AAU students, a guy from Kosovo (which I felt bad because I didn't know anything about his country), a girl from Ukraine, and a girl from Russia. It was interesting to get to know them and hear what they have to say about Prague and the university.
Our teacher is an American and is really passionate about the culture of Prague. We learned about the different periods of architecture and their styles and the history behind them. She went over the syllabus and each class we go on an excursion to some sites around town which I'm really excited about! We have reading and homework due every day...can't remember the last time I wrote up reflections about each day so that'll get some getting use to.
After class a couple of us went to TESCO, basically a Wal-Mart, to get a sketch book for our class. She wants us to sketch a lot during our excursions which is going to be a little difficult for me since I'm not artistic at all. We got a pretty nice notebook for around 17 kC (less than $1), it's weird how beer and random stuff is so cheap and then other things can be quite expensive!
Some of us were thinking about heading to Munich this weekend so we're going to try to nail that down. It's about 3 hours away so it should be an easy trip.
Going out to hang with some of the people in my program soon which should be fun!
Love and miss y'all
Sbohem,
Whit
It's weird to not be home celebrating Memorial Day with my family and friends so I hope everyone had a great day off!
My roommate and I have the same class so we went over to school together. We saw some familiar faces in our class (it only has about 10 people) and then 3 AAU students, a guy from Kosovo (which I felt bad because I didn't know anything about his country), a girl from Ukraine, and a girl from Russia. It was interesting to get to know them and hear what they have to say about Prague and the university.
Our teacher is an American and is really passionate about the culture of Prague. We learned about the different periods of architecture and their styles and the history behind them. She went over the syllabus and each class we go on an excursion to some sites around town which I'm really excited about! We have reading and homework due every day...can't remember the last time I wrote up reflections about each day so that'll get some getting use to.
After class a couple of us went to TESCO, basically a Wal-Mart, to get a sketch book for our class. She wants us to sketch a lot during our excursions which is going to be a little difficult for me since I'm not artistic at all. We got a pretty nice notebook for around 17 kC (less than $1), it's weird how beer and random stuff is so cheap and then other things can be quite expensive!
Some of us were thinking about heading to Munich this weekend so we're going to try to nail that down. It's about 3 hours away so it should be an easy trip.
Going out to hang with some of the people in my program soon which should be fun!
Love and miss y'all
Sbohem,
Whit
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Lots of 1sts!
Forgot to blog yesterday...so sorry to all my faithful followers (Akash)
Yesterday we had the first part of our orientation which had a lot to say about safety in the Czech Republic and such. A guy from the US Embassy came and talked with us which was interesting to hear what they can and can't do for us.
After we went to a cafe and had drinks and then decided to go to a beer garden on the river. It was nice to finally meet everyone! Though only 20 of us are here now and 30 more come in 2 weeks.
I met up with my parents for dinner and to grab random necessities I needed but then we had to say our goodbyes...sad to see them leave! Love them but missed my siblings on this trip.
My roommates and I met up with 2 other girls and went to an underground musicbar. It was so cool to walk down further and further though it made me quite claustrophobic! We met two American guys who had been living here for awhile and then we all went to a night club. As we were walking we met up with 3 other guys in our program who we were supposed to meet up with earlier but bad communication.
The night club was poppin with a dance floor and 2 full bars. They played all American music but just very random stuff like Backstreet Boys. It was getting pretty late and since the metros close at 12am we had to take the trams home...which we had never used before! It was a scary ride home with multiple problems, us getting on a tram without our friends and getting off at a stop not near our apartment at all but luckily one of the American guys showed us home...doubt we could've gotten home without him! Went to bed at 4am, that's going to be hard to get used to!
Today we had another orientation about our classes and the Czech culture. Tonight we went grocery shopping which was quite a trip. Not knowing what anything meant except milk and butter! It's going to be interesting to cook a lot since living in the sorority house this past year but it'll be good practice for the fall!
We were told about metro controllers who check if you have a valid ticket and we saw some earlier today when we were heading to the school but my roommates and I were stopped and they were fined 800 kC ($40) on the spot since their tickets had just expired! It was so scary to deal with because the guys spoke zero English nor did they care what we had to say...this week we get a transportation pass so that won't ever happen again.
School starts tomorrow! My class for the first two weeks is an Art and Architecture class which should be interesting! Not sure how I'm going to deal with class every day for 4 hours straight...
Exactly 2 months till I fly home, pretty weird, but got to take full advantage of my time here!
Tonight we're planning on booking a trip to Rome for a long weekend in July and I'm hopefully going to meet up with my cousins in Stockholm at the end of June!
Sbohem,
Whit
Yesterday we had the first part of our orientation which had a lot to say about safety in the Czech Republic and such. A guy from the US Embassy came and talked with us which was interesting to hear what they can and can't do for us.
After we went to a cafe and had drinks and then decided to go to a beer garden on the river. It was nice to finally meet everyone! Though only 20 of us are here now and 30 more come in 2 weeks.
I met up with my parents for dinner and to grab random necessities I needed but then we had to say our goodbyes...sad to see them leave! Love them but missed my siblings on this trip.
My roommates and I met up with 2 other girls and went to an underground musicbar. It was so cool to walk down further and further though it made me quite claustrophobic! We met two American guys who had been living here for awhile and then we all went to a night club. As we were walking we met up with 3 other guys in our program who we were supposed to meet up with earlier but bad communication.
The night club was poppin with a dance floor and 2 full bars. They played all American music but just very random stuff like Backstreet Boys. It was getting pretty late and since the metros close at 12am we had to take the trams home...which we had never used before! It was a scary ride home with multiple problems, us getting on a tram without our friends and getting off at a stop not near our apartment at all but luckily one of the American guys showed us home...doubt we could've gotten home without him! Went to bed at 4am, that's going to be hard to get used to!
Today we had another orientation about our classes and the Czech culture. Tonight we went grocery shopping which was quite a trip. Not knowing what anything meant except milk and butter! It's going to be interesting to cook a lot since living in the sorority house this past year but it'll be good practice for the fall!
We were told about metro controllers who check if you have a valid ticket and we saw some earlier today when we were heading to the school but my roommates and I were stopped and they were fined 800 kC ($40) on the spot since their tickets had just expired! It was so scary to deal with because the guys spoke zero English nor did they care what we had to say...this week we get a transportation pass so that won't ever happen again.
School starts tomorrow! My class for the first two weeks is an Art and Architecture class which should be interesting! Not sure how I'm going to deal with class every day for 4 hours straight...
Exactly 2 months till I fly home, pretty weird, but got to take full advantage of my time here!
Tonight we're planning on booking a trip to Rome for a long weekend in July and I'm hopefully going to meet up with my cousins in Stockholm at the end of June!
Sbohem,
Whit
Friday, May 25, 2012
Move-in day! Friday May 25th
Moved into my apartment today and was completely surprised on how nice it was! The building is around 130 years old but recently re-done. The doors in Prague are quite tricky, have to turn it many times to lock and unlock. We also have to use our key to lock our door when we're in our apartment, that'll get some getting used to.
There are 2 bedrooms with 3 beds each. 2 closets in each room though I chose for my closet to be in the living room. We have a separate shower and toilet and the washer is in the shower room. No dryers in Europe so all will be dried on the racks!
My parents helped me move in and then left to look around town. While one of my roommates was showering, I tried to plug in a converter and blew a fuse which turned off all the electricity in the apartment! Our coordinator had told us what to do just in case but I blew the fuse so big that we had to find the main fuse box in the lobby to turn it back on...whoooops!
I had probably my last dinner with the rents, they leave Sunday morning but I have orientation and social stuff all tomorrow. We had dinner at a very nice Italian restaurant (probably never going there again with those prices) and sat next to 2 guys from Holland who of course my mom chatted with the whole dinner....my siblings understand what I mean when I say she makes friends with total strangers and won't stop talking to them.
I got back to my apartment and my parents took the metro back to their hotel, sad to see them go! Everyone was jet lagged so when I got home, they were all asleep.
Hope I have a good first night of rest in my new place!
Miss y'all
Sbohem,
Whit
There are 2 bedrooms with 3 beds each. 2 closets in each room though I chose for my closet to be in the living room. We have a separate shower and toilet and the washer is in the shower room. No dryers in Europe so all will be dried on the racks!
My parents helped me move in and then left to look around town. While one of my roommates was showering, I tried to plug in a converter and blew a fuse which turned off all the electricity in the apartment! Our coordinator had told us what to do just in case but I blew the fuse so big that we had to find the main fuse box in the lobby to turn it back on...whoooops!
I had probably my last dinner with the rents, they leave Sunday morning but I have orientation and social stuff all tomorrow. We had dinner at a very nice Italian restaurant (probably never going there again with those prices) and sat next to 2 guys from Holland who of course my mom chatted with the whole dinner....my siblings understand what I mean when I say she makes friends with total strangers and won't stop talking to them.
I got back to my apartment and my parents took the metro back to their hotel, sad to see them go! Everyone was jet lagged so when I got home, they were all asleep.
Hope I have a good first night of rest in my new place!
Miss y'all
Sbohem,
Whit
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Prague - Thursday May 24th
Ahoj Ahoj!
Today we were picked up by our friend's driver, Marek, and he drove us 2 hours south to Cesky Krumlov, a small city in Southern Czech Republic which is known for its architecture and castle. It was also made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. This means is culturally significant so it is protected and restorations are funded. I'm actually taking a class on UNESCO sites so I'll most likely be visiting again.
The views were amazing and all the houses had medieval character. At the front of the castle, there were 2 large areas for the famous Krumlov bears! Too bad they weren't outside when we were there but we saw a picture and they looked similar to grizzlies.
We drove back and thank goodness my dad didn't rent a car because the drivers here are insane...even the tram drivers don't go slow which is scary and definitely something to look out for.
For dinner, we walked across the Charles Bridge into the Old Town and Jewish Quarter. Walking back from dinner on the Charles Bridge had stunning views of the Prague Castle, all of Prague is lit up so well that everything looks even more beautiful at night.
Off to bed, tomorrow at 11am I move into my apartment and meet my roommates! We'll have a small orientation but not sure what else I'll do the rest of the day.
With classes starting Monday, I'm both nervous and excited. It'll be nice to get a routine down and also to start planning places to travel on the weekends!
Sbohem,
Whit
Today we were picked up by our friend's driver, Marek, and he drove us 2 hours south to Cesky Krumlov, a small city in Southern Czech Republic which is known for its architecture and castle. It was also made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. This means is culturally significant so it is protected and restorations are funded. I'm actually taking a class on UNESCO sites so I'll most likely be visiting again.
The views were amazing and all the houses had medieval character. At the front of the castle, there were 2 large areas for the famous Krumlov bears! Too bad they weren't outside when we were there but we saw a picture and they looked similar to grizzlies.
We drove back and thank goodness my dad didn't rent a car because the drivers here are insane...even the tram drivers don't go slow which is scary and definitely something to look out for.
For dinner, we walked across the Charles Bridge into the Old Town and Jewish Quarter. Walking back from dinner on the Charles Bridge had stunning views of the Prague Castle, all of Prague is lit up so well that everything looks even more beautiful at night.
Off to bed, tomorrow at 11am I move into my apartment and meet my roommates! We'll have a small orientation but not sure what else I'll do the rest of the day.
With classes starting Monday, I'm both nervous and excited. It'll be nice to get a routine down and also to start planning places to travel on the weekends!
Sbohem,
Whit
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Prague - Wednesday May 23rd
Walking around today it finally hit me, I'm going to be living here for 2 months! I feel like I'm not even on summer though...this year has gone by so fast but I'm so thankful for everything that's happened. I found out my course schedule and wow am I happy it doesn't say organic chemisty or math or biology...should be a nice break from all my science classes!
Our first day in Prague was quite tiring! We started at 9:30am and walked up to the Prague Castle which is apparently the biggest castle in the world. It housed the offices of the King of Bohemia, Holy Roman Emperors, and the presidents of Czechoslovakia and now the Czech Republic.
The walk up to the castle was very steep and wow was it hot! There is a street in the castle called the Golden Lane which was where goldsmiths lived and is now little shops (my mom went crazy there.) We continued onto the St. Vitus Cathedral which was stunning, beautiful stained glass windows and vaulted ceilings. My mom said it was like a smaller version of St. Peter's in Rome (I'm hoping to travel there on a long weekend in July.)
We then went into the actual castle which was quite a disappointment...lots of restoration so not much was open. There was a huge fire in the castle in 1541 which destroyed practically all of the castle so there wasn't much to show for before then.
After, we walked through St. George's Basilica which is the oldest surviving church in the Prague Castle. We continued out of the castle to the Loreta, a pilgrimage destination, which contained a church and clock tower. It had many small chapels inside which were beautiful. A small house was in the middle of the Loreta was constructed in the early 1600s and dedicated it's interior to the life of Virgin Mary. Additionally, the Loreta houses the Church of Lord's Birth which, again, had exquisite designs.
Although I've seen a lot of churches now, it's interesting how each one stands out for one reason or another but yet they all contain the same things. I can't imagine having regular church services in them and not be distracted by all the artwork and design!
We walked up to the Strahov Monastery which was founded in the 12th century. We walked back down to the castle and went to the Belvedere and Royal Gardens which was the summer palace made in the 1500s. Unfortunately, the Belvedere was closed for restoration so we walked around the gardens a bit and then decided to walk back down towards our hotel...which sounded easy enough since everything was so close but we ended up taking a very long route but it was beautiful nonetheless.
We then visited St. Nicholas Church in the Little Quarter which was beautiful yet again... (I realize I keep saying beautiful and having no pictures so I'll start posting them on facebook.)
Some English people we met at breakfast recommended a river cruise so we went on one for about an hour. We met some people from Chicago who asked me why the heck I go to Michigan (how many times do I have to explain this??! It's the greatest place ever!)
VERY long post, I'll have to figure out how to condense stuff for later posts but lots of walking and very tired!
I've got to say, it's so easy to spot Americans here...gosh we're so amish and obnoxious. Show me anyone's shoes and I can tell you if they're American or not.
Love and miss y'all
Sbohem,
Whit
Our first day in Prague was quite tiring! We started at 9:30am and walked up to the Prague Castle which is apparently the biggest castle in the world. It housed the offices of the King of Bohemia, Holy Roman Emperors, and the presidents of Czechoslovakia and now the Czech Republic.
The walk up to the castle was very steep and wow was it hot! There is a street in the castle called the Golden Lane which was where goldsmiths lived and is now little shops (my mom went crazy there.) We continued onto the St. Vitus Cathedral which was stunning, beautiful stained glass windows and vaulted ceilings. My mom said it was like a smaller version of St. Peter's in Rome (I'm hoping to travel there on a long weekend in July.)
We then went into the actual castle which was quite a disappointment...lots of restoration so not much was open. There was a huge fire in the castle in 1541 which destroyed practically all of the castle so there wasn't much to show for before then.
After, we walked through St. George's Basilica which is the oldest surviving church in the Prague Castle. We continued out of the castle to the Loreta, a pilgrimage destination, which contained a church and clock tower. It had many small chapels inside which were beautiful. A small house was in the middle of the Loreta was constructed in the early 1600s and dedicated it's interior to the life of Virgin Mary. Additionally, the Loreta houses the Church of Lord's Birth which, again, had exquisite designs.
Although I've seen a lot of churches now, it's interesting how each one stands out for one reason or another but yet they all contain the same things. I can't imagine having regular church services in them and not be distracted by all the artwork and design!
We walked up to the Strahov Monastery which was founded in the 12th century. We walked back down to the castle and went to the Belvedere and Royal Gardens which was the summer palace made in the 1500s. Unfortunately, the Belvedere was closed for restoration so we walked around the gardens a bit and then decided to walk back down towards our hotel...which sounded easy enough since everything was so close but we ended up taking a very long route but it was beautiful nonetheless.
We then visited St. Nicholas Church in the Little Quarter which was beautiful yet again... (I realize I keep saying beautiful and having no pictures so I'll start posting them on facebook.)
Some English people we met at breakfast recommended a river cruise so we went on one for about an hour. We met some people from Chicago who asked me why the heck I go to Michigan (how many times do I have to explain this??! It's the greatest place ever!)
VERY long post, I'll have to figure out how to condense stuff for later posts but lots of walking and very tired!
I've got to say, it's so easy to spot Americans here...gosh we're so amish and obnoxious. Show me anyone's shoes and I can tell you if they're American or not.
Love and miss y'all
Sbohem,
Whit
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Prague!
Last night I finally got a full night of rest (only woke up once!) but I still feel the jet lag. We left our hotel at 8:30am and hopped in a taxi to the train station. The weather looked dreary so I'm glad we left when we did (we originally weren't go to leave for Prague till Wednesday.) We arrived at the train station with 20 minutes to spare. Turns out a lot of Australians and Americans had the same idea as us, seemed like there were more English speaking people on the platform than German speaking people!
After struggling with our luggage to get on the train (we tag teamed with some Australians which was helpful), we found our seats. We booked first class seats which consisted of a small room with 6 seats. It was hard to fit with our huge suitcases! A young Austrailian couple shared the room with us. They were on the last week of their 2 month backpacking trip throughout Europe. It was cool to listen to all the places they went and hear about Austraila (definitely going to convince my parents to take a trip down there.) Listening to all these backpacking trips people have been on has made me interested on going on one myself...maybe through Southeast Asia or southern Europe.
Our train took about 4 hours and I forgot I hadn't eaten all day so I grabbed a sandwich from the restaurant car. Tangent: As most of my friends know (and laugh at me, my friend Julia named my stomach Shoshana, saying I have the stomach of an old Jewish woman which may or may not make sense) my stomach SUCKS like literally I can barely eat anything so this trip has been hard. Several nights my stomach became upset and my throat tightened...so sketch. My mom and sister have a lot of food allergies so I think I'm beginning to develop them starting with cashews and eggs. I'm planning appointments for when I get home to figure out my issues...
Anyways! We arrived in Prague and quickly scurried off the train to find a taxi. In preparation for Prague, I read up on the city and heard of taxi drivers who attempt to rip you off and rip you off bad. My dad asked our hotel how much the taxi should cost to make sure we weren't screwed over. Sure enough, a man tried to make us pay double of what the price of the ride would be, trying to take advantage of us innocent Americans!! The taxi was incredibly sketchy, pretty sure it was just this guy's car, and my mom and I kept looking at each other and laughing at how ridiculous this was.
It took awhile to get to our hotel because of the traffic and once we arrived, the driver dropped us at the back door and tried to get rid of us when we couldn't find the entrance to our hotel! So rude! Our hotel was recommended by a friend and it's a quaint littol place. I'm sleeping on a sofa bed and there's no door to my parents room aka I doubt I'll sleep much with their snoring...though I'm used to it!
We rested till dinner so we'll have to explore Prague tomorrow. We had dinner with friends from our neighbor back home. The woman, Hana, is from Prague and the man, Ken, is from CA and went to the Naval Academy with our neighbor. Dinner was quite nice and Hana said she'd be my mom here in Prague which I am very thankful for. She gave me all sorts of tips for Prague and she told me I could call her anytime I want. It'll be nice to have someone here that I can call for help if need be. It was also nice to know that I can survive here without learning Czech since Ken doesn't know much Czech and lives here.
Tomorrow is going to be a long day with sight seeing. Key for Prague: comfortable shoes, cobblestone is everywhere.
Off to sleep, putting in ear plugs, taking a sleeping pill, and wearing my noise cancelling headphones in order to sleep with my parents snoring in the next room! (Sounds ridiculous but my siblings and dog will tell you how bad they are)
Sbohem,
Whit
After struggling with our luggage to get on the train (we tag teamed with some Australians which was helpful), we found our seats. We booked first class seats which consisted of a small room with 6 seats. It was hard to fit with our huge suitcases! A young Austrailian couple shared the room with us. They were on the last week of their 2 month backpacking trip throughout Europe. It was cool to listen to all the places they went and hear about Austraila (definitely going to convince my parents to take a trip down there.) Listening to all these backpacking trips people have been on has made me interested on going on one myself...maybe through Southeast Asia or southern Europe.
Our train took about 4 hours and I forgot I hadn't eaten all day so I grabbed a sandwich from the restaurant car. Tangent: As most of my friends know (and laugh at me, my friend Julia named my stomach Shoshana, saying I have the stomach of an old Jewish woman which may or may not make sense) my stomach SUCKS like literally I can barely eat anything so this trip has been hard. Several nights my stomach became upset and my throat tightened...so sketch. My mom and sister have a lot of food allergies so I think I'm beginning to develop them starting with cashews and eggs. I'm planning appointments for when I get home to figure out my issues...
Anyways! We arrived in Prague and quickly scurried off the train to find a taxi. In preparation for Prague, I read up on the city and heard of taxi drivers who attempt to rip you off and rip you off bad. My dad asked our hotel how much the taxi should cost to make sure we weren't screwed over. Sure enough, a man tried to make us pay double of what the price of the ride would be, trying to take advantage of us innocent Americans!! The taxi was incredibly sketchy, pretty sure it was just this guy's car, and my mom and I kept looking at each other and laughing at how ridiculous this was.
It took awhile to get to our hotel because of the traffic and once we arrived, the driver dropped us at the back door and tried to get rid of us when we couldn't find the entrance to our hotel! So rude! Our hotel was recommended by a friend and it's a quaint littol place. I'm sleeping on a sofa bed and there's no door to my parents room aka I doubt I'll sleep much with their snoring...though I'm used to it!
We rested till dinner so we'll have to explore Prague tomorrow. We had dinner with friends from our neighbor back home. The woman, Hana, is from Prague and the man, Ken, is from CA and went to the Naval Academy with our neighbor. Dinner was quite nice and Hana said she'd be my mom here in Prague which I am very thankful for. She gave me all sorts of tips for Prague and she told me I could call her anytime I want. It'll be nice to have someone here that I can call for help if need be. It was also nice to know that I can survive here without learning Czech since Ken doesn't know much Czech and lives here.
Tomorrow is going to be a long day with sight seeing. Key for Prague: comfortable shoes, cobblestone is everywhere.
Off to sleep, putting in ear plugs, taking a sleeping pill, and wearing my noise cancelling headphones in order to sleep with my parents snoring in the next room! (Sounds ridiculous but my siblings and dog will tell you how bad they are)
Sbohem,
Whit
Monday, May 21, 2012
3rd and Final Day in Vienna
Although all this sightseeing and walking makes us incredibly tired, we still have yet to have a good sleep! Can't wait till my body gets adjusted.
We started off the day heading via subway to the Schonbrunn palace, the summer residence of the emperors and empresses from the mid 17th century till the 1900s when it became a museum. It was interesting to compare these rooms to the Imperial Apartments we saw earlier.
The rooms decorations were extravagant but very cohesive with each other. It's crazy to think all of these palaces had a room for literally everything...like doing an empress's hair!
We had lunch at a cafe on the top of a hill at the palace which was able to give a panoramic view of Vienna which was quite beautiful. Right as we were talking about how lucky we were with the weather we've been having, we saw threatening clouds heading our way and the wind began to pick up. We headed back to the center of the city and enjoyed pastries and coffees.
The subway was rather easy to understand, reminded me of our family trip to Paris years back when we used the subway every day. It'll be interesting to compare the public transportation of Vienna and Prague.
After our snack, we went back to the Stephsandom church near our hotel to take a tour of the catacombs below the church. It was quite eerie, containing coffins of priests and kardinals and mass graves of various citizens of the city of Vienna (1 grave was from the Black Plague). There was also a coffin dated back to the 7th century! A gravehouse was neatly stacked, reminding me of the catacombs in Paris.
We then walked around the city, visiting random shops and churches, before heading back to the hotel to rest before dinner.
Now we have to pack because we leave for Prague tomorrow via train at 9:30am! It's about a 4 hour train ride.
I'm so thankful to be able to experience Vienna but I'm ready to head to Prague and meet the people in my program!
Sbohem,
Whit
We started off the day heading via subway to the Schonbrunn palace, the summer residence of the emperors and empresses from the mid 17th century till the 1900s when it became a museum. It was interesting to compare these rooms to the Imperial Apartments we saw earlier.
The rooms decorations were extravagant but very cohesive with each other. It's crazy to think all of these palaces had a room for literally everything...like doing an empress's hair!
We had lunch at a cafe on the top of a hill at the palace which was able to give a panoramic view of Vienna which was quite beautiful. Right as we were talking about how lucky we were with the weather we've been having, we saw threatening clouds heading our way and the wind began to pick up. We headed back to the center of the city and enjoyed pastries and coffees.
The subway was rather easy to understand, reminded me of our family trip to Paris years back when we used the subway every day. It'll be interesting to compare the public transportation of Vienna and Prague.
After our snack, we went back to the Stephsandom church near our hotel to take a tour of the catacombs below the church. It was quite eerie, containing coffins of priests and kardinals and mass graves of various citizens of the city of Vienna (1 grave was from the Black Plague). There was also a coffin dated back to the 7th century! A gravehouse was neatly stacked, reminding me of the catacombs in Paris.
We then walked around the city, visiting random shops and churches, before heading back to the hotel to rest before dinner.
Now we have to pack because we leave for Prague tomorrow via train at 9:30am! It's about a 4 hour train ride.
I'm so thankful to be able to experience Vienna but I'm ready to head to Prague and meet the people in my program!
Sbohem,
Whit
Sunday, May 20, 2012
2nd day in Vienna
Wow has it been a long day! We left our hotel at 9am and grabbed breakfast at Starbucks of all places. They had soy milk which made my day!
After breakfast we went to the Spanish Riding School to watch the Lipizzaner stallions. It was amazing how the horses could jump completely in the air while standing still! We have seen one of their shows in San Jose before but it was cool to see it in an actual performance ring.
After the show we walked around and got lunch at a great pastry place. We continued on a very long walk across town to the Belvedere, a palace made for Prince Eugen of Savoy after he helped defeat the Turks in the late 1600s. The palace was converted to a museum which contained impressionist art.
he main part of the exhibit was the work of Klimt as the city is commemorating 75 years since his death. His work was amazing, using natural colors for people and then metallics and bright colors around them, creating a beautiful contrast.
We walked back to our hotel, stopping in random churches along the way to see the amazing architecture. Following a quick rest, we went to, yet again, an Italian restaurant for dinner. It feels so weird to be able to order alcoholic drinks! Though I have to say, it's hard to keep up with all the different drinks throughout the meal.
The main part of our evening consisted of a Mozart concert in the oldest concert hall in Vienna. The hall was covered in extravagant paintings and was rather small. Mozart gave many concerts in this hall which was cool to think about what it was like when he was performing. I'm not too into classical music but I have to say, the performers were especially good. Reminds me of how I used to play the violin!
Off to bed since tomorrow we'll have to deal with public transportation to head to the outskirts of the city!
Sbohem,
Whit
After breakfast we went to the Spanish Riding School to watch the Lipizzaner stallions. It was amazing how the horses could jump completely in the air while standing still! We have seen one of their shows in San Jose before but it was cool to see it in an actual performance ring.
After the show we walked around and got lunch at a great pastry place. We continued on a very long walk across town to the Belvedere, a palace made for Prince Eugen of Savoy after he helped defeat the Turks in the late 1600s. The palace was converted to a museum which contained impressionist art.
he main part of the exhibit was the work of Klimt as the city is commemorating 75 years since his death. His work was amazing, using natural colors for people and then metallics and bright colors around them, creating a beautiful contrast.
We walked back to our hotel, stopping in random churches along the way to see the amazing architecture. Following a quick rest, we went to, yet again, an Italian restaurant for dinner. It feels so weird to be able to order alcoholic drinks! Though I have to say, it's hard to keep up with all the different drinks throughout the meal.
The main part of our evening consisted of a Mozart concert in the oldest concert hall in Vienna. The hall was covered in extravagant paintings and was rather small. Mozart gave many concerts in this hall which was cool to think about what it was like when he was performing. I'm not too into classical music but I have to say, the performers were especially good. Reminds me of how I used to play the violin!
Off to bed since tomorrow we'll have to deal with public transportation to head to the outskirts of the city!
Sbohem,
Whit
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Day 1 in Vienna
Our first night sleeping in Vienna did not go as well as we hoped...we all woke up at random hours during the night, making waking up very hard.
We started our day at 9am and went to a little bakery. I'm going to have to get used to eating very little for breakfast! A full breakfast was a croissant, soft-boiled egg, orange juice, and tea or coffee.
After breakfast we headed to Mozart's House. Vienna is such an enjoyable city in that everything is in close proximity to each other. It was odd his house was hidden amongst shops on the street. I didn't know much about Mozart so it was interesting to learn about his rise and fall from fame.
We walked around, visiting the Stephansdom Church and Peterikurche before heading to lunch.
After lunch we walked to the Imperial Apartments and Silver Collection. It was amazing to see how much silver, gold, and porcelain was used to serve food for State dinners.
The Imperial Apartments were especially exquisite with such lavish decorations. The focus of the tour of the apartments was the life of the Empress Elizabeth in the 1800s.
By then, we were all tired and headed back to our hotel for a quick nap before dinner. We had an early dinner at a great Italian restaurant (we're not very fond of the Austrian cuisine...something I'll have to get used to since Czech cuisine is similar.)
After dinner we lounged for a bit and then decided to walk around to make ourselves more tired because we're going to have a long day tomorrow!
Sbohem,
Whit
We started our day at 9am and went to a little bakery. I'm going to have to get used to eating very little for breakfast! A full breakfast was a croissant, soft-boiled egg, orange juice, and tea or coffee.
After breakfast we headed to Mozart's House. Vienna is such an enjoyable city in that everything is in close proximity to each other. It was odd his house was hidden amongst shops on the street. I didn't know much about Mozart so it was interesting to learn about his rise and fall from fame.
We walked around, visiting the Stephansdom Church and Peterikurche before heading to lunch.
After lunch we walked to the Imperial Apartments and Silver Collection. It was amazing to see how much silver, gold, and porcelain was used to serve food for State dinners.
The Imperial Apartments were especially exquisite with such lavish decorations. The focus of the tour of the apartments was the life of the Empress Elizabeth in the 1800s.
By then, we were all tired and headed back to our hotel for a quick nap before dinner. We had an early dinner at a great Italian restaurant (we're not very fond of the Austrian cuisine...something I'll have to get used to since Czech cuisine is similar.)
After dinner we lounged for a bit and then decided to walk around to make ourselves more tired because we're going to have a long day tomorrow!
Sbohem,
Whit
Friday, May 18, 2012
1st Night in Vienna
We've arrived and with all our bags which is a relief!
Our flights were super easy, partly due to our upgrades. We were sitting in economy plus and then they called us to move to business class! Wow were we pumped. As I was getting settled in my seat, a man asked if I could move to his seat so he could sit with his wife and baby and I said of course! He said it's your lucky day because I'm in first class. GREATEST FLIGHT EVER.
Served a full course meal and my choice of movies AND I got to lie down. I've flown business class to China and New York before but lying down is really key to sleeping on a plane. I probably slept for 7 hours (also thanks to some sleeping aid) and before I knew it, we arrived in Frankfurt.
We switched planes and were quickly on our way to Vienna. A car picked us up from the airport and it took about 20 minutes to get to our hotel. It's amazing how all the buildings have so much history and such beautiful cathedrals and opera houses right in the middle of town. I'm so jealous the people of Vienna work around such beauty every day.
We had a traditional German/Austrian dinner, beef goulash and veal, and I had my first "legal" beer. After dinner, we walked around a bit and it was interesting to listen to all the conversations. It's cool yet it sucks not being able to understand anyone and they can understand everything I'm saying. German is one language I will never be able to figure out.
Now off to bed...so incredibly tired yet excited to explore the city tomorrow!
Sbohem,
Whit
Our flights were super easy, partly due to our upgrades. We were sitting in economy plus and then they called us to move to business class! Wow were we pumped. As I was getting settled in my seat, a man asked if I could move to his seat so he could sit with his wife and baby and I said of course! He said it's your lucky day because I'm in first class. GREATEST FLIGHT EVER.
Served a full course meal and my choice of movies AND I got to lie down. I've flown business class to China and New York before but lying down is really key to sleeping on a plane. I probably slept for 7 hours (also thanks to some sleeping aid) and before I knew it, we arrived in Frankfurt.
We switched planes and were quickly on our way to Vienna. A car picked us up from the airport and it took about 20 minutes to get to our hotel. It's amazing how all the buildings have so much history and such beautiful cathedrals and opera houses right in the middle of town. I'm so jealous the people of Vienna work around such beauty every day.
We had a traditional German/Austrian dinner, beef goulash and veal, and I had my first "legal" beer. After dinner, we walked around a bit and it was interesting to listen to all the conversations. It's cool yet it sucks not being able to understand anyone and they can understand everything I'm saying. German is one language I will never be able to figure out.
Now off to bed...so incredibly tired yet excited to explore the city tomorrow!
Sbohem,
Whit
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Off to Europe!
I cannot believe what I've been waiting for all year is finally here! Our flight leaves at 7 tonight, leaving me to distract myself all day. My parents and I will be flying to Frankfurt from SFO (11 1/2 hrs) and then we'll change planes to fly to Vienna (1 hr.) We'll arrive around dinner time in Vienna on Friday.
We'll be in Vienna for 4 days and then we'll take a train to Prague. My parents are staying till the 27th from which then on I'll be on my own!
I'm becoming more and more excited, especially after finding out my housing situation. I'll be living with 5 other girls in an apartment on the outskirts of the city. I'll be taking the metro to school every day which should be a fun experience!
While in Europe, I'm hoping to be able to travel around. I have a few places in mind, Rome, Stockholm, Berlin, Spain, and Paris, but we'll see what actually falls into place.
I can't wait to go through this amazing experience, though I'm going to miss my family and friends very much!
I wish you all the best and don't hesitate to contact me!
Sbohem, Whit
We'll be in Vienna for 4 days and then we'll take a train to Prague. My parents are staying till the 27th from which then on I'll be on my own!
I'm becoming more and more excited, especially after finding out my housing situation. I'll be living with 5 other girls in an apartment on the outskirts of the city. I'll be taking the metro to school every day which should be a fun experience!
While in Europe, I'm hoping to be able to travel around. I have a few places in mind, Rome, Stockholm, Berlin, Spain, and Paris, but we'll see what actually falls into place.
I can't wait to go through this amazing experience, though I'm going to miss my family and friends very much!
I wish you all the best and don't hesitate to contact me!
Sbohem, Whit
Monday, May 14, 2012
Pre-Departure
Ahoj! (hello in Czech, pronounced Ahoy)
Thursday night is almost here! It's crazy to think that only 3 weeks ago I was in Ann Arbor studying for finals and now here I am, about to head off to Europe for 2 1/2 months! I'm getting excited, but also nervous for being alone in a foreign country, especially in a country that speaks such an odd language.
Nicole helped me pack today as she just got home from being in Spain for 6 months and I definitely needed her help. I actually fit everything in one large suitcase which is crazy for me since I'm a huge over-packer.
I hope to write twice a week while away since it'll fly by and I don't want to miss anything.
Next time I write I'll be in Vienna!
Sbohem,
Whit
Thursday night is almost here! It's crazy to think that only 3 weeks ago I was in Ann Arbor studying for finals and now here I am, about to head off to Europe for 2 1/2 months! I'm getting excited, but also nervous for being alone in a foreign country, especially in a country that speaks such an odd language.
Nicole helped me pack today as she just got home from being in Spain for 6 months and I definitely needed her help. I actually fit everything in one large suitcase which is crazy for me since I'm a huge over-packer.
I hope to write twice a week while away since it'll fly by and I don't want to miss anything.
Next time I write I'll be in Vienna!
Sbohem,
Whit
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