Monday, October 21, 2013

Fall Break in Vienna

After two weeks of being without a laptop, my hard drive has been restored! Unfortunately, its like being on a completely new computer, so I need to copy everything from my external disk to here, but at least my computer works! Since I haven't posted in a while, I'm a bit behind. I'll give you a quick run-down of everything that has happened in Vienna since my laptop crashed. 

Monday, October 7: I decided to be adventurous and go explore something called Brunnenmarkt, the Turkish market, in Vienna by myself after class. I caught the tram from Ringstraße and rode all the way out into the 8th district, somewhere I had never been before, and got off when I saw numerous kebap and falafel stands beside the street. I wandered around the area, which was pretty cool because everything and everyone was Turkish, and I adore Turkey and Turkish food especially. I stopped by a stand and had the best Borek and Gözleme ever! The guy selling me the food spoke no English, but tried to have a conversation with me anyway, so I got to practice my German for about 20 minutes. I was rewarded with free apple tea, just like in Turkey! It was fun to practice, but once he asked about my evening schedule and my number, I took my leave. I need to go back (with other people...) for more food at some point though.

Brunnenmarkt Vienna
Shakespeare & Co. Bookstore
Tuesday, October 8: Saddest day ever because my laptop crashed :( But before that, I explored the first district a bit more after class and found Shakespeare and Co. Bookstore, though it wasn't as extravagant as the one in Paris. Later that night, Elise, Anna, Steph, and I met up with my friend, Nidhika, from a leadership conference I did almost four years ago and haven't spoken to since. She's from Vienna and goes to school here, so she took us out with her friends for some awesome Mexican food. Despite leading us in the wrong direction for about forty minutes, we made it to the restaurant and the nine of us enjoyed the spicy food. It was nice meeting other students in Vienna, though we didn't all get to talk too much.


Dad in Stephansdom
Wednesday, October 9: BEST DAY EVER because Dad came to Vienna! I met him at Hauptbahnhof after my classes and took him to his hotel on Kartnerstraße. It was so good to see him again. Everyone at Emory was on Fall Break, so him visiting was like my fall break! It was the perfect time as well, because I was getting super stressed out about my dead laptop :( I took Dad to 1516 Restaurant for lunch where we had burgers, and showed him IES, Stephansplatz, and Stephansdom. I had to leave him at 4:30 for my Anthropology class, which had a field trip to Flex Club that night. It was a bit strange going to a dirty, hipster club in the early evening for a class. Luckily, I managed to get out of staying til 10pm to watch a no-name band perform. Dad took me out to Patara to enjoy Thai food instead and then Wien Wien cafe for an apple strudel and coffee.

Outside Stephansdom
Flex Club -- Band's Green Room
Thursday, October 10: Sleeping in is fabulous! Because I stayed with Dad at Hotel Astoria, I didn't have to get up until almost 8am for my German class! We had breakfast together, and after my class, we went to the Naschmarkt for a Mediterranean lunch. I showed Dad Karlskirche before my next class, and then went to the Prater with my business class for our field trip. It was fun riding the enormous Ferris Wheel and seeing all of Vienna around us, but my teacher made us go on a water ride. Literally, as we walked into the amusement park, Elise and I had discussed how anybody could possibly want to go on water rides in this cold temperature. Getting soaked on that ride was definitely not a highlight of my day. Dad met up with me and we rode the Bumper Cars together before going to The Villa to show Dad, and then treating him to a student's meal: Kebap Boxes from Wahringer Straße. He loved them!

Dad enjoying Naschmarkt!

At Karlskirche
Prater adventure
View from the top of the Prater Ferris Wheel
Waffles for breakfast!
Friday, October 11: In preparation for my German test, Dad and I went to Coffeeshop Company to eat a waffle for breakfast. After the test, Dad and I went to McShark to get my laptop fixed and it was done in 15 minutes! I almost cried with relief. I took Dad up Mariahilfestraße and found my favorite sushi restaurant, Natsu, so we could have some bento boxes. We wandered into the Naschmarkt again afterwards, and then I took Dad to Schloß Schönbrunn! He couldn't not see the palace, despite the fact it poured the minute we got there. So we had a Sacher Torte in the cafe (and it was so much better than the first one I tried!) and walked around the palace gardens after the rain lightened up. Our evening entertainment was at the Raimund Theater, where the musical, Elisabeth, about Empress Sisi was playing. We got tickets right before the show and it ended up being fabulous! The performers were all amazing and had great voices, the songs were really nice, and I really enjoyed that the whole tale of Sisi's life was in German! I could pick out words here and there, but mainly focused on the English subtitles. It was such a great show to end the evening.

At Museumsquartier
Sushi!
We braved the wind and rain to see Schönbrunn

Selfies at Schönbrunn!
Palace in Fall
Raimund Theater
Inside the Raimund Theater
Saturday, October 12: Dad's last day in Vienna :( We went out for a lovely breakfast at Orlando di Castello in the first district and just walked around, taking in the city. It was so great having Dad come and visit me, just like having my own Fall Break in Vienna. I didn't realize how much I missed him and the rest of my family. Now I'm already looking forward for when Mom and Khala come visit, and then Zaynee and Hanaa (hopefully!). It was a relaxing and fun end to a week that started so sadly (all because of my laptop :( you never realize how much you depend on it until its gone).

Orlando di Castello for breakfast!
Dad in front of the Rathaus on a perfect Saturday morning



No comments:

Post a Comment