Venice

Swiss Alps

Swiss Alps

 Our group took a bus to Venice. We drove through the Swiss Alps on the way there. No offense to the Rockies, but the Rocky Mountains have nothing on the Alps. It took almost two hours to drive through the winding roads and tunnels of the Alps and I couldn't tear my eyes away the entire time. Every turn revealed another beautiful snow-capped mountain or quaint mountain town. It was really something to see.

Streets of Venice

After seven hours in a bus, we made it to Venice. We took a train to get into the city. Venice is the first island I've been on, another first for me. It was rainy and cold again, but the city was still so beautiful. It is still hard to wrap my mind around the fact that the entire city is built on water. There are no cars, only boats and foot to get around. We took a water bus through the Grand Canal to get to our hostel. We walked the winding and confusing streets to the Academia bridge and then to the main square. There we saw San Marco Basilica, the clock tower, and the Parliament building. We walked around a lot that day. Venice is purely a tourist town, there are almost no locals still living in the city. So, literally every shop is full of souvenirs. One thing I noticed in almost every store are masks. The masks are of every color, size, and shape you can think of. Venice celebrates a similar holiday like Mardi Gras in New Orleans. It was fun to see all the masks, some were quite pricey.

Venetian night with fellow Americans!

That evening after a delightful dinner of pasta and wine we ran into a group of Americans from Minnesota. They were studying in Italy and this was there last night in Europe. So we all went to a pub and celebrated their last night in the city on water. One kid was originally from Nebraska and now goes to school in Kansas. The next day we went to see the old parliament building in the main square. The Italian government was comprised of a select group of families, although they held "elections" for government positions. These families also had a great deal of money and every ceiling and wall in the parliament building was covered in gold. After seeing all the gold I thought to myself, that's why gold is so expensive now, because the Italians used it all in their parliament. Dinner that night was expensive... Again. I loved Venice but everything was so expensive! The next day was the official start of our week of Spring Break. Hayley, Evan and I didn't leave until late afternoon so we went to another museum. Jan, our guide, took us to an old royal family's house that is now a museum. I enjoyed seeing the way the home was decorated, it was very lavish. One interesting thing I saw was a couple of the rooms had glass chandeliers. There were really extravagant and had little glass flowers where the candle sticks would have been located. The third level of the house was a gallery of art. There were some really nice paintings there. We left Venice about five o'clock to get to the airport and catch a plane to Malta!

Vienna

Site seeing really wears the Americans out

One of the most beautiful cities in Europe. I was really in awe of its beauty and history. Happy Hostel was our home for the two days we were there. It was a really nice hostel with a private bathroom, little kitchen, and a TV! Although we never turned it on. Our hostel was quite far from the main square so it was a long jaunt to get there. We walked down a long street full of shopping stores to get to the main square. In the main square we saw the winter palace of the Hapsburg monarchs. The architecture of the palace was nice to see but we never did go inside to tour the rooms. We did get to see the summer palace the next day.

Schönbrunn Palace

 Schönbrunn Palace (the summer palace) was once on the outside edge of town but now the city has grown up around it. It was a really rainy and cold day so that put a damper on the beauty of the palace. However, the inside took my breath away. Every room was lavishly decorated. Maria Theresa had many of the rooms redone in her taste. We saw where the family lived and ate and got a look into their daily life. Maria Theresa and Emperor Francis I had fifteen children. Marie Antoinette was the youngest of their children. I liked being in the home of such important historical figures.

Inge and I. It's not just the places you see that make traveling such an experience, it's the people too.

Later that day, I went to the Albertina, a modern art museum. There I got to see my first Monet and Picasso. It was lovely. There was so much to see there and afterwards I was exhausted. Later that night we went to a small pub down the street from our hostel. It was there that we met Inge. She was the owner of the pub. Inge is Austrian and her husband, Gary, is from San Francisco. Gary was in the U.S. visiting his family so it was just Inge. She told us about how she met Gary and even though they couldn't communicate very well they fell in love. Gary moved to Vienna and they have been married for almost twenty years. She touched all of our hearts. The next morning we left for Venice.

Budapest

St. Stephen's Basilica in Budapest


 Another weekend, another country. I've been to four countries in four weeks. How amazing is that? I have been in the Czech for a month now. Sometimes it feels like I have been here for longer than that and other times time seems to be going by fast. This weekend was Easter and we had Monday off because it is a national holiday. Thirteen of us went to Budapest, Hungary for the weekend. We left early on Saturday morning. It took about five hours to get there and we switched trains in Breclav. It was about noon when we arrived. Budapest is home to about 1.74 million people, but if you include the surrounding suburbs it is closer to 3 million. Budapest is famous for its geothermal springs. There are over eighty springs in the city. You cannot go to Budapest without visiting one of their spas. Budapest is also famous for the Chain Bridge, Fashion street, one of the largest Parliament buildings in the world, and many beautiful churches. The Danube river runs through the middle of the city. One side of the city is called Buda and the other Pesti, the two sides were joined and now the city is called Budapest.  Once we arrived, we bought our metro (subway) tickets. Hungary has their own currency, the Forint. Five thousand Forints is equivalent to twenty U.S. dollars. I've definitely improved my mental math skills by constantly converting currencies to U.S. dollars. We found the right metro line and found our hostel. Unfortunately, our hostel was located far from the city center so we had to take the metro anytime we wanted to go anywhere. The hostel was newer though and the rooms were nice. It was a cold and rainy day on Saturday, but my roommate, Hayley, and I went to the center of town anyway. Everyone else stayed at the hostel. The main square is called Deak Ter. We walked around the square and did some shopping. We ate lunch at a restaurant on the river, but ate inside because it was so chilly. We had a Hungarian beer called Soproni, it was very good. It was a light beer, similar to Heineken. After we ate, we went to a souvenir shop. It started pouring rain and we went to a cafe to escape the rain. We wanted to go on a dinner cruise on the Danube that evening, but it was sold out by the time we got there. So we decided to just go back to the hostel. When we got back, we got some drinks and spent the rest of the night playing card games.  

Sunday morning we got up and went to church. We went to mass at St. Stephen's Basilica. The basilica was very close to the main square. It was a beautiful church with several large domed roofs. The inside was richly decorated in marble pillars and gold trim. There were statues and paintings everywhere. The service was in Hungarian so we didn't really know what was going on. The church was also freezing, so we were shivering the whole time. It was nice though.

Outside thermal pool


 Afterwards we ate at a traditional restaurant. It was very good. We wanted to go to a spa that afternoon so we went to buy tickets. We bought our tickets for the spa and a boat cruise on the Danube for that evening.  We took the metro to the spa called Szechenyi. The spa was basically a huge circular building with saunas, massage places, changing rooms, and indoor pools. Then there were three huge outside pools in the middle courtyard of the building. There were 18 pools total at the spa. It was cold and windy that day, but the pools were like large hot tubs. Some pools were warmer than others and some of the indoor pools had different minerals in them. Some smelled like mint and others smelled terrible because of the sulfur-like smell that came from the natural springs. Two interesting things I observed that may or may not be worth mentioning: European men like to wear speedos, especially the older gentlemen. We could easily pick out American boys as they all wore long swimming trunks. Secondly, couples often engage in intimate activity in the very public pools. We got a kick out of watching some couples get a little "too close" in such a public place. European couples are much more open about their relationships though. It is quite normal to see two people making out on the street or a man grabbing a woman's butt. Americans find it weird to engage in public affection like that, but they do say Europeans are the best lovers... The spa was a great time and we enjoyed relaxing.

Night cruise on the Danube River

 Afterwards we had some time to kill before we needed to meet for the cruise so we went back to the hostel. The cruise began at ten o'clock. We walked as a group to the boat. When we boarded, we were given a glass of champagne. They provided a buffet of traditional food. It was all very good. They had salad, soups, meat, potatoes, dumplings, cheeses, and of course dessert. My favorite was the Hungarian goulash soup. It was a tomato based soup with potatoes, carrots, and chucks of stew meat. The dessert was little cups of mousse. The cruise was about an hour and a half. The city is gorgeous at night. We took a taxi to the hostel after the cruise. We got up early again to catch the first train home. We all wanted to get home so we could rest and get ready to leave again for our group trip to Vienna and Venice and then Spring Break. We leave Wednesday morning for a two day trip to Vienna, Austria and two days in Venice, Italy. We then have a week off for Spring Break.

Bratislava

Hiking in Bratislava

 A quick update about my weekend. A small group of us took a day trip to Bratislava, Slovakia on Saturday. We woke up very early, about six in the morning to catch our seven o'clock train. It only cost about twenty-five dollars for a round trip ticket to the capital city. We had to switch trains in Breclav and luckily we made it there in one try. Once we got there we had to take another train to go hiking. We were the only people who got off the train and it was the sketchiest "train stop" I've ever seen. Bratislava is home to the small Carpathian mountains, similar to the size of the Black Hills in South Dakota. There was a nice park and little food place at the bottom of the mountains. You can take half a day's hike to see ruins of a castle or a full day hike to go to the very top of the mountains. We did not do this. Us out of shape Americans were only able to explore a couple trails before we grew weary and wanted to find something to eat. It was a fun hike though. The forest was very pretty and it was a nice day for hiking.

Lake near the park where we hiked

 We caught the train back to the main station and walked to the main square. We found a nice place for lunch. I spent about fifteen dollars in food because I was so hungry. Slovakia uses euros as well. After we ate, we hit some souvenir shops and walked around their square. The square has several iron-looking statues that are one of their main tourist attractions. We found three out of the four. We also saw their castle, it was huge. I took some pictures, but we heard you couldn't go inside so we just saw it from a distance. It was chilly and windy at this point, so we found a little cafe to hang out in. The cafe had a downstairs area that was really cool. It was almost like a bunker with low ceilings and tunnel-like rooms. All the walls were brick as well. They had a boy playing piano, he was exceptional. We asked him how old he was and he was only fifteen years old! It makes me wish I would have stuck with piano longer.  We caught the train home and for some reason we stopped literally every two minutes, so we didn't get back to Olomouc until eleven that night. It was a very nice day trip. Now I can say I've been to three countries: Czech Republic, Germany, and now Slovakia!

Prague

Standing on Charles Bridge with Prague Castle in the background

I am finally getting time to blog again. I must fill you in on our first trip to Prague! We met early on Thursday morning at the train station. It was quite a long train ride to Prague, about three hours. When we arrived, we went straight to our hostel, I stayed in a room with three other girls. The toilets and showers each had their own rooms. There were only mirrors in the shower room, so it was hard for all us girls to get ready. We were also on the fourth floor and if you didn't run up the stairs you wouldn't make it! Shortly after arriving we met as a group to take a walking tour with our faculty sponsors, Martin and Jan. We walked through town to the main square, which was only a few blocks from our hostel. We saw the astronomical clock and of course, Charles Bridge! It was beautiful. While on the bridge,  I had the overwhelming feeling that I was standing where some of my ancestors had stood. I was standing where my mom and grandma had been. The view was amazing, especially the view of Prague Castle. We spent some time taking pictures and walking on the bridge. We then headed to the John Lennon wall which was right around the corner from the bridge. The wall was made after Lennon's death in the 1980s. It is a big mural of spray painted drawings and inscriptions of hope and love. It was really unique to see.  After the tour, we had the afternoon free. We walked around and checked out the souvenir shops. Later, we went to dinner in a little pub. We always eat at places away from the square, because it is so expensive to eat near the main tourist areas. 

Astronomical clock in Prague's main square

St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague Castle


 The next day we got up early to go to Prague Castle. We took a subway, my first subway ride! I didn't like the dark and jerky movements of the subway train. We toured the castle and saw the cathedral, the monastery, and some rooms in the palace. The most interesting room contained the Window of Defenestration. Throughout Czech history, it has been a custom to throw unfavorable people or criminals out windows. So, it is a joke in the Czech to say if you make a Czech mad they will throw you out a window, we all found that funny but kept our distance from windows. Haha. The window is famous because usually when people were thrown out this window, there were guards with spears waiting below the window to kill you. It wasn't the fall that killed you, it was those nasty spears. The story of this window then: Several Protestant clergy decided to "get rid" of two disliked Catholic nobles. The clergy threw the nobles and a clerk out the window. However, there was no one with spears waiting below, so the nobles survived the fall. The nobles ran to a nearby house and hid from the other men. The clergy could not find the nobles so they gave up and went home. People saw this situation as God saving the Catholic nobles.The nobles were praised and they ended up punishing the Protestant clergy for trying to murder them. The situation is quite humorous. A good Czech story. We also got to see the changing of the guards at Prague Castle, it was very ceremonial. After the castle we walked by the US Embassy and saw another church. We broke for lunch and had the rest of the day for free time. We did a lot of shopping that day, so Prague's economy benefited from me that day. We were worn out from shopping so we just hung out at a pub that night.

Piece of Berlin Wall in museum in Dresden, Germany


Saturday morning we took a train to Dresden, Germany. Dresden is much newer than any city I have seen so far. Dresden was completely destroyed by American bombs at the end of World War II. We visited a newly opened German war history museum. It was a very well put together museum with 5 floors of history, artifacts, and interactive displays. It was a beautiful day out and we went straight to the main square after the museum. They were able to reconstruct several historic buildings including their Lutheran church. You could see the randomly placed dark stones that they were able to salvage. Martin Luther is a famous monk who broke away from the catholic church in the 1500s and started Lutheranism. Dresden's church in the square was Lutheran and there was a statue of Luther as well. I had a lovely lunch with some of the girls. We ate outside because it was such a gorgeous day. We had wine and I ordered my first plate of sausage and sauerkraut. I loved it. The sauerkraut was sweet and really flavorful. Not the sour taste like it is at home. Shortly after we had to catch a train back to Prague. Saturday night we went out to the five story club in Prague. They had different genres of music playing on every floor. I lost my voice from yelling over the music and caught a cold shortly after. The cold has been going around the group though, so I was bound to get it sometime. 

Entrance gate to the Jewish quarter

Sunday we visited the old Jewish quarters. The boys had to wear the Kippah, a Jewish hat that covers the top of the head. The Nazis deported and killed 80,000+ Jews from the Czech Republic. Only 20,000 survived. Inside the Jewish quarter is a building with all the names and dates of those who were killed in concentration camps. It was really unsettling when I found several Rosenbaums on the walls. Some were from Ostrava. Afterwards we saw the cemetery within the quarter. There were hundreds of head stones. Because they had so little room they had to build up the ground and bury people in layers. There were head stones completely covering the ground, many were leaning in all directions. For Jews, they place little slips of paper with prayers written on them on the headstones. They also place little rocks with well wishes for the dead on the tombstones as well. There was a large group of Jewish boys from New York who would stop and do a prayer chant where they would pray loudly and rock back and forth. I'm glad we got a chance to see the Jewish quarter. Prague is a wonderful place but you have to remember its negative history as well. We had a break for lunch and took a train back to Olomouc.  I was really looking forward to seeing Prague, especially after lots of people told me how great it was. My favorite parts of Prague were Charles Bridge and the Lennon wall. However, I didn't like Prague as much because it was so touristy. People were everywhere and you have to keep a good hold on your purse and camera so they don't get pick pocketed. We talked to one German lady who had her camera taken from her hands while trying to take a picture. She seemed pretty  shaken about it. I think all the souvenir shops and touristy things ruin the beauty of Prague. People are just trying to make money and almost exploit the city's sites. I bought my fair share of souvenirs though, so I shouldn't complain. At the end of the day, I missed my little safe home of Olomouc. All of us really love this town. It isn't touristy and the people are wholesome and kind. More updates soon!

First week in Olomouc

St. Wenceslas Cathedral in Olomouc

Holy Trinity Column in Upper Square in Olomouc

My roommate Hayley and I

Hard to think I have been here for almost a week. I've learned so much already and have been going going all day long, but there is still so much to see and do. So here are some Ins and Outs of living in the Czech Republic:

1. Always be on time for the tram and bus, they don't wait for you. Trams don't care if you are running late. Also, follow the crowd, if everyone gets off the tram at some random stop, you must follow. Otherwise you will get yelled at in Czech by the scary tram drivers. 

2. When ordering at a restaurant always say "pivo prosim", which is beer please. It's part of their culture, you might offend someone if you order a Sprite or Fanta. Then, when looking at your menu and it's all in Czech just point to something and hope its good. So far everything has been pretty good. If you're lucky, which is more times than not they have a menu with some English on it.
3. Globus is the equivalent of an American Wal-mart, only everything is in Czech and the order of the store makes no sense. Hair dryers and straighteners are in with the small appliances. Water and beer are located in one corner while liqueur and wine are located by the food. Everything is so fresh here. The bread choices go on forever and meat too. I've already had a few kolaches! Before communism fell in 1989, their food choices were so limited. Now that they have choices they wanted everything, so there was an explosion of food and pubs. I ordered some turkey from a deli lady at Globus yesterday, which consisted of me pointing at turkey, her asking me things in Czech, me responding with a confused look, I held up five fingers and finally said yes yes that will do.
4. Olomouc is famous for their fried stinky cheese. They put it on everything, sandwiches, meat, or just a dish of breaded, fried cheese. It's not too bad in small amounts.
5. All the streets here are cobblestone. Literally all streets and sidewalks near the center of town are cobblestone. So watch where you are walking. No one has fallen yet but lots of us have tripped. Usually I'm too busy looking up at all the beautiful architecture to watch where I'm walking. The cobblestone is also rough on feet. Obviously wear good shoes, because any shoe too thin and you will be feeling those stones through your shoes.
6. The bathroom situation... So far it's been good and I haven't had to pay for any public restrooms. However, if you have a sensitive toosh, bring your own TP. The toilet paper here is like those scratchy brown paper towels that you dry your hands with. So beware of that. I can't complain though, in Paraguay you were not allowed to flush the TP so the bathroom was an even worse smelling place than usual.
7. I am loving my new roommate. Hayley and I are getting along great. We go exploring together, eat together, drink beers and giggle together, talk about our boyfriends back home, and share a love of this quaint little city. I'm sure we will have some awesome stories to share and be good friends for years to come.
8. Lots of walking which was to be expected. My feet have hurt and my back from carrying my backpack, but who can really complain when you're living in a place like this. I'm an out of shape American... I'll get used to the walking soon enough. I'll have some nice legs when I come home! Although, I have heard from others who came on this trip that the girls gain weight and the boys lose weight.
Hopefully this isn't true!
9. I must say one of the best parts of this trip has been being able to drink and buy alcohol with no one looking at you funny. They don't even check your I.D. here. Besides, it's part of their culture and I would be rude to refuse that liter of beer....
10. Lastly, what a gorgeous place this is. You can see the pictures and hear about Europe's beauty, but it's just so overwhelming when you finally see it in person. Literally every building on every street has some intricate design on it. This is only a small city, but it has character and it's nice to think I'm walking on streets that are hundreds of years old and possibly the same streets my ancestors walked on.
All for now! I hope to write more soon!

Finally in Olomouc! I still can't believe I'm living in Europe. It is so beautiful and different here. Everyone stares at you because we are traveling in this large group of loud and obviously American. Olomouc is about 100,000 people but it seems small. No one speaks English here so it has been hard ordering food and getting around. I'm still really tired from the trip and not used to being in this time zone. I'm sitting in a small cafe right now across from the main campus and only a few blocks from the main square. I'll try to post some pictures tonight or tomorrow so check out my Facebook. I'm missing everyone back home. More from this traveling Czech soon!