Weekend full of UVM love :)

This weekend was so much fun, it all started with a fantastic night with Megan on Thursday.

Friday I went to the gym and had an amazing workout, then I met Anna and her amazingly kind friend Vanessa at the train station. I was there host for the weekend. Anna is a UVMer studying in Austria, in Salzburg, and Vanessa comes from Oregon.

Megan went to Italy for the weekend so she was kind enough to let them stay in her bed. Friday night I took them sight seeing in the inner ring of the city then we went to a cool student friendly flatbread place that I had heard good reviews about! It was so delicious, I had a pita with broccoli, chicken, cheese, and sauce. 

Pizza and beer?! no complants 

Afterwords we had to start getting ready for the biggest party at my University of the year. For one night every year they turn the bottom floor of the university into a night club, over 2000 people attend. It was SO much fun :)

Getting ready to go out

VT love!

This is my school

Girls just wanna have funn

Saturday we went to naschmarket and the flee market afterwords I took them to Demel (the number one coffee shop/cake shop here in Vienna)

Fleemarket

UVM love

Enjoying Demels cakes

Afterwards I let them do some sight seeing while I did homework. 

Table set to the nines!

Saturday night I had been invited to a Serbian BBQ with the Austrian students that studied at UVM last semester. (While Anna and Vanessa went to the opera). It was such a fantastic dinner with lots of meat, wine, and bread! It was really nice to be invited to this BBQ I got to hear all the crazy stories of the things they did in Burlington, and they were all really helpful when it came to planning my next trip in Europe. 

UVMers!

Amazing cheese bread

Sundays lunch
Peanut butter, banana, almond, honey sandwich

Today was a lazy but productive day, I went to the gym while Anna and Vanessa went to Schönbrunn Palace. Later I did laundry and cooked some food for the week. I just finished watching a Nicholas Sparks movie "safe heaven" it was so sad and so good! I feel ready to start another school week.

Where does the time go?!

WOW! Time flys, in exactly 2 months I will be home...

I can't believe it has been 10 days since I last posted. I guess nothing too excited has happend but still.

I have been very busy with school and group projects.

Last Thursday a group of us wanted to go out and just have a chill night at a bar. We went to Charlie P's first, a typical bar, but it was very crowded and smoky and we were unable to hear ourselves talk so we left. We wanted something calmer. So while walking around we came across a wine gathering in front of Rathaus (city hall). People were just sipping wine and beer in the park. So we all pitched in for a bottle of wine and just found a fountain to sit infront of and people watched.

WINE

Girls :)

Last friday was beautiful so Nicole and I went to the "island" and walked around for about 3 hours together. It was so nice to just walk and talk, and bond with someone new. She is from Canada and we have a lot in common. Afterwards we went to Prater park and sat in the sun while it set. At this point we were both tired and ready for dinner. At night I went to a pub and a bunch of guys from orientation were having a drink off. Each table competes with each other to see who can drink the most. It was fun to watch, and caught up with people I hadn't seen for 3 weeks.

Pub

Beautiful Rathaus in the background

I stayed in and just hung out with people for the rest of the weekend. Sunday I watched the start of the Vienna marathon, it was so inspirational! The runners have so much motivation and it was a BEAUTIFUL day for it. Afterwards I went to brunch with two friends, and then walked around for 3 hours with one of them. We walked in districts I have never been before and it was really enjoyable to just go exploring.

RUNN forest!

This week flew by and was full of group projects and going to the gym. My Monday and Tuesday's I start class at 8 and get done at 5 then go straight to the gym. So I am gone for 12 hours usually. Makes for a tired Wednesday. 

Off to the gym

This week we had beautiful weather and I actually pulled out the summer dress :)

Summer dress, and flip flops!

Wednesday Megan (my awesome roommate) and I did just about everything you can together. Gym, then group project meeting at school (separate groups though), then shopping, then cooked dinner, and did laundry. Huge bonding day! It was great :)

Last night we decided to go out after a really great work out! She pushed me harder then I can push myself. Then we enjoyed a bottle of wine on our patio over dinner, and finally made out way to Praterdome, a night club here in vienna. We had a great time dancing the night away, and they played GREAT music.

Megan and I
Roommate love

Megan and Maryia being silly as we wait for the Tram

Prater at sunset

Ever since my parents left it has been beautiful weather here, of course!
It was really difficult to sit though classes the past two days. My body is not used to staying in one place for more then.. about an hour.

However its really nice to be back in Vienna with clean cloths, and a warm bed, and great company (my roommate). Once I dropped my parents off at the airport train on sunday I bummed around for the rest of the day, making myself homemade food (which I had not eaten in weeks) and did a huge load of laundry.

Monday and Tuesday I had class from 8-5 and some group project meetings here and there and a presentation in 3 out of the 4 classes, so needless to say it has been pretty GOO, Go, go..

Today I decided I have been spending too much time sitting on my computer, weither it is doing group project research, catching up on TV shows, or editing my some 3000 pictures from my travels, so I went on a nice walk in Prater Park. Very relaxing and made me want my bike back.

Suns out guns out

Casually walking the house riding path

Warm enough for flowers to grow?!

Running club?

Prater Ferris Wheel at Sunset!

Parents leave the big city

Last night we went to the Opera and stood in the Balcony. We only stayed for the first half because we were all pretty tied, and my parents flight was early this AM.

So this morning I walked to my parents hotel at 5 AM to take them to the airport. We took a tram around the city center for the last time and I got them to the city CAT (airport train). This is where I had to say goodbye, until June 18th.

I am so happy they came but sad they had to leave. Time will fly by.. can't believe I have already been here for 2 months.

Back to the grind of school work for a few weeks.

Parents come to the big city

Thursday afternoon we made our way to the train station after a morning of exploring Salzburg. Our train was delayed half hour and of course we got there plenty early, so my Mom and Dad explored the grocery store while I watched our luggage.

We found "american coffee" at McDonalds and ate our sandwiches that we had made at breakfast on the train. Most of the train ride involved looking at things to do here in Vienna for the next 2 days.

We arrived in Vienna to find a crowded train station, and people on the run. We made our way to the U-BAHN, and headed towards my apartment. After changing outfits, we found a nice cafe for dinner in the middle of Vienna. Here we heard live piano music, and enjoyed another great austrian meal. 

Friday we were feeling ambitious and headed out around 9 to the Schonbrunn Palace. We purchased a family pass (I pretended to be 18, which is easy cause I look like I am about 17 years old) and we took a tour of the palace, then walked the gardens and went to the top of the overlook. It was foggy and cold out but I am so happy my parents got to see the palace. We ate some lunch at the cafe at the top and saw a family taking there wedding pictures at the top, it was quite entertaining.

After the palace we headed into the city to do some grocery shopping. I took my parents to the Merkur in Westbanhof train station to shop, they were great help when it came to carrying the heavy grocery bags. I had little to no food before cause I was gone for 3 weeks. Now I am set! After unpacking, we went to a Heurtigen (traditional vineyard and wine house) out in the country side for dinner. Here we orded food from the buffet and everyone got exactly what they wanted :) The wine was delicious and potato salad was my favorite yet.

Today we woke up and went to city hall, here we stumbled across a bike festival, which was awesome!  We watched the guys do some tricks and mom enjoyed looking at all the fancy bikes. Then we walked around town alittle bit and headed to the Nacshmarket, the exotic food market, to see what we could find.

We walked around for quite some time, but we were all pretty COLD! I was looking forward to a warm drink and to find some warmer cloths. So now I am back in my room to relax a bit before we stand for the opera.

Innsbruck - homemade cookies in the alps

The train ride here was incredible, we got to see so many valleys, farms, and church's on top of hills, along with a few castles and of course the beautiful alps. After arriving in Innsbruck, we purchased our 24 hour pass at the train station and asked directions to our hotel. We stayed in the Hilton which was absolutely beautiful with a nice "fire place" in the main lobby. (A tv with flames and fake wood surrounding it). We dropped our luggage off and were on our way to explore another city.

View from the train

Innsbruck Easter Fest

First stop the alps for some lunch! We found the tram that took you to the chairlift up the mountain on the other side of old town Innsbruck. What an incredible view from the top! We definitely picked the right day to go up. Wow! So we had some lunch and enjoyed people watching, after we walked around admired the skiers doing tricks on the alps, and walked in an ice cave bar/dance club.

Top of the alps!

The tram we took up

Enjoying moms homemade cookie
at the top of a german alp..

Clouds were doing some cool stuff

Tricksters!

MOM and I  <3

After being nearly blinded by trying to smile without sunglasses on we decided to head back down the mountain, next stop the zoo. We walked around the zoo for less then an hour and weren't too enthusiastic, definitely an attraction for the younger crowd. Then we heads back into Innsbruck to check out the rest of the Easter market that was going on. Here we found some amazing painted easter eggs and Austrian crafts. We were pretty tired at this point and headed back to the hotel for a quick nap and to find a place to eat.

We went to a place in the old town the receptionist suggested and it wasn't amazing but I still enjoyed my over cooked duck.

Yum

Enjoying the meal 

Today we woke up and headed to the Swarovski crystal museum, we took a shuttle from the train station to get there but not before grabbing a croissant or two, and a coffee. Trying to find coffee my dad likes here is quite challenging, but beer on the other hand is easy!

The museum was quite interesting the crystals were amazing but there were some thing in the museum that definitely were strange and I think the artist was on some kind of drugs. (Crystal meth?)

The Giant (the museum was inside)

Largest Crystal in the world!

Ultimate crystal ball

Close up

Later we headed to the Hofburg palace, another royal palace and took a tour, but really we were more interested in the Historic Alpine Museum attached  Here we learned about skiers and climbers that explore the alps daily, and all the incredible equipment they need to tackle a challenge such as this.

Lovin my statues

After we ate lunch at a pizzeria and had gelato while walking along the riverside. Then we walked through the gardens and back to the hotel for a nap.

Ceiling of some church

Golden Roof 

Found Dad some Beer!

After nap we went back out for dinner at the golden roof resteraunt, and it was amazing! We all agreed it was the best meal yet :)

George, we call him sun finder

Yesterday after springing ahead an hour we made it to church on time for Easter service. It was a wonderful service at a small business office building in Basal. This is the church George and all the other English speaking people go to in this community.

After church we headed back to put some warm cloths on before heading into the alps. Once we did some Easter snacking we hopped in the car and headed to Interlaken, a beautiful town in the foothills of the alps. Unfortunately we still weren't able to see much so we kept driving up. Eventually making it to a town call Grindelwald were we ate the best applesttudel and Dad had some German beer. We explored the town a little and watched all the people get off busses after a long day of skiing. Mom and I checked out what everyone had on for ski gear and noticed no one was wearing baggy bulky coats jackets or neon colors, they are very stylish even when skiing.

After doing some exploring and taking some pictures we found our way back to the car and headed down the mountain, back to George's for Easter dinner. He cooked us some amazing maple boiled salmon in the oven, while Dad tried to use a European washer and dryer. We were absolutely spoiled with George's cooking. And so I helped clean up and we were off to bed.

This morning we woke up early to catch a train to Innsbruck, it was hard to leave such a beautiful hotel (George's home) but time to move on to the next thing. I am exciting to be doing some sightseeing with my parents now, and eventually show them around Vienna, my home :)