I apologize for the lack of blogging in quite some time. Italy's wifi was not up-to-date and I didn't not bring my computer so here it is all my friends and family: Italy!
I will be the first to say, as we traveled from each city, my taste for italy increased. First we started in Rome, then Florence, and last was Venice. We stayed two nights in each city except Venice which we technically stayed two days but hopped a night train the second night back to Vienna. I guess it would make most sense to start at Rome.
Roma: Getting off the train, I expected to see the colosseum and roman forum right in my face. Instead I saw just another round of tall european buildings and people trying to sell me stuff off the street. Rome was my least favorite all the three cities we visited. Despite seeing roman ruins, forum, trevi fountain, spanish steps, vatican city, the pantheon, and the colosseum, the city itself irritated me. During the day was hot and men selling knock off designer bags and sunglasses constantly were in your face. And to top it off, I had money stolen from my hotel room by one of the maids! (So for all you world travelers out there, don't stay at Hotel Madison in Rome!) I figured this place would be my favorite, but unfortunately, I was horribly mistaken. My best suggestion for conquering rome during the summer is at night. Both nights I ventured out with friends to walk the streets and see the sites lit up in all their glory. Walking the spanish steps, throwing a coin in the trevi, and enjoying ice cream by the colosseum was so relaxing and made rome more enjoyable. There were way less tourist around and it was nice getting to enjoy some of rome's treasures without the hot sun.
The first thing we did was Vatican City. No, I didn't get to see the Pope, but thats okay, I don't think he'd like me that much especially after I was unimpressed with his city. The Vatican museum (where the sistine chapel and other famous pieces reside) was huge and hot as ever. I don't think, Rome especially, believed in AC. It was also like a poorly designed maze trying to weave past snapping cameras, fanny packs, and confusing building outlines. After almost two hours, I finally made it to the sistine chapel. It was very high on the ceiling, dark from the lack of window use, and no photos were allowed...of course that didn't stop my iphone! ;] Shhh! I could see how amazing this work by michelangelo was because of the great detail he put into it as well as the pace at which he had to work, but the hype was more then the actual room. I didn't see why this place was so famous... and quite frankly, I didn't understand that about many things I had seen over the past six weeks... But after thinking about it, most things in europe were famous because of how they changed an area or even the world and people never forget change.
After the museum, we made our way to St. Peter's Basilica. This is suppose to be the grandest church of all of Europe. Maybe if we had started in Rome, I would have thought the same, but I just found it pretentious and rude. Like many other catholic churches I had experienced, this one was just the same with focus on saints or mary (and in this case, peter's "bones'). The whole church was built around this large canopy where directly below is "Peter's body" and then all around the church are carvings of mary, glorified, either holding jesus as a baby or as a helpless dead man. It never really bothered me until I saw just how much it seems as though the focus has been taken away from who really we should be worshipping. Something unique to this church were markers on the floor of other churches where they would lie if they were put inside this church. I don't really think it matters how big your church is compared to others...that just comes across as one of the rudest things to me. If you haven't figured it out already, I did not like this place....
The second day in Rome was much better and I promise I wont go off into a tangent for this one. We visited the pantheon, the roman forum, and the ruins. These were beautiful places and really increased my hunger to go to greece, crete, and turkey. Anyways, it was hard sometimes though to imagine (especially in the forum) what this old city use to look like in all its splendor, like how someone from biblical times would have seen it. There were grand temples, monuments, and parading streets that today are just remains with a few blocks and stones standing marking locations and giving the general look of "bare". Even in the colosseum, much of that place has been swept away from over the years ware n tare. But it was still a blessing and great opportunity to see things that were thriving during the time of Jesus and Paul. Even though I didn't really like Rome, I would like to go back someday with more time so i can admire everything this place has to offer and maybe find a better hotel.
Florence: Hurray! A town not consumed by people or sketchy people for that matter. I actually enjoyed walking around this city during the day and night, even if our walking tour the first day was three hours. It seems to be that with our group, that was always our luck: Tours that lasted FAR beyond the time they advertise. But, it was full of information and we basically saw the main things of florence, not housed in a museum, all in that time. First was the medici chapels, which for those of you who don't know, they were the main family of Florence that put this italian city on the map and made it what it is today. Large tombs, ceiling frescoes, and a dome...typical for a "ruling" family. Next while walking around we made our way to St. Mary's church of the flower, including famous the Duomo, Gates of Paradise, and church itself. The sad thing was not everyone in our group was allowed to go into the church. Italian churches generally have a fairly strict (depending on the church) dress code of no shoulders and no knees to be exposed and like the vatican, this church was more strict. Thankfully, scarfs became our best friends in italy being used as coverings rather then just warming our necks in the winter. Anyways, i enjoyed admiring the works from the start of the italian renaissance right in the church, unmoved and restored to there glory days. I would have liked to have gone up into the duomo but its 400+ steps didnt seem like something that my classmates or myself were willing to climb especially at this stage in our trip. Stairs had become the enemy... The rest of the tour contained more sites of florence intertwined with fun history facts, ending eventually with an old meat market turned blacksmith area in the 1600's. The rest of the day was spent at the leather market where all of us learned that we are fantastic hagglers. It was pretty fun and made me wish I could do this more often. This is where I collected most of my gifts for family and friends, feeling accomplished finding cool things at a traveling college students budget. The evening finished with a Rick Steves approved dinner and some tasty gelato! (Florence had the best kind of gelato out of all three cities too!).
Day two was museum day...grr......but, we did get to see "The David" and "The Birth of Venus" and I know most of yall know atleast one of those. The mean thing about florence was that both of these works were in two different museums. You basically had to pay over 30 euro to get into both places just to see these two works and maybe three others you actually recognize while everything else you saw wasn't worth it. Thankfully though, the "David" atleast was worth it. I never realized how big it was! 17 feet tall and your looking up! The statue size itself was large enough to awe an audience, but the work put into it and the story behind it was I think makes it amazing. And of course, no pictures we allowed...meaning I totally broke the rules again. Rebel! Ha you know your losing it when you think your awesome because you snuck a picture of a statue. And i think we all were losing it. By the time we made it to the second museum, all we cared about was getting enough notes for our journals so we could leave. Do i regret racing through some museums? Nope. I saw what I wanted and then some. I would say we maybe visited a total of 20 something museums the whole six weeks...I don't think i've ever gone to that many in my life so can you blame us? Once we finished with the museums, we once again were free to rome around and enjoy florence. Like Rome, I enjoyed florence at night. I felt safer and more relaxed walking down little alley ways. The prettiest part at night was the rows of street lights along the river. At one point, some of us just sat on the edge in silence and just let the wind blow our hair without a care in the world. Our trip was almost over; we were taking it all in.
Venice: Bright and early the next morning we made our way to the city without cars and and without cares. If I could get lost in any city it would have to be this one. Small winding alleys turning at random corners, little bridges leading to who knows where, and random dead ends to water ways. I couldn't believe that an entire city was built over water! Just getting off the train was breath-taking and we hadn't even seen the whole of it. After settling in at the hotel, we began yet again another walking tour only this one was two hours instead of three. I quickly became aware that Venice really wasn't a town where one moved to. I later found out that 95% of those who work in Venice, work with tourist and no one truly lives here anymore. It was like this city has lost its italian sense. It was like Venice had just become an attraction where people could take gondola rides, eat pasta, and buy presents for those back home. "Italian DisneyWorld" was how i coined it to a friend. But that doesn't stop me from enjoying this once thriving city from the 1300's. Of course, we did the very expected things like riding gondolas which are much nicer then I expected. And of course our group visited the Doge Palace and the Saint Mark's church that apparently puts this city on the map. Among some wondering, we did stumble upon the rialto bridge which unfortunately is cluttered with shops and we almost missed it. Among that, there wasn't much else besides walking around... It was at that time that our group was done. You could tell most of us were ready to be done with journaling, each other, and the program in general. I remember at one point just sitting on the ground staring at a family just like mine thinking i wish i was with them. Venice was lovely, and I will remember it more fondly then Rome, but my heart hungers for home.
I realize this is quite long and I promise I'm almost done. Currently, I am still in austria and am preparing for church camp in the coming two weeks. I can't wait to spend to weeks serving and spending time with God and his people, but home is where my heart is and I can't wait to be back.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Saturday, June 23, 2012
No words
SIDE NOTE: One month ago today I was on a plane to London. Now here I am a month later, getting ready to go to Italy in a few days. This trip has gone by so fast! Some people in my group are rejoicing because its only a little over a week before the go home, others are gearing up for an extra week after italy, and here I am with another month left in Europe. I would have never thought six years ago when I first signed up for the Vienna Spring Break Mission Trip with GACS that I would have come this far and grown so in love with a city and its people. My theme verse for this whole trip seems to be this:
But I trust in you, Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”
My times are in your hands. -Psalms 31:14-15a
Because I never know what will happen, I know that God is in control and always taking care of me. My time, whether in Europe, Oklahoma, or wherever my feet may go, is in his hands.
DISCLAIMER: The rest of this blog is about the Holocaust---Read with caution.
I just had to get that out there. Its been on my heart and I just wanted to share it with those around me. But thats not the only thing that has been on my heart. You may be wondering about my title, "No Words", and that may sound silly since this is a blog site where I type plenty of words. But, for this post its not so much a literal no words for me but rather no words can describe how I felt after the concentration camp we visited yesterday.
Yesterday, we visited Mauthausen concentration camp in Linz, Austria. I don't think I will ever fully will be able to describe to someone what I saw and felt that day. Up until that day, the horrors of the second world war were not completely real to me. Yes, I had grown up learning about the Holocaust, seeing pictures and reading books from survivors but the reality of it never came to life until this day. Our group arrived on an air conditioned bus, with packed lunches and cameras ready in hand. Pulling up on the right, was a beautiful view of the mountain farmlands of Austria, but to the left, an ill-placed stone wall was placed. After getting off the bus, we walked over the visitors center where we waited for our tour in the shade on some comfy benches after getting snacks at the cafe. Once our tour guide arrived and began talking, I soon realized exactly where I was. And suddenly things didn't feel right. I won't spew off too many facts and statistics, but rather give my perspective of that day.
Mauthausen was built only 6 months after Austria was annexed into Nazi Germany. It was built by those who lived there and was still under construction until it was the last camp liberated in 1945. This camp was not an annihilation camp, but it was expected that those who lived there would work till they died.
Our docent that day really did something quite unique: She really wanted the experience to be ours, and would constantly ask us questions about what we thought and how we felt. We started out just the same, with plain facts about the camp and then slowly began our way into everything else. I don't even know where to start though because just thinking about it reminds me of the heaviness i felt there at that place. Just looking around outside the camp was hard enough. The more I learned, the more I felt like it wasn't right for me to be there, like I was one of the many people during the war that would go visit concentration camps for fun. I felt guilty for coming to that place the way I did in our bus; It didn't feel right to take pictures of a place that caused so much suffering and death. It didn't feel right to have my packed lunch and bottle of water. Every step, memorial, room, chamber....made me feel like I was there...as though I could feel pain inside me for those who had been there only 70 years ago.
Our journey began by walking the access road that the future inhabitants walked that led to the only gate that led to the camp itself. The road ran next to the camp on a wide ledge with the main camp above and a field below where you could still see, despite the lack of any buildings, the impression of the sick barracks and an old foundational edge of a soccer field. Step after step along this road was shared in silence with everyone from my group. I can't imagine what it must have been like for those who staggered up this before me after days of standing on dirty, packed in windowless trains. Rounding a corner on the road opened up a giant view of a large cliff and many different pieces of art which we later learned were memorials from each of the countries of those who died at Mauthausen. The cliff itself had large significance because it once was not a cliff at all but rather a giant hill that was taken out almost 60 meters down as a quarry to help construct the camp and make the prisoners work. Along the side of the mountain next to the now open area were the "death steps" because of the many deaths that happened upon them. The stories were heart-wenching...I wanted so badly to leave but I knew I needed to stay.
Finally, after weaving through monuments and many small stones upon them to signify those lost, there it was: The gate. So plain and bare. Just two giant wooden doors, surrounded by an array of stones and watch towers. As we walked through, chills ran up my spine. And as we began to learn, it wasn't what I or others had expected. The place didn't look like run down buildings with hopelessness written on them but rather just old buildings of plain nature. Most of the barracks but four had been torn down except for the steps leading up to them and in there place were rows of wildflowers and grass. it was strange looking at such a pretty scene only to look up and see a stone wall staring back at you. And as for that, the whole place seemed strange. During its day, the camp was kept up with high standards like rows of fresh flowers around the barracks, new paint on most of the buildings, and the SS there to great you with a warm welcome? No. That can't be right. How is that possible? Thats not what I learned in class growing up. How could this be? It wasn't uncommon to have constant visitors at the camp for inspections, or just for show. I was shocked. The camp may have been beautiful but that doesn't mean living here was. How could a place that looked so nice be the place where over 200,000 people died?
The living quarters were unbelievable to ever think humans, real people, had to endure such hardships and space. Rooms crammed with over 150 people each; three levels of beds with two to one bed made of straw. The camp itself was built to house 6,000 but by the time it was liberated, 27,000 people were accounted for. It was then that we moved through the small washrooms and other rooms of the barracks, seeing just how horrible life could be made for someone. But it continued. We saw the rooms where they went for showers, shaving, and medical checks. Just like the rest of the camp, during their day, they too were kept up to date with modern technology and shiny white walls. And among that, the saddest thing I saw was a single large "swastika" carved into the wall. At the moment, my heart sank, and all I wanted to do was sit down and cry. I couldn't take much more. I couldn't handle such a out-right sign of disrespect carved on the walls at the camp. Who would do such a thing?! How could they?! Why?...that question replayed in my mind like a broken record for everything I was seeing....
Why?
Among the four barracks still standing was the laundry room, prison, kitchen, and one of the crematory buildings. As we were walking to this last part of the "tour", i suddenly closed me eyes. All I could hear was the footsteps of my fellow classmates and I imagined how the footsteps of those before sounded as they walked the same ground: Silent and solemn. When I opened my eyes, we were at the chambers. Out of respect, we were asked not to say a word in the gas chamber. Mauthausen only used their gas chamber as one method of killing among many others. It was small, and looked nicer then the shower rooms we had seen before except this time, two large oval door with major locks were the only ways in and out. And here I was, just walking in and out, safe and sound. The next room opened up to another room used for individual killing and next to that was a small oven...It was said that at one point, the bodies became so many that they had to build a makeshift morgue to store the bodies. And there is was. Right in front of me. I had seen it all.
After this, our lady showed us a few more monuments and then the one dedicated to the american troops. The last thing she said before she left us was, "You all can be proud of what your country did. I on the other hand, can not." I will never forget that moment and the look of shame almost she had on her face. It was like she felt responsible for what had happened because of where she came from. I felt as though that everyone was guilty in the matter of what had happened during World War 2. It had so many things leading up to it. So much dark history that we as a world, will never forget. And this was a place I will never forget. The pain, the choking feeling, the frozen fear, the anger, the hurt, and the tears that came later once we left. This really happened. Even though it seems as though I have written a novel, literally nothing I can say can ever honestly tell you what I experienced that day. And nothing anyone who ever survived a concentration camp says will ever fully describe their experience either. There are just no words. None at all.
But I trust in you, Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”
My times are in your hands. -Psalms 31:14-15a
Because I never know what will happen, I know that God is in control and always taking care of me. My time, whether in Europe, Oklahoma, or wherever my feet may go, is in his hands.
DISCLAIMER: The rest of this blog is about the Holocaust---Read with caution.
I just had to get that out there. Its been on my heart and I just wanted to share it with those around me. But thats not the only thing that has been on my heart. You may be wondering about my title, "No Words", and that may sound silly since this is a blog site where I type plenty of words. But, for this post its not so much a literal no words for me but rather no words can describe how I felt after the concentration camp we visited yesterday.
Yesterday, we visited Mauthausen concentration camp in Linz, Austria. I don't think I will ever fully will be able to describe to someone what I saw and felt that day. Up until that day, the horrors of the second world war were not completely real to me. Yes, I had grown up learning about the Holocaust, seeing pictures and reading books from survivors but the reality of it never came to life until this day. Our group arrived on an air conditioned bus, with packed lunches and cameras ready in hand. Pulling up on the right, was a beautiful view of the mountain farmlands of Austria, but to the left, an ill-placed stone wall was placed. After getting off the bus, we walked over the visitors center where we waited for our tour in the shade on some comfy benches after getting snacks at the cafe. Once our tour guide arrived and began talking, I soon realized exactly where I was. And suddenly things didn't feel right. I won't spew off too many facts and statistics, but rather give my perspective of that day.
Mauthausen was built only 6 months after Austria was annexed into Nazi Germany. It was built by those who lived there and was still under construction until it was the last camp liberated in 1945. This camp was not an annihilation camp, but it was expected that those who lived there would work till they died.
Our docent that day really did something quite unique: She really wanted the experience to be ours, and would constantly ask us questions about what we thought and how we felt. We started out just the same, with plain facts about the camp and then slowly began our way into everything else. I don't even know where to start though because just thinking about it reminds me of the heaviness i felt there at that place. Just looking around outside the camp was hard enough. The more I learned, the more I felt like it wasn't right for me to be there, like I was one of the many people during the war that would go visit concentration camps for fun. I felt guilty for coming to that place the way I did in our bus; It didn't feel right to take pictures of a place that caused so much suffering and death. It didn't feel right to have my packed lunch and bottle of water. Every step, memorial, room, chamber....made me feel like I was there...as though I could feel pain inside me for those who had been there only 70 years ago.
Our journey began by walking the access road that the future inhabitants walked that led to the only gate that led to the camp itself. The road ran next to the camp on a wide ledge with the main camp above and a field below where you could still see, despite the lack of any buildings, the impression of the sick barracks and an old foundational edge of a soccer field. Step after step along this road was shared in silence with everyone from my group. I can't imagine what it must have been like for those who staggered up this before me after days of standing on dirty, packed in windowless trains. Rounding a corner on the road opened up a giant view of a large cliff and many different pieces of art which we later learned were memorials from each of the countries of those who died at Mauthausen. The cliff itself had large significance because it once was not a cliff at all but rather a giant hill that was taken out almost 60 meters down as a quarry to help construct the camp and make the prisoners work. Along the side of the mountain next to the now open area were the "death steps" because of the many deaths that happened upon them. The stories were heart-wenching...I wanted so badly to leave but I knew I needed to stay.
Finally, after weaving through monuments and many small stones upon them to signify those lost, there it was: The gate. So plain and bare. Just two giant wooden doors, surrounded by an array of stones and watch towers. As we walked through, chills ran up my spine. And as we began to learn, it wasn't what I or others had expected. The place didn't look like run down buildings with hopelessness written on them but rather just old buildings of plain nature. Most of the barracks but four had been torn down except for the steps leading up to them and in there place were rows of wildflowers and grass. it was strange looking at such a pretty scene only to look up and see a stone wall staring back at you. And as for that, the whole place seemed strange. During its day, the camp was kept up with high standards like rows of fresh flowers around the barracks, new paint on most of the buildings, and the SS there to great you with a warm welcome? No. That can't be right. How is that possible? Thats not what I learned in class growing up. How could this be? It wasn't uncommon to have constant visitors at the camp for inspections, or just for show. I was shocked. The camp may have been beautiful but that doesn't mean living here was. How could a place that looked so nice be the place where over 200,000 people died?
The living quarters were unbelievable to ever think humans, real people, had to endure such hardships and space. Rooms crammed with over 150 people each; three levels of beds with two to one bed made of straw. The camp itself was built to house 6,000 but by the time it was liberated, 27,000 people were accounted for. It was then that we moved through the small washrooms and other rooms of the barracks, seeing just how horrible life could be made for someone. But it continued. We saw the rooms where they went for showers, shaving, and medical checks. Just like the rest of the camp, during their day, they too were kept up to date with modern technology and shiny white walls. And among that, the saddest thing I saw was a single large "swastika" carved into the wall. At the moment, my heart sank, and all I wanted to do was sit down and cry. I couldn't take much more. I couldn't handle such a out-right sign of disrespect carved on the walls at the camp. Who would do such a thing?! How could they?! Why?...that question replayed in my mind like a broken record for everything I was seeing....
Why?
Among the four barracks still standing was the laundry room, prison, kitchen, and one of the crematory buildings. As we were walking to this last part of the "tour", i suddenly closed me eyes. All I could hear was the footsteps of my fellow classmates and I imagined how the footsteps of those before sounded as they walked the same ground: Silent and solemn. When I opened my eyes, we were at the chambers. Out of respect, we were asked not to say a word in the gas chamber. Mauthausen only used their gas chamber as one method of killing among many others. It was small, and looked nicer then the shower rooms we had seen before except this time, two large oval door with major locks were the only ways in and out. And here I was, just walking in and out, safe and sound. The next room opened up to another room used for individual killing and next to that was a small oven...It was said that at one point, the bodies became so many that they had to build a makeshift morgue to store the bodies. And there is was. Right in front of me. I had seen it all.
After this, our lady showed us a few more monuments and then the one dedicated to the american troops. The last thing she said before she left us was, "You all can be proud of what your country did. I on the other hand, can not." I will never forget that moment and the look of shame almost she had on her face. It was like she felt responsible for what had happened because of where she came from. I felt as though that everyone was guilty in the matter of what had happened during World War 2. It had so many things leading up to it. So much dark history that we as a world, will never forget. And this was a place I will never forget. The pain, the choking feeling, the frozen fear, the anger, the hurt, and the tears that came later once we left. This really happened. Even though it seems as though I have written a novel, literally nothing I can say can ever honestly tell you what I experienced that day. And nothing anyone who ever survived a concentration camp says will ever fully describe their experience either. There are just no words. None at all.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Is Prague a Country?
In encase you were wondering, Prague is not a country but rather a city in the Czech Republic. Thank you google. So if you don't know yet, this past four days I traveled to Prague and Munich and man...was that crazy! (in a good way of course).
I will say that I feel like every time I travel, the groups I have been apart of are extremely blessed with travel. Praise God, we have always made it safely everywhere we go without much trouble! Even at 4am, he took care of us traveling to Prague saturday morning. Thats right...NO NIGHT TRAINS! (P.s if your one of my weekly readers, I edited the "Train stations" blog. It now makes more sense and grammar is more of a priority). Anyways, like I was saying, NO NIGHT TRAINS! Hurray! What a beautiful thing! But, in its place, I was up bright and early with the sun instead to catch a four hour train to Prague. Once we arrived in Prague, I was alittle skeptical. I had become too accustom to German that having to adjust to another language almost put me in "panic" mode. I didn't even know how to say hello in "czech" let alone do anything else like read train maps, order food, or find a restroom. Little did I know, God would take care. The bed and breakfast we stayed in is probably one of the best things, if not the best thing about prague. That may sound strange but hear me out: Located only a few stops from the main city square is a little family run bed and breakfast called "Lida Guest House" and it is heaven sent. As soon as we arrived, the owner (Jan pronounced "Yawn") met us at the door with our room all ready and coffee/tea and dessert waiting for us once we were finished getting settled in. Soft beds, private bath, and a beautiful view of Prague from afar? We were in European hotel heaven and if you've ever traveled in Europe on a budget and without your parents, you'd understand where I'm coming from. Europe just isn't the same when it comes to so many little things in life like shower curtains, free refills, and public bathrooms. Besides that, this place was great. We finally got cleaned up and once we got down stairs, Jan was there waiting with drinks and snacks and what looked like a book worth of brochures and maps, ready to be torn apart. It was like we had our own personal Rick Steves in Czech form right in front of us. He knew everything about the city from history to tram stops, to even the best places to eat. He even could book us tickets to a concert or show. This was great. God was completely in control, and I loved every minute of it. By the time our orientation was over, we headed out for our first day adventure. (if you havent noticed, this post is a long one!)
First priority was to eat and then relax. We ended up going to one of Jan's recommendations for some traditional Czech food which ended up being delicious despite the fact that we all ordered blindly. Next we traveled off the beaten path to a little park near our hotel with directional help that we got from a very nice local who say our map out-stretched and the confusion in our voices. We sat along the main river of Prague and enjoyed the beautiful day God provided us with. The only down side was that a swan almost attacked us which gave the group a good excuse to go travel to the city. This picture on the right was one I took on my phone on the main town square of Prague. Its alittle hard to tell but during our visit, a giant "alcohol fest" as my friends put it, was happening in the main square, unfortunately blocking some of the buildings in the far left corner. I really enjoyed walking around this city. You could very much tell it was once a giant center for "old medieval" Europe of the 1300's. Beautiful tall towers, large stone bridges filled with monuments to kings and religious figures, every road made of cobblestone...this town was breath-taking just to walk around. A cool thing we did see that evening was an old astronomical clock built in the 1280's, when it chimes on the hour, the whole thing moves revealing moving skeletons, cuckoo clock rotations of famous priest, and a trumpet player in the tower above at the end was a whole site to watch all in 60 seconds. And the night continued just walking around the city, enjoying the famous sites like Charles Bridge and sunsets of the Prague castle. It was magical almost and I couldn't wait for the next day!
Day two in Prague was just as good if not better. Starting the morning off right with a big breakfast included with our stay, we headed out to a lesser known site of Prague called Vyšehrad. This was once a castle ground and city for the first rulers of the Czech Lands including the oldest buildings in Prague and the burial ground of the first king of the Hapsburgs! This place very unique and completely clear almost of busy tourist. The main thing to see here was the cathedral located in the middle next to the famous grave yard. I had never seen a more beautiful church. Almost every inch of wall or ceiling or pillar was covered in old paintings with styles from the gothic to renaissance to neo-gothic styles. I had only seen remanents of churches being painted in this manner at Westminster and Michaelskirche with small sections shown, three or four layers deep underneath. It was really nifty to see an entire church in this manner: painted walls in all. Once we closed our mouths from sheer awe, we moved on to the graveyard to see the grave of the first ruler which ended up being a small reminder of how much I dislike cemetery's. Thankfully we would quickly move on to the next item on the agenda such as shopping and eating! It was quite delightful walking around the "new" and "old" towns of Prague. Each one was different but very much the same crowded with lots of people. We didn't spend too much time there because we really wanted to make sure we had enough time for the Prague Castle. I wish I could say more about this place but honestly, it kind of was a let down. The "castle" is not really a castle like we think of today but rather only a "castle fortress town" that had pretty buildings, an old church, and a really cool looking gate at the front. The "castle" is located on a small mountain that overlooks Prague and it supposably is the largest castle in Europe. It wasn't that it wasn't pretty or didn't have cool rooms inside showing rooms that were used for court or jousting, because it really did have exquisite rooms/churches that really did exemplify as castle, but more the fact that it really wasn't the castle we we're expecting. I felt so bad because one of the girls in our group was so excited about this site and until we got there...Thankfully, to make the day end nicely, Jan had booked us seats to a classical concert at the national history museum in Prague which no longer was open to the public and was only accessible if you had tickets to one of its weekly evening concerts. The concert was performed by the Czech Strings Chamber Orchestra. The set up was, we sat on the steps leading to the 2nd floor while they played on a platform that connected the four main stairs together. This truly will be something I will never forget. It was so mesmerizing listening to music of Mozart, Dvořák, Bach, and so many more in a building that reflected the time that music was being written. I couldn't have asked for a better evening or time in Prague!
If your still reading: The next day and a half was Munich. I don't have as much to say about this place. Don't get me wrong, it was an experience ha but probably somewhere I won't visit again. The big things we did there and had time for was the Olympic Park of 1972, the BMW museum, main square, and the English Gardens. The Olympic Park was pretty cool since I have actually never seen one, even though atlanta hosted the Olympics in 96'. You could tell it was built in the 70's by the "futuristic" attempts of trying to make the area look special and grand. We couldn't actually go into park stadium which was a huge bummer because I really would have liked to walk into that but we still got to look around the rest of the park. Right next to the park was the BMW museum...this place was really cool...but we didn't stay very long. Either it was lack of proper nutrients or the fact that we actually couldn't find the museums itself inside the big building. So with a quick few snaps of the camera, we were off to the main square. This part of town was where the main buildings resided and where we found a authentic Bavarian restaurant to try some food at. Once again, ordering blindly, we hit the jackpot with some what appeared to be beef stews, meatloaf, and mash potatoes...but who really knows. And to top it off, we finished dinner with pretzels which are apparently something Munich is very known for. The rest of that evening was spent just the same as prague, walking around and admiring the city. Day two ended up being similar except this time we went to the English Gardens. This place is over 922 acres of trees, rivers, open fields, and people enjoying the sunshine. It was like a much better version of central park, minus the big rocks and perfectly planned pathways. This "garden" was more rustic and made by those who walked it. Munich wasn't much more then that from our views. The lesson we learned there though was move fast on the U-banh. At one point, one of the girls on our group got stuck on the U-banh to where we had to got to the next stop and get her. The doors move fast and once they close, your there for another stop. All in all Munich was munich and that is all.
So should I say length-y? Yes...I know, but thanks for reading if you made it this far. My four days traveling was fantastic and I'm thankful I went but its nice to be back in Vienna for a week before we go to Italy. Two more weeks and my study trip is over but after that its still another 3 weeks in Austria. So crazy...this summer in Europe is moving faster then i ever thought!
I will say that I feel like every time I travel, the groups I have been apart of are extremely blessed with travel. Praise God, we have always made it safely everywhere we go without much trouble! Even at 4am, he took care of us traveling to Prague saturday morning. Thats right...NO NIGHT TRAINS! (P.s if your one of my weekly readers, I edited the "Train stations" blog. It now makes more sense and grammar is more of a priority). Anyways, like I was saying, NO NIGHT TRAINS! Hurray! What a beautiful thing! But, in its place, I was up bright and early with the sun instead to catch a four hour train to Prague. Once we arrived in Prague, I was alittle skeptical. I had become too accustom to German that having to adjust to another language almost put me in "panic" mode. I didn't even know how to say hello in "czech" let alone do anything else like read train maps, order food, or find a restroom. Little did I know, God would take care. The bed and breakfast we stayed in is probably one of the best things, if not the best thing about prague. That may sound strange but hear me out: Located only a few stops from the main city square is a little family run bed and breakfast called "Lida Guest House" and it is heaven sent. As soon as we arrived, the owner (Jan pronounced "Yawn") met us at the door with our room all ready and coffee/tea and dessert waiting for us once we were finished getting settled in. Soft beds, private bath, and a beautiful view of Prague from afar? We were in European hotel heaven and if you've ever traveled in Europe on a budget and without your parents, you'd understand where I'm coming from. Europe just isn't the same when it comes to so many little things in life like shower curtains, free refills, and public bathrooms. Besides that, this place was great. We finally got cleaned up and once we got down stairs, Jan was there waiting with drinks and snacks and what looked like a book worth of brochures and maps, ready to be torn apart. It was like we had our own personal Rick Steves in Czech form right in front of us. He knew everything about the city from history to tram stops, to even the best places to eat. He even could book us tickets to a concert or show. This was great. God was completely in control, and I loved every minute of it. By the time our orientation was over, we headed out for our first day adventure. (if you havent noticed, this post is a long one!)
Day two in Prague was just as good if not better. Starting the morning off right with a big breakfast included with our stay, we headed out to a lesser known site of Prague called Vyšehrad. This was once a castle ground and city for the first rulers of the Czech Lands including the oldest buildings in Prague and the burial ground of the first king of the Hapsburgs! This place very unique and completely clear almost of busy tourist. The main thing to see here was the cathedral located in the middle next to the famous grave yard. I had never seen a more beautiful church. Almost every inch of wall or ceiling or pillar was covered in old paintings with styles from the gothic to renaissance to neo-gothic styles. I had only seen remanents of churches being painted in this manner at Westminster and Michaelskirche with small sections shown, three or four layers deep underneath. It was really nifty to see an entire church in this manner: painted walls in all. Once we closed our mouths from sheer awe, we moved on to the graveyard to see the grave of the first ruler which ended up being a small reminder of how much I dislike cemetery's. Thankfully we would quickly move on to the next item on the agenda such as shopping and eating! It was quite delightful walking around the "new" and "old" towns of Prague. Each one was different but very much the same crowded with lots of people. We didn't spend too much time there because we really wanted to make sure we had enough time for the Prague Castle. I wish I could say more about this place but honestly, it kind of was a let down. The "castle" is not really a castle like we think of today but rather only a "castle fortress town" that had pretty buildings, an old church, and a really cool looking gate at the front. The "castle" is located on a small mountain that overlooks Prague and it supposably is the largest castle in Europe. It wasn't that it wasn't pretty or didn't have cool rooms inside showing rooms that were used for court or jousting, because it really did have exquisite rooms/churches that really did exemplify as castle, but more the fact that it really wasn't the castle we we're expecting. I felt so bad because one of the girls in our group was so excited about this site and until we got there...Thankfully, to make the day end nicely, Jan had booked us seats to a classical concert at the national history museum in Prague which no longer was open to the public and was only accessible if you had tickets to one of its weekly evening concerts. The concert was performed by the Czech Strings Chamber Orchestra. The set up was, we sat on the steps leading to the 2nd floor while they played on a platform that connected the four main stairs together. This truly will be something I will never forget. It was so mesmerizing listening to music of Mozart, Dvořák, Bach, and so many more in a building that reflected the time that music was being written. I couldn't have asked for a better evening or time in Prague!If your still reading: The next day and a half was Munich. I don't have as much to say about this place. Don't get me wrong, it was an experience ha but probably somewhere I won't visit again. The big things we did there and had time for was the Olympic Park of 1972, the BMW museum, main square, and the English Gardens. The Olympic Park was pretty cool since I have actually never seen one, even though atlanta hosted the Olympics in 96'. You could tell it was built in the 70's by the "futuristic" attempts of trying to make the area look special and grand. We couldn't actually go into park stadium which was a huge bummer because I really would have liked to walk into that but we still got to look around the rest of the park. Right next to the park was the BMW museum...this place was really cool...but we didn't stay very long. Either it was lack of proper nutrients or the fact that we actually couldn't find the museums itself inside the big building. So with a quick few snaps of the camera, we were off to the main square. This part of town was where the main buildings resided and where we found a authentic Bavarian restaurant to try some food at. Once again, ordering blindly, we hit the jackpot with some what appeared to be beef stews, meatloaf, and mash potatoes...but who really knows. And to top it off, we finished dinner with pretzels which are apparently something Munich is very known for. The rest of that evening was spent just the same as prague, walking around and admiring the city. Day two ended up being similar except this time we went to the English Gardens. This place is over 922 acres of trees, rivers, open fields, and people enjoying the sunshine. It was like a much better version of central park, minus the big rocks and perfectly planned pathways. This "garden" was more rustic and made by those who walked it. Munich wasn't much more then that from our views. The lesson we learned there though was move fast on the U-banh. At one point, one of the girls on our group got stuck on the U-banh to where we had to got to the next stop and get her. The doors move fast and once they close, your there for another stop. All in all Munich was munich and that is all.
So should I say length-y? Yes...I know, but thanks for reading if you made it this far. My four days traveling was fantastic and I'm thankful I went but its nice to be back in Vienna for a week before we go to Italy. Two more weeks and my study trip is over but after that its still another 3 weeks in Austria. So crazy...this summer in Europe is moving faster then i ever thought!
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Higher
Everytime I look at this picture or so many like it, I am amazed at the awesome works of our God.
I mean look at those mountains. The whole time I was in Interlaken Switzerland, my mind was so enraptured because all I wanted to do was climb higher on the mountains, into the clouds, to the very top to praise God fully.
What a mighty God we serve.
-Wow, I was just in Switzerland just over 24 hours ago, gazing a beautiful lakes and mountains and a month before that I was in Colorado gazing at those mountains. If I recommend anywhere to go in Switzerland, its for sure Interlaken. I had never even heard of it until my free travel group that week was like "hey, were going here, sound good?" and well I thought it sounded awesome with just the name alone. The town is not very big at all and is completely surrounded with lush green mountains that rise high above with white peaks and the occasional paraglider sailing through the air. Everything fell very nicely into place with this entire trip. Our hostel ended up being not to bad and the staff was super friendly and even gave us visitor cards that got our group discounts and free public transportation. The majority of our time spent there was just walking around the small Swiss town, enjoying the beautiful days on sunshine we encountered (it was suppose to rain all three days). We also got the chance to hike to the top of a mountain where one of the oldest most well preserved medieval castles from Europe stands. We also got the opportunity to relax by one of the lakes, where some of my friends were brave enough to swin despite the ice cold water. I can't even describe how blue the water was. It was almost unreal until you got close enough that you knew it was no illusion. Our time spent there was short but we made memories that will last, even if my camera died an hour before we got there. We were higher up, above so beautiful things. All I can say is Thank you God.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Train Stations
So I kinda sorta maybe be typing this from my iPhone so I apologize for any misspelling or weird train of thoughts (no pun intended with the title).
Well since you last heard from me I've gone to a Vienna philharmonic concert at schonbrunn palace, ate my weight some more in gelato, and oh hey... I'm in Switzerland? I promise the question mark doesn't mean I'm here by accident but rather more along the lines of I can't believe I'm in Switzerland. I've only been to this country once before and that was with my mom on a tour where we stayed in Lucerne, completely taken care of. This time, I'm on free travel with five other people basically winging it. For all you concerned parents out there, we do have hostels/hotels booked, so no worries but other then that we are going with the European Swiss flow, which is turnin out to be pretty interesting.
Our travels started Friday night at 10:32 pm on our first ever night train. I had only ever been to the train station or a train station to take pictures at platform nine and three quarters or to take pictures of classic New York with grand central station, meaning this was foreign to me just like everyone else.
Our group decided that we would not get a bed compartment or cushett because it cost more then we wanted and we thought sleeping on the train in the seats would be an adventure. And trust me... It was. We ended up having an entire compartment to ourselves because of there were six of us. We soon found out that our seats slid down enough to form one giant bed made of seats. With the boys by the door for protection and our earphones in, the longest night set in. Sleeping like we did was probably the worst thing ever. All packed in like little sardines, we were arranged liked a human fishes on stacked side by side, severly uncomfortable. I maybe slept for 2 hours aided by the help of jack Johnson and friends. After almost 9 hours of this unfortunate situation, we made it to Zurich bright and early at 7:23 am. The train station was huge! I felt as though I was in a mall of some sort at the airport, and ten I realized this kinda is the "airport". There were seven languages listed on almost every sign and thank goodness the tourist info station was in English. This place actually turned out to be our saving grace if you've already judged us for going to the toursit info place. I use to make fun of my mom for going to tourist info places, until now. The staff was very friendly and helped get us a good map, circling all the highlights of Zurich and tickets for the public transit system. They even gave one of my friends a free post card because he thought we were funny! So once we were situated, we jumped right into the heart of Zurich and began walking around the oldest part. We would walk down little cobblestone streets, cluttered with small restaurants, Swiss flags, and over priced items. That's one thig I completely forgot about the Swiss: they are high class and high priced. We decided to skip the overpriced items and shop at a grocery store instead for a cheap picnic lunch. Our next stops were nothing short of typical toursit but we loved it. We went to an old church built in the 1200s, a handcraft Swiss store, the river that goes right through the city and of course all the shops selling little Swiss trinkets. We were really just going to the next place we saw, without a care in the world. By lunch, we were starved and decided to eat our picnic lunch in a park. This park was so precious! It had a place for kids to play, people to sit, and old men to play giant chess. It was very impressed with the quality of such a park and wished that American parks would be the same. After our nice break from walking and just to eat lunch. Eventually, we headed back to the streets down famous shopping areas, beautiful boardwalks, and old buildings of great importance. By 4 pm, we were exhausted!!! So much so that we fell asleep while resting by the river front. The atmosphere was so relaxing and the place so calm. Our day in Zurich was a success.
By 7:30, we made our way back to the train station. A new place of comfort and security. If it wasnt for the train station, we wouldn't have made it to Zurich of course but we wouldn't have had really done all the things we did. And then that "alter moment" as some say kicked in: the train station today was like God. It was a place of comfort and security where I knew I could find shelter, help, and a warm welcome. It was a place that could help me with all my needs and give me guidance to the "big picture" in life. It helped get me here today and make all things possible. Thank you God and all the train stations out there!
Our group decided that we would not get a bed compartment or cushett because it cost more then we wanted and we thought sleeping on the train in the seats would be an adventure. And trust me... It was. We ended up having an entire compartment to ourselves because of there were six of us. We soon found out that our seats slid down enough to form one giant bed made of seats. With the boys by the door for protection and our earphones in, the longest night set in. Sleeping like we did was probably the worst thing ever. All packed in like little sardines, we were arranged liked a human fishes on stacked side by side, severly uncomfortable. I maybe slept for 2 hours aided by the help of jack Johnson and friends. After almost 9 hours of this unfortunate situation, we made it to Zurich bright and early at 7:23 am. The train station was huge! I felt as though I was in a mall of some sort at the airport, and ten I realized this kinda is the "airport". There were seven languages listed on almost every sign and thank goodness the tourist info station was in English. This place actually turned out to be our saving grace if you've already judged us for going to the toursit info place. I use to make fun of my mom for going to tourist info places, until now. The staff was very friendly and helped get us a good map, circling all the highlights of Zurich and tickets for the public transit system. They even gave one of my friends a free post card because he thought we were funny! So once we were situated, we jumped right into the heart of Zurich and began walking around the oldest part. We would walk down little cobblestone streets, cluttered with small restaurants, Swiss flags, and over priced items. That's one thig I completely forgot about the Swiss: they are high class and high priced. We decided to skip the overpriced items and shop at a grocery store instead for a cheap picnic lunch. Our next stops were nothing short of typical toursit but we loved it. We went to an old church built in the 1200s, a handcraft Swiss store, the river that goes right through the city and of course all the shops selling little Swiss trinkets. We were really just going to the next place we saw, without a care in the world. By lunch, we were starved and decided to eat our picnic lunch in a park. This park was so precious! It had a place for kids to play, people to sit, and old men to play giant chess. It was very impressed with the quality of such a park and wished that American parks would be the same. After our nice break from walking and just to eat lunch. Eventually, we headed back to the streets down famous shopping areas, beautiful boardwalks, and old buildings of great importance. By 4 pm, we were exhausted!!! So much so that we fell asleep while resting by the river front. The atmosphere was so relaxing and the place so calm. Our day in Zurich was a success.
By 7:30, we made our way back to the train station. A new place of comfort and security. If it wasnt for the train station, we wouldn't have made it to Zurich of course but we wouldn't have had really done all the things we did. And then that "alter moment" as some say kicked in: the train station today was like God. It was a place of comfort and security where I knew I could find shelter, help, and a warm welcome. It was a place that could help me with all my needs and give me guidance to the "big picture" in life. It helped get me here today and make all things possible. Thank you God and all the train stations out there!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Walk like an Austrian
Even though I've been done with the day's activities for almost 6 hours, my calves are still feeling every step and stair I have taken in the last three days. I feel as though my feet have traveled all over Vienna, going from one place to another. Modes of transportation here are not quite like they are in america. Not everyone has a car, and the public transit system of buses, trams, and trains are much more the norm. And of course, there is walking. Walking is one of my favorite pass times, and don't worry, were going everywhere!
Everyday has been jam-packed with things to do and places to see. On monday, we literally visited three different catholic churches done in a certain style we had learned about that morning. Trying to hit every church before we all passed out was like trying to stab a pencil through a tree: almost impossible. It was raining, we we're all exhausted, and once you've seen on barque church, you've seen them all. All I wanted to do was sit in one of the pews and nap. But then when sitting and resting at the last church, drenched from the rain and discouraged because it was just another church, I looked down at my shoes. A simple pair of knock of TOMS I got in Honduras after I gave my real TOMS away, written on with a sharpie pen, some mud stains, and completely wet. My mind got to thinking and then I began to think of those who had walked where I had before, whether that was in that specific church or just around Vienna in general. Kings, Holy Roman Emperors, Mozart, priest, doctors, middle class citizens, Romans, homeless people, and anyone before the 20th century.... I have walked down the some of the same streets, sidewalks, church aisles, palace grounds, and gardens as they did. Wow. My mind was completely enwrapped in this idea that I almost forgot where I was and that I was in the middle of an assignment.
God really implanted something in my mind that moment: God was there when those people walked, and he is here when I walk the streets of Vienna, meaning God is forever there, walking along side his children, every step of the way down a street of Vienna or down the walk of life.
Mind Blown.
And after that, all the walking, endless museums, and massive palace grounds didn't seem so bad anymore. The day after we went to the three churches, we spent that day at a museum (Kunst) similar to the British museum minus all the annoying people. If I could get lost in any place, it just may be this one. They had everything from greek pots/jewelry to mummified alligators to renaissance paintings. This is one of those museums that just really intrigued me and made me thankful I was born in the time I was. And as for today, (I know I'm not writing alot but fatigue is kicking in...), we went to Schronbrunn palace which for of those who don't know is the a famous palace that was used by people like Maria Teresa and Franz Joseph. It truly is a beautiful palace, with grand rooms full of history, and large gardens that can overlook Vienna. We spent 4 hours there including a palace tour, the carriage museum, a hike to the top of a mini mountain in the gardens, and just some time relaxing on top of a building there at the palace. It was a long day, and I literally fell over when I got back to our hotel, but these past couple of days and week for that matter, I feel as though I've been walking like an Austrian.
Everyday has been jam-packed with things to do and places to see. On monday, we literally visited three different catholic churches done in a certain style we had learned about that morning. Trying to hit every church before we all passed out was like trying to stab a pencil through a tree: almost impossible. It was raining, we we're all exhausted, and once you've seen on barque church, you've seen them all. All I wanted to do was sit in one of the pews and nap. But then when sitting and resting at the last church, drenched from the rain and discouraged because it was just another church, I looked down at my shoes. A simple pair of knock of TOMS I got in Honduras after I gave my real TOMS away, written on with a sharpie pen, some mud stains, and completely wet. My mind got to thinking and then I began to think of those who had walked where I had before, whether that was in that specific church or just around Vienna in general. Kings, Holy Roman Emperors, Mozart, priest, doctors, middle class citizens, Romans, homeless people, and anyone before the 20th century.... I have walked down the some of the same streets, sidewalks, church aisles, palace grounds, and gardens as they did. Wow. My mind was completely enwrapped in this idea that I almost forgot where I was and that I was in the middle of an assignment.
God really implanted something in my mind that moment: God was there when those people walked, and he is here when I walk the streets of Vienna, meaning God is forever there, walking along side his children, every step of the way down a street of Vienna or down the walk of life.
Mind Blown.
And after that, all the walking, endless museums, and massive palace grounds didn't seem so bad anymore. The day after we went to the three churches, we spent that day at a museum (Kunst) similar to the British museum minus all the annoying people. If I could get lost in any place, it just may be this one. They had everything from greek pots/jewelry to mummified alligators to renaissance paintings. This is one of those museums that just really intrigued me and made me thankful I was born in the time I was. And as for today, (I know I'm not writing alot but fatigue is kicking in...), we went to Schronbrunn palace which for of those who don't know is the a famous palace that was used by people like Maria Teresa and Franz Joseph. It truly is a beautiful palace, with grand rooms full of history, and large gardens that can overlook Vienna. We spent 4 hours there including a palace tour, the carriage museum, a hike to the top of a mini mountain in the gardens, and just some time relaxing on top of a building there at the palace. It was a long day, and I literally fell over when I got back to our hotel, but these past couple of days and week for that matter, I feel as though I've been walking like an Austrian.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
There's no place like Vienna
A special shout out goes to anyone from Snellville church of Christ. My mom informed me that it was announced from the pulpit that I have this blog! Hey, you know what they say, everybody is a somebody in Snellville.
Well I've almost been here one week, and all I could think was "There is no place like Vienna". Not to get on a soap box from my last blog but, I just feel at home here. I really do. I got to meet up with some old friends last night by accident at starbucks where the young adults group from church was meeting that night. We laughed, and talked and picked up like nothing had ever changed. I immediately felt welcomed right back into this group of new and old faces of those who you could tell were filled with joy and the love of christ. I didn't feel like a random american out of place or in the way. For once, I felt like I actually lived in Vienna, and I was just spending a saturday night with some of my christian friends. I wasn't a tourist but rather a "short term local" as my friend Alex put it.
Unfortunately, there are times when I don't feel like a short term local and that is when I'm doing "study" stuff. All the tours, journaling, and constant company of those flashing cameras just makes me never forget where I am, and who I am. I mean don't get me wrong; we have already seen many churches, three museums, and countless historical sites and they all are very interesting and exciting because much of the information was unknown to me till then....but still, if thats really how they expect the students to fall in love with Vienna as they keep telling us, its not through that.
Most of my enjoyment and through many others is just walking around the city. Saturday was our free day meaning no journaling and thank goodness. We decided to head to a local market to immerse ourself into the culture, and maybe find some good deals on bread. The place was packed despite the rainy morning and gray clouds. My friends enjoyed looking through selections of scarfs from sketchy vendors while I people watched. Half the market is just a collection of different nationalities gathering together for once massive garage sale while the other half was food, fresh and handmade. Walking through the food sections was like walking around the world. Every type of fruit, vegetable, meat, cheese, bread, oil, baked good, and candy was represented here. We learned very quickly though to not make eye contact if we wanted to avoid cat-calls from the more aggressive men who only knew a few english phrases. After we left the market with our goodies, we decided to go just enjoy the main square and indulge in some local cuisine. Kasekrainers (cheese filled hotdogs twice the size a normal hotdog), giant pretzels, and ice cream seemed to hit the spot for our busy day shopping around Vienna. You could tell everyone was much happier then before, and they were amazed around every corner and street performer, just at what really this city was made of.
And then the rest was history. Today was nice though because we got to worship with some of the missionaries here in Vienna. Most I had met the last time I had been to Vienna, and they remembered me which was really awesome, making me feel again like I wasn't just a passer by here, but apart of the life. Worshipping in english and german is such a beautiful thing. It really hits you that God hears my praises and prayers in english and also the ones in german or french or whatever other language, God is there. It always nice to be reminded of how big God is and just even listening to a german prayer or singing a german song can really make a girl think. After church, we had a lovely cookout and prayer walk and before we knew it, it was already well into the afternoon. It didn't even feel like it...i guess because when your fellowshipping with other brothers and sisters in christ and enjoying his word, time flies! Readers, if your still reading, take time to pray for all the missionaries in Vienna and all over the world. The work they do is so important and prayer is the most powerful thing.
And now I'm here, blogging for who knows. But if your still with me, here is a picture of a catholic church I saw two nights ago, lit up for some catholic holiday.
Enjoy!
Well I've almost been here one week, and all I could think was "There is no place like Vienna". Not to get on a soap box from my last blog but, I just feel at home here. I really do. I got to meet up with some old friends last night by accident at starbucks where the young adults group from church was meeting that night. We laughed, and talked and picked up like nothing had ever changed. I immediately felt welcomed right back into this group of new and old faces of those who you could tell were filled with joy and the love of christ. I didn't feel like a random american out of place or in the way. For once, I felt like I actually lived in Vienna, and I was just spending a saturday night with some of my christian friends. I wasn't a tourist but rather a "short term local" as my friend Alex put it.
Unfortunately, there are times when I don't feel like a short term local and that is when I'm doing "study" stuff. All the tours, journaling, and constant company of those flashing cameras just makes me never forget where I am, and who I am. I mean don't get me wrong; we have already seen many churches, three museums, and countless historical sites and they all are very interesting and exciting because much of the information was unknown to me till then....but still, if thats really how they expect the students to fall in love with Vienna as they keep telling us, its not through that.
Most of my enjoyment and through many others is just walking around the city. Saturday was our free day meaning no journaling and thank goodness. We decided to head to a local market to immerse ourself into the culture, and maybe find some good deals on bread. The place was packed despite the rainy morning and gray clouds. My friends enjoyed looking through selections of scarfs from sketchy vendors while I people watched. Half the market is just a collection of different nationalities gathering together for once massive garage sale while the other half was food, fresh and handmade. Walking through the food sections was like walking around the world. Every type of fruit, vegetable, meat, cheese, bread, oil, baked good, and candy was represented here. We learned very quickly though to not make eye contact if we wanted to avoid cat-calls from the more aggressive men who only knew a few english phrases. After we left the market with our goodies, we decided to go just enjoy the main square and indulge in some local cuisine. Kasekrainers (cheese filled hotdogs twice the size a normal hotdog), giant pretzels, and ice cream seemed to hit the spot for our busy day shopping around Vienna. You could tell everyone was much happier then before, and they were amazed around every corner and street performer, just at what really this city was made of.
And then the rest was history. Today was nice though because we got to worship with some of the missionaries here in Vienna. Most I had met the last time I had been to Vienna, and they remembered me which was really awesome, making me feel again like I wasn't just a passer by here, but apart of the life. Worshipping in english and german is such a beautiful thing. It really hits you that God hears my praises and prayers in english and also the ones in german or french or whatever other language, God is there. It always nice to be reminded of how big God is and just even listening to a german prayer or singing a german song can really make a girl think. After church, we had a lovely cookout and prayer walk and before we knew it, it was already well into the afternoon. It didn't even feel like it...i guess because when your fellowshipping with other brothers and sisters in christ and enjoying his word, time flies! Readers, if your still reading, take time to pray for all the missionaries in Vienna and all over the world. The work they do is so important and prayer is the most powerful thing.
And now I'm here, blogging for who knows. But if your still with me, here is a picture of a catholic church I saw two nights ago, lit up for some catholic holiday.
Enjoy!
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