post 13

Another week has gone by so quickly. I can’t believe how time is flying by and I am dreading my departure from Vienna. We have one more week here in Vienna before we take off on a night train to Italy and then to Salzburg. When we get back to Vienna, we only have a few more days and then I’m back to the States. I can’t think about leaving this city and my home and my sweet sweet host family and my friends and my life here or I will cry. Don’t worry, I will live it up these last few weeks.

Here’s the weekly recap:

Monday

The day was filled with school and homework. A few weeks ago, we bought some tickets for Norbert to see Elina Garanca at the Musikverein as an early birthday present. Unfortunately, he had a prior engagement and couldn’t come, so Becca and I had to go alone. We were sad Norbert couldn’t come see his favorite opera singer with us (he really loves her…he carries a picture of her in his wallet). She was really a remarkable singer and I enjoyed the concert very much. We were determined to get her autograph for Norbert, so we asked an usher and he told us where her dressing room was. We were unsuccessful in getting into her dressing room (apparently you have to be close friends for that kind of access), but she signed autographs in the lobby after the show and we got her to sign our ticket for Norbert. (We might have stretched the truth a little bit and told her it was our “father’s” birthday, but it was quicker than explaining the whole host father thing. I guess.)

Elina signing the ticket

The birthday ticket. We were stoked, which is my excuse for looking so pathetic.

After the concert we went and got gelato at Zanoni and Zanoni before heading home to deliver Elina’s message to Norbert. We couldn’t wait until his birthday on the 24^th, so we gave it to him as soon as we got home. I think he loved it.

Tuesday

Becca and I ran home from German class, which was actually faster than taking the U-Bahn. We went to the Hinckley’s for music class and left straight from there to Budapest. No running was involved in catching our train, which is a personal record. We were seated and breathing normally when the train left the station. Weird. But we arrived safely in Budapest three hours later where we made our way to our hostel, which was really nice and clean and felt like a clubhouse. Seriously, if you are going to Prague or Budapest soon, talk to me about hostels, because the places we’ve stayed have been very nice. Anyway, after we ate some homemade risotto at the hostel, we headed across the bridge to the Pest side of the city (did you KNOW that there’s a Buda side and a Pest side?!) and climbed up a little mountain to look out over the city. It was so warm and I took off my coat while we hiked. We enjoyed the view for a while before heading back down to try some Hungarian hot chocolate. It was more like hot chocolate pudding than a drink, but it was very rich and delicious.

View from the top

Becca and me at the top of the mountain (no coats!)

Wednesday

We got up and out into the city early so we could maximize our time. We headed up to the castle on the hill (I know no names from this trip. My brain has started to reject facts like names and dates because it is overloaded) and enjoyed looking out over the city again in the daylight.

Becca, Kiely and I split with the rest of the group to go meet up with Becca’s friend who is serving a mission for our church in Budapest. She and her companion had special permission to spend a couple hours with us, so we went to lunch and then they showed us a cute little bookshop in town. Then we went back up to Fisherman’s Bastian, which is really beautiful and I don’t know quite how to explain it, so just check out the pictures.

Fisherman's Bastian

We said goodbye to the sister missionaries and wandered back down to our hostel, stopping along at shops and stands that caught our eye. We joined up with the rest of our group and started the trek to the restaurant our professors recommended for dinner (they were here just last week). Along the way we accidentally found a booth that sold little pies. AND since it was Pi Day, we justified the purchase. They were really good and totally worth it.

Pies for Pi Day (and we know we should have rounded up to six, but we decided to truncate instead, so that we could each just use one hand).

Dinner was a little out of the way, but it was a very authentic place and I got a kind of catfish goulash, which was pretty tasty. We returned to our hostel and turned in pretty early.

Thursday

Becca, Alexa and I went out to check out the famous Hungarian baths in the morning. Luckily I have a strict policy that I always bring a bathing suit with me when I travel, because you never know when you will need it. I was very glad I had it because visiting the baths was my favorite thing we did. I can’t even tell you how amazing they were (or show you...I didn't take any pictures). They’re basically like outdoor public swimming pools, except that the water is really warm and there’s a bunch of old people there. And the old men play chess in the bath. Also, there was a sauna but it was about infinity degrees inside and I couldn’t even open my mouth inside because it felt like my insides were baking if I did. It was just so amazing to be outside in a swimsuit and not freeze to death. I even got a little sunburn, which I love and cherish. We met up with the rest of the girls and explored downtown, because it was a big holiday and there were lots of festivities going on everywhere.

Holiday festivities

We ate pretty much everything we saw, which is an unhealthy but an exciting way to live life. Kiely, Becca and I caught an evening train back to Vienna.

Lots of food on the train. Also, I wasn't trying to be cute, but a guy walked by and was staring at all our food so I had to defend us with my eyes.

Since we had a few extra forints, we grabbed some groceries to take on the train, but when we laid them out on the table, it was kind of embarrassing how much we had. Story of our lives, I guess. (Please note, again, that we did not have to run to catch any trains on this trip.)

Friday

We had our German final in the morning, and then Becca and I ran home. It’s about four miles (which is pretty long for me), so we count that as our workout. After we cleaned up, we went back into down. We rode the 37 strassenbahn, hopping off at a few thrift stores along the way. The weather was beyond perfect, so we did one of our Vienna walks for our class, and then we went to Tichy Eissalon. Ice cream stores here close for the winter season and open again in spring. Friday was opening day at Tichy’s, which was my parent’s favorite when they lived here. We waited out front for an hour (lines don’t really exist here; you just have to box people out to get to the counter and get your ice cream). It was worth the wait. We sat in the park across the street and I marveled at my very good fortune in life. We did a little shopping before going to the LDS outreach center for waffle night. We learned a traditional Austrian dance (the Schuheprater, I think it’s called) and ate waffles for dinner. I doubt I have to tell you it was a good night.

Becca and I are big fans of self-timer mode. Also, I am a big fan of her.

Saturday

Becca and I ate breakfast with Norbert and Liesl in the morning and then we went out to the Prater to rent bicycles. We rode them to the Donauinsle (the island in the middle of the big river in Vienna). The weather was too perfect and we brought a picnic and bought ice cream bars from the ice cream man.

Self-timer in a boat. It happened.

We rode up and down the island for four hours before returning the bikes and heading home. Later, we met up with some friends from Institute to go to Tichy’s again, and this time we sat inside. I got a banana split for the first time in like, sixteen years (I think the last time I had a banana split was at one of my brother’s Boy Scout activities or something). It was delicious and I loved it. Also, eating in an ice cream parlor is an experience everyone should have. After Tichy’s, we went to our friend’s birthday party, which was highly enjoyable. It felt like a regular weekend in Utah, which is pretty fun sometimes.

Sunday

Today we had church and the missionaries brought us a box of Schoko-Bananen, which is a really weird candy they have here. They’re like, banana flavored marshmallows covered in chocolate. Somehow they still manage to be a little bit gross. The elders knew that when they gave them to us…someone gave them a big case of them and they’ve been trying to get rid of them. When we got home, Norbert and Liesl had all their kids over for their son and granddaughter’s birthdays. We invited ourselves and sat out in the garden and ate yummy food and played with all their cute grandkids. In sum, my life is too good. I’m too lucky and too happy and I miss all of you and hope your lives are happy too.