Dublin, Ireland

Well, Dublin was amazing to say the least. English speakers, friendly people, great food, and a beautiful coast....I couldn't ask for much more. Unfortunately, the trip was too short, and I plan to return there in a the next few years. I do not have too much to talk about as we were there only 1 full day.

My favorite part of the trip is between the coast and the Guinness Factory!

In the time there, I did manage to grab a Claddagh Ring, some good souvenirs for the men of the family, and a birthday gift for my mommy! Another highlight of the trip was that the second Eurpoean location of FOREVER 21 was opening up the day we were there!!! It was awesome to see such a successful, American store open up in a city we were visiting. At the register, the store manager of the LA and Chicago Forever 21's were working the registers. They were so excited to hear my American accent! :-))

Dublin, Ireland will be visited again......I can assure you of that.

On my way to the airport, I caught a glimpse of a few golf courses along the coast. Life can't get much better then 18 holes there!

I am off to Prague this evening, so I will let you know how that goes in the near future!!!!

Purbach Wine Tasting and Enjoying Vienna!

Purbach, a small town right outside of Vienna is the center of Austria's wine country.  Once every year, the town comes together for a ceremony (blessing of the vineyards). To celebrate a good year, every winery opens their door to the people of the town and anyone who travels to see the experience. Overall, there is not much to say other then the fact that the town is very cute, the wine was delicious, (there were 26 wineries with over 6 bottles each of wine to taste) and we had an amazing time!!!

Here are a few pictures!

The city centre...filled with small houses where the vineyards set up shop to sell wine!

The town's Nigerian priest blessing the wine- he drank a lot too!

MMM...Fresh Wine!

Meanwhile, back in Vienna, we have been trying to enjoy the city. The Christmas season officially kicked off tonight. Other then that, we have been trying new things, exploring new cafe's, and enjoying each other's company. Branching out and meeting new people has been an amazing decision. 

I look sad! I swear I'm not!

Auschwitz Death Camp: Suddenly a True Reality

Auschwitz was a network of concentration and extermination camps built and operated in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany during the Second World War. It was the largest of the German concentration camps, consisting of Auschwitz I, Auschwitz II-Birkenau, and Auschwitz III.

Auschwitz is the German name for Oświęcim, the town in and around which the camps were located; it was renamed by the Germans after they invaded Poland in September 1939. Birkenau, the German translation of Brzezinka (birch tree), refers to a small Polish village nearby that was mostly destroyed by the Germans to make way for the camp.

The events that took place in this incredibly large "campus," is unbelievable. After stepping on the grounds, I realized how real and true the Holocaust was.  All I kept saying was, "I can't believe my grandparents and great grandparents were back in Chicago living a 'normal' life."  To be honest, it almost seems like these horrible events took place in the 1800s.  Incredibly enough, these camps were open up to spectators only TWO years after it was liberated.  The spirits, events, artifacts, objects, and smell is still obvious today.

Many people couldn't understand my excitement for getting to see Auschwitz, and many people were a little too weak to handle it (which is slightly understandable). But with that being said, I find it to be a tragedy if people my age who are studying abroad in this part of Europe do not experience this for themselves. In the 1930's Jewish people walked the streets of Austria, Turkey, Spain, Italy, Poland, Germany, and so many other countries nearby.  And 10 years later, nearly 17 million were killed.

My pictures will speak for themselves:

The main gate saying, "With work comes freedom." This was not only false advertisement, but an intentional misleading statement

In this camp, Jews, Poles, Gypsies, Soviet Prisoners of war, other ethnic groups (including some Africans)

The chemical used in the gas chambers- these were a SMALL decimal of the canisters found upon liberation

Multiple eyeglasses collected.

Luggage taken away.

Baby Clothes: probably the closest I came to crying.

Shoes

And more shoes.

View from outside a barrack (a nicer one) window

The normal barracks...(not so nice)

A sign that says "STOP." As if a person didn't know by the electrical wires blocking them in. 

The tracks....no caption needed.

We were there on All Saints Day. RIP.

The Crematories

Inside of a barrack....

Toilets....just imagine.

These camps were massive in size and tragedy.

The events that occurred during WWII will never go unspoken, unnoticed, or ignored in my household as I get older. This time in history is not only incredibly tragic, but an interesting time to read about and attempt to understand. 

Krakow, Poland (A pleasant, surreal surprise)

With all that being said, I absolutely loved Poland and the culture.  This trip to Poland was planned by my school, so there was a level of convenience involved. Poland is approximately 7 hours from Vienna, so we had a long bus ride ahead of us. After entering Poland, we stopped at the Tyskie Brewery (a famous Polish beer) to have a tour of the grounds.  This was my first time stepping foot on the property of a real life, gigantic brewery, and let me tell you, the smell is AWFUL!

Our tour guide was a little dry and boring, but he did show us some pretty cool stuff.  We were not allowed to take pictures in the packaging segment of the tour, but stand assured...I DID! :-) (Please don't judge me!)

Packaging, not the greatest picture, but it was a sight to see!

Brew Truck

A "Bruh-Ha-Ha" as we like to call it.

After enjoying a nice glass of the beer, we ventured into the city of Krakow to our hostel.  This was my first experience in a "true" hostel, and though it wasn't THAT bad, it was much different then what I am used to.  Having to ask the front desk for a broom to sweep the dirt that was left from the people before isn't exactly my idea of a solid experience. (I felt so much like my grandmother while I was there :-))

We quickly settled into our hostel and then made our way to dinner which was located a little ways from our hostel.  I enjoyed water soup with dumplings, chicken and mash potatoes, and an ice cream sundae for dessert. Overall, the dinner was good, but the good food was still to come. 

On Saturday morning, we woke up at a decent hour, had a light breakfast, and went straight to meet our two tour guides for a loooong walking city tour.  Our first stop was to Schindler's Factory (Have you even seen the movie Schindler's List?)  The tour guide did not take us into the museum, but we had free time on Sunday, and a group of us returned here. This museum (and the actual location of the real factory), was single handily the best museum I have ever been to. It was put together in such a creative manner, and it was enjoyable. I typically don't enjoy museums after being in them for 20 minutes, but I was fully capable of making it through this one without complaining. 

The original gates of Shindler's Factory

After the tour guide took us past Schindler's Factory, she then took us to the center of the Jewish ghetto in Krakow. This area was the the exact location that thousands of Jews were forced to move to in the final steps before leading them to the concentration camps. It was surreal to be on the exact streets that so many people thought they were traveling to for safety, for the well-being of their family.  I typically don't get outwardly emotional, but I had to really fight the tears off.  The picture below is a memorial placed in the middle of the Jewish Ghetto to remember all of the people that were led into a spiral of deceit, defeat, and death. 

After leaving the Jewish Ghetto, our tour guide took us to the Jewish Quarter to see the many synagogues and the center of Jewish culture. 

Jewish Quarters

After the Jewish Quarters, and learning more about the Jewish culture in Poland, we ventured off to many other parts of Krakow, including their famous fortress, city centre, and churches!

Overall, the tour was great. Our tour guide was very informative, and she got us very excited to explore the city a little bit more that day.  We got our first traditional Polish meal, Pierogies, for lunch. They were really delicious, and I didn't think I would like them at all. After lunch we shopped around and headed back for a nap before dinner time.  We knew we were in for a long night...dinner, then at midnight, Halloween would be upon us.  

After our nap, we went to a great, family owned restaurant where we had more traditional Polish food. The meal was an A+ until dessert came along. They called it cheese cake, which was really a Pound Cake once we tried it, and for a pound cake, it was pretty awful. But I guess I'm a tough critic considering I come from a family of Pound Cake Bakers. :-)

That night, we were excited to go out and experience Halloween in a new country.  We ended up in this really cool cocktail lounge that specialized in the beauty of making drinks (garnishes, colors, style, glasses, etc...) We loved it.

 

Disclaimer: The drinking age is 16 here!!!! Sadly, I was still carded!

After calling it quits relatively early, we headed back to the hostel to prepare for our visit to the Salt mine in the morning.

The Wieliczka Salt Mine, located in the town of Wieliczka in Southern Poland, lies within the Krakow metropolitan area. The mine continuously produced table salt from the 13th century until 2007 as one of the worlds oldest operating salt mines. It is believed to the the world's 14th-oldest company still in operation. The mine's attractions for tourists include dozens of statues and an entire chapel that has been carved out the rock salt by miners. Not to mention, the amazing ball room that was created many many meters underground. About 1.2 million people visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine annually.

At the end of the tour, we were able to ride back up to ground level (we took over 700 stairs down) in the same elevator that miners do. It was incredibly small and scary!

The Chapel created and carved from the salt, underground

Kind of gross, but before leaving the salt mine, you are suppose to find a wall and lick it to prove that the whole 300km is truly pure salt. 

After returning back to Krakow that night, we explored some more- went to the museum and did some more shopping. To end the evening before dinner, we grabbed some gelato (Italian ice cream). We, again, got ready for dinner which wasn't as successful as the last two nights until it was time for dessert: FLAMING PANCAKES. Basically, it is a crepe filled with the ice cream of your choice and then they light it on fire. Pretty cool. 

Look closely...you can kind of see the flame. I couldn't get a better shot!

Overall, this trip to Poland was really amazing. I enjoyed the culture and the people. The final day, which was Monday, was a trip to Auschwitz Concentration Camp- a dream I have had since I was in the 5th grade.  My next blog will tackle this surreal, astonishing, and terribly informative experience.

Germany, Switzerland, and France....OH MY GOODNESS

So where do I even begin?  My original plan was to venture off to Frankfurt, Germany to visit the residence of Sharon and Klaus Schmitt.  Well, little did I know, they had SO much more in store for me. They took me under their wing as if I was their own.      :-)

My flight left Vienna on October 21st at 6:40am.  The night before my flight, I began packing and planning how I would get to the airport.  I quickly realized that there was a huge issue- public transportation to the Airport doesn't start until 5:30am.  So after some heavy research, (I DID NOT want to take a cab for 30 Euro) I was able to find an alternative that included a cab and then a private train company. Needless to say, I got little sleep (about 1.5 hours, actually).  I had to leave my building at 3:45am!

Once I arrived in Frankfurt, Germany around 8am, I was greeted by Sharon! We jumped in the car and got right down to business. Because they live outside of Frankfurt, we thought it would be best to explore Frankfurt since we were in the area. After a couple hours seeing a cathedral, Roman grounds, a trip to Starbucks and a walk through the Kleinmarkthalle Market, we were ready to head back to Weinheim, Germany (their home).

City Centre of Frankfurt, Germany

Roman grounds we stumbled on!

After meeting the cats (who by the way love me) and Klaus, we ventured off to explore Weinheim.  First, they took me to a little local restaurant that had some great food. I was a little skeptical as to what to order, because I knew that Klaus and Sharon love food and enjoy all types of food. I decided to order a salad (which is VERY strange for me).  It was literally the best salad I have ever had: A bed of mixed greens topped with balsamic, grape vinegrette, pan fried perch, jumbo shrimp, and a salmon filet. 

Shortly after lunch, we explored a little bit more. We visited a church, beautiful green grounds, small delis, the mall to buy a hat and gloves, the pet store, the grocery store, and much more.

It was a beautiful day!

After a nap in the early evening, Klaus made dinner that I wasn't so sure I would enjoy. The dish contained pasta, bacon, and cream sauce, which in a normal situation, I would love, but there was one ingredient that I was VERY skeptical of: MUSHROOMS...and in particular, Porcini mushrooms, which is a type of mushroom that is quite large and only available this time of the year.  Cooked right, and sliced thin, they happen to be really delicious!  To my surprise, I really loved the pasta. 

Delicious Meal

Shortly after dinner, Sharon and I escaped to Heidleberg, Germany for Pub Quiz Night. It was a very cool experience, because it was at an Irish Pub, the quiz was in English and included a lot of American knowledge, and our team got 2ND PLACE!!!

The ladies of the team!

The 3 men of the team!

So as you can imagine, we had a pretty full day, and I slept like a baby that night! We got up at a decent hour the next day and had breakfast (Food Note: I ate Wild boar's liver, raisin, and honey pate for breakfast and LOVED it). After packing and getting ourselves situated, we packed the car up and headed for Strasbourg, France.  I wasn't really sure what to expect when I got to France, but after walking around for a little bit, I fell in love with the atmosphere. 

Klaus and I

We visited Petit France, Notre Dame Cathedral, and had a snack at a small cafe where I had a French pear tart topped with pistachio nuts....another surprising item I enjoyed.

Notre Dame Cathedral

After fully exploring Strasbourg, France, we jumped back in the car and ventured off to Ribeauville, France along the Vin de Route. We walked through the old town, took a look at the famous stork's nest, found lots of funny outdoor cats, and then ended with dinner where I at the French dish, Coq au Vin. This dish included chicken in a wine and cream sauce. It was very good.  After dinner, we left for our hotel (Schwarzwaldasthaus Goldener Engel) in Germany in the Black Forest region. The hotel was cuter then cute.  It had a very homely layout, but very modern, comfortable rooms.  

After enjoying some BBC WORLD NEWS (in English, obviously, which was AWESOME), I headed to bed.  In the morning, we had breakfast in the hotel where I enjoyed some Black Forest Ham.  We went outside to see the Black Forest in daylight, and it was a site to see. 

The Black Forest region!

With a tight schedule, we headed out of the Black Forest to get to our last two destinations: Freiburg, Germany, and Lucerne, Switzerland.  First, in Freiburg, we were able to enjoy the city market, The Historical Merchants Hall of 1520-21, cool shopping streets, and Black Forest Cake and a cup of Jasmine Green Tea! 

Nom Nom!

Cake and Tea!

Jasmine Tea

After that nice little snack, off to Switzerland we went!! New currency, exiting the European Union...It was a bit different. Our first stop in Switzerland was actually to Burgenstock Mountain. Driving up the mountain was a lot scarier then I had expected, but the view once we got there was pretty amazing!  (Normally, I would have made these pictures smaller for space reasons, but these pictures are very beautiful, so enjoy!)

After coming down from the mountain, we went into the city centre of Lucerne, Switzerland.  We walked around for a good amount of time and enjoyed the city.  

By Night

By Day

Chapel Bridge

After a very eventful day, enjoying the culture, enjoying lots of food, and enjoying the weather, we hopped back in the car, to drive back to their home in Weinheim, Germany.  It was getting pretty late, but we were able to have a light dinner, and Skype home to my Mom. They really enjoyed being able to see each other!

Mary Poppin's, I guess :-)

The Fourth day: Day of departure, but stand assured, we fit the exploration of one more town in.  We headed back to Heidelberg, Germany (where the Pub Quiz was), but this time we were able to see the city by day.  First, we took the Funicular to Heidelberg Castle.  

We enjoyed the Old Town quickly, before it was time for to head back to Vienna.  Overall, these four days that I have just written about were the quickest, most eventful, and most fulfilling four days I have had here in Europe. It was amazing to see such great places with to very kind and giving people. Trips like these help me realize more and more why this is such a once in a lifetime opportunity that I need to take full advantage of.  Needless to say, I slept like a baby for the next 2 days after the trip.  School that following week was stressful, but so worth it!