3:00 P.M. (Vienna time)
On Friday, my roommate and I decided to venture into the city to get some things to “spruce up” our apartment. Unfortunately true “Dollar Stores” don’t seem to exist over here, but we did find some shops that had fairly inexpensive odds and ends. We wanted to buy some fake flowers for the kitchen table, and we found an inexpensive wine carafe to substitute for a vase :). I also bought a Marilyn Monroe poster and some picture frames for my room. (More pictures will be posted on Facebook, or I can send some via e-mail!)
On Friday, my roommate and I decided to venture into the city to get some things to “spruce up” our apartment. Unfortunately true “Dollar Stores” don’t seem to exist over here, but we did find some shops that had fairly inexpensive odds and ends. We wanted to buy some fake flowers for the kitchen table, and we found an inexpensive wine carafe to substitute for a vase :). I also bought a Marilyn Monroe poster and some picture frames for my room. (More pictures will be posted on Facebook, or I can send some via e-mail!)
The street we were shopping on, “Mariahilfestrasse”, is one of the main shopping streets in Vienna, so finally I had the opportunity to re-visit all the European stores I love and have missed: H&M, Zara, Mango, etc. So far I’ve only been window-shopping, although I did end up buying “Twilight” in German when we stopped into a book shop for a little coffee break. (- I’ve read the entire series in English, but I thought I would re-read the first book in German for some practice!)
On Saturday, Stephanie had to catch up on laundry and some school work (some of her classes have already started!), so I took the opportunity to do some exploring on my own, setting off with my camera, and a small map of the Vienna transit system. My first stop was the Rathaus or City Hall. They’ve set up a small winter village in front of the Rathaus for
the winter months, complete with outdoor ice skating rinks, and other small food stands and shops. The atmosphere and the smell in the air reminded me a bit of ‘Winterlude’ in Canada. The name of the small festival is “Wiener Eistraum” or Vienna Ice Dreams, and it’s described as the “winter fairytale in the middle of the city”. It seemed to be pretty busy, although from what I’ve heard from other exchange students, it costs about 11 Euro per person to go skating.
On Saturday, Stephanie had to catch up on laundry and some school work (some of her classes have already started!), so I took the opportunity to do some exploring on my own, setting off with my camera, and a small map of the Vienna transit system. My first stop was the Rathaus or City Hall. They’ve set up a small winter village in front of the Rathaus for
the winter months, complete with outdoor ice skating rinks, and other small food stands and shops. The atmosphere and the smell in the air reminded me a bit of ‘Winterlude’ in Canada. The name of the small festival is “Wiener Eistraum” or Vienna Ice Dreams, and it’s described as the “winter fairytale in the middle of the city”. It seemed to be pretty busy, although from what I’ve heard from other exchange students, it costs about 11 Euro per person to go skating.I continued strolling through the streets around the Rathaus, completely oblivious to the time and without any pressing appointments. Despite the frigid cold, I couldn’t bring myself to head back to the subway station and back home because each new corner brought with it another amazing view or building. From nearby the Rathaus, you can get some pretty amazing views of the Votivkirche (Votive church) and it’s twin spires. The neo-gothic church was to be built as a “thank-you present to God” after the failed assassination of Emperor Franz Josef in 1853. 
*Some Useless Information*: Franz Josef was (unhappily) married to my very favourite European princess, Princess Elisabeth “Sissi” of Bavaria. Apparently there is a Sissi Museum here in Vienna, which I absolutely MUST visit!
I headed back to the subway station, and once again in the direction of Mariahilferstrasse, figuring I could do some more exploring around there. I got off the subway in the “Museums Quartier”, home to (obviously) a large number of museums. Across from the main museum complex, there were two more surrounded buildings surrounded by a large park, and so I began snapping away with my camera, despite having no idea what these buildings were. It was at this point that I decided I must buy a book about Vienna, so I could read the history behind some of these amazing things I was seeing, instead of simply absent-mindedly taking pictures of them! (As it turns out, these two buildings were also museums, the Natural History museum and the Art History museum, and they are “exact Italian neo-Renaissance twins” of one another.)
As I continued on my walk (most likely with my mouth wide-open in awe of my surroundings), I passed by a girl who then stopped, turned around and asked “Are you from Canada? From Guelph?” WHATTT! It turned out to be a girl named Margherita, an Austrian who was on exchange in Guelph last year, and who I had met (just once!) and exchanged e-mails with at my exchange orientation in April. She was born and raised in Vienna, but actually lives in Munich now, and was only home for the weekend to visit some relatives. She had seen my Facebook status was “in Vienna”, so made the connection and said hi! What are the chances! She had to get going, but I told her to be sure to message me next time she was back in Vienna.
Last night there was an “Apres Ski” party planned in the basement of our residence. The exchange students from my roomie’s University planned a little pre-get-together in one of the exchange student’s rooms, so I got a chance to meet a bunch more of her new friends! They were mostly Europeans (France, Belgium, Netherlands, etc.), but there was also a girl from Israel. Apparently they also have two more Canadian girls in their program, but unfortunately they don’t branch out and make it to many of the get-togethers. The party in the basement didn’t have a very good turn-out, so we ended up just spending the ni
ght hanging out in the residence room!
As for today, I think the jet lag/time change has finally caught up to me! Thank goodness it’s Sunday (and in Europe, this means nothing is really open anyways), so I will probably just relax and read Twilight. I am also hoping for a “Skype” phone call with back home, since thus far I have only left a message to say I arrived safely.
Thinking of you all, and I hope to write a more exciting update soon!
*Some Useless Information*: Franz Josef was (unhappily) married to my very favourite European princess, Princess Elisabeth “Sissi” of Bavaria. Apparently there is a Sissi Museum here in Vienna, which I absolutely MUST visit!
I headed back to the subway station, and once again in the direction of Mariahilferstrasse, figuring I could do some more exploring around there. I got off the subway in the “Museums Quartier”, home to (obviously) a large number of museums. Across from the main museum complex, there were two more surrounded buildings surrounded by a large park, and so I began snapping away with my camera, despite having no idea what these buildings were. It was at this point that I decided I must buy a book about Vienna, so I could read the history behind some of these amazing things I was seeing, instead of simply absent-mindedly taking pictures of them! (As it turns out, these two buildings were also museums, the Natural History museum and the Art History museum, and they are “exact Italian neo-Renaissance twins” of one another.)
As I continued on my walk (most likely with my mouth wide-open in awe of my surroundings), I passed by a girl who then stopped, turned around and asked “Are you from Canada? From Guelph?” WHATTT! It turned out to be a girl named Margherita, an Austrian who was on exchange in Guelph last year, and who I had met (just once!) and exchanged e-mails with at my exchange orientation in April. She was born and raised in Vienna, but actually lives in Munich now, and was only home for the weekend to visit some relatives. She had seen my Facebook status was “in Vienna”, so made the connection and said hi! What are the chances! She had to get going, but I told her to be sure to message me next time she was back in Vienna.
Last night there was an “Apres Ski” party planned in the basement of our residence. The exchange students from my roomie’s University planned a little pre-get-together in one of the exchange student’s rooms, so I got a chance to meet a bunch more of her new friends! They were mostly Europeans (France, Belgium, Netherlands, etc.), but there was also a girl from Israel. Apparently they also have two more Canadian girls in their program, but unfortunately they don’t branch out and make it to many of the get-togethers. The party in the basement didn’t have a very good turn-out, so we ended up just spending the ni
ght hanging out in the residence room!As for today, I think the jet lag/time change has finally caught up to me! Thank goodness it’s Sunday (and in Europe, this means nothing is really open anyways), so I will probably just relax and read Twilight. I am also hoping for a “Skype” phone call with back home, since thus far I have only left a message to say I arrived safely.
Thinking of you all, and I hope to write a more exciting update soon!
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