Adventures Abroad: Czech Republic and Austria

Welcome to installment number two of my final three international trips while studying abroad in Spring 2014! This week proved to be an EXCELLENT adventure with my friends Brittney Beck, Steven O’Neill, Amy Young, Evadine Codd, and Victoria Prince—and also a guest appearance by my friend from Vanderbilt, Haley Trost!! Let’s begin!

Stop #1: Prague, Czech Republic

Our first night into Prague was spent settling and resting, so a majority of our evening actually revolved around our delicious first meal in the Czech Republic. In the cozy courtyard of a local restaurant we ordered off the specials menu the most authentically Czech meal we thought possible: either hot mulled wine or “grog” (rum, hot water, lemon, sugar), beef goulash (surprisingly amazing with potato-like bread), and apfelstrudel for dessert!

Day two in Prague marked our official kick-off to exploring the quaint city. Prague, like many others in Europe, is has old and traditional heritage that is extremely well preserved. One can feel its unique character when walking through the winding alleys and simply admiring the ancient yet colorful buildings surrounding on all sides.

Despite a chilly rain, we set off in high spirits to the Prague Castle, which sits atop a hill overlooking the city (directly next to our renovated 17^th-century mansion hostel!). The palace grounds were sprawling, considering the small area available on the hilltop, and beautiful.

We walked then to the Old Town Square with its famous clock. While waiting for the hour to change, we were glad to walk among the dozens and dozens of Easter market stalls that had sprung up in the square! All sorts of goods were on display: painted porcelain eggs, Prague souvenirs, lace and linens—and not to mention the food! We stopped at all sorts of pastry, apple cider, wursten, and even a hot honeyed wine stall.

Other activities of the day included walking across the famous Charles Bridge, which was built in the 15^th century as the only means of crossing the Vltava River and gave great views of the city skyline, and visiting a little shop cheerfully called the Gingerbread Museum! Famous for this dessert, the shop had intricately and delicately iced gingerbread creations. We partook in more than a few samplings ;)

You bet I love Praha gingerbread!

Stop #2: Vienna, Austria

After taking a (very) early morning bus from Prague, we walked about the city on our own little walking tour of our next stop—Vienna, Austria! Must-sees included the Hofburg Palace in the center of the city (the winter residence of the Hapsburgs), as well as St. Stephan’s Cathedral. The immediacy of the imperial Hapsburg architecture created a sense of splendor and grandeur, mixed in with very modern street cafes and high-end shops of the crowded, yet refreshingly bustling, city center.

The following day proved just as excellent when we traipsed over to the Schönbrunn Palace, which served as the Hapsburg family summer residence. To me, this is the most grand of the Viennese palaces. I had already toured the interior of the palace on a previous trip to Austria, and so what struck me the most were the extensive and unbelievably beautiful gardens.

 Within them were a classical Greek fountain, tulip gardens, and a zoo (which was originally the Hapsburg’s private collection of exotic animals). We also explored the three hedge mazes and labyrinths, which definitely provided us entertainment, and walked up the hill opposite the palace. From the top near the beautiful gloriette, we had a nice view of Vienna, and relaxed in the grass eating waffles and wurst. Two of our friends had the whim to roll down part of the hill. (Hilarity ensued, and I as well as several other tourists were greatly entertained.)  

The whole gang :) best travel buddies I could ask for!

Stop #2.1: Vienna with Haley!

While my friends moved on to Budapest, I stuck around in Vienna to meet up with Haley! After not seeing each other for four months, it was a happy reuniting that completely reenergized me. With her, I got to see a whole new side of the city from an insider’s perspective! We started with no better way than an afternoon catching up together in one of Vienna’s famous coffee shops, the Leopold Hawelka.

Inside this venerated, dimly-lit, smoky café where the waiters are tuxedoed and the menu is unwritten, great Viennese thinkers had come to have coffee and discuss philosophy; we satisfied ourselves by ordering strudel and the local specialty, sachertorte (a sour chocolate cake). We ate at plenty cafes like this one over the two days, and played a kind of game: The dining experience would count as a success if the waiter never switched to English in the course of the meal (Haley and I have both taken German, but I can’t say we are “confident” in our Deutsch knowledge). Regardless, the food was always delightful!

The view from above!

Afterwards Haley took me to Prater, one of the oldest amusement parks in the world. The box-car ferris wheel made famous by the film The Third Man was there! We entertained ourselves by going on the high swings (which we think proooobably should have been closed when we encountered our swing chains rather frighteningly twisting in the high winds) and a bizarre children’s ride in the style of “It’s A Small World” full of alarming-looking figurines depicting German fairy tales.

 

Having gotten our adrenaline fix, we resumed our more cultured tour by walking around the gardens of the beautiful Belvadiere Palace, and that evening were treated by Haley’s friend’s parents (visiting at the time) in the somber-turned-cheerful cellar of a very authentically Viennese restaurant, the Zwölf-Apoftelkeller Stadtheuriger, which describes itself as “a piece of Viennese tradition where one can dine in the historical ambience from the year 1339”!

Modelling my lovely Dirndl... in Galway

Day two with Haley began with perhaps the single most exciting part of the trip—Dirndl shopping!!! (Only kidding about it being the most exciting part. Kindof.) Haley had already bought a dirndl for herself, so she took me to an outlet so that I could pick out my very own. As the female equivalent to lederhosen, a dirndl is the traditional German/Austrian outfit for women. It included a white undershirt, dress, apron, petticoat, and even shoes, white long socks, and a shawl-scarf; I stuck with just the white top, a green dress, and a red apron with little green deer on it myself. Haley and I have already planned to wear ours together this next Halloween at Vanderbilt and only speak in German the entire day (Haley, if you’re reading this, I just made the German speaking part up but I think it’s a good idea). Given its color, I can’t say that it won’t make an appearance at a Christmas party either.

Nikolaus Schmidt, Ornamental Basin with Ewer, ca. 1592

In the afternoon Haley went to class, leaving me with the opportunity to visit the Kunsthistorischemuseum (the Art History Museum). It was an art lover’s absolute heaven! On the first level was the original Hapsburg Kunstkammen: Essentially the earliest form of the art museum, the Kunstkammen (literally translated at “art cabinet”) began as the Hapsburg family’s private collection of exotic artwork and objets d’art that came to be the royal showcase of wealth and artistic splendour. I could have spent all day looking at the pieces, but I thought I’d share a few of my favorites!

This intricate ship by Hans Schlottheim in 1585 is actually an automaton--it can be wound up to reveal tiny rowers rowing in rhythm to a tiny royal band playing actual music while the ship rolls along the table!

Upstairs in the museum was the travelling exhibit of Faberge pieces from Russia’s 18^th/19^th centuries. The timing of this special exhibit was impeccable for me, for it featured the Easter eggs that the Imperial Russian czars had commissioned for their wives for the enormous Russian Orthodox Church celebrations of Easter. My personal favorite was the “Trans-Siberian Railway” Easter egg that had commemorated the railway’s opening!

Also upstairs was the museum’s permanent collection of Dutch/Flemish and German masters of the 15^th and 16^thcenturies. Having studied such artists as Dürer and Vermeer in art history courses, I was nearl giddy and grinning to be able to see the paintings in person; I can honestly say that I spent a good 20 minutes standing in front of Peter Bruegel the Elder’s “The Fight Between Carnival and Lent” examining the fine detail and hilarious allegory of the medieval city scene.

After meeting back up with Haley, we headed out to the outskirts of Vienna for dinner. For hundreds of years, families have been maintaining vineyards and run small taverns in which they serve their wines and home-style cooked food. We visited the 330-year-old “Weingut Feuerwehr Wagner Heuriger,” or the “Winery of the Wagner Firebrigade Vineyard.” We ordered schnitzel (surprise) and had the winery’s very own white wine of the month (bottled and labelled in house, too!). It was beyond perfect for my final meal in Vienna, and made for the best last night with the best of friends! I could not have had a better time in Prague and Vienna, and left them reluctantly. However, I still have one more international trip on the way! So, bis später, meine Freunde!