Austria Journal 10~Vienna Revisited and The Land of My Fathers

Bratislava!

Hypothetically, a free weekend to explore Europe is something people dream about. Before my semester in Gaming, when posed with the question of where to go, the scene of my consideration might be described as one not far removed from that of a dog drooling over a bone. ‘Perhaps Venice,’ I’d think with slightly glazed eyes, ‘or maybe a small town in the heart of Germany,’ I’d drool. Well, I’m wiser now, and slightly worse for the wear, but when it came to our first really free weekend this semester, we (Alex, Mark, and I) had quite the time of it figuring out where to go. It wasn’t really a matter of where we wanted to go, we could easily all agree on Venice, Paris, Spain and a few others, the issue was more along the lines of where we could afford to go without a EuRail as none of us had activated it yet. We researched several possibilities, each more expensive than the last, until finally in desperation, the night before we were to leave, we settled on heading back to Vienna to look around a few places we had missed the last time and to ask at the train station about fares to other nearby cities. Accordingly, we booked a hostel in Vienna and prepared to make the journey, packing anything and everything that might be necessary (young inexperienced travelers that we were).

Mark and Alex outside the Hapsburg

The next morning we hurried out to the bus stop well before our arranged time so as not to risk missing our bus and consequently ended up catching an earlier one with several other Franciscan students. Since none of us had traveled by bus or train on our own before, there was a bit of confusion when we arrived at the first train station…and the second one. We managed to make all of our trains however, with only the slight mishap of accidentally not paying for one of them and accidentally buying a ticket for a dog on the other one. I was in a nervous sweat the entire way to Vienna, afraid of everything from being arrested to thousand Euro fines while Mark calmly chuckled across from me. Apparently, he can be quite calm and collected while breaking the law, so keep him in mind for future illegal operations. I, on the other hand, prayed that God would show His mercy to us poor ignorant train hoppers. He did, and by the sheer luck (providence) of getting on that particular train with a bunch of school children, we were never checked and so got to Vienna without spending hardly anything.

Viennese Cakes

Judenplatz on a rainy twilight

Memorial for the Austrian Jews who were killed

The Musikverin

St. Peter's dome

We spent
that afternoon locating and checking into our hostel, exploring the major churches in Vienna: St. Stephen’s Gothic Cathedral, St. Michael’s (a beautiful little church that the palace servants attended), the gorgeously ornate Baroque church St. Peter's, and making our way to the Jewish Quarter of town with the Judenplatz. This had been a special request of mine, after reading about this square as the place where hundreds of Jews were rounded up by the Nazi’s in Hitler’s Anschluss of 1938. Alex wanted to see the apartments of Ceci, a young Hapsburg ruler featured on many posters and paintings throughout the city, so Mark and I made our way over to the artists quarter of the city to find the Musikverin, another part of the city featured in a series of books I once read. This area of town was full of street musicians and performers taking part in some sort of street fair. We spent some time watching them before finding Alex again and heading to find dinner.

Gothic stonework in St. Stephen's

Our stay in the hostel was uneventful, though I did perform several investigations and tests to determine that we were free of bed bugs, and we awoke early the next morning to make our way to the train station, where we learned that it was only 15euro roundtrip to Bratislava. This was perfect, I thought, since I had been thinking about making a visit to Slovakia, the home of three out of my four great-grandparents on my mom’s side. The train ride was only about an hour long, and as we set foot off the train, we realized that this city was very different from the artistic Vienna or picturesque Salzburg. Where Vienna has sparklingly white stone edifices, Bratislava has easter-egg pastel houses, where Salzburg has statues and monuments, Bratislava has graffiti, lots of it. Everywhere you turned there were signs of the recent Communist regime made strikingly visible in the several “symbols of Communism”, oddly shaped monuments throughout town. We had a vague map from the train station and were able to find our way to the touristy part of the city, a few cute little streets lined with shops and bars. Alcohol was very present in Bratislava. Every other restaurant sign proclaimed cheap prices for beer, vodka, and other varieties of hard liquor.

Pastels in Bratislava

I will definitely be going back.

 The diamond in the rough proved to be a small honey shop that we stumbled upon a little before lunch. The owner, a young man in his late 20s, was an excellent salesman and reeled us in bit by bit, but it was worth every penny. First he allowed us to sample as many varieties of the flavored honey as we wanted, ranging from wildflower mountain honey to a creamy hazelnut flavor. As we deliberated over which flavors to buy, he produced several bottles of honey wine, or mead. To seal the deal, he proceeded to let us sample each of these until we were pretty set on buying not only a few jars of the delicious honey, but also several bottles of the sweet drink. Even though we recognized his sale tactics, it was honestly one of the best purchases of the semester thanks to the genuine, natural sweetness of the goods.

They're big into their graffiti there

 We had packed sandwiches from the hostel’s breakfast (a cheap traveler trick for when you don’t want to pay for lunch) but the constant drizzling rain forced us to seek out a small coffee shop for lunch. Surrounded by poofy, feminine colored cushions and a large, Canadian group who felt the need to express in loud tones how much the American economy depends on Canada, we licked ice cream cones and ate slightly squashed sandwiches out of napkins while we planned our next few hours. We had done zero research before the trip, so we pretty much only had our little train station brochure/map to go off of, but it seemed to hit all the highlights. After lunch, we made our way to a few churches which were all locked and closed to the public. Deciding to take a different tack, we climbed up to the fortress on the hill and spent about half an hour taking pictures in the gateway simply because we were sick of walking about in the rain with our overly-packed backpacks. None of us felt particularly like paying to see the inside of the palace, so we wandered about the ramparts a bit before heading down to seek out St. Elizabeth of Hungary’s blue church.

Roommate Besties

St. Elizabeth's

                St. Elizabeth’s really was blue. I’ve never seen a church like it before or since, though we were unable to explore it fully because a wedding was going on inside. Finally, we decided it was about time to make our way back to the train station as we had several long rides ahead of us. It was an uphill trudge through the rain with our bags heavier than ever upon our backs, but we made it and I bought a Slovak sausage from a vendor at the station, which was nice. Our ride back to Vienna was uneventful and we managed to catch an earlier train towards Gaming than we had hoped, this time paying the proper amount. Our conductor was quite friendly and explained to us at which stops we would have to switch trains. We were a little confused by his directions but got off at St. Polten as he suggested and looked for the next train to Pochlorn. Alas, this train did not leave for another hour. Well, no matter, we thought. We could just look around for some more food while we waited. As the time for the train drew near, however, we realized that the sign had “nicht something” written underneath our train number. We asked a few people what this meant and discovered that the train we were expecting to take would not be traveling out of St. Polten that night. Slightly annoyed and exhausted, we checked for the next train at the information booth and found that it would not run until about 9pm, which meant we wouldn’t catch the last train from Pochlorn to Scheibbs (where we catch the bus to Gaming). Afraid we might have to spend the night in Pochlorn but helpless to do anything about it, we bought more food and sat around looking forlorn as swarms of strange-looking teenagers milled about the station. They had evidently just participated in some sort of huge event that included being coated in large amounts of colored chalk, which simply added to their rather loud, annoying presence and the peculiarity of our predicament. We were so fortunate as to board our train an hour or so later with a bunch of them, but when we embarked at Pochlorn, every human in sight quickly disappeared to their homes and warm beds. We alone were left in the empty train station with only the promise of the sparse Sunday morning train schedule linking us to Gaming and our vacant beds. Despite our exhaustion, I was all for walking (we had googlemapped directions at McDonalds in St. Polten just in case), but Alex pointed out that by the time we got there, it would be the same time as if we took the train.

Queens of the castle

We decided to walk about the town just in case there was a restaurant or hotel open but in the typical small-town Europe style, everything had closed hours ago. Only bars remained open. We located the least sketchy looking bar and began staggering our drinks so as to spend as much of the night as possible there without spending a fortune or getting drunk. Alex calmly requested Earl Grey tea, to which the bar tender laughed, but at least she was not in danger of getting drunk. Mark searched out every hotel in the area, while we sat and drank, but to no avail and we finally decided to walk back to the station and spend the rest of the night there. We took turns waiting up, which meant that Mark basically stayed awake the whole time while we slept fitfully on our backpacks, hoping we wouldn’t get some sort of dreadful disease from the train station seats. After several false alarms when trains that were supposed to come (on a regular week-day schedule we later discovered) did not arrive, and several hours of an obnoxious girl smoking inside the station and giving us all sore throats, our train finally came and we boarded it utterly spent and rather disheveled. I have never been happier to board a train, and the smell of breakfast at the Kartause was pure heaven. Likewise, our beds were waiting and I spent a good portion of the day sleeping blissfully under my very own duvet with my head on a cushy pillow.

Bratislavan Fortress Gate

                Though this unfortunate ending rather marred our overall experience, it could not be denied that we learned a lot from this trip. Not only had we figured out the complicated mix of trains and hostels, but we had seen two cities successfully and kept our overall expenses under $100, which was a lot better than most people that first weekend. It’s a trip I look back on with a mixture of fondness at the thought of our naïve traveler’s sense and bitterness at the remembrance of the dehydrated, sore throat feeling of that night in Pochlorn. Never again will I pass through that station without shuddering, but never again will I fail to check and double-check a Saturday evening train schedule. In the end, however, I’m left with a sweet memento of the journey in our Slovak honey, of which I have several, beautiful, full jars.

Traveling buddies

Dayton's finest artistic talent ;)

Steubie U pix

Two of our lovely car buddies: Jeremy and Paul

Our Earrings all match! (living proof of the fabulous outfit's!)

Some new friends we made (never decide to make new friends that are sitting at the top of the bleachers..it's really awkward climbing towards them, with them staring down at you like, "what are you freaks doing?")

Besties! <3>

Betsy, Jenny, and Bethany! enjoying the retreat :)

Peter pretending to be meditating on something holy
..but secretly catching up on the sleep he didn't get last night

Rosie and Me! BFFs and future HMDs

what is life without silly pictures?
(there are at least 4 more..the kid in front of us was staring..
which made us do even sillier faces =)

Maya and Isabel!

Rosie, Me, and Jimmy
Retreat Buddies :)

Steubenville 2010!

First things first..I have to start at the beginning of my travels, which would be Tuesday, July 22nd, the night I left home to stay at the Araya's house. Rosa and I then spent the next few days, shopping with her sister Isabel and our best friend Maya, watching thrilling episodes of Monk late into the night, desperately trying to get somewhat tan, and advising each other on which clothes to bring on our trip to Steubenville --this last one took quite a lot of time because there are so many different factors that add up to the finished product: fantastically fabulous outfits :D .

Somehow, in those 3 days of silliness, crazy schemes, laughter, and late night rendezvous we managed to grab the few hours of sleep we knew we'd need to survive the Steubenville conference. Since, this was my 3rd year, Rosie's 4th, and Isabel's 2nd, and because we all know how long it takes us to get into the car on time, we planned well in advance, packing our clothes the day before (or in Isabel's case, in the middle of the night before) and, on Thursday night, planning out who would shower when (it's quite a challenge for 3 girls with long hair and a tendency to dramatically increase the heating and water bill to each shower in one morning). Although, there were a few minor hitches (no breakfast *sigh*), we made it into the car and to Emmanuel on time..or..mostly on time.

From there we joined the rest of the youth group and split into various vehicles (ooh alliteration!). Rosa and I were forced into a car with our youth group buddies Jimmy and Paul and spent the entire ride either with Jimmy's feet in our faces (he claimed to be cramping from football camp) or listening to half a song before one of them would decide that that was enough of that song and change it. Thankfully, both Rosie and I are extremely low maintenance and easy going people (well ok, rosa is) and we managed to not only bear the ride, we enjoyed it. :) Actually, we all had a ton of fun and talked or sang or fooled around most of the way there.

Upon arriving *gasp* IN TIME FOR DINNER!!! (a very rare occurrence for our group), we ate. It was yummy and I saved my swiss cake rolls for a midnight snack. :)

Then we entered the field house and laughed and cried in turns as several really amazing speakers took the stage to welcome us and prepare us for adoration. Bob Rice was leading the music, and he was as awesome as ever. (when is the music there not awesome with Bob leading?)

Then Adoration.

Adoration at Steubenville Youth Conferences is pretty much the most incredible thing that will ever happen to anyone that attends. It's nothing like going to holy hour at home, in that you are not quietly, privately praying in an attempt to grow closer to God. In Steubenville, you practically shout out praises. You plead out loud, in song, tears, tongues, whatever way you can communicate most fully with God. And many people receive answers. Although you know Christ is truly present in the Eucharist at home. You know it here. When the priests process with the monstrance throughout the field house, people fall to their knees, some even fall prostrate on the floor, overcome by the power and love that pours forth from the Holy Spirit. Adoration is the climax of both Friday and Saturday night: the culmination of all the messages the speakers have been giving us in both talk sessions and prayer. For those truly open to hearing God speak to them --and for some who really aren't open, but whom he opens ;) -- adoration is the best part of the weekend. It's the core of what the entire conference is all about.

The rest of the time there is really fun too though. We've become accustomed to the meals (which are highly processed and the same every year) and manage to survive on zebra cakes and pizza, which the youth group leaders are kind enough to sometimes buy for us. Even the questionable hamburger and the chemicals-dyed-orange juice add a certain, shall we say, flavor to the weekend.

The other cool thing about the Steubenville conference is the amount of teens there that are really, truly in love with their faith, and not afraid to show it. Even the ones who are less demonstrative, open up completely in the crazy, friendly atmosphere. During the few moments of free time (mostly after adoration, before bed) little groups will run around campus, greeting other groups with a, "hey, where are you from?". It's this, along with the adoration, fantastic speakers (the ones this year were the best I've ever seen/heard), and great music that makes Steubenville so unique.

Finally, Sunday, it was time to go home. This may have been the happiest I've been on an end of retreat car ride home, but, then again, I'm not usually flying to California the next day. Jeremy, another one of our friends, who had met the group there, joined our car, and this time, the 5 of us really did just go crazy on the drive. Rosa and I have come to realize that the combination of a retreat high, practically no sleep for the past 3 days, and an excessive amount of sugar usually has a very.....interesting effect on us, but luckily, the boys didn't seem to mind and we sang veggie tales at the top of our lungs, made silly faces for the camera, and laughed until our stomachs hurt (or maybe that was the "hamburger" burning a hole in our intestines, who knows?). When it was over, we were all pretty dead, but with hugs and promises to carpool to youth group, we split up in the church parking lot, forever changed..ok corny, how about..strengthened by the weekend and ready to face life once again. :)

Elena
p.s. pictures next post :)

The Zoo

On Thursday some families from our homeschool group went to the Columbus zoo. I had to do my latin class that morning at a Panera in Columbus, so I missed the 1st hour and a half of the zoo, but during the 2nd hour and a half I got some really sweet pictures!



I know I'm kind of obsessed with these onetruemedia video's lately, but it's the easiest way to put a lot of pics on one post, and I have so much trouble picking which ones to post otherwise!



So here's a video of our trip to the zoo. The 1st one is a cool pic of my two friends and my shoes. If I ever make an album..that'll be the cover. ;-)

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

School, sleepovers, and skinny jeans

I can't believe school is about to start! It's ridiculous! I mean..I haven't even finished last year's work! Latin started last week, so I've been busy trying to remember how to decline nouns. grr. School starts this Tuesday, and we went to orientation last Monday. It was a lot of fun! I got my uniforms!!! (I need to stop using exclamation marks..I think I'm just a little too excited about starting school)

Anyway, after orientation..I went to a good friend's house for our 1st annual 'BM back to school bash'. (BM stands for Best Mate..unless you're a member and you know the secret meaning) We made t-shirts and died...no...dyed our hair with kool aid. It was fun..even if I had to sleep with tin foil in my hair all night..and even though I had to wash my hair right away the next morning because it was so sticky and greasy from the conditioner/kool aid mixture. Maybe next year we'll use real hair dye..but a week before school starts is not a good time to streak your hair red when the dress code says "No unnatural hair colors". We felt safer using kool aid, after being assured by several friends and cousins that it would rinse out on the first try. (and the BM budget couldn't afford real hair dye) Anyways, the only place it really showed up was my freakishly blond streak in the front..left over from my blond days (when I was little..).

And you might be wondering why the title contains 'skinny jeans'..some of you may remember, and I confess that I have been heard to say "I hate skinny jeans", "I'll never wear those", and even"We should start a flare rebellion against skinny jeans and wear flares even when they go out of style, which will hopefully be never!". *sigh* Yes, I did, in fact, say all of those things. And I'm paying for it now. I've been teased, tormented, and stared at (ok..maybe not the last two). But, while I was in VA..I broke down..and...and...and...I got a pair of skinny jeans. And the worst part is..I LIKE THEM! Anyways..you'll probably see pictures of me in them later, but I'm not a model (despite all my self pics in costumes) and I refuse to post pics of me in them specifically for the purpose of showing off my skinny jeans. HA. (if you look carefully in the upcoming "zoo" post, you'll see me wearing them.

So, now I'm off to keep writing up new posts (I got over a blogger's block all of a sudden and have about 50 posts planned for the next few days before school starts..oh....I guess that'd be only a day. *sigh*), but not before I post a few pics of the BM t-shirt I made. (pics of my uniform will appear sporadically throughout the year, I'm sure)

And the 2nd half..

of our trip was when we went to the Clancy's house. Everyone (except me) was pretty homesick by now, so Mommy drove home with them after day at the Clancy's and I stayed a whole extra week! I got to spend a lot of time with two of my best friends, Caitie and Allison (well, not a lot of time with Allison, but a day and night) and I got to see some other great friends.

Here are some pictures:

Us at the Clancy's right before my mom and siblings left. Mei mei wouldn't appear for the pic because she was mad that I got to stay an extra week.
The National Shrine/Basilica that we saw on a field trip with Caitie's Youth Group

Christina, Me, and Caitie in front of the Shrine

Caitie and I, and our failed attempt at a self-pic. Actually, we did have some where it wasn't off-center, but we both look best in this one.

Allison and I had better luck with our self pic.

Summer Fun!

Photography on the last two pictures done by Charlie.

I'm going to VA!

The title sort of speaks for itself. My mom has apparently been planning this trip for months. I have teased her about the "coupon" for one overnight trip with her. She gave it to me for my 13th b-day..almost 2 years ago. Well, this trip is going to be fun! We're dropping off the rest of the family at Aunt Kiki's on Thursday. (Kind of sad..no Valentine's day as a family. We usually give each other Valentines.) Then we spend Thursday night here. It's going to be quiet! :-0

Friday morning my mom and I start driving. It's only like 8 hours. Not too long. We're staying at Caitie's house on Friday night. Saturday we're going to spend (hopefully) seeing all our old homeschool friends. Saturday afternoon we're picking up Allison (one of my best friends ever!) and Maddie! (we'll already have Caitie with us) My mom made reservations at a hotel. A really nice hotel..actually we don't know which hotel we're staying at yet. They're both nice, (we're choosing between 2) but one has a pool..and one doesn't. We don't really know what we'll do that night, but we looked up times for August Rush, Enchanted and Water Horse in the cheap theater. I'm guessing we'll stay up really late, play games and have fun. It's supposed to be my early b-day party. Sunday we'll drop off Allison and go to mass at Queen of Apostles. (We used to go there like 10 years ago) We'll meet the Beattys there and go to their house for brunch. We're staying at the Clancy's again on Sunday night, and we'll probably hang out until after Lit class on Monday, because Caitie and I are in the same class.

Ok, doesn't this seem like a dream b-day weekend? The only bad thing about it that it's the weekend of 2 of my friends' b-day party, the last home game and basketball pics. Oh well. We never buy those pics anyway, and I'll get to see all my b-ball friends at the banquet (fancy word for 'end of the year potluck')

I think I've bored you enough for one day. I'm just excited and looking forward to the weekend!