Wochau and Tourist Day

I had another amazing weekend thanks to my awesome host family! On Saturday, Theresa (host sister) flew to Italy with my host grandpa for the weekend. So I got to be an only child! My host mom and I had a ‘tourist day’ in Vienna and I had a really great time with her. First, we went to this adorable café and had hot chocolate and cake. The bakery had glass doors, so you could watch bakers making really elaborate cakes and sweets. It reminded me of the show Cake Boss… Austrian style! Then we took a tour of the emperor’s apartments and learned about Sisi (Elizabeth), the famous troubled empress of Austria. Her story was really dark, but also so interesting. It is the most indescribable feeling standing in a room, and thinking, “This is where Sisi spent most of her days. That is literally the bed she slept in.” It’s hard not to just stand there in awe! We finished the day at a family owned Italian restaurant where the authentic food was so yummy, and the conversation with my host parents was awesome! All in all, it was a really solid day!

Cool chandelier in the cafe

 

            On Sunday, we drove to Wochau, a town just over an hour outside of Vienna. We toured a Church, which had two full skeletons in it. Staring at skeletons always makes me super reflective and really interested in the history. It just makes these people so much more real! We then dined at a hotel built in the 1300’s. Feeling extremely full, we decided to go for a little walk. It had snowed in Wochau the day before, and it was quite chilly out. But we headed out to the vineyards for a ‘short walk’ as my host dad likes to say. The last time he said that, we ended up climbing two peaks… but I had an amazing time, so I just went with it! The fall colors were unreal, and standing at the top of hillsides covered in vineyards was a breathtaking view. I felt like I was in Italy! The sun came out for a few minutes, and I had this amazing feeling of not wanting to be anywhere else in the world at that moment. I had an incredible time with my host parents and I am feeling so fortunate to be where I am, with the people I’m with, going on such incredible adventures! Speaking of which, I’m off to Prague, Dresden, and Berlin tomorrow! Stories will be coming!

Me and host momma... notice the snow in the background!

Churrch

Host parents