There are so many things I could say about Vienna. It is such a beautiful city, as the baroque age and the ideas of the Enlightenment are obviously seen through the architecture there. We arrived in Vienna very early in the morning and went to mass at the cathedral that the Empress Maria Theresa, as well as her son Joseph II are buried. I wish I was able to go see their tombs, which are said to be exquisite in true Hapsburg style. We then took a walking tour of Vienna, which was given to us by some of our professors here at school. We were able to see the national library which was enormous, but beautifully decorated with gold and marble on the outside. We also made it to St. Stephensdom, which was a product of the gothic style during the medevil age. I was very excited to go to St. Stephensdom, as the cathedral contains 2 unique pieces of art that I had previously learned about in my art appreciation class. There is an icon of the Madonna and Child that is called Maria of Posch (pronnounced poutch) that was found in Posch, Hungaray. This icon is said to have cried real tears and many intentions and miracles have occured when one intercedes to the icon. There was also a pulpit that is very unique as the artist carved himself into the pulpit and there are many symbols of scripture within the sculpture itself. We went to the Stiftskellar for lunch where I had schnitzel and amazing cheese strudel. A few of my friends and I then went to the Nastchmarket, where there are thousands of food vendors, selling different types of wine, cheese, coffee, bread, pastries: anything that you could think of. There is also a chapel in Vienna that faces east, towards the Schunbrun palace. This is extremely unique due to the fact that all other churches faced west, but with special permission from the pope, the Hapsburg were allowed to build the church facing east rather than west. This chapel was built in the year 400 A.D. and is still in excellent condition. We ended the day with some Viennese coffee and chocolate cake (DELICIOUS!) and then went back to Gaming. I still cannot believe that I am walking in the footsteps of great leaders, musicians, artists, and emperors. Being in Europe has opened my eyes to so much culture and a way of living entirely different from my own, and has already taught me so much in these past 2 short weeks. I wish you all could be here to share this experience with me! Next weekend we travel to Salzburg and Munich, so I am very excited to see all the sights and sounds that both of the cities have to offer.
Love and miss you all,
Danielle
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