This past weekend, I had originally intended to go to Nice. Well, the weather looked fairly gloomy, and I was getting anxious that I hadn’t seen enough of Provence, so instead, I made the decision to let my giant backpack rest for a weekend – and I’m so glad I did.
Friday, I joined my friend Matt and his two friends visiting on their spring breaks (throw back to mind over a month ago…) in Marseille. I’ve largely avoided Marseille, since it’s a rather…city-like city. It doesn’t quite have the charm of Aix, and is in many ways more reminiscent of NYC. It’s definitely not somewhere I’d like to hang out alone, but I was finally able to see the classic sites including Notre-Dame de la Garde, Le musée des civilisations de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée (MuCEM), as well as enjoying lunch and views at the Vieux Port. We even tried the provencal drink, pastis, which is yellow in color and made from anise seeds, which means it’s basically alcoholic yellow liquid licorice. I think I’ll stick to my wines…
Friday night, I attended a friend’s dance performance, then got up relatively early to wander around the food market before heading to La Ciotat, a beach not too far from Aix. It was too cold to swim, so we just ate some gelato and fresh strawberries, relaxing on the beach and enjoying the glorious blues.
I wasn’t feeling too well on Sunday, so I had a pajama day, but I was luckily back on my feet by Monday, so I went to the neighboring village of Calas to see their annualBénédiction des chevaux, or horse benediction. Watching a parade of horses march up a bill to a chapel to be blessed for over an hour was potentially one of the most “provence” things I’ve done yet! After watching the procession, we enjoyed the rest of the celebration: a fair! Fairs are one of my favorite things to do, and at this one there were churros, horse shows, and “bull games”, where children jumped into the arena with a bull and attempted to land a hoop around the (taped off) horns. No one got hurt, but I’ve never seen anything like this in the US…
All in all, it was a lovely, relaxing weekend. I wish I could stay in sunny Provence toujours (forever).
Confession: I never want to leave Aix. I’ve enjoyed every single adventure I’ve been on abroad, and have more coming up which I’m looking forward to, but my heart aches when I think about flying out of the little airport for the last time. As I’ve been growing more and more sentimental about Aix, it seemed high time to share what my daily life is like here.
The view from our kitchen window
Monday: I have language class from 8:30-12:30 (ugh, I know). Class normally begins with questions we have about French language that we’ve heard over the weekend, for example, last week I asked about the words for “sunburn” and “allergies”, because spring is not a kind season to me. We also tend to receive a worksheet on a particular grammar point and complete some exercises. On Mondays, we spend an hour in the lab, doing listening activities such as listening to a podcast and answering questions about it, or completing a dictation, which is normally with a poem or song. After, we return to the classroom and read an article with new vocabulary and complete some written comprehension exercises.
Sometimes after class on Monday, I have “atelier”, which means “workshop”, and in this case is a one-hour conversation with a French student and some other people from our school who are learning French, in French. We normally just talk about our lives and travels.
After, I get my life together. Because I travel on the weekends, I almost always need to do laundry on Mondays, or do homework, or something similar. If I have free time, I’ll browse the boutiques around town, or go to a cafe and read while sipping some coffee/wine (depending on the time of day).
Tuesday: Language class from 9-1, which is similar to Monday. We have the question time, then usually review the homework from last week (our homework is due on Tuesdays), work on a grammar point, and read some articles. In the last hour of class on Tuesdays, we have multimedia lab, where we look at web documentaries which normally feature a particular aspect of French life (such as family), and have a mix of listening and writing to absorb. Our homework usually involves responding to the information in the webdocs.
After class, I grab lunch with my friend Matt, and we get sandwiches and eat in the Park Jourdan, which is very close to school, if it’s nice out! I have my film elective from 2:45-4:45, which involves discussing a film we watched outside of class in small groups, with a presentation by either some student in the class about the director, or from the professor.
My program hosts cafe hours on Tuesday nights, from 6-7pm. I love cafe hour! Everyone in the program is invited, as well as any friends, and CEA offers us a free drink (coffee, hot cocoa, wine, beer, etc). This is time when everyone gets together to talk about what we did over the weekend, as well as signing up for the activities CEA provides, like soap making, or wine tasting. After cafe hour, it’s pretty much the same as Monday night, a bit of homework, browsing the internet, etc.
Wednesday: I only have phonetics class on Wednesday, from 10:30-12. Phonetics is pretty much the art of trying to lose your accent, and while the work isn’t necessarily difficult in terms of bulk, it’s just hard to make your tongue and mouth pronounce such unfamiliar sounds, or for your ears to hear the difference. We normally get introduced to a certain category of sounds, such as nasal vowels. Then we hear examples of them in words we already know, do listening exercises where we try to identify the sounds, and read sentences out loud to try and produce them.
After phonetics I have lunch, normally at home, and then I tutor. I’m tutoring an 11 year old girl through a program called Easy English, which is an activity group I’m signed up for which specializes in the English tutoring, but also offers us activities with other French college students, such as speed chatting (in French and English), a St. Patrick’s party at their school, or a wine tasting. It’s been a really great way for many of us in the program to meet more French people! I’m really loving tutoring. I go to the girl’s house, and her parents are incredibly nice; they’ll offer me chocolates or give me coupons to cultural events. The girl and I work on her homework, and then normally just try to have a conversation in English. I was a bit intimidated when I started because I haven’t tutored since high school, but I still enjoy teaching immensely.
Then I normally have a good chunk of the afternoon free, which passes like Monday afternoons: browsing shops, hanging out in a cafe, spending time with friends, or getting some work done! I try to stay out of the house, and just soak up the air in Aix.
Thursday: In Aix, there is a food market every day, but the larger market, including textiles and flowers, happens on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Since the market occurs from around 9-1pm, I miss it entirely on Tuesday when I’m in class, and I’m usually traveling on Saturday. On Thursday, I don’t have class until 11:30, and since I’m a morning person, I usually get up rather early and walk around the market. I have a weakness for beautiful things, and in addition to picking up strawberries or honey, I can’t really resist getting a bouquet of flowers for the apartment as well.
Language class is from 11:30-3, and this particular class tends to focus on speaking. We’ll read an article about a topic, and discuss it as a class, first in small groups and then just around the room. Thursday class is a bit more laid back, or maybe I’m just imagining that because everyone is well-rested!
Thursday afternoons are normally when I pack for my weekend trip, or relax with friends. This can include having dinner together, going out to bars, or something like this past Thursday, when I watched two movies with my friends and had some rosé. Sometimes I’ll check out a movie, and very rarely I’ll be leaving for my weekend travel on Thursday night itself.
Weekend: the weekends are a bit complicated. Usually, I haven’t been in Aix on the weekends, so I’ll leave sometime Thursday or Friday, and return Sunday night, in time to grab a slice of pizza before passing out. When I’m in town for part of the weekend, it passes like my afternoons. I do work or laundry, whatever needs to be done, and I spend the rest of the time, well, resting. I’ll check out the market, try a new cafe or gelato store, see a movie, hang out with friends, or explore a new part of Aix.
As with any other life, there are variables. Sometimes I’ll have a CEA activity in the middle of the week, or an exam in school that I’m studying longer for, or any number of things. Studying abroad gets the reputation for easy classes, but while homework might not dominate my time, learning a new language is hard any way you look at it, and my four hour blocks of language class are intense.
Most days, I can’t stop smiling. Through all the home sickness and worries, I’ve found home in Aix. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world, and I am constantly finding myself thinking the one thing: I am living my dream.
Wednesday evening, I flew into Munich for a long weekend. I got lost in the train station, but eventually made it to the hostel (the fact is, the hostel was only 3 minutes away from the train station, but the real difficulty was finding the exit…) and hugged my friend Rachel, who was on spring break. After a bite to eat and a good night’s rest, we started Thursday with another free tour around Munich, including to the famous Marienplatz and Hofbräuhaus, a beer hall from the sixteenth century.
Munich is a vibrant city. It has the old glamour I found in Austria, but with a decidedly young spirit, perhaps due to the newness; 80% of Munich was lost during the second world war. Munich of course has a shadow of darkness regarding the last century, and it neither hides nor boasts of its past, rather just acknowledging evil as it was. We were graced with beautiful, sunny spring weather, and there were people everywhere: riding bikes, hanging out, and, of course, drinking beer. We climbed to the top of St. Peter’s and looked out over the life that seemed to pour out of every nook of Munich.
Friday, we visited Dachau, the former concentration camp, which was the first of its kind. I’ve learned about the Holocaust all of my life, have been to various museums, and have even had the privilege to talk to many survivors, but this was unlike anything I’d experienced. As we explored the empty and certainly haunted ground, our tour guide mentioned that someone had probably suffered on every inch we crossed. It was not an easy or fun tourist adventure, but it was necessary. Walking in the steps of those who perished felt like an act of defiance. I am here, I am Jewish, and I will never forget.
Afterwards, we relaxed by grabbing a burger and walking through the Englischer Garten, a public park larger than Central Park in NYC, complete with a Japanese tea house, surfing, and, of course, beer gardens! We walked for hours, and it certainly did my soul some good to be in a green place.
Saturday, we visited the site of the 1972 Olympic Games, which were held in Munich and which are today yet another beautiful public park. We decided to see the stadium and really experience the architecture by taking a roof tour that ended in a zip line across the stadium. We walked to some of the highest points, jumped around, and generally had an adrenaline-filled blast. It was not the cheapest adventure I’ve been on, but it’s up there in terms of most memorable, which is, of course, priceless.
We enjoyed Olympic Park for a while longer, before returning to the English Garten for yet more beer and spaetzle (a german dish of noodles and cheese). The weather stayed beautiful all weekend, I even received my first sunburn of the season!
Sunday after Rachel left, I took some time by myself to the see Munich Residenz, treasury, and Cuvilliés Theatre. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never met a shiny thing I didn’t like, so having time to see the treasury was magnificent. I took my time walking around city center before heading to the airport. It was a rare moment for me; I’m not usually alone, but I felt safe in Munich, and enjoyed the freedom of being on the schedule of my whims.
I unexpectedly loved Munich. The energy and history and clash of old and new made the city so alive. I’ll definitely be returning one day, I hear this little event called Oktoberfest is pretty special…
Somehow, I blinked, and suddenly I’m about a month out from the end of my time in Aix. I became extremely sentimental this week, thinking about all the wonderful things I’ve accomplished so far, and all the things I have yet to do. One of the great challenges of studying abroad is balancing time near and far. I think it’s safe to say that I’ve been the person who has travelled the most from my program this semester, and while I wouldn’t trade anything I’ve seen or experienced (and there will be too many places I won’t get to see at all), sometimes I feel like I’ve hardly seen any of Aix.
So this past weekend, I was relieved to have an almost travel-free Aixperience. Friday, my friend Matt and I finally saw Pavillon de Vendôme, a house built just outside of city center in the 1600s. The flowers were just starting to bloom. Side note, where I live in the US, there is very little transition between winter and summer. It literally has snowed and then turned 80 degrees in the same week. This spring in Aix has almost been agonizing for me; it has been the slowest transition between seasons I’ve ever experienced! The 60 degree days are wonderful, and the mistral is calming down, but goodness sometimes I wish I was as warm as my friends back home.
Later on Friday, I toured Cézanne’s Atelier, his last workshop in Aix, and the Terrain des Peintres, where he painted the mountain St. Victoire, which he did over 60 times. It was such a different experience to see the site where he worked and the objects he literally painted, rather than just a museum with the art itself. Some of his genius must’ve rubbed off on me, since I don’t think my hand-drawn postcard is half bad!
Saturday, we went to Nîmes, which is famous for it’s arena, one of the best preserved in the world (much better than the Colosseum, although it is much smaller!). We also visited Pont du Gard, an ancient Roman aqueduct which is comprised of three levels and was built in 60AD. We sunned a bit by the water, enjoying the new spring.
Sunday, my friends and I were strolling down the Cours Mirabeau with every intention of heading straight to lunch when we walked right into an antique market! Going antique shopping is one of my favorite things to do back home, and we wandered around a bit before my affinity for all things shiny got the better of me and I bought a glass elephant. What I really wanted was a chandelier, I’m just not sure how I would’ve gotten it home…
After, I finally saw the Musée Granet, Aix’s famous art museum. As we walked around and saw a variety of works, from sculptures to artifacts to, of course, pieces by Cézanne, I thought about how much history there is in Aix and all of Provence. From ancient Rome to the period of impressionism, there’s so much more than I expected to encounter on a daily basis. Traveling is fun, but a bit exhausting. I’m so thankful I took this weekend to travel more around Aix itself. With each new detail, I fall more and more in love, and am more and more loath to leave in a month’s time.
This past Tuesday, I celebrated my 21st birthday abroad. Before I left the states, I was a bit bummed at the prospect of spending my birthday so far from home, away from my family and friends, my favorite cakes, and the general merriment of turing 21 in the US. But on my birthday, I woke up and drank coffee, and literally did a happy dance around my apartment. After class, I got falafel with a friend, then gelato, then bought 2 dozen macarons. I skyped with my family and then boyfriend. After my friend Paris cooked me my favorite meal, I had more friends over for macarons, crêpes, wine, and a bit of champagne.
21st birthday’s in the US are, of course, a big deal. Somehow, being able to legally buy alcohol in your home country doesn’t matter so much when you’ve been having glasses of wine with dinner for the past two months, not that I’m complaining!
Celebrating my birthday in France was better than I could have ever imagined. I successfully opened a bottle of champagne for the first time, as well as completely flipped a crêpe! I had friends over at my apartment who I had no idea existed a bit over two months ago, but who have become so dear to me. I felt so loved, from France to halfway around the world back home. And of course, I don’t think it hurts that I’m in my favorite place I’ve ever lived, in the middle of my adventure of a lifetime. I honestly feel like the luckiest girl in the world. Here’s to 21!
Back on January 13th, a mere week after arriving in Aix, my then-acquaintance Paris and I saw that round-trip tickets to Brussels were a mere 86 euros. Combined. Our return flight left Brussels at 6:55am, but hey, 86 euros….combined. Well, Paris and I hardly knew each other at that point, but we decided to go to Brussels the first weekend of March. It was one of the most spontaneous things I’d ever done; we simply saw the low price and pounced. I didn’t knew Paris very well yet, and I certainly had no idea what I wanted to do in Belgium.
Fast forward to now, after our return at the ungodly hours of the morning, and I’d still give anything to go back.
Our friend Hannah ended up joining us on our quick jaunt. I successfully made it through my first Ryanair flight without paying any of their infamous hidden fees, and after a bus and metro ride (why are all my journeys like this?), we were at our hostel in the early hours of Friday evening. The hostel was really a hotel, with a shower inside the room, carpeted floors, and extremely comfortable beds. I hadn’t stayed in a hostel yet on my adventures, and I was kind of nervous, but we had a wonderfully clean experience.
We ate a wonderful dinner at a small Italian restaurant (don’t I always?) before heading to Delirium Cafe, which is known for having over 2000 beers available. I’m not a huge beer drinker, but I did try a few varieties! In one of those serendipitous moments of life, we ran into some guys that Hannah and Paris had met over spring break in Dublin. It’s an incredibly small world sometimes.
Saturday morning, we took a free walking tour around Brussels. Our guide was energetic and so funny, which we learned was typical of Belgians. Belgium is like France’s younger, less pretentious cousin. Case in point: in French, you would say “quatre-vingt quinze” or literally “4 twenties and 15” to say “95”. In Belgium, they speak French, but they just say “neufante-cinq”, which we would recognize as our good ‘ol 95.
We had lunch and chocolate before taking a quick nap back at the hostel. When we headed back to Delirium that night (oops), I ended up talking to some girls from South Africa. They were incredibly kind, and I was reminded of how many people exist in the world, all with their own stories, and how lucky I am to be able to meet some of them on this adventure.
Belgium has more history than anyone seems to know (french fries?! more like BELGIAN FRIES! Oh, yeah, and who do you think invented the saxophone? or comics? Yeah, Belgium. Now you know.), as well as an abundance of beer, waffles, and of course, chocolate, all of which we more than sampled. It’s unpretentious enough to think you could actually live there, and I wish we had more time to explore the other cities like Bruge and Ghent. 36 hours wasn’t nearly enough for the beautiful city or country, but it gave me the yearning to return one day.
Since I’m studying abroad with CEA, in addition to many wonderful things being taken care of without my having to worry, such as housing, airport pickup, school enrollment, etc…there are also perks like cheese and wine tastings and, perhaps most notably, a full weekend trip to Nice & Monaco!
So, Saturday morning bright and early my program headed out to Nice, France. While it is true that I am also spending my semester in the South of France, Nice, although only 2 hours away, actually has the Mediterranean climate everyone imagines when I tell them where I’m studying. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Provence! But sometimes, those mistral winds have me yearning for something a bit calmer…
Yet, it was rainy and a bit chilly in Nice. We arrived on the Promenade d’Anglais and walked through the flower market, which was only a beautiful sneak peak of the flowers to come. I had lunch with a few friends at a kabob place and bought a pair of ankle boots, before we walked up to Parc de la Colline du Château, the highest point in Nice.
Despite the weather, the view was incredible. I could stare at the sea all day. However, we had the Carnaval de Nice to get to! The carnival celebration in Nice is one of the largest in the world (along with Venice and Brazil, of course). It attracts over 1,000,000 visitors and spans a two-week period in February each year. This year, the theme was “King of Media”. We were in town for the “Battle of Flowers”, a parade lasting a little over an hour where, yes, flowers are thrown at you!
I can’t overstate how much fun the Battle of Flowers was. Watching the elaborate floats go past (check out those giant giraffes), collecting flowers for our ever-growing bouquet, and most importantly: just having a good time! They were playing (mostly American) music, and my friends and I danced and sang along like no one was watching. They were, of course, since no one really does that in Europe, but hey, it was a celebration! Our neighbors smiled warmly, and I’m sure they were thinking about how silly Americans are, but I couldn’t change my joy for life if I wanted to. And I do not.
After Nice, we drove to Monaco, the second smallest country in the world (area-wise). For those of you keeping count at home, I have now visited the two smallest countries in the world (Vatican City being #1). Monaco is about the size of Central Park in New York, and honestly with the elaborate buildings and wealth feels like Disney…if Disney had less children and the theme park rides were all casinos.
We all dressed up and had a group dinner at a fancy restaurant on the harbor, before trying our luck at the casino. I’m a generally lucky gal who has won $300 during cruise ship bingo, thank you very much, but playing the slots only earned me about 15 Euro. However, my friend Patrick won over 200, within being there for only, like, 20 minutes!
The next morning, we checked out the area surrounding the palace, enjoying some beautiful harbor views, lovely gardens, and Princess Grace’s tomb. We watched the changing of the guard and grabbed some ice cream (never pass up an opportunity for ice cream) before heading back to France.
On the way back to Aix, we stopped in the village of Eze, home to the famous Galimard Perfume House. We had an informative tour of the factory. Some fun facts: most of the perfume in the world from famous places such as Dior or Chanel is made in Eze or the surrounding area…the materials are imported from around the world, actually put together as perfume here, and then sent back out for distribution! Additionally, those who literally mix the perfume are given the title of “nose”, and have to train for something like 5 years, after which they have to abstain from things like coffee, spicy foods, alcohol…anything that would dull your sense of smell over time! There are obviously only a few hundred in the world, and 2 are at the Galimard house in Eze.
I of course bought myself some perfume, and we finally headed back to Aix. On the bus ride home, there was a beautiful sunset. The evening haze was purple, the sky an ombre of orange to blue. Despite the cold and the rain, I think spring and summer must be just around the corner here in Provence.
Sunday evening, I finally returned to Aix, with parents in tow. The beautiful sunshine welcomed us, finally somewhere a far cry from freezing. Although I had classes, I was fortunately able to spend time with my parents, taking them to cookie and soap stores, watching movies, and acting as their personal translator (I’m sure this would’ve gotten annoying eventually, but mostly it was a beautiful reminder of how far I’ve come in my language skills). They departed for home this morning, and I stayed on; this round it’ll be 9.5 weeks until we are reunited, rather than the 6 weeks that menaced before us when I left the US.
There is a beautiful youthful recklessness to traveling with other 20 year olds. We get lost, we walk in the rain for hours to avoid paying for a taxi, we stay home and cook pasta repeatedly so that we can afford to go out at night. I am spontaneous; I often don’t know what’s in a city before I arrive, and almost never have a plan. I stay in hostels, or air b&bs, and take budget flights that are inconvenient or overcrowded. It isn’t glamorous, but it is freeing, informative, and fun.
With my parents, we ate at real, nice restaurants, stayed in hotels, took taxi rides, had a (mostly) planned itinerary, and indulged in some tourist attractions I could never afford on my own terms. I aspire to travel like my parents one day. Yes it is these other short, chaotic jaunts that currently comprise the majority of my study abroad travels that give me a full appreciation of their lifestyle.
Not everything was rose-tinted. My parents and I certainly disagree on many things, and as I have gotten older and become more likely to speak my mind, we ruffle each other’s feathers a bit more. We don’t always have the same interests (my mother would never go into a palace again, given the option), and none of that changes just because we’re on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.
Yet all in all, I had a truly exceptional spring vacation. I love my parents so much, and I’m so thankful they took the time to come spend a bit of my European adventure with me. We saw new things together, and I was able to show them what my life is like here in Aix. Additionally, travelling with my parents gave me a better look at myself. From their reactions and comments, I was able to see how independent I’ve grown, how much confidence I’ve gained in such a short time. They have entirely enabled me to be here, and it felt good to give back at least a little, if only for my translation services and cookie recommendations. I miss them already.
The last stop of my spring break was in Salzburg, Austria. Fun fact: Salzburg literally translates to “salt fortress”! For some reason, I never made the connection between Salzburg…and salt………..but, the more you know!
Anyway, we arrived and immediately took the funicular up the 1600+ ft to Hohensalzburg Fortress, which was built in 1077 to defend the town. It wasn’t the prettiest day in the world, but we still had fun. There are a few museums up top, including a marionette museum, which thrilled my mother. That night, we enjoyed a themed Mozart dinner in the Baroque Hall St. Peter, which actually additionally houses the oldest restaurant in Europe! We listened to a string quartet and two operatic singers performing pieces from various Mozart operas between courses.
Saturday, we took the Sound of Music tour! Honestly, this was more notable for the natural beauty surrounding Salzburg, rather than famous sights from the movie, since a majority of the filming was done inside. But, we really enjoyed the scenery, and singing “Do Re Mi” on the bus was an experience!
Church where they were married in the film
Front of the house
Sixteen going on Seventeen gazebo
Tour bus!
Do Re Mi steps
Lake scene
We shopped around a bit afterwards, including stopping in at the Salzburg Christmas Store, which is open year round and unique in its supply of decorated eggs. There must’ve been literally thousands in the store, painted for different holidays, in different colors, with glitter or lace…the possibilities seemed endless.
This morning when we were leaving, there was a parade tromping through Salzburg, complete with traditional regalia, a marching band, and even cannon blasts! We’re not exactly sure why this occurred, but it certainly made for a more interesting morning. Salzburg is a small town, particularly compared to Vienna or Prague. Life was a bit slower, the pace more relaxed than earlier in our trip, with fewer things for us to do. I can’t say I loved the city, but the scenery of the heart of Europe is one I won’t soon forget.
Monday, we took the train from Prague to Vienna. As we rolled on through the Czech countryside, I thought about how Prague seemed so eternally young, rebuilt time and time again, always finding new ways to exist.
Vienna is not interested in any of that nonsense. Vienna, the former seat of the Hapsburg Dynasty (meaning of the Austro-Hungarian empire, the Holy Roman Empire, and various Kingdoms, such as that of France, Mexico, Portugal…), is proud and elegant. You can feel it as you walk around; Vienna is not going to change her ways for you. The streets are large and wide, the marble carved with intricacies, seemingly boasting through muted tones that she will be in style forever. She does not change to fit your moods or fads and she is only half interested in your technology, you must change your habits to fit Vienna.
And you do, because, well, it’s lovely to feel so elegant. We were wiped out upon arrival, but somehow managed to make it out of our beautifully artistic hotel (where the paintings in the rooms and lobby were done by hand by an Austrian artist) to a burger restaurant, where we promptly learned a: we really don’t speak German, b: this does not seem to matter very much for our purposes, and c: Vienna has wonderful food. The onion rings were great and the burgers were, too!
Tuesday, we first did a tram tour of the Ringstrasse. All of the major buildings in Vienna, such as the parliament, Opera house, and museums, are built in a ring formation (hence, Ringstrasse), with the old city in the middle. After our tour, we made our way to St. Stephen’s Cathedral, a gothic-style church in the center of town. We visited one of the apartments Mozart lived in (now a museum dedicated to his life), and truly there is nothing like learning history in the room where it happened (#yayHamlet). From there, we had our first coffee and cake in Vienna.
Coffee and cake in Vienna, and cafe culture in general, is an institution. There must have been over 10 varieties of cakes and other pastries in every cafe we visited, from the Sachertorte, a chocolatey cake originated in Vienna, to the Mozart torte, a pistachio and chocolate confection. I’m a huge café gal, not to mention my particular affinity for cake, so rest assured Vienna quickly made it’s list of my happy places. There’s just something about sitting down and taking the time to enjoy a simple cup of joe, or slice of heaven, while reading a book or chatting with friends.
We then visited the street where my grandmother was born and the nearby park. She lived in Vienna until the age of 5, before moving to Berlin, then Poland, then finally the United States, after the start of World War 2. We of course took pictures for her, and it was so remarkable to be so close to a part of her life I had only heard about. Throughout our stay, my mother kept remembering odd things from her childhood that she realized were German in nature; particular candies at our hotel’s front desk, or the style of coffee we were offered in the cafe. It’s funny how you can connect to someone from being thousands of miles apart.
We ate Chinese food for dinner, and the next morning were up and ready to go! First, we saw the Hofburg palace, where the royals stayed in olden times, but which now houses the President of Austria. There is an entire royal complex in old town, including the imperial silver collection, which we visited, and the Spanish riding school, which we unfortunately did not have time for. The palace featured the Sisi Museum, dedicated to Empress Elizabeth, wife of Franz Josef, a woman who has become mostly a myth in Austria, beloved for her beauty and independent ways.
We did a bit of shopping, and of course had more cake, before standing in line for standing tickets at the Opera. At the Vienna State Opera House, one can purchase standing room tickets for 3 or 4 euros, any night! We stood on the second to last row of the top balcony (honestly, not a terrible view, and the acoustics were wonderful) for a rendition of Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte (in Italian, with a choice of either English or German subtitles). I was stunned by the entire experience, and couldn’t stop smiling. The opera itself was wonderful as well, with clear ringing voices and excellent comedic timing. There is a magic to watching a genuine (and your first!) opera, written by a composer whose house you toured only yesterday, in the city of music.
Finally, on Thursday we toured the Schönbrunn, or summer palace. The palace was modeled off of that in Versailles, Paris, complete with a Hall of Mirrors and sprawling gardens. I could never tour enough palaces; there is something about the glamour and intricate richness that captivates me every time. We ate schnitzel and goulash, and watched a demonstration of how to make strudel, before sampling that as well. Finally, we headed home, ate yet more cake, and went to bed to prepare for our journey to Salzburg.
I absolutely adored Vienna. The cake, the music, the royalty…the city and I share a kindred soul. It’s also, not surprisingly, the city I think is most similar to Paris that I’ve ever visited. If I had to decide between the two elegant beauties, I’d be hard-pressed for an answer…cake or macarons? Siene or Danube? French opera or Viennese opera? I think I’ll need to visit both a couple more times before making a final decision.
Emily Sakowitz 