Snapshots of living in Austria!

I has now been two weeks since I arrived in Europe.  I have done more new things in these two weeks then possibly in my entire life.  I have made some great friends and it is hard to believe we have only know each other for two weeks. We had some rainy days at first (which covers the mountains in the most beautiful fog ever) but over the last week the weather has been almost perfect. Today was our last day of our intensive language orientation course and our real classes start on Monday.

Other than being in class and doing homework (of which there was a surprising amount) we have been having a grand time getting to know Salzburg and its surrounding areas.  What is one of the best ways to get immersed in the culture of Austria?  A pastry tasting seminar in one of the oldest cafes in Salzburg.  This cafe was were the original Mozartkugel or Mozart Ball (a favorite Austrian chocolate) was created.  

 During one of the rainy days we visited Hohenwerfen Castle.  After a 45 minute bus ride and a 30 minute hike up a mountain this was the view we were greeted with.  The fog was so thick on the mountains that you couldn't see the peaks.

Hohenwefen Castle has a daily 'Birds of Prey' show featuring native Austrian falcons and North American bald eagles.  Go to a 'Birds of Prey' show in Austria, see bald eagles.  I think I have found my true calling.  I should be a falconer.  I don't think there is anything cooler than being a falconer; and no, it is not just because you get to dress up like Robing Hood (though that is a plus).  

Andreas has been our tour-guide around the city of Sazburg and the surrounding areas for the last two weeks.  He is well over 6'6, was born and raised in Salzburg, knows everything there is to know about Austria, and is one of the happiest and sweetest men I have ever met.  While we were in the courtyard of the castle we found some old stilts in a corer and gave them a try.  Andreas thought it was hilarious that someone was finally as tall as he was and put his hat on my head before doing a jig.

After a tour of the castle we got to climb up into the bell tour and get a 360 view of the surrounding valley and mountains.  One thing I have noticed about Austria is that no matter how big a field is, you will never see a herd of cows that has more than 15 cows in it.  

At the end of our tour Andreas took us for one last quick stop at Hellbrunn; where, if you take a walk to the back of the gardens, you find the gazebo that was used in filming 'The Sound of Music'.  Normally the gazebo is locked but Andreas also works at Hellbrunn and had a key for it.

One of the best parts about staying at St. Sebastian is the rooftop  with this view one of the best views in Salzburg.

Pictures of London!

Here are some of the highlights of the two days spent in London (plus a few of me leaving home)!

Me all packed and ready to go:

 All excited to get my boarding passes:

 Flying over Ireland!

 Brompton Cemetery in London:

 Brompton Cemetery again:

 Red phone box!

Fish and chips!

Horse Guard:

The Wellington Arch in Hyde Park Corner:

 Outside of Westminster:

 Me and Big Ben:

Horse Guard as seen from St. James Garden:

London Eye as seen from St. James Garden:

Horse Guard Parade:

Buckingham Palace:

London Bridge:

British Museum:

Me and the British Museum:

Getting lost on the tube:

Three Countries in Three Days (London, Munich, and Salzburg)

This is going to be a quick update on traveling and arriving in Salzburg.  Unfortunately I haven't found my cord to charge my camera so I don't have any pictures yet.

Traveling:
~ My flight from Minneapolis to Chicago (Thursday the 5th) was delayed by 3 hours due to bad weather in Chicago.
~ I then missed my flight from Chicago to London but was able to get a ticket for the next flight leaving at 9 pm.  Because they needed to change a tire on the plane we didn't end up leaving until 12:30 am.
~ I arrived in London at 2:30 on the 6th, unfortunately my luggage did not.  I didn't get my luggage until today and have spent the last 6 days living off of what I packed in my carry-on and what I could borrow from my roommate.

London:
London is truly an amazing city. I spent a total of 37 hours there and it wasn't nearly enough time.  I think you could spend a lifetime living in London and still not see everything that it has to offer.   Highlights were:
~ A three hour tour that included stopping at or driving by Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Tower of London, Trafalgar square, the House of Parliament (as well as many other political and government buildings), the London Eye, St. James Garden, Kensington Gardens, the London Bridge, Millennium Bridge, and Covenant Garden (a square with restaurants, food stands, a market, and street entertainers).
~ An adventure on foot around the city with stops at Kings Crossing, the British Museum, the Tate Museum, and Shakespeare's Globe theater.
~ Getting to navigate the tube and discovering how difficult it is to get around when two lines are closed.
~ Eating fish and chips, drinking tea., and finding croissants everywhere.
Overall it was a great few days.  By the end I was sore and stiff and my feet were bleeding from all of the walking but I wouldn't have missed a second of it.

London - Munich - Salzburg:
We left London at 3 am Monday morning to catch our flight to Munich.  The two hour flight to Munich was a great time to relax and regroup before landing in Munich and taking a bus to Salzburg to see the city I will be calling home for the next 3 1/2 months.  We were not able to spend much time in Munich but we got a great look at the city during out bus ride. The best part about the ride was seeing mountains for the first time.  Never have I seen anything so majestic and breathtaking, and never again will I be content with the hills of Minnesota.

Salzburg:
The 35 students taking part of the AIFS semester in Salzburg are all living in various places around the city.  Myself and 9 other students are living at Institut St. Sebastian, which service as both a dorm and a hostel.  We are close to the middle of the city and are surrounded on one side by a mountain, another side St. Sebastian church and cemetery, and the other two sides by a maze of streets offering shops, hotels, cafes, and restaurants.  Already in this short time I have learned to navigate the streets and the bus system and am confident that I can find my way anywhere.  We have taken multiple tours of Salzburg and started our German language classes today at the University of Salzburg.

Hopefully I can get some photos up soon so everyone can see the beauty of Europe.  If anyone is interested in sending me a letter my address is:
Amy Soukup 401
Institut St. Sebastian Linzergasse 41 A-5020 SalzburgAustria - Europe