Books, Books, Books

Something that is different in Salzburg is that everything closes down really early (like 6 or 7) except for the bars of course. And since heading out to the local bars to get wasted isn't the first thing on my To-Do list, I have discovered (once again) my love for reading.

Since arriving in Europe I have read:

To Kill A Mockingbird- Harper Lee

A story of childhood, adventure, and discovery. I recommend to all.

Garden Spells- Sarah Addison Allen

A book about sisters, a mother protecting her daughter, and growing.

I recommend to those who like quick good reads.

Southern Lights- Danielle Steel

A story of an assistant DA and her daughter and their struggles when forced to live apart during an especially difficult case. It is predictable but has a good story.

The Princess Bride- William Goldman

This is a book of about True Love. It is hilarious, engaging, and fun.

I recommend to everyone.

I finished the Princess Bride today. I found some pretty cheap Penguin Popular Classic books while in Wien. So right after finishing The Princess Bride, I started Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift. It is sort of nice living in a dorm with limited internet access because it helped me remember how much I love to read.

Of the books that I have read thus far I would rate them like this:

1. To Kill A Mockingbird
2. The Princess Bride
3. Garden Spells
4. Southern Lights

I love reading. I love remembering that I love to read. I love reading on cold rainy days, like today. I'm sure that spring will come one day! Until then, I am open to any book recommendations. Yay Books! :)

Wien aka Vienna

What an amazing place. I loved Wien. I loved the busyness, the public transportation system, the architecture, the museums, everything! Leisel and I started our Wien adventures by getting lost while searching for Stephansdom. But we found a really cool church.

After figuring out that we were lost we turned around and got some lunch at a Kebap stand. Kebap is amazing! I’ll take pictures next time I get some and I’ll post them. After Kebap we made it to Stephansplatz and then to Stephansdom. Stephansdom is so stinking TALL! My pictures don’t do it justice. I really liked the tile roof. I like the Gothic architecture also. It reminded me of the Dom in Köln.

After we saw Stephansdom we wondered some more and come to the Hofburg Palace.
After that we walked to the Natural History Museum. I loved the Natural History Museum. I thought it was really well done. It reminded me of Night at the Museum. I had a lot of fun seeing all the animals, even if it was a little sad that they were dead and stuffed. They were doing a special exhibit that showed the insides of some animals and that was really cool. It was like Body World but animal style.

The next day we went to the Schloss Schönbrunn. I loved the grounds. I can’t even imagine how cool it would look in the spring and summer. It was such a nice day that we spent some time laying in the sun on the hill overlooking the Schloss.

Unfortunately both my camera and Leisel’s camera ran out of batteries that day. I forgot to bring my charger with me. Leisel brought her charger with her but didn’t bring the plug converter. That's what happens when you pack when you are only partially awake in the morning. So the picture overlooking the Schloss is the last picture we have of Wien.

But the next day Leisel and I went to some art museums. We went to the Modern Art Museum, which was really disappointing and not worth the 6 Euro we paid to get in. I don’t suggest going. We left and still had the desire to see some art. So we went to the Museum of Art History that was right across from the Museum of Natural History. This museum was a lot better. There were a lot of pictures of bible stories and famous Europeans. They also had an exhibit on the Egyptians and Romans. We were both satisfied after we left that museum. After the museum we decided some Torte (cake) was necessary. So we got some Torte. It was delicious.

I loved Wien. Part of me wished that I had chosen to study in Wien instead of Salzburg. But then I came back to Salzburg and it felt sort of like home. So its all good. I am very grateful that I have been able to travel.

At the Zoo

Someone told me

It's all happening at the zoo.

I do believe it,

I do believe it's true.

It's a light and tumble journey

From the East Side to the park;

Just a fine and fancy ramble

To the zoo.

But you can take the crosstown bus

If it's raining or it's cold,

And the animals will love it

If you do.

Something tells me

It's all happening at the zoo.

I do believe it,

I do believe it's true.

The monkeys stand for honesty,

Giraffes are insincere,

And the elephants are kindly but they're dumb.

Orangutans are skeptical

Of changes in their cages,

And the zookeeper is very fond of rum.

Zebras (or Rhinos) are reactionaries,

Antelopes are missionaries,

Pigeons (or Flamingos) plot in secrecy,

And hamsters (or Pandas!) turn on frequently.

What a gas! You gotta come and see

At the zoo.

At the Zoo by Simon and Garfunkel

I LOVE THE ZOO!

I Heart Venezia

My latest adventure took my to the picturesque land of Venice, Italy! The locals call at Venezia. Shout out to VENEZIA! woot woot! There are so many pictures and so many fun things to say about Venezia. I feel like a list is appropriate.

Carnival

It was/is Carnival right now in Venice. I think it is just starting. But there were a lot of people dressed up in their Carnival costumes. I wonder what kind of jobs they have that allow them to dress up and wonder the streets all day getting their pictures taken.

Indiana Jones Library

Remember in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade how Indy went to a library in Venice and found catacombs and what not? Well, unfortunately the inside of that library in London somewhere but the outside of the library is in Venice. It is the Church of San Barnaba. You bet that we went and took pictures by the church.

Basilica di San Marco

This is an amazing Cathedral. The inside is absolutely amazing! And it was free to walk through. That is a bonus.

Burano

Burano is a little island by Venezia. It is a fisherman's village and it is said that the fishermen all painted their houses bright colors so they could find they way back home. Where this is true or not I don't know. But Burano is a way cool village. All the houses are bright colors and it has such a fun atmosphere.

Wandering Aimlessly Throughout Venezia

Venezia is a beautiful city. One of the best ways to see it is to wander without any purpose. Or get lost. Getting lost is really easy there, trust me! I have never felt so lost in my life. But it is good to get lost because then you see a lot of the city and you see the beauty of the city.

Venice is an amazing city! It is a photographer's paradise. I would definitely recommend it. But I would suggest going in the spring or summer. The food there is amazing and the atmosphere is a lot of fun.