Spring has sprung in Wien!

This past weekend in Budapest was beaaaautiful... we didn’t need jackets!  When we returned to Vienna on Sunday, it was a little chillier.  However, Monday and Tuesday were the most beautiful days in Vienna so far!! Spring is right around the corner in Wien.  Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were a bit rainy, but hopefully that just means the flowers will begin to bloom sooner!

Around the corner from my apartment on Monday morning!

The Ringstraße on Monday morning!

The Naturhistorisches Museum.

Burgtor

The Rathaus.

The Swiss Gate

My Fin de Siécle Class went to the Sissi Museum in the Hofburg...
These are just a few of the dining ware the Hapsburg family used.

One of Kaiserin Elisabeth’s sets of travel silverware, obviously.

Her traveling dishes.

This is the dining room table in my apartment set up for breakfast...
Just kidding, its actually the table setting in the Hofburg.

A beaaautiful chamber pot.

Kaiserin Elisabeth’s baptismal outfit!

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!  IES hosted a baking competition at Travel Shack and I WON!!! I baked a Sachertorte with my language buddy, Agnes, and her friend Jasmin.

The Winning Team!! Here I am with Agnes, Jasmin, and Kevin (a fellow IESer and Jasmin’s language buddy).

All in all, it was an awesome week.  I found out on Friday morning (veeeery early Friday, still Saint Patrick’s Day for me!) that I was accepted into the 5-Year Track at Fordham University Graduate School of Education!! WOOHOO!

Auf Wiedersehen for now!  Wish me luck on my upcoming midterms!

Budapest!

Last weekend a group of friends and I decided to head to Budapest for the weekend!  Our train left from Westbahnhof at around 2:00 and we were in Hungary at 2:30, Budapest at 4:45!  It was an awesome time with some awesome friends.

We really didn’t have an itinerary when we arrived in Budapest, so everything was really up in the air.  When we arrived, Ellison, Bailey and I grabbed dinner, which was delicious!

Hungarian goulash

A Hungarian potato pancake with paprika sauce

We were OBSESSED! with the currency in Hungary.  We dropped 11,000 on this meal.

On Saturday we all got up really early to start our day of exploring.  Jack, Kent, Omar, and Michelle decided to go on a walking tour while Bailey, Ellison, and I opted for a bus tour.  The bus was hop-on-hop-off, and we could use it for 48 hours!  This was great for Sunday morning when we wanted to go back to the train station!

Any ideas as to what this sign could mean?

No ice cream or hamburgers allowed in the Metro.

Bailey, Omar, and Ellison way too excited to take the Metro!

Ellison was very excited for the bus tour.

St. Stephen’s Basilica

Budapest Opera House

The Museum of Terror is located in the former secret headquarters of the Nazis and Communist governments.

The Hall of Art museum in Heroes’ Square.

The Museum of Fine Arts

Here I am in Heroes’ Square!

The Column of Gabriel and the Hungarian Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

This is in front of the castle that inspired Walt Disney to make Sleeping Beauty’s Castle!!

Ellison was very sad because her camera battery died.

I had all my ducks in a row.

At the entrance to the Budapest Zoo!!

Creepiest bird award.

Bailey being curious.

Me and Bailey with a new friend.

Ellison and her new boyfriend.

There was an exhibit at the zoo for a breed of dogs that is from Hungary.

RAMS! or a goat.

Rafiki.

The seal exhibit was SO COOL!! They swam above you!!

Dippin’ Dots are called Ice-N-Go’s in Hungary.

Most exciting part of the zoo!! 

I PET A GIRAFFE!!!! SO COOL!!

An Indian elephant.

Our chariot.

The Blue Danube splits Budapest (Buda is on the left in this photo, and Pest is on the other.).  We had the most beautiful view from the top of a mountain in Buda.

St. Mattias’ Church - sorry for the glare! 

The Parliament building.

I plan on going back to Budapest in April to check out the synagogue, go inside St. Stephen’s, and experience the famous baths!

I’m ALMOST caught up!! One more post and then I’m done. Phew.