***So I typed this post...and then it deleted due to various wifi malfunctions. Which I am attempting to fix, but aren't working. So, on this beautifully snowy day while I remember this amazing trip, I am retyping and reposting this whole thing. Yeah I know I should probably be doing something better with my life...but here goes nothing!
Over spring break of my 8th grade year, I took an amazing trip to Germany and Austria for 10 days. It was an extraordinary trip because we weren't just sightseeing, we were also performing the recorder. Just a bit of background information: Recorders are a medieval instrument, what made up orchestras before violins were invented. I think they are truly unique that they contain centuries of history. We took this trip to experience the music-infused culture of these cities in these two countries, and to get an opportunity to honor those composers by playing their music where it was composed. Throughout the trip, my best friend (Lane, you'll hear quite a bit about her here) and I kept journals so that we could remember small details that eventually we would forget. I'm adding a few little things, such as restaurant and food reviews, travelers advice, as well as distances that we walked (since most of the day, we are walking from place to place). This post is a compilation of most of my journal entries. But because my intention here isn't to ruin what could be a fabulous trip experience for you, I am just showing you a glimpse into my trip. Enjoy!
PS: This post contains many descriptions of beautiful landscapes, gorgeous music, amazing people, and delicious food. Beware.
Day 1: Friday, March 15 (Freitag, am 15. März)
Location: Combination of Cleveland, Philadelphia, and a boring US Airways plane ride.
3:16 p.m. (Cleveland Time)
I can't believe our journey has begun! We are at the airport right now, waiting to go to Philly. We're eating a ton of junk food, probably not the best choice. On the plane to Philly, I'm probably going to be sitting next to Kayla and Hanna, since the seats are alphabetical by last name. It's unfortunately a small plane, and the weather's not the greatest. The funniest thing ever happened today: My braid got caught in security. It was funnier when it was happening.
6:38 p.m. (Philadelphia Time)
Our flight from Cleveland got delayed by 1 ½ hours and we nearly missed our flight to Munich. The problem was that the next two days' flights to Munich (6:30 pm) were both full, so we would have to fly to Manchester and then Munich. Being the HB girls that we were, we sprinted through the airport and shuttle from Terminal F to A. We made the flight, so I am currently sitting with Margaret in the second to last row. Fortunately, with a window seat.
2:07 a.m. (Munich Time)
Since I was sitting at the end of the plane, by the time they came to me for dinner, they were out of pasta, which was their only vegetarian option. Stupid US Airways. I concluded that my dinner would be a luna bar, some of a brownie that Margaret very kindly gave me, some Reese's cups, and sprite. But one flight attemdant was very kind and he gave me the vegetarian portion of the non-veg meal. I'm going to attempt to sleep with my iPod now, because there is absolutely nothing else to do on this flight.
Day 2: Saturday, March 16 (Samstag, am 16. März)
Location: Downtown Munich Sightseeing
10:26 p.m. (*From now until further mentioned, everything is in local European time)
We started off a tiring day by doing passport checks and exchanging money. While Lane and I were waiting in line, we had a very cool conversation with a guy who was telling us about Istanbul and Japan. He had been to both places, I was very jealous. We met Gerrit, our tour guide, and Stephan, our bus driver. We bought breakfast snacks in the airport. I found the most magically amazing wildberry yogurt. I also learnt that our tour bus is a Mercedez. Irrelevant, but it makes my life all the more better. We started the day off at the Viktualienmarkt, where Lane, Ms Southard, Gerrit and I shared a box of really good rosemary olives. We saw mant things today, such as the BMW headquarters, and the Munich glockenspiel. WE ate lunch at the Hofbraühaus. I got the vegetarian spaetzel with cheese, apple strudel, onion soup, a pretzel and some sparkling water. We then went our and raised $40 by playing in Marienplatz for UNICEF. We got super cold outside, so we went into a cafe in the art museum and drank hot chocolate. They gave us the coolest blocks of chocolate on sticks, along with a glass of milk. It felt very modern and contemporary. We ate dinner at an Italian restaurant. (Lane, Gerrit, and I took a small side trip to the Swatch store here). We played cards and ate pizza while drinking NOT SPARKLING water out of beer-like bottles. I had the most amazing pesto ever! We're staying at the youth hostel right now. I am top bunk for what I believe to be the first time in my life. I'm in a 6 person room, and at the fact that we've been playing cards for the past 2 hours, I highly doubt I'm going to be able to sleep tonight.
Distance Walked: 5.5 Miles
Food and Restaurant Notes: I would recommend everything I had today. Italian food was at Berni's Nudelbrett in Munich, a few blocks away from Marienplatz. Note: SPARKLING WATER IS NOT ACTUALLY LIKE WATER. It has something in it, so it tastes totally like normal water. Ask them for flat water.
Travelers Notes: In the middle of March, it is unbelievably sunny and unbelievably cold. Pack accordingly for the weather. Also, there are tons of tourists out at this time on a Saturday, even though most schools in Europe aren't on Easter Break. Plan your destinations accordingly if you want to get good views and pictures.
Day 3: Sunday, March 17 (Sonntag, am 17. März)
Location: Berchtesgaden Salt Mine (Border of Germany and Austria) and Salzburg, Austria
9:18 p.m.
Today morning, we drove to Berchtesgaden Salt Mine. It was a spectacular drive through the Alps and across the open border of Germany and Austria. In the mine, we rode on carts through the mountains and took slides to get deeper underground. We also saw a very cool mirrored lights show on the lake while in a boat. After finishing our tour of the Salt Mine, we ate lunch around a fountain in the middle of the Alps. The view was spectacular. Although there was snow on all of the mountaintops around us, the sun was shining and it was quite warm. On the top of one of the mountains, there is a small chalet. It's nicknamed Hitler's Eagle Nest, because this is where Hitler would stay and command his troops in order to keep control over Austria. Rumor has it that almost all of Austria can be seen from up here. We then drove to Salzburg. I bought lots of things when we got down, including 2 magnets, a violinist figure, a music scarf, Mozartkugeln, and a heart necklace (from the Salt Mine). We then went to the Hohensalzburg fortress. We took personal tours with little audio system units. When we were on the tops of towers on top of the fortress which was on top of a mountain, the view was gorgeous. You can see all of Salzburg from up there, as well as fairly deep into the Alps. We then went to Mozart's Birth Häus and played Andante. I also had gelato for the first time ever. It was lemon flavored, and one of the best things I have ever tasted. For dinner, we went to a cool restaurant in which you see things in windows, point, pay and eat. I also had more kinder chocolate, in which there were toys. Mine was a mini seal. We are staying at the Hotel Goldenes Theatre in Salzburg for tonight and tomorrow night.
Distance Walked: 3.42 Miles
Food and Restaurant Notes: Everything was really good today. For the town at Berchtesgaden, many things aren't open on Sundays until 2-3 pm. However, note that it is very close to Salzburg so it isn't too difficult to drive there to get food. We ate dinner at Augustinerbräu. It is really cool to be able to see what you're ordering but I do advise you to have a dictionary or translating app with you as it gets really annoying sometimes when they can't understand what you're asking for. The food is delicious.
Travelers Notes: Hitler's Eagle Nest was not one of the places where we visited but it is possible to take a ski lift up to the chalet; I've heard the view is breathtaking. You must visit Salzburg. If you're a fan of Mozart or not, this is an amazing city. There are quite a few shops on the street where Mozart's Birth Häus is.
Day 4: Monday, March 18 (Montag, am 18. März)
Location: All around Salzburg (Sound of Music Tour)
10:58 p.m.
This morning, I nearly overslept. It was around 7:53 when I had a pleasant wake up call of Lane violently shaking me to wake me up. While we were eating breakfast, Hanna, Lane and I talked to an American lady about how smart we sound when we talk. She was very interesting. We went on the Sound of Music tour. The fun involved a funny tour guide, yodeling lessons, sing alongs, tree-climbing, and the most spectacular views in the world. I had a lot of fun eating Linzer torte cookies as well. In the afternoon, we had our first formal performance. On the way to the Orff Institut, Lane twirled, spun, and braided my hair into this epic twisty braid. The performance went really well and the kids were very cute. Since it was pouring, we went and got rain stuff. Lane and I then took off on her shopping spree. I saw some really cool things though, including musical pasta. After shopping, we ate dinner. More kaisespaetzel (cheesy spaetzel). However, we had a very cool drink called Spezi (which was basically Fanta and Coke mixed). Lastly, we had a dessert called Salzburger Nockerl (whipped fluffy eggs and cranberry jam). We are staying in the Hotel Goldenes Theatre again tonight. I am going to go attempt to tell Lane to stop playing Jiya Re at the TOP OF HER IPOD'S VOLUME. I TAUGHT HER THAT SONG AND NOW IT'S DRIVING ME INSANE!!!!
Distance Walked: 5.06 Miles
Food and Restaurant Notes: The place where we ate dinner, Bärenwirt, had literally NO VEGETARIAN OPTIONS. I am a strict vegetarian so this was an issue for me. But their Salzburger Nockerl merits the visit.
Travelers Notes: On the south side of the river (Danube), there are many cute shops where you can get food, souvenirs, one-of-a-kind clothes, beautiful jewelry, and just about anything else. I definitely recommend this. Also, if you are in a relationship, there is a bridge going across the river that lovers attach locks to. It is said to hold your relationship stable as long as it is up on the bridge. This might be something you enjoy.
Day 5: Tuesday, March 19 (Dienstag, am 19. März)
Location: Vienna (at last!)
10:45 p.m.
We started off an exciting and tiring day with a 3 ½ hour bus ride from Salzburg to Vienna. However, we had a lot of fun, including singing various a capella arrangements of different songs (all our own). After reaching Vienna, we ate lunch at the Esterhazy Keller. This time it was Greek food- spinach and feta cheese in phyllo dough, as well as creamed garlic soup. AND more apple strudel. However, I got to try a traditionall Viennese lemonade drink called Almdudler. We then played the Alma Mater. After this, we went to the Haus de Musik museum (For some strange reason, I wrote that sentence in French in my tour guide. I hope it was at least grammatically correct.) It was the coolest thing ever! Especially the sound physics floor- Trom even named me a resource here :) I bought Ms Ella a snow globe, a pen and musical paper clips. Their gift shop was quite extensive and I had some difficulty in choosing what to get. We went to the Manner wafer store and I got some original hazelnüsse wafers. We finally had rehearsal with the Musikschule. They have really nice sounding wood recorders, however, they call them flutes. This led to quite a bit of confusion amongst us 13 Americans. We then met our homestay families. Both Christian and Martin were very nice, as were Herr and Frau Schlatte. We had an amazing dinner of tomato soup, bread (with butter), various cheeses, and empanadas. For dessert, we had pudding with jam, as well as orange cake, followed with jasmine and fruit tea. We had a ton of fun. Guess what? Ms. Southard even accepted my request to play at the concert on Thursday night!
Distance Walked: 4.25 Miles
Food and Restaurant Notes: Esterhazy Keller has wonderful food. Manner wafer candy of all type is something you must try. However, the meal that I had for dinner was something that I dream of having again because it was so good. It was home made though, so I can't tell you where to get it, sorry.
Travelers Notes: Vienna is currently my favorite city in the world. I loved walking the streets there. It's very modern too. The Haus de Musik is a place that both music lovers and not will love equally. The Esterhazy Keller holds a lot of musical history as well, so it's worth a visit to just go down and see Haydn's composing "studio".
Day 6: Wednesday, March 20 (Mittwock, am 20. März)
Location: Vienna
11:08 p.m.
Today was a fairly boring day, however with some things that strongly popped out. Today morning, I had an absolutely freezing cold shower. The heating water system turned off by accident. Frau Schlatte was very upset because I didn't tell her. I was reminded of this throughout the day by Christian, Martin, and Lane. I finally got to try the Musikschule's piano. It's better than a Steinway! Seriously though, I was freaking out about playing it, and freaking out even more about playing it tomorrow night! We then went and saw the Lipizzaner Stallions practice. We saw all of Vienna from the top of a cool ferris wheel. After lunch (more spaetzel and amazing desserts), we went to the Sisi museum and Royal Apartments. It was quite interesting. Afterwards, we went to a park and just watched/took pictures of skateboarders. Finally, we went back to the school and rehearsed with the others some more. We also went on a tour of the Musikschule, a beautiful place. I got to try playing a harpsichord as well. Just like Ms Ella, Ms Southard, and Mrs Mietus had said, the black and white keys were switched, so it was very different to play. We went to Grinzing for dinner and had their traditional grape juice. After dinner, Herr Schlatte took Lane and I up the nearby mountain to show us Vienna at night. It was a breathtaking view! He also showed us these two fish that he adored as a child, which turned out to just be a fountain made of stone. We then went back to the flat and bonded with Christian and Martin, talking about common touristy perceptions to clothes to store brands. It was a great culturally enhancing experience.
Distance Walked: 5.61 Miles
Food and Restaurant Notes: Café Griestadl has very good kaisespaetzel. Beware of putting sugar on your food mistaking it for salt, it happened to us. However, it has amazing tortes. It was here that my life would change. I tried Esterhàzy torte. I have not stopped thinking about it since. Even Lane, who doesn't like desserts or chocolate, finally split the piece with me. I have since made the torte once, with a plan to make it again. I don't have the name of the Grinzing restaurant we ate dinner at, but it was the point-and-order type. Wasn't the greatest food though.
Travelers Notes: Go to see the Lipizzaner Stallions during their actual performance season. Their practices show off the horses, which are truly beautiful, but you really only see them trotting around everywhere. The Royal Apartments are really beautiful though, and are worth the visit.
Day 7: Thursday, March 21 (Donnerstag, am 21. März)
Location: Vienna
10:30 p.m.
Today, we went to a lot of artsy sites. We started at the Hundertwasserhaus, a house which has no straight lines because according to the artist Hundertwasser (100 Waters), "Straight Lines are the Devil's Tool." From there we went to the Art Museum. We saw many cool paintings and sculptures, many famous pieces of artwork as well. We basically stumbled from one room to another because we couldn't actually find our way around. Event wise, lunch was boring, but it was delicious- spinach dumplings with cheese, and potato salad. After lunch, we toured the Vienna opera house. It was a gorgeous, ornately decorated building. I thoroughly enjoyed it. We then went to a café close to Hotel Sacher and had Sachertorte. This chocolaty dessert is chocolate cake, apricot preserves, and chocolate with whipped cream on top. Afterwords, we had hot chocolate again but it was so perfectly sized that it was adorable. After that was the concert. All of our recorder pieces went very well. My piano solo went amazingly- we pulled the piano out and I played in the open atrium. We ditched the potluck, and instead, Lane, Christian and I went to a pizza place. It was a lot of fun to wait for the pizza because we sat and practiced doing accents for 20 minutes there.
Distance Walked: 6.47 Miles
Food and Restaurant Notes: Nothing too special. Sachertorte is something that many hotels do sell in the area, however the closer to Hotel Sacher that you can get, the better quality the torte is. The pizza place below 22 Silbergasse is fantastic.
Travelers Notes: The art in Vienna isn't quite as extraordinary as its music, but it is spectacular. I strongly recommend visiting the Hundertwasserhaus as well as the Art Museum.
Day 8: Friday, March 22 (Freitag, am 22. März)
Location: Mauthausen, Linz and Munich
11:06 p.m.
Today morning, we said our final goodbyes to the Schlattes. Lane and I were very sad and there were many hugs all around. After packing all of our stuff onto the bus, we headed to Mauthausen. The bus ride was about 2 hours long. Mauthausen is a concentration camp just outside of Vienna. It is built on top of a hill that overlooks a beautiful landscape and an adorable little village. Visiting it was an experience that my own words cannot describe. What I saw, what I heard, humans cannot comprehend. It took away my voice. To honor those who had died there, we played a short piece of music. It echoed, and although beautiful is not the word I wish to use here, hearing our music there was profound. After touring the camp and memorial center, we traveled to Linz, on the heart of the Danube. We ate Linzertorte (A fantastic torte of almond/hazelnut dough layed in a lattice over raspberry jam) at the ARS Electronica Center's Cafe. I really enjoyed the museum, especially the Deep Space exhibit and Piano Machine. After that, we boarded the long, 4 hour bus back to Munich. We played quite a few rounds of Truth or Dare on the bus. By the time we arrived in Munich, someone had named our noses, Lane was talking in Pig Latin, and I was marrying a male version of my nemesis instead of the Beethoven guy from the Vienna transit. Dinner was good. I had potato pancakes with apple sauce, and lemon sorbet. We are staying in the Youth Hostel again tonight.
Distance Walked: 2 Miles
Food and Restaurant Notes: Starnberger has quite yummy food. Linz is a gorgeous cities with quite a few cafes on the river, which looked like they would have been fun.
Travelers Notes: Caution with visiting Mauthausen. It is most definitely not a place for the weak stomached, and I would strongly advise having some background information on the Holocaust before going. Linz ARS Electronica Center is a fantastic family location.
Day 9: Saturday, March 23 (Samstag, am 23. März)
Location: Neuschwanstein Castle and Andechs
11:06 p.m.
Today night is our last night abroad, and I'm very sad. This morning, we celebrated Ms Southard's birthday. Everything that Lane and I planned finally fell into place, which was great. We did a singing procession holding candles, a banner and a linzertorte. The 5 of us then played recorder (I was thrilled to see my arrangement sounded really good together). The chaperones, Lane, and two other of my friends went down to a gorgeous lake next to the Youth Hostel. We then took a 1 ½ hour bus ride to Neuschwanstein castle. After getting there, we were sitting down to eat lunch and I sat in bird poop. It was hilarious and humiliating at the same time. We then went and took a tour of Neuschwanstein. It was truly amazing. After walking on the cliffs for a little while, we went shopping. We then went to Andechs. After seeing Carl Orff's tomb, we played Andante in the church. I nearly cried when I realised that it would be my last recorder performance, especially with that group. We ate near the monastery. I had my final kaisespaetzel, and we had choco-blueberry crepes with ice cream. We told riddles and anti-jokes through dinner and on the bus back home. We had changed bus drivers the previous day, but Stephan came to the hostel and surprised us all with brownies. We finally went to a room and played more cards and told jokes for a few hours. A trip tradition that I will never forget.
Distance Walked: ½ Mile
Food and Restaurant Notes: Whatever restaurant we went to for dinner was really amazing. I'll try to find the name and post it.
Travelers Notes: You HAVE to visit Neuschwanstein. Beware of the ducks, but you should also go and walk around the lake. Keep some spare change for restrooms there, which are 30¢ per visit. Andechs is a beautiful little town, but it isn't truly significant unless you know some of the background there.
Day 10: Sunday, March 24 (Sonntag, am 24. März)
Location: Airports, Planes, and the Earth's Atmosphere
9:28 p.m. (Cleveland Time)
Today was our travel day back home. I ate the most I could of my dear Rahmjogurt and Kinder Chocolate, as well as Manner Wafers. I watched a variety of movies, talked a lot, ate a lot of food in the airport (but again none on the plane), and played lots of cards. It was a sad day, yet a fun one. I will always remember everything I learnt on this trip, right down to the last rule of every card game. Good-Bye Recorder Tour, and Thank You for an Amazing Experience
However, unknown to me, this trip didn't stop when we got off the plane. Our various memories continued...
2nd Week of April: We made a Maibaum (Maypole) with Zunftzeichen (Emblems) of all of our favorite memories of the trip
3rd Week of April: Hanna Keyerleber and I did an interview on NPR with Dee Perry on their show Around Noon. (Link: http://www.ideastream.org/an/entry/53462)
Mid June: I made an Esterhàzy Torte of my own. Totally delicious. Took 14 Hours, but was totally worth it.
Early July: I gave a presentation to students in India about my trip
Then to the Present: I am in touch with my fabulous homestay family in Vienna, the Schlattes.
Every Day: I remember this amazing trip that would change my life forever.
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