Anyways…believe it or not I covered all of those countries in one day! After Dresden, my host mom, my host brother, and I came home and unpacked. What did we unpack? Not much. The airline that we used lost all four of our suitcases on the way back from Dresden. Before my aunt and uncle could come I had to get some new basic stuff! We came back on a Sunday at midnight, so Monday was spent buying new things to replace what we had lost.
Tuesday evening came around and my aunt and uncle arrived. I was so happy to see them! We had dinner then we hung out and visited my town where my school is. On Wednesday, my aunt, uncle, and I went to Carcassonne (photos of this town are available earlier in my blog) and they really liked it! That evening we had a Christmas dinner with another family in the Rotary club. Thursday morning we got up and went to the city to visit the Christmas market. I showed them around the town. Thursday evening we said goodbye and they left.
Friday morning my host family and I left for Austria. From France to Munich that was okay, but then when our plane tried to land in Klagenfurt there was too much fog. That’s why I got to visit Italy! We landed in Italy and took an airport bus to Klagenfurt. Once we arrived we went to my host dad’s sister’s house for Christmas Eve dinner. In Austria, Christmas Eve entails Mass (which we missed by an hour), dinner, singing Christmas songs, and then opening presents. In Klagenfurt, we spent a lot of time with my host dad’s family and had a good time. We walked around the square and I even got to ride in my host dad’s Rolls Royce. After the nice time we had in Klagenfurt we drove to Vienna.
Vienna is a lovely city. I really enjoyed seeing it. Driving to Vienna was great because I got to see the Alps. The Alps are a lot higher than the Pyrenees. Mountains covered in snow are a beautiful view that you can’t get back in the Midwest. In Vienna, we toured the palaces of Empress Elizabeth (Sisi) and Franz Josef of Austria. The two palaces were lovely and I learned a lot of history while I was there. Mozart even gave his first concert in the palace outside the center of Vienna! We also saw the opera house, Saint Stephen’s Cathedral, and we got to eat some really yummy food. Veiner Schnitzel is quite delicious. So is the dark chocolate cake with apricot filling that is well known in Austria.
After three days in Vienna, we drove back to Klagenfurt where I took a flight back to France. I spent New Year’s Eve with another Rotary student with her host family. New Years in France entails champagne, a dinner, and then a little party after the dinner. It varies depending on the family. Yesterday, my host family arrived back in France and picked me up. School starts tomorrow! I can’t believe how fast the break went! I am looking forward to getting into a normal rhythm of school and such. And..very soon it will be my birthday!
Have a great rest of your break!
Here are a few photos of Vienna:
Sisi's Palace
St.Stephens
Christmas lighting on a street in Vienna
And...Starbucks!
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