Off the Beaten Path

Sometimes it is nice to go off the beaten path (though I am not sure ANYWHERE in Vienna is truly OFF the beaten path).  It is nice to just see little things, little shops along the way, a castle (maybe not so little) but not with hoards of people thronging all day, or just wander around the city seeing whatever comes into view.

This was yesterday for me....and really all the past week and weekend too.

Friday my group went to Prague.  Because I had been there before I stayed home.  Esther gave me a couple really great ideas for day trips.  I first went to Durnstein - a little touristy city on the Danube River with an old castle ruin about 500ft UP and UP and UP!

It was a hot day...but very fun!  I was alone so I just had to meet someone...it seems that when I am traveling alone I seem to do that a lot.  While still in Vienna I wasn't sure if I was at the right platform for the train heading to Krems and then on to Durnstein.  I can't read German, you see, and they don't say "going to Durnstein" but on to the further of the cities.  Kind of like the American Interstates when you head south on I-57 you are heading towards Memphis, not any city in between.  Or going North, to Chicago instead of merely a short distance to say, Mattoon or Champain.  So, I asked a question of a lady.  The first lady didn't know English very well.  The 2nd became my traveling companion and friend.  Her name is Christine Linder.  I'm glad she was there because they were working on the rails from Krems to Durnstein so we had to get off the train and catch the shuttle to Durnstein.  I'm sure someone eventually would have said something to me...looking and sounding very American as I do!  But I'm not sure if it would have been in time.

As it was, I traveled with Christine and while in Krems we hiked up to this little tavern, one of the oldest in Krems.  She was an architect so she showed me some cool things, structurally, in Krems.  She bought me a drink as Gasthaus - one of the oldest taverns.  They didn't serve regular soda drinks but you had to get the natural fruit drink from their vineyards.  Wow!  That was cool!  She was very aware that I don't drink alcohol so she ordered for me.  How fun it was....and then I was on my way....almost sad to leave a new friend, but excited to see some of the Danube River Valley and more sites!

this is that old rail station we had to get off at and then meet the shuttle up the road and across the street

 

The arches are to hold the buildings apart

 

The old stove to heat the place in the winter time

My new friend Christine

 

That Saturday (June 4) I went to see the Castle at Kreuzenstein.  Another fun adventure!  And another friend made!  This time made to to the right place but wasn't exactly sure where to go when I got off the train.  So I asked...such is my personality, I suppose.  The people I asked were going to the castle too so I spent the day with new friends, Marianne and her mom, Maria! (don't I take great self portraits!!!  Actually, when they are JUST of me they aren't so good, but add friends and they turn out much better!)

We walked through the small town of Leobendorf and then up the wooded trail.  What a beautiful hike.  I do love nature and being outside.  After being in Vienna for a few days, it was nice to get out and see some dirt and walk in the woods (though I must say that where I live is VERY close to the woods and I get to walk there as often as I have time to).

The castle was magnificent and the bonus was that there was an Adlerwarte Kruezenstein show afterwards!  I LOVE birds of prey and they were RIGHT in front of us, flying RIGHT over us, and all from the hilltop of the castle overlooking the valley below.  It was another fabulous day!

I saw this car and loved it...just HAD to take a picture.  I first saw JUST the LEGO on the license plate (a couple pics down) and snapped the photo.  On the way back I realized (and yes, I do vinyl for cars so you would THINK I would notice this the first time) that the entire car was decked out in LEGO mania!  How cool is that!

 

 

 I take pictures of cute Austrian houses for my mom because I know she would love them!  It seems that just about all the houses, and even apartments in the city, have window boxes FULL of vibrantly colored flowers!

 Our first view of the castle....now the hike up

 

 A cool tree with my new friend, Marianne

 I LOVE nature and being OUTSIDE!

 

 By the well in the courtyard

 One of those big vultures - like the ones in Jungle Book that say, "What do you want to do today?"  "I don't know.  What do you want to do?"  "I don't know, what do you want to do!"  They were HUGE!

 This is a huge condor...like 12ish pounds.  It took awhile to actually get airborne...a few hops and then it never got very high.

 

 Got to touch the owl :)

 Kreuzenstein Castle

 A Raven flying RIGHT at us...it will only narrowly miss out heads before perching on the post behind us

All in all the weekend was GREAT!  I got to go to church on Sunday also.  THAT was a huge highlight.  AND it was in English so I could actually understand what was being said.  I love church...partaking of the spirit and peace of the Saints is something I love!

I left early enough to not get lost and still make it on time.  Amazingly, I got there 30 minutes early and the doors were LOCKED and NO ONE was there.  A couple ladies came....tourists...then a small family ... more tourists.  And we waited.  Around 10 after 9 someone came to unlock the doors.  That was a bit different than what I am used to.  But the meetings were nice and I really felt the Spirit.  I hadn't been the week before while in Prague and I felt starved for it.

Monday I did next to nothing...I went for a long walk up in the woods, swam when I got home...showered, got a pedicure from my hostmum, ate lunch with them, shopped for some groceries and a new battery charger, swam some more...and went to bed!  Well, I did skype with my family too!  I do love seeing them.  I really miss them.  When I am busy busy busy I don't think about it as much. But when I am just wandering and not really engaged in anything I think about them NON STOP and wish they were here, think about how they would LOVE seeing the things I am seeing, etc!

Here are some pics of my walk in the woods....SOOOO glad I can get there from where I live!  Here is, first, a pic of the path out the back to the gate...LOVE it!

 Up the trail....

 Someone did LOTS of work stacking this so nicely...

 

 The view from the top...

 See....someone did LOADS of work...

 this is standing on branches....built well but not from cut lumber you buy!  So cool...

 You can't see it, probably, but this wood is packed in there like a puzzle....

 Just thought this was cute...reminded me of a friend's short squatty dog...

 Ahhh....in THIS pic you can see it....like a puzzle, eh!

 Just thought this garden gate was cool...saw it on my way home ...

 Just a random old style house in the middle of the new modern ones...

 These blossoms are EVERYWHERE....good thing I brought my allergy medicine...

 The garden path...

And now yesterday...our professor is sick so we didn't have a lot of class.  One girl presented and then we left.  It was raining a lot and so everyone was going shopping or back to their houses, etc.  I started to go home and then the sun came out.  So I just randomly went on a train to the Volksoper.  It is a lot more modern than the Statsoper and the Volks Theater.  So...I just started wandering.  I found a second hand store and wandered through that looking for anything to get for my family.  On my journey I did find a cool little knick knack shop and some other shops too.  I want to get a cool print of Vienna somewhere.

So, basically, I just wandered and wandered.  I enjoyed it and finally ran into a HUGE cathedral.  I really had NO idea what is was but it was right across the street from the Sigmund Freud Park.  When I got home I found that it was the VotivKirche!  It was huge...and cool!

I found my way back home - not too difficult with the transportation system here.  I worked on my presentation a lot...most of the night...then Esther made dinner for us!  We had a good night visiting with her.  She is the sweetest hostmum ever.  In fact, she has invited the entire group to a pool party on the 27th - kind of a going away party.

This is Esther's mother, Frau Nell.  She is ALWAYS working in her garden.  She does ALL the work in the garden...it is beautiful!

 The Volksoper...

 

 

 See...even in the city there are flower boxes...

 Some places that made me feel at home - Sign+A+Rama and REMAX realtors...

 

 The vans here are just a bit different than our minivans back home...

 VotivKirche

And that was my wandering day off the beaten path...and my weekend off the beaten path.  Today it is just a little cooler and has been raining a lot.  So we will see where we'll head after class.