In Between Time... a more boring post

So I've spent one weekend in Vienna and one weekend here. In Vienna I went to visit a girl I know from DC who is really German, but has been living in Vienna for a while. She was at University of Maryland for a year working on her PhD thesis and I met her on a trip to the beach with some friends of Mikey's. She does American Studies stuff, so we had a lot to talk about. She looks about 24, but in reality she is almost 31.

I met her in a cafe after she got off work (teaching English) and we ran some errands and then went back to her house to make cupcakes and talk in her kitchen for a long time. The next day we went out and saw the food/flea markets, then to some place that makes vegan versions of traditional Austrian food. Then she showed me some stuff around town, we got sucked into H&M and each got little black dresses, got coffee/tea/pastry at a cafe in the museums quarter, sat on the steps of some palace and talked, then picked up supplies for dinner.

We were having a Mexican food dinner party at her friend's apartment. There was so much food and it all ruled and the kids all spoke English for me so I could understand what was going on. We hung out for a long time and the taught me what this Austrian thing "krocha" is after we watched THIS (an episode of "Dancing Stars"-- Austrian "Dancing with the Stars"-- where some famous old man dancer did this-- if you skip ahead to the last few minutes "I like to move it move it" makes an appearance). Also they solved the mystery of what a "Jump Style" video is for me. Aisling and I always saw a "wanted" poster in our dorm looking for people to appear in a jump style video and we assumed we could do it. We can not. Point is everyone was so friendly and treated me like I wasn't a complete stranger and I had fun.

The next day we saw more stuff and hung out, got coffee and poppy seed ice cream, learned that if you fry jalapeños they become airborne tear gas etc. etc. There are no pictures really...

Got off the metro here.

Sat in a park near this and read a book before going to meet Marike.

This past weekend I spent around Prague; Sunday was a beautiful day and I made sure to be done with my paper that was due Monday so I could spend Sunday outside. I went to the Vyšehrad castle area/church/cemetery which has such a different, awesome view of the city, and then to a little pastel-colored cafe in Namesti Miru and read "I Served the King of England" which I am so close to finishing, but haven't yet. I think it's really funny and I like it a lot. Then I went to Petrin Hill which has the Eiffel Tower look-alike and rows and rows of cherry blossoms. I thought I found a cool cave, but when I saw pictures of naked ladies posted on the wall of the cave, then saw some busted old tennis shoes sitting on a rock, I ran away.

Later I sat by the Vltava river where the ducks and swans hang out to read some more before heading back. It was so nice I didn't need a jacket for most of the day and that is a big deal.

Around Vyšehrad


Church of SS Peter & Paul


Slavín cemetery. Sorry for the 234049th cemetery, but this one had flower beds!




One of my favorite flower choices.



Vltava river.

Little yellow flowers. (You can't see, but to the right of this, some guy was sitting on a ledge with his little dog-- hanging out. The dog had those little, contemplative squinty eyes).


Church at Namesti Miru on the way to the cafe I went to.

Petrin Hill: view of the castle, Mala Strana, and one of the cherry blossom fields.

Big, giant hole?

Santa boots.


You can go up in this balloon near the river, but there is a big string attached to the ground where some guy is controlling it.


Duck, swan, pigeon chill spot.

Yesterday evening in my Central European Politics class we went on a field trip to a little village about 30 minutes outside of Prague that is along the Vltava and has tons of trees and woods and little streams. It was really cute and nice to walk in woods and I saw a house with lots of (fruit?) trees and a big yard that dad would've loved. Then we ate schnitzel, potato salad and soup at a restaurant there and headed home. I wish I hadn't forgotten my camera; it reminded me of the eastern shore in some ways but more woodsy I guess.

Friday we go to Krakow with our program and then Auschwitz on our way back. I have been looking into things for mom and dad's visit, and our trip to Greece afterwards (though mom has been doing essentially ALL the work) and am looking forward to it/getting everything for school done before they arrive.

Next weekend Aisling, our friend Mike from the program and I are going to Budapest although we have yet to buy tickets (but have a hostel booked). The program is going by so fast (as expected). I am excited to be here and I am excited to go home. Summer/fall house plans are still not established, but it will come together soon enough.

Also, the cleaning lady (I sound like such a jerk) just changed our sheets into these pretty, soft blue ones like we had when we first got here (we have had ugly, ugly ones since then) and I am so happy, because we missed when they came around yesterday and I thought we'd have to wait another two weeks. I love the lady that comes in here, she is always so nice. We had an awkard moment when I tried to offer her water once at the beginning (like when I tried to give the waiter in that village a tip last night and was only confused), but I think we've gotten past it.