Wien, home to Schnitzel (and much more!)

Hello all,

Again, as has proven to be the case, this week has been crazy! Which, partially explains the delay in another Blog post. And, I really have a lot still to cover...but its better to do this one step at a time. So, here is the first city from our break week trip to Vienna, Berlin, and Prague.

Often times, I find that the capitals and major cities of Europe feel too grandiose, to reliant on past dreams of glory, grandeur, and wealth. And yet, Wien, with its famous Hapsburg Dynasty, might be the exception to the rule. If any famous ruling family has any room to boast it would be the Hapsburgs. At one point in time, (either through marriage or conquest) the Hapsburgs controlled Austria, Hungary, most of the former Yugoslavia, had marriages into the ruling families of Spain (which controlled the Netherlands), England, Bavaria and other parts of Germany, as well as Brazil and Mexico (Maximillian). The source of this power all emanated from the city of Wien.

Upon touring both the summer (the Schönbrunn) and winter (the Hofburg) palaces in Vienna, what was striking to me about the Hapsburgs was the amount that they helped the people of Austria, especially in Wien. The Hapsburgs seemed much more in tune with their people. These palaces were some of the most enjoyable that I have seen. In addition to informative, interesting, and fairly quick tours of the palaces (typical tours of royal palaces talk about every piece of furniture in each room), the gardens of the Schönbrunn were perhaps my favorite part of the city. The landscape was manicured nicely but still maintained a "wooded" feel... which is perfect because the leaves reminded of fall in SW Ohio. In addition, the labyrinth area provided some enjoyment as there were games built into the maze--its always fun to relive childhood!

If you are looking for a cultural capital in Europe, I think that Wien might just be the place. Numerous world renown composers (like Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven) have called this city home. In addition, Vienna is known for its many opera houses and concerts halls--a phenomena that I took part in as I saw the opera "La Traviata" by Giuseppe Verdi in the Staatsoper. Around every corner of the city, it is not uncommon to hear classical music or to see signs for concerts, operas, and plays.

Vienna brings much more to the table than just its history of classical music and the Hapsburgs, it continues to remain one of Europe's most vital cities. Major branches and organizations of the United Nations (IAEA for example) are located in Wien and the city just recently hosted the Euro Cup championship. However, I would have to say that my favorite part, by far, was the food. Call me a traditionalist (or maybe a glutton) but I love Wiener Schnitzel. In fact, I think that I had it for 5 or 6 meals in a row while in Wien. I cannot explain how or why it is better than any one that I have ever tasted in the US, but it was addicting. Not only could you find schnitzel at restaurants but even the street vendor sold relatively good schnitzel. In addition, I was also able to sample some apple strudel, which could rival any that I have tasted before.

Wiener Staatsoper... the place where I watched "La Traviata." It was strange mixing in with the "who's who" of Vienna who were all wearing suits and dresses. I had on blue jeans.

The first picture is of the Gloriette, the monument overlooking the Schönbrunn Palace, the picture on the right. This palace was the summer palace of the Hapsburgs.

The picture on the left was taken on the front side of the Schönbrunn Palace. The scene right was in the palace garden. It reminded me of a lot of the fall in SW Ohio.

The large Ferris Wheel is at the Prater, and (amusement) in Vienna. The picture on the left is from the wheel overlooking the city.

The picture on the right is one of me and a fellow Miami student, Sam Jacobson. He is studying music in Vienna for a year... and I cannot think of a better place to do that. The picture on the left is of Mozart's apartment in Vienna (I thought it was appropriate).

This is St. Stephan's Cathedral. I really like the mosaic roof tiles... note the Austria Reich Eagle on the right.

This imposing, neo-classical building is the Austrian Parliament building.

The picture on the right is of the one of the museums near the Hofburg Palace on Maria Theresa-Platz. The building on the left is the Vienna Hofburg.

Schnitzel!!!! My first (of many) in Wien from a roadside vendor. And, good beer to wash it down with!


I still have so many more amazing places to share and I wish I had time to type them all down right now. Unfortunately (for you), I am headed to Rome this weekend to visit another good friend and Miami student, Amy Bednar. This will be my first exposure to Italy so I am very excited about the trip.

In other news, the US presidential election is coming up (as all of you already know) and despite the lack of coverage in most European newspapers, everyone that we meet decides to share with us their political views... good or bad. I don't think I truly realized how much our elections matter to the rest of the world until I watched them from their prospective. And maybe the old statement is true (forgive me but I forget who said this): "The rest of the world should be allowed to vote for the American President." And from just the little time that I have been in Europe, the clearly preferred candidate is Barack Obama. In fact, I would advise against telling most Europeans that you are a McCain supporter. Yet, being in Switzerland has brought me an entirely new prospective on the US, our elections, and what they mean for the world.

Hope all is well back home! Don't forget to vote!

Love & Honor,

Matt

Berne: Capital of Confederation

Guten tag/ Bonjour,

Bern, capital of the Swiss Confederation, is a bilingual city that straddles the French and German speaking sides of Switzerland. The Old Town area is really interesting as it was built on the bend of the River Aare and was the perfect location for a walled city. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it really has a unique feel...complete with arcades over the walkways, stone buildings, and about 14 fountains (to show off the wealth of the town). In spite of being the capital, Bern doesn't have the "official" feeling to it, like DC or Madrid. It felt like a small village (in reality, it is around 125,000) and had a very friendly, inviting atmosphere.

Even though I was only there a few hours (Berne is only about 1 hour and a half from Geneva by train), the city certainly left an impression on me. One of the big updates about the trip was that I was able to eat raclette for the first time in Switzerland. Raclette, which is probably the most wonderful idea ever, is melted Gruyere cheese over roasted potatoes, sweet pickles (gherkins), bacon, tomatoes, and pearl onions. The idea is that they bring you (base) food separately along with a machine that melts the cheese at your table. You then racler (rake) the cheese on top of the food... absolutely amazing! I wish I had a picture; however, I burned my hand on the machine and decided not to risk looking like a tourist again by taking a picture of the food.

Bern was really a fantastic city. I visited the City History Museum and Einstein Museum while there. These two museums were by far some of the best that I have seen so far in Switzerland. Also, a must see is the 3D show at the visitor center about Bern--for only one Swiss Franc, it chronicles the history of the city and was really very good. Also, I was again foiled in my search for a Swiss national soccer jersey... the only ones that I have seen so far have been really cheap quality. It might come down to actually purchasing it on the Internet, which is not preferable.

Having spent two weeks in my European Politics class covering Swiss politics, it was very interesting to see the Swiss Parliament building and the parliamentarians in person. Yes, I actually was able to see parliamentarians... or at least I think so. The only one that I recognized was the former president of the Swiss Confederation, Micheline Calmy-Rey. For those of you who know little about the Swiss Government, the idea is for their leaders to not stick out and so most of the Swiss people couldn't recognize the president if he was standing in front of them. Most paliamentarians hold other jobs, only work 12 weeks of the year, and use public transportation. In addition, their pay is minimal and most do not have staff. The Swiss rule by consensus, hoping that all levels of government reach an agreeable compromise. Also, a large chunk of power is given to the individual cantons (hence the confederation idea) and to the people (they have the power of referendum and popular initiative at all levels). This all leads to a very slow process.

Now that you have had a history lesson, it is amazing how Switzerland has remained a nation for so long. In a day and age where separatist movements and people are fighting for self-determination (like South Ossetia, Kosovo, and even Belgium with the Walloons and the Flemish), it is amazing to see such a diverse country remain unified. Switzerland has 4 official languages, covers many diverse cantons and regions, and is a nation where 20% of the people living here are migrants (a category that I am contributing to as well). Yet, for the good of the people, the Swiss have been able to remain together and united.

Munster Church, the large cathedral that dominates the Berne skyline.

These pictures show the peninsula that the River Aare forms around the old city. It is a very interesting layout.

Berne, takes its name from the creature above... the bear. However, do not get to excited, the Bern bear pits were very depressing... worse than the zoo. The bears were trained to walk around... this one even sat down and waived at the crowd.


To show of the wealth of the city (yes, the banks make the Swiss beaucoup d'argent), the city commissioned 13 fountains to be built in the downtown area. These two are my favorites... the Bernese Musketman on the left and Justice on the right.


So, I said that the old town has lots of arcades lining the streets. Those of you who don't study architecture were probably thinking of video arcades? Nope, these overhangs are arcades and they create a very nice place to walk when it rains. This style of covering is different from any of the other cities that I have seen so far in Europe.

The Zytglogge in Old Town. This clock has been running for over 500 years and is one of the most popular sights in Berne. The tower used to be the entrance gate of the old city wall.

This the the Parliament Building (Bundeshaus), seat of the Swiss government. In my mind, it is distinctly Swiss--complete with the Swiss crosses, Helvetia (the embodiment of the Swiss State) and Justice. It has a very prominent place in the city and provides great views of the city from its terrace on the back side.

Looking up the street from one of the fountains to the Zytglogge. Few cars are allowed which creates an "old world" feeling.

This is the view from the University of Berne, overlooking the city. Notice the Alps in the back of the picture. Now imagine waking up and seeing these mountains everyday. Welcome to Switzerland.

That is all I have for now. Sorry for the delay but this week is our midterm week. I still have one last post to catch up on--Zurich. But that will have to be saved for another time.

I leave tomorrow night (Thursday) for Vienna, then to Berlin on Sunday for our break week, and then then to Prague next Thursday afternoon. That should provide a lot of pictures and stories to share when I get back.

As always, you all have my email. Keep me updated. Hope all is well wherever you may be.

Love & Honor,

Matt

Stockholm... Way Up North

Heysan,

My trip to Scandinavia was not complete until I visited Stockholm... a city which is about a far north as the City of Anchorage, Alaska. Naturally, I was worried that it would be cold, especially when I had heard reports that it was colder in Sweden than in Copenhagen from a fellow traveler. Thankfully, the cold air held off and Stockholm was moderately comfortable (mom, you probably would still need a parka). I was pretty sure that Copenhagen was the best city that I had ever been to--then I arrived in Stockholm.

Stockholm is built on an archipelago of islands between Lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. It is by far one of the prettiest places that I have ever seen. Our hostel was on the Island of Gamla Stan, the old town in the middle of the group of islands. Out the front door was the Svenska Academy. Yes, the very same that bestows the Nobel Prizes in literature, science, peace, etc. Another hop, skip, and jump away were the Royal Palace, the Parliament building, and a set of narrow, winding streets and shops. The island of Gamla Stan was truly mesmerizing.

I had the opportunity to eat Swedish meatballs, cloudberries (a type of raspberry with an almond-y taste), and lakrids (licorice, something very popular in Scandinavia). I went to a hockey game played by AIK Hockey Club and explored a ship that sank in the 17^th Century. I also had the opportunity to really explore Swedish culture and heritage at the Nordiska Museum. Stockholm was such a fascinating place… I even had the chance to talk American politics with a group of Swedes.

Stockholm, along with outstanding beauty, is an amazingly friendly and welcoming city. The Swedes are very proud of their culture, boisterous yet sophisticated. The city was a pleasant balance between culture and music, young and old, monuments to the past, and the bustle of the young Swedes. In addition (and much more than in Denmark), was Swedish price evident. Blue and gold flags were hung everywhere…from ships to buildings to poles. It was very refreshing to see the Swedes interact, to chat with them one-on-one, and to hear about their lives and experiences. I have really begun to identify everything that we as a human race share in common and have begun to appreciate all that I have.

In keeping with past trends, I have attached a bunch of pictures for all of those who need to see visuals.

This picture is of the Svenska Academy, the body that hands out the Nobel Prizes. Located about 10 feet from the front door of my hostel.

One of the narrow streets of Gamla Stan at night. Architecture is from the 15th Century.

Gamla Stan. The building to the right of the building on the far right was my hostel (it is out of the picture). Also, just out of the picture is the Svenska Academy which would be about 20 feet to my right.

This building is the City Hall, the Stadshuset. It offers a great view of the city and contributes to the impressive skyline of Stockholm.

View from the Stadshuset, with Gamla Stan in the background on the left and Södermalm (a neighborhood) at right.

This is a nice area along the coast known as Norrmalm. This is the path I took to get to Djurgården, the royal gardens. This island is home of Skansen, an open air museum, the Nordiska Museum, and the Vasa Museum (location of the sunken ship). The area used to be the hunting grounds of the royal family and is now a popular park. It also gives its name to one of Stockholm's most famous football clubs, Djurgårdens IF who play at Stockholm Stadium.
This ship, the Vasa, sunk on its maiden voyage out of Stockholm harbor in the 17th Century. It was recovered, cleaned up, and put on display in a museum--by far the best museum that I have seen so far.

Stockholm Stadium, home of 1912 Olympics Games. Anyone surprised that I visited the stadium? Although, I did have to sneak in to get this picture.

Stockholm at night from the Riksdagshuset (Parliament Building) on Gamla Stan looking toward the Stadshuset (Town Hall).

Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes and gravy, a salad with Thousand Island dressing, on lingonberry jam, bread and butter, and a local Swedish beer. Absolutely amazing!

Lakrids! Actually, this was not licorice-flavored. It was sour rhubarb.

AIK Hockey game. Notice the constant crowd noise...it reminded me of a soccer game. Also, the crowd was very loud for being a little sparse.

When I went to visit the Royal Palace, the Swedish Military was changing the guard. Little did I know that it would involve a complete military band and ceremony. This was my favorite part.

Congrats to my volleyball girls for sweeping Ohio U this weekend! To everyone, I am sorry for falling of the face off the earth... apparently I have not had as much time to contact you all as I would like. Please keep me updated.

I didn't end up in Paris this past weekend. Instead, I went to Zurich and Bern. Updates are forthcoming. Hope all is well!

Love & Honor,

Matt