Student Bloggers

From Copenhagen, Sarah and I traveled to Vienna. We stayed near the Nashmarkt, which stands for Snack Market. It was a very convenient location, and a great place to find food. On the first day in Vienna, we took a walking tour, which is something I recommend doing in any city that you are unfamiliar with. It was the perfect way to learn a little about the city’s history, where certain landmarks are/what they are, and for just learning how to get around a city. We saw the Hofburg Palace, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the Opera House, a couple of very nice parks, and many other things. Perhaps our favorite thing we did on our own was the Sisi Museum. The museum is focused around telling the story of one of Austria’s best-known national figures- Empress Elisabeth. She is better known as Sisi, and is actually a very fascinating figure. Her defining characteristics were her ankle-length hair, 20-inch waist, and her moody personality. Sisi was a diet and exercise fanatic, and worked very hard to keep up her appearance. She was a source of curiosity for many. It was really only after her assassination that her fame really took off, and she was made the stuff of legend. The next day we went to Schoenbrunn Palace, which houses gorgeous gardens, hedge mazes, and even a zoo! That day we also went to the Belvedere Museum, mostly to see Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss”. On the last day we had in Vienna, we went to the butterfly house, and took a train to Prague. 

Prague was a wonderful city. We had the best weather there, which was so fantastic. It felt like l had not felt 60^o weather in years. It was also lucky, because most of the things to do in Prague are just walking around and taking in the sites. Prague is so full of history and it is gorgeous. We met up with my friend Emma again, and another friend from Trinity, Alex. They were our tour guides for the day, and it was perfect. We saw Prague Castle, the John Lennon Peace Wall, went paddle boating on the river, and climbed to the top of the astronomical clock for a spectacular view of the city. The next day we climbed Petrin Hill and saw the replica Eiffel Tower. I am hard pressed to call this my favorite city of the trip. Copenhagen was awesome too, but Prague really captured me. I would put it on the must-see list for people going to Europe for study abroad.

Our last city for spring break was Berlin. Sarah and I met up with two other friends from school, and it made for an awesome end to the whirlwind adventure we had. We saw Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, and climbed the Victory Tower. The next day we took a walking tour, saw the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, and a Renaissance art gallery. The next day we saw the Jewish Museum, Holocaust Memorial, went to a flower market, and to end it all, went to the top of the Reichstag and climbed the dome.

It was a trip I will never forget, and one that I feel so very lucky to have had the opportunity to take. One of the reasons I wanted to come to Scotland was to be able to have access to the rest of Europe. This is probably the only time I will be able to travel not only around Scotland and the UK, but also Europe for so cheap. For anyone considering study abroad over here, I recommend trying to find a balance between exploring the city and country you are in, as well as the rest of the countries surrounding your own. I feel as though I struck a pretty good balance between these two things, and have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Scotland and elsewhere.