Hello foodies! Yesterday's excursion involved my group visiting amazing food related sites. We began the day off by taking a tour of Kasewelt (Cheese world), a cheese factory. In addition to learning about how cheese is made, we got to make our own cheese. Best of all, we got to sample four different kinds of cheese--mozzerella with pumpkin seeds, Emmental, Parmesan, and one more which I cannot remember at the moment. After visiting the factory, we had lunch at a local restaurant. We sat outside, as the weather was lovely. The only thing that would have made our meal better was if the bees were not near our food. Despite the bees being an annoyance, nobody got stung.
After picking up our homemade cheeses, we made our way to Bad Ischl, a little town about 45 minutes outside of Salzburg. We had pastries at Zauner's, a famous pastry shop in the area. I had a strawberry napoleon and a traditional Austrian iced coffee. Austrian iced coffee consists of coffee, unsweeted whipped cream, and vanilla ice cream. The drink was delicious, though having the coffee and pastry at the same time made me very full.
Many of you know that a) I am a vegetarian (pescetarian, if you want to be technical, as I do eat fish and seafood) and b) that meat is an important part of Austrian culture. Many people on my program wonder how I am adapting to a meat heavy culture. I am sure many of you reading this entry are thinking the same thing, so let me give you the lowdown.
Breakfast is not an issue--I have been enjoying the typical Austrian breakfast of rolls with jam and coffee. My travels to Europe have helped me like jam, as I never really ate it in the US. The flavors of jam I have had here are mixed berry, marionberry, strawberry mango, and rose petal (which Naomi turned me on to last weekend).
Since I only have 45 minutes for lunch between classes, I usually have soup, a piece of bread with cheese, or fruit. There is a local farmer's market near where I am staying, and the fruit is excellent--especially the cherries.
When I am at the center for dinner, I typically have soup, pasta, omelettes, or quesidillas. Sadly, I have not been able to find tofu, veggie substitutes (i.e. veggie burgers), or other ethnic foods I like, such as Indian or Thai curries. When I go out to restaurants with my group, there is usually at least one or two vegetarian items on the menu. I had spanikopita yesterday, and cheese dumplings (they usually come with a salad). The other unfortunate part of eating here is the limited amount of fish and seafood. I did have scampi at the Augustiner the first Thursday I was here, but otherwise, I have not had much fish or seafood.
Bottom line: being a vegetarian is not as difficult as one might imagine. However, there are fewer options at restaurants and the number of ethnic restaurants is smaller than in major U.S. cities. However, there are several Chinese and Japanese restaurants nearby. A friend and I want to check out a local Thai restaurant soon, so I will let you all know how it is when we go.
Tonight we are having a BBQ where we grill our own food. I am leaning towards making a quesillda or grilled cheese sandwich with the cheese I made yesterday.
Guten appetit!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
A Wonderful Adventure in Munich
Hello lovely readers! I just got back from a wonderful adventure in Munich where I spent the weekend with my friend Naomi. She has lived here for almost a year as an au pair, so she knows her way around the city pretty well. Naomi met me at the train station Friday night, and we went back to her apartment where we made dinner and stayed up late talking. Unfortunately, the weather was not very nice, but that did not stop us from exploring the city. On Saturday, we walked through the English garden where we made our way into the city center. We had delicious cake and coffee at a local cake shop, and walked around the local farmer's market (I can't remember the name for it in German) and went inside a few churches. I felt really lucky to be in Munich with someone who knows the city well, as Naomi pointed out different sites of historical importance--including the building with where Nazi rallies were held and a modern art museum that was rebuilt after WWII. The most unusual sight I saw during our adventure was a person surfing. Okay, so Munich may not the first place one would think of for surfing, but there was a river we walked by where the waves are conducive to surfing. Despite the weather, we saw people watching a guy surf.
This morning, we went to a Lutheran Evangelical church. While German churches have a reputation for having good music in churches, the music was a little too traditional for my taste. Also, the service was in German, so I could not full understand everything that was going on. However, attending church in another langauge was a pretty cool experience in itself. Afterwards, we went to a cafe where I had Jamie Oliver's (a famous chef on Food Network, for those of you non-foodies) famous hot chocolate--hot chocolate in a huge mug with marshmallows and mini chocolate pieces--SO GOOD! A few hours later, I went to the train station where I was homeward bound--my temporary home, that is--to Salzburg.
I know this post is about Munich, but I cannot forget to share my adventures in Salzburg with you all. On Wednesday, our group went to a salt mine in Hallien, which is on the Austrian-German border. We had to wear these white suits that were supposed to prevent our clothes from being stained with salt. Frankly, those suits made us look like Oompa-Loompas and we didn't see the point of wearing them since there was no salt in the mine that would stain our clothes. Looking like Oompa-Loompas aside, the mine was very cool. There were no stairs when the mine was built, so we had to slide down two slides--amazingly enough, I did well on, given that I do not have the adreniline gene. We also took a boat ride in the mine, saw statues of miners and saints of salt (can't remember their names). Best of all, we got free samples of Austrian salt! After leaving the salt mine, we went to Berchtesgaden, where we had lunch at a traditional German beer house. From Berchtesgaden, we made our way to the Nazi documentation center--this place essentially had information about Hitler's life right before he came to power (I even saw copies of his famous book, Mein Kampf) to a year or two before the prisoners in concentration camps were liberated.
Well, it's late here so I should go to bed. Gut Nacht (good night, in German) everyone!
This morning, we went to a Lutheran Evangelical church. While German churches have a reputation for having good music in churches, the music was a little too traditional for my taste. Also, the service was in German, so I could not full understand everything that was going on. However, attending church in another langauge was a pretty cool experience in itself. Afterwards, we went to a cafe where I had Jamie Oliver's (a famous chef on Food Network, for those of you non-foodies) famous hot chocolate--hot chocolate in a huge mug with marshmallows and mini chocolate pieces--SO GOOD! A few hours later, I went to the train station where I was homeward bound--my temporary home, that is--to Salzburg.
I know this post is about Munich, but I cannot forget to share my adventures in Salzburg with you all. On Wednesday, our group went to a salt mine in Hallien, which is on the Austrian-German border. We had to wear these white suits that were supposed to prevent our clothes from being stained with salt. Frankly, those suits made us look like Oompa-Loompas and we didn't see the point of wearing them since there was no salt in the mine that would stain our clothes. Looking like Oompa-Loompas aside, the mine was very cool. There were no stairs when the mine was built, so we had to slide down two slides--amazingly enough, I did well on, given that I do not have the adreniline gene. We also took a boat ride in the mine, saw statues of miners and saints of salt (can't remember their names). Best of all, we got free samples of Austrian salt! After leaving the salt mine, we went to Berchtesgaden, where we had lunch at a traditional German beer house. From Berchtesgaden, we made our way to the Nazi documentation center--this place essentially had information about Hitler's life right before he came to power (I even saw copies of his famous book, Mein Kampf) to a year or two before the prisoners in concentration camps were liberated.
Well, it's late here so I should go to bed. Gut Nacht (good night, in German) everyone!
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Salzburg So Far
Hello! Today is my fourth full day in Salzburg, and I am absolutely loving it! Salzburg is a charming fairy tale like town, that is unlike any other European city to where I have been. Thursday was our first full day here, and we had quick class meetings and a three hour orientation to the center. The two classes I am taking here are Theological Implications of the Holocaust and Intercultural Communication. I can't really say I have a favorite yet, as I love both classes so far. In my theology class, we will be looking at the history behind Anti-semitism (or Anti-Judaism, as my theology professor says is the more accurate term), the role of God, and the Catholic Church's response. In my communications class, we are looking at ways different cultures communicating and noticing the differences between the US and Austria. I have an oral presentation, paper, and essay exam for my theology class and two papers for my communication class.
The last few days have been filled with excursions, which have been fun, but have taken a toll on my feet due to all the walking we have done. Thursday afternoon we split up into teams and went on a scavenger hunt to find different landmarks around Salzburg. My team came in first place, and we won eight Milka chocolate bars. Milka is the Austrian version of Cadbury, and it is delicious! On Friday we went to the Salzburg Castle, which was originally a fortress for keeping enemies out. The walk up to the castle was steep, but the views from the top were totally worth the hike. Both Thursday and Friday nights we had delicious dinners at the Augustiner and Krimpelstatter. On Saturday we went to Hohenwerfen, a castle where we had an audio tour and saw a falcon show. Though it was cloudy in the morning, the sun came out when the falcon show started. We sat on a grassy hill that overlooked the Alps, which had breathtaking views. We then made our way to Hallstat, a small town on the lake. We visited a graveyard and a house where they keep bones of people who were buried there. Because the graveyard is so small, people can only be buried in the graveyard for ten years. After ten years, the bodies are creamated; the families get to keep the ashes and the bones are stored in this house. The families of the deceased also get to decorate the skulls. There are boats in Hallstat for people to rent, so four of us rented a motorboat. We all had fun putting our feet in the river, blasting music on the radio (yes, there was a radio!) and taking turns driving the boat. Our last stop of the day was the alpine slide at St. Wolfgang. Because I am missing the adrenline gene (not a fan of rollercoasters or big rides), I did not actually go down the slide. Instead, I read and watched everyone go down.
Finally, let me describe the center where I am staying. There is one building with a kitchen, dining room, living room, and bedrooms upstairs. Outside is a courtyard where we can play basketball or ping pong. The second building consists of the classroom, director's apartment, and computer lab. All of the rooms have balconies, so I can sit outside on my balcony to read, listen to music, write postcards, or just enjoy the nice weather. To all my friends at UP: I'm sorry, but this place is much nicer than Mehling, and Fields combined! Even though I have a roommate, I still feel like I have enough space and can have time to myself when I need. Sharing a room with one person is a lot easier than sharing a flat with six people; as much as I loved my time in London, I do not miss living in a flat that did not allow one to have much privacy.
I have to attend a group meeting in ten minutes, so I am going to stop here. More to come next week!
The last few days have been filled with excursions, which have been fun, but have taken a toll on my feet due to all the walking we have done. Thursday afternoon we split up into teams and went on a scavenger hunt to find different landmarks around Salzburg. My team came in first place, and we won eight Milka chocolate bars. Milka is the Austrian version of Cadbury, and it is delicious! On Friday we went to the Salzburg Castle, which was originally a fortress for keeping enemies out. The walk up to the castle was steep, but the views from the top were totally worth the hike. Both Thursday and Friday nights we had delicious dinners at the Augustiner and Krimpelstatter. On Saturday we went to Hohenwerfen, a castle where we had an audio tour and saw a falcon show. Though it was cloudy in the morning, the sun came out when the falcon show started. We sat on a grassy hill that overlooked the Alps, which had breathtaking views. We then made our way to Hallstat, a small town on the lake. We visited a graveyard and a house where they keep bones of people who were buried there. Because the graveyard is so small, people can only be buried in the graveyard for ten years. After ten years, the bodies are creamated; the families get to keep the ashes and the bones are stored in this house. The families of the deceased also get to decorate the skulls. There are boats in Hallstat for people to rent, so four of us rented a motorboat. We all had fun putting our feet in the river, blasting music on the radio (yes, there was a radio!) and taking turns driving the boat. Our last stop of the day was the alpine slide at St. Wolfgang. Because I am missing the adrenline gene (not a fan of rollercoasters or big rides), I did not actually go down the slide. Instead, I read and watched everyone go down.
Finally, let me describe the center where I am staying. There is one building with a kitchen, dining room, living room, and bedrooms upstairs. Outside is a courtyard where we can play basketball or ping pong. The second building consists of the classroom, director's apartment, and computer lab. All of the rooms have balconies, so I can sit outside on my balcony to read, listen to music, write postcards, or just enjoy the nice weather. To all my friends at UP: I'm sorry, but this place is much nicer than Mehling, and Fields combined! Even though I have a roommate, I still feel like I have enough space and can have time to myself when I need. Sharing a room with one person is a lot easier than sharing a flat with six people; as much as I loved my time in London, I do not miss living in a flat that did not allow one to have much privacy.
I have to attend a group meeting in ten minutes, so I am going to stop here. More to come next week!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
I Made It!
Hello faithful readers! I just want to let you know that I arrived safely in Salzburg yesterday afternoon. My journey began when I boarded the biggest plane I have ever been on (in my opinion) at San Francisco on July 12. The plane was a 747, so there was an upper deck as well as a main cabin. Though I believe I traveled on one the first time I went to Hawaii (the only reason I remember this is that my younger brother was fascinated with the fact that the plane had a top deck), the plane I was recently on seemed to be wider and have more seats. Sadly, I was not on the top of the plane, but I did see the staircase that lead to the top. My ten hour flight to Frankfurt was not as bad as one might imagine--I read a few chapters from my communication textbook, watched Modern Family and Scrubs, and slept. Even though sleeping on a plane is nowhere near as comfortable as sleeping in a bed (especially in my bed at home with my cat Lily), the fact that I was able to sleep for about 4 hours was pretty good. Lufthansa deserves A LOT of credit for designing seats that are wide (there was a lot of space between the armrest and the window), have ergonomically adjustable headrests, and lean back further and have more legroom compared to most airlines.
I arrived in Frankfurt at 10:15 in the morning (we got in 10 minutes late because we left SF 15 minutes late), and walked through what felt long the longest walkway to get to the gate for my connecting flight. Even though my walk to my gate included stops at customs and security, I can tell you that by the time I got to my gate, I felt both like Moses wandering in the desert and a little kid on an incredibly long car ride asking "Are we there yet?" Unlike Moses or the little kid, I was rushed because I had to catch my flight to Salzburg in a little less than two hours. Luckily, I made it to my gate with plenty of time before boarding. As we flew over Austria, I thought, "Wow, the view from below looks like the opening page in a fairy tale book!" One hour flew by, and before I knew it, I was finally in Salzburg!
After getting our checked luggage, two students, two professors, three family members (of my communication professor), and I squeezed into a taxi that took us to the Univ. of Portland Center. We arrived there around 3 pm, which gave us a few hours to get settled before we had dinner and a quick meeting.
Despite being able to fight jet lag the first few hours I was there, I was actually tired as the evening went on. I went to bed around 9 pm--which is normally way too early than me, but I guess is reasonable for someone who has been traveling for 11 hours and had no trouble staying awake during the day. Unfortunately, I woke up at 5 am, but perhaps the fact that I got 8 hours of sleep makes up for this. I DID try to listen to music, which helped me stay asleep for a little while, but after some time, I decided to get up.
That's all for now. More to come about my first full day soon!
I arrived in Frankfurt at 10:15 in the morning (we got in 10 minutes late because we left SF 15 minutes late), and walked through what felt long the longest walkway to get to the gate for my connecting flight. Even though my walk to my gate included stops at customs and security, I can tell you that by the time I got to my gate, I felt both like Moses wandering in the desert and a little kid on an incredibly long car ride asking "Are we there yet?" Unlike Moses or the little kid, I was rushed because I had to catch my flight to Salzburg in a little less than two hours. Luckily, I made it to my gate with plenty of time before boarding. As we flew over Austria, I thought, "Wow, the view from below looks like the opening page in a fairy tale book!" One hour flew by, and before I knew it, I was finally in Salzburg!
After getting our checked luggage, two students, two professors, three family members (of my communication professor), and I squeezed into a taxi that took us to the Univ. of Portland Center. We arrived there around 3 pm, which gave us a few hours to get settled before we had dinner and a quick meeting.
Despite being able to fight jet lag the first few hours I was there, I was actually tired as the evening went on. I went to bed around 9 pm--which is normally way too early than me, but I guess is reasonable for someone who has been traveling for 11 hours and had no trouble staying awake during the day. Unfortunately, I woke up at 5 am, but perhaps the fact that I got 8 hours of sleep makes up for this. I DID try to listen to music, which helped me stay asleep for a little while, but after some time, I decided to get up.
That's all for now. More to come about my first full day soon!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Wilkommen!
Guten tag faithful readers! In exactly two days, I will be leaving for Salzburg, where I will be studying abroad for six weeks. I expect to spend these six weeks studying (oh yeah, they don't call it "study abroad" for nothing), eating delicious food (pastries, coffee, chocolate, cheese), meeting new people, and most importantly, exploring Salzburg, Vienna, and the other wonderful cities/countries that I will be near. One aspect I love about our program--that was not the case for me in London--is that I don't have class on Fridays. The program is structured that way on purpose so we can travel on the weekends. Actually, we only have class three days a week since we go on excursions Wednesdays. Outside of Salzburg, my travel plans include Vienna with my group and Munich over the weekend to see a friend who is living there as an au pair. I would love to go to Berlin, Prague, and possibly Switzerland, but we'll see.
This week has been really busy for me as I have been babysitting, buying items I need for my trip, and seeing friends. Many people have asked me if I am nervous; I would say I'm more excited than nervous, but am a little slammed with packing/getting ready. Oh well, the craziness I have felt is so worth it as I will be spending six weeks in an amazingly beautiful country.
Spater mehr! (More later)
This week has been really busy for me as I have been babysitting, buying items I need for my trip, and seeing friends. Many people have asked me if I am nervous; I would say I'm more excited than nervous, but am a little slammed with packing/getting ready. Oh well, the craziness I have felt is so worth it as I will be spending six weeks in an amazingly beautiful country.
Spater mehr! (More later)
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