I am so blessed to have "field trips" that go to different countries. On my last class trip we went to Vienna, Austria and Venice, Italy before kicking off a jam-packed spring break. So, since this trip and spring break were back-to-back, we were going to be traveling for 2 weeks straight. Man, was it tough to pack for that long in only a carry-on rolling suitcase and backpack, but I managed to make everything fit and ended up having everything I needed.
The first thing we saw when we got to Vienna was St. Stephen's Cathedral. This impressive cathedral was created in Romanesque and Gothic style. The most unique part of the cathedral was the tiling on the roof. I have never seen a cathedral with that kind of colorful, fun tiling done on it, and even though it was very pretty, I thought it looked out of place. This building was so incredibly beautiful and tall and I stood in awe looking up at it.
This is the inside of St. Stephen's Cathedral. It is just as impressive as the outside. Every inch of the church is covered in details- whether it be paintings and carvings. I can't imagine being able to go to that church every Sunday.
After visiting the church, it was already starting to get dark so we were free for the evening. A group of friends decided to keep exploring and to see the city during the night. It's so fun seeing a city at night because it looks completely different at night all lit up and is beautiful in a unique way. It also gives you a sneak peak of what you are going to experience during the day and gets you excited for the next day.
The next day we went to a giant courtyard with museums on two sides of it facing it each other- the Kunsthistorisches (Art History) Museum and Naturhistorisches (Natural History) Museum. I chose to see the Kunsthistorisches Museum because it was said to have amazing Egyptian and Roman exhibits. I got to see Egyptian tombs, Roman busts, intricately painted vases, and many, many works of art. There was almost too many things- I got lost at times. It always blows my mind how many pieces museums have been able to obtain and how each museum we have visited has that many items as well.
Paige had seen pictures of the palace pictured above on many postcards, so she asked Professor Biggs if he knew where and what it was. Since Biggs knows everything, we weren't surprised when he was like, "Yeah, it's the Belvedere Palace. I've been there before." We asked him if it was worth visiting. He said it was and was willing to go with us if we went. So, we ordered an Uber and headed across town to see this gorgeous palace. Biggs was right that we wouldn't be disappointed. Everything was perfectly symmetrical and designed to perfection. Even the inside was detail orientated.
All the rooms upstairs in the Palace had been turned into art exhibitions and one of the rooms had the famous painting "The Kiss," by Austrian painter Gustav Klimt. We all got so excited when we got to see the real one in person because throughout the day we had seen it on postcards and merchandise (apparently it's a big deal). We also met another American student studying abroad in England who was on spring break. She toured the palace with us the whole time and was so incredibly nice. It was cool to hear about her experience abroad so far. I'm sad we were in Vienna for such a short time because it was really hard for it to make an impact on me. I can't truly judge it since I haven't given it the proper time it deserves, so I guess I'll just have to go back some day and then decide.
The next stop on our class trip was Venice. We had to wake up bright and early for this trip so we would get to Venice at a decent time. That's not the way it turned out though. Paige and I were waiting for an elevator on the fourth floor because stairs aren't fun with suitcases when we heard a large crash below. We ran down the stairs and found one of our classmates at the bottom. She had hurt her ankle, so I ran and got Professor Biggs while Paige stayed with her. When I got back, there was a lady I had never seen before helping her. It turns out she had fallen down the stairs and landed directly in front of the door of a doctor from another country. Crazy how things like that happen! She didn't speak any English, (besides pointing to herself and saying doctor) but still did a great job communicating with us. She put some cooling gel on it and wrapped it up. My classmate then went to the hospital for a couple of hours to make sure there weren't any breaks (which gladly there weren't), and then we were finally off to Venice. Since we were off to a late start, we didn't arrive until evening, so we mostly laid low for the night and prepared for our one day in Venice the next day.
We started off the day by crossing the Rialto Bridge and touring the Piazza San Marco where St. Mark's Basilica is located. We went through the gorgeous Basilica, but sadly no pictures were allowed in there. My favorite part about the Basilica were all the detailed mosaics everywhere I turned. We then toured the Doge's Palace which we just next door. It was insane how rich the dukes of Venice were and how extravagantly they made the rooms in that palace. Every ceiling was completely covered in paintings and everything was detailed in gold. While in there we also toured the armory and crossed the Bridge of Sighs to see what the prisons looked like back then. It is called the Bridge of Sighs because it is said prisoners were sighing while crossing it because there are windows they can see through on the bridge and they knew it was going to be the last time they would see outside.
Were you really in Venice if you didn't take a gondola ride? It's so fun riding in a gondola and seeing the city in a completely different way. It took my breath away when we entered the Grand Canal and were surrounded by so many other boats and gondolas.
Venice is such a fun city to explore and get lost in because that's always when you find the best views and hidden gems of shops and restaurants. I was so sad when the sun started setting and our time in Venice was nearing an end. To end our class trip and say goodbye to each other before we went separate ways for spring break, we all had a wine night outside in the courtyard of our hostel. It was so fun to look around and see how we had turned into a family during this whole experience. I'm already too excited for my next class trips because I know they will be as amazing as this one.