Hey everybody

I cannot believe I only have a month and one week left in Europe. A semester is just too short for something like this, but it is a good start :) Last weekend I was in Vienna, the capital of Austria. The entire student body of Salzburg College went, as this was considered part of our curriculum. So there were 42 of us or something... Everyone was assuming that we would have plenty of time in Vienna, but even 4 days was not long enough! There is just so much to do and see in Vienna... it is definitely the most beautiful city I have ever seen (it can boast, after all, the most trees of any European city) I went to 3 or 4 different museums, 3 wonderful concerts, and saw many other sights, such as Shonbrunn Palace. My favorite part of Vienna though was the Naschmarkt. In the old days of Vienna, the Naschmarkt was just as much of a social activity as a daily necessity. This was the place where one could buy the freshest meats, fish, produce, and fruits; but also, this was the place to hear the latest and hottest gossip. Although now the Naschmarkt is being run not entirely by Viennese people, the feeling of culture and society seems to live on. There was so much good food there, and it was also very fun to be able to barter with the various vendors, hehe. The Naschmarkt was also the place where I first discovered the friendlyness of the Viennese also. There were so many people, and although it was very crowded, there was a happy feeling about the place. Also at the concerts, and just roaming around, I encounted nothing but kindness. Also on the trip, we stopped at the UN building in Vienna, and two different monasteries (St. Florian and Melk) which are nearby.
This was just not enough time to see Vienna though... I slept very little while I was there, and I feel like I have seen and experienced only a little bit of what the city has the offer.