The next day, we head to the Habsburgs Palace, as my mom said in line to another family from Washington D.C. their "hood". We take an audio tour through the apartments and I think my mother is related somehow to the Habsburgs because all their china and fine dining sets are just like something my mother would own! She was in seventh heaven on that tour. After the apartments, we went to see the Bohemian Jewels. Incredible! It amazing how old things are and how beautiful they made them. Some items there were Crowns, original items from Jesus Christ, and all types of jewels. After the tours of the habsburgs hood, which it has many palaces and so much to do, we went to the famous Opera House in Vienna and took a tour. Unfortunately, it is off season for the symphony and opera in Vienna during the summer. So we got to take a behind the scenes tour and learn about the history of the opera house. I have to come back to Vienna in 3 to 4 months to get my long term visa, so I will purchase a standing ticket (cheap seats but standing up seats) to an opera!
That night, the hotel gave us a recommendation to eat at Plachutta and they said, "they know their meat". My mother (the adventurous one on the trip) ordered the very traditional Viennese dish, Boiled Beef. I ordered a steak with mashed potatoes and green beans. The boiled beef comes in a vegetable soup broth and it is traditional to eat a cup of soup out of the pot on your table with some vegetables. Then after your soup, they take out the boiled steak and place it on your plate. They have sides of potatoes that were just like hash browns, and cabbage pureed sauce. Also on the side is a horshradish sauce that is very mild and apple sauce. It takes like an excellent brisket and is DEEEElicious. Also, in the broth they have a bone with bone marrow!!! You eat the bone marrow by spreading it on a piece of toast. Mad props to my mother because she did it! I cleaned my plate as well and it was my favorite dish this whole vacation.
After that delicious dinner, I had to go back to the hotel room and change into pants that would be more....comfortable with my food baby. We then head to a summer Mozart concert in the Golden Hall. It is a symphony and a couple opera singers. The musicians wear white wigs like back in the day. It was a beautiful hall and a wonderful musical performance. We loved when the conductor would turn around and instruct us to clap along with the music. He would change tempos, go from loud to very soft, and everyone had a great time.
The next morning, we took the train to Melk which is a small town near the Danube River. We walked through the charming town and up to the abby. It was Sunday morning to we were not able to take pictures or walk through the abby. The abby was incredible and Melk is a cute little town. We then walk down and hop on to a boat to cruise down the Danube River. We sat on the top and ordered a beer while cruising by towns. You would see old castles, traditional houses, vineyards, and green luscious landscapes. Very peaceful and relaxing, good idea mom. We ended our boat tour 2 hours later and hope back on the train back to Vienna. We did not get to see much of the town because something we are not accustomed to much in the states is that everything shuts down on Sunday. But it was still a great day and great weather.
Ohhhh the government, all I really want to say is OYE VEY but I will explain so you can see the headache and dark side of my transition over here....
We arrive at 9:30am and wait our turn in the Czech Embassy to request for a visa. The Czech Republic makes you leave the country to apply for the visas and guess what, you have to pick them up there too! So I give him all my stuff that Martina handed me and he said it was all wrong forms. So I filled out a new form and he said I needed more passport photos! Also it cost 161 Euros for the request. He calls us a cab and we RUN to a picture studio to take my pictures. Hop back in the cab, go to security because the embassy closes at 1030am and he dropped it off to the man. He then tells me that I have to COME BACK to the embassy in 5 days and he will call me. Well great, I told Martina I would be at work on the 23rd and my mother and I already booked our vacation in Salzburg. We decided to stick to our plan. Phew, I was exhausted and stressed with trying to figure all that stuff out. We had a nice lunch in the park and decided to call it an early easy night since a thunder storm was approaching again. I was relaxing when my mom runs in the room panicking that my Dad received a call at 3:30am and some man was speaking czech to him. What in the world? Well I turn on my phone and just dont care about roaming charges trying to figure out what is going on. I was praying that the short term visa was done. The next day my mother and I stick to our plan and headed on the train to Salzburg. While on the train, my cellphone rings and its the czech embassy. He said he needed my notary slip and to mail it! After we asked millions of times if he had EVERYTHING. I told him I was on a train to Salzburg and will be back Monday so he said I can give him the notary when I pick up the short term visa.
At least now we can enjoy our vacation in Salzburg without worrying about the embassy wondering what they wanted. We arrive in Salzburg and head to our hotel in the center of town and wow I have never seen so many people crammed on a street. We were like salmon swimming up stream trying to get to our hotel. We eat in the restaurant in the hotel and I decided to be brave like my mom when ordering traditional food. I got sausage with saurcrout and horseradish with a pretzel...which I find out later it is basically bar food but was the chefs specialty. We then decide to stroll around and sightsee. I forgot to mention, in Vienna I was desperate to find The Sound of Music because we were heading to Salzburg and we were going to take an 8 hour Sound of Music tour! I have never seen the Sound of Music but luckily I found it and my mother and I watched the movie before we left. Of course every night before bed I would watch it and love the songs. The next day, we had our Sound of Music Tour. It was great because it was just my mom and I on the tour. We saw all the "Salzburg" scenery. So much juicy information, for instance, the scene where they are rowing on the lake and they fall off when they see the father. Well little Grettle did not come up and they had to resuscitate her! Also, the mansion the movie was shot at (well the back of the house where they drank pink lemonade) is owned by Harvard and is private property. They had to move the white gazebo to another park since so many people were trespassing to sing, "I am 16 going on 17". She took us to the park and of course what did I do, I sang, "I am 16 going on 17". Then she drove us out to the Lake District and asked if my mom and I want to go Luge. I did not hesitate to sign both my mom and I up! How it works is a cable latches on to you luge and drags you up a few hills going higher and higher. Then you get off and a man lifts your luge to the track. I went first thinking my mom would take it slow. It was a lot of fun but I was nervous I would fall off and slice my head off so I was cautious. I get off and my mom gets off behind me and was like, "you were going so slow I had to pull my brakes!" I didnt know my mom is an adrenaline junky. Back on to the van and off to a town where Mozarts Mom was born. It was beautiful. It had mountains and a lake and the town was very nice. We saw the church where they filmed the wedding of Sound of Music even tho Maria was married in the Abby in Salzburg but since its an active nunnery, they were not allowed to film. After seeing the church where they filmed the wedding, we had lunch overlooking to town. We had the local fresh fish Char that is fresh from their lakes. I was a little shocked it still had its skin, head, and tail! But it was delicious! We then headed to Hallstatt! It is a small community where there is salt mining. It is the jem of the lake district and now I see why. It is so cute settled next to a large lake and mountains. We hope on a boat tour that takes you around the lake and you see all sorts of landscapes. I kept saying that Disney must have visited here because it is something beautiful that Disney would create. We then meet up with our tour guide again and she took us to a church where you can see the traditional burial rituals. Basically, it was painted skulls with their family name on it and their large bones. And I am talking about 100s! It was a little disturbing but yet cool at the same time. We walked through the charming streets and my mom got great souvenirs. We then headed back to our hotel in Salzburg and so fortunate we got to see the lake district and Hallstatt.
A strong/main factor in us going to Salzburg was to see the University of Redlands Study Abroad School so the next day we went up the hill to find the school. All we had was the address where we learned the number 1 looks like a 7 when it is written. We were a little lost until I remembered the 1 and 7 deal. We found it and knocked on the door and a professor/director opened it. She was very nice and gave my mother and I a grand tour of the school. Not too shabby! I wish I could have studied abroad but as you know moving to Prague is more amazing :) Then after our tour we decided to find Augustiner Beer Garden that many people had told us to go to. Well, we got lost surprise suprise. We ended up in a cow pasture this time instead of a sheep pasture. But as always, we always find our way and the beer garden did not open up til around 3pm. So we headed back to our hotel to eat some pizza and then get ready for the Sound of Music Marionette Show! It was awesome! It was so lifelike and we learned it takes 10 years to become a professional puppeteer! After the show, we went to the beer garden. There are little food stands with pretzels, salted raddishes, meats, breads...all the drunk food you can think of. We see a wall full of beer steins. What you do is you grab the size you want, pay, clean with water, then fill er up! You go outside where you find tons of locals singings, laughing, talking, and enjoying life with their giant beer steins. My mother is not a beer fan so she stuck with a coke but she tried it so I was proud. I got a little stein and a pretzel and it was delicious and a cool experience.
The next day we return back to Vienna and have some delicious Italian food and relax back at the same hotel we stayed at before. It was a Friday and so we could enjoy the weekend in Vienna before going back to the doom doom dooooooooooom Embassy on Monday. We toured the Habsburgs Summer Palace. If you didnt know, the Habsburgs were kinda a big deal back in the day. It was a BEAUTIFUL summer day and the gardens at the palace were magnificent. We hiked all the way to the top of the garden and had a whole view of Vienna. Then there are tons of little trails that lead you to other incredible gardens. After the garden walk, we toured the palace and it was impressive of course. Life is good living as a Habsburg. Then to finish off the day, we went to an apple strudel show. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Not only did you get a free sample but watch them prepare it. But I must say, I am apple strudel'd out for now which is probably a good thing if you know what I mean. Back at the hotel, we had my favorite soup and my mom had schnitzel. The last day in Vienna we did the Rick Steves walking tour of Vienna. If you havent used Rick Steves just know he is the Man when you are traveling. My mom wanted to tour another Habsburg palace but I was musuem'd out so I went back to the hotel and took a nap. That night we went back to Plachettos to have the same dishes again. The next morning bright and early it was the day we had to go back to the doom doom doooommmm embassy again. So I turn the notary in and he was supposed to get my short term visa...well nothing is easy so... he comes back and says we have a problem, you dont start work til Sept. 1 and you can not get your visa til 3 days before work and have to come back to Vienna. I had to be at work the next day and not going to keep going back and forth to Vienna. We firmly told him how he told us to come in Monday and we cant keep coming back here. I think he was looking for a little cash money but that doesnt fly with my mom and I. He makes a "phone call" and we got our visa :) He tells us we need to go to the foreign police when I get back to Prague to register me in the computer to keep track that when my 3 months are up I have to leave the country until I get my long term visa. Which I will have to wait for their phone call and travel back down there. I cant wait....
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