Trip to Vienna Part 2: Photos and Highlights

Trip to Vienna Part 2

April 2-3, 2013

I thought I had taken more photos, but it seems as though I was a bit too cold to bother. Had a great time during my second trip to Vienna. Went to the Belvedere Mansion and Museum to see Vienna's famous Secessionist artwork, including Gustav Klimt's The Kiss! Afterwards, I met up with the lovely Anne Patterson for coffee and cake at the very fancy Mozart Cafe!

Vienna Part 1: Photos and Highlights

Trip to Vienna Part 1

March 23-24, 2013

Secession Building. 

Me at Rathaus (City Hall).

Easter Market in Vienna! 

Lots and lots of Easter Eggs! 

Famous coffee and cake house in Vienna. 

Couldn't resist! Hazelnut Cake at Demel.

Einspänner (large espresso with whipped cream) at Demel

Demel interior wallpaper

St. Stephan's Cathedral 

On line at the Vienna State Opera House for 3 Euro standing tickets to see Aida! 

Vienna State Opera House

“To travel is to live.”

 . . . and that is why I haven't written any new posts this past month =)

Three weeks ago I went to Vienna, Austria and Budapest, Hungary for Easter holiday. It was an amazing trip! Tomorrow I am off to Sweden for the week (Gothenburg and Stockholm). I will catch up my blog with my anecdotes and photos of both journeys when I get back next week. 

To keep it light, I figure I should re-evaluate my Copenhagen Bucket List that Molly (my housemate) and I made at the beginning of the semester. All accomplished items have a check mark next to them. 

1. Go to Christiana, the hippie free town in Copenhagen ✔
***Reminded me a lot of Woodstock, but a lot more grungy 
2. Drink with Danes
3. Go to a bar with Ca and Lennart ✔
***Mulligan's Irish Pub in Roskilde. Great night =) 
4. Bike in Copenhagen
***Molly has, but I have not yet. Still need to rent a bike for a day before I leave. However, bikers are super intense in Copenhagen. If you don't know the rules of the road, there is a good chance you'll get run over. 
5. Go to Sweden by train/bus ✔
***Gothenburg, Boras, and Stockholm this week!!
6. Go to Norway by ferry
7. Tivoli 
***It just opened for the season a few days ago! Can't wait! This is the old-fashioned amusement park in the center of Copenhagen. It is what inspired Walt Disney to create Disney World/Land. 
8. Rosenborg Castle ✔
***So beautiful inside. On my lunch hour I go to the gardens surrounding the castle to sketch and soak up some sun.
9. Have picnic/drink beer or wine on lawn at Kongenshave in warm weather
***Not warm enough yet. . .
10. 100 DKK for 10 shots ✔
***A very common deal at Danish Bars (=10 shots for $20). Note: 10 shots shared among 5 girls. I didn't drink them all by myself!
11. Kiss a Dane
***The ultimate challenge. Danish men, or rather Danes in general, are very introverted and not keen on making new friends, especially Americans. Despite the fact that Danish men are gorgeous, I'm not sure if this task can be accomplished by the end of the semester. 
12. Cook Danish food ✔
***Does making whipped cream for dessert count? 
13. Get on random train, get off at random stop. Explore. And repeat. . 
14. See Carmen, or another opera at the Opera House
***We realized that if we were to do this, there would only be Danish subtitle, so probably not worth the expensive ticket even if we know the story
15. Go check out the secret passage underneath the Parliament building
***Molly went and said it wasn't as cool as it sounds. It is just ruins of the old building before Parliament was built. 
16. Louisiana Art Museum and Andy Warhol exhibit ✔
***Great exhibit and museum! And there was a sculpture park right on the water, too! (details in blog post from earlier in the semester)
17. National Danish Museum ✔
18. Find the Meat Packing District ✔
***Yes, Molly and I are both vegetarians. However, we have heard that the nightlife is great there. Unfortunately for us, we couldn't find the nightlife. . .
19. Make American meal for host family ✔
***Aunt Jemima's pancakes with chocolate chips and maple syrup. Doesn't get more American than that! And they liked it! 
20. Round Tower ✔
21. Climb the Spiral Tower in Christianshavn ✔
22. Smorgeslara
***I have already forgotten was this is. . . maybe Danish food? Need to ask Molly...
23. NY Carlsberg Glyptotek and see Degas' "Little Dancer"
24. The Little Mermaid statue ✔
25. Roskilde ✔
***We go into Roskilde everyday to catch the train, but it is a great city to explore. 
26. Girls night in! ✔ 
***Had a hyggelig night with Molly watching A Royal Affair and drinking wine
27. Copenhagen Jazz House
28. Assistens Kirkegard-- H.C. Anderson and Neils Bor's  gravestones ✔
29. Perch's Tearoom-- Scandinavia's oldest tea shop 
30. Cafe Retro
31. Eat pastries from La Glace
***Well, we have definitely accomplished the "eating pastries" part of this, but not the "from La Glace" yet. It is one of the most expensive confectioneries in town, as well as the oldest in Europe.
32. Copenhagen Aquarium/Zoo
33. Trampoline sidewalks along the harbor ✔
***SO.MUCH.FUN!
34. Party like a Dane (until 5 am!) ✔
*** Well, we only made it until 3:30 am  . . but it counts if we consider the 2 hour trip home.
35. Ikea
36. Go to the "bookstore where attractive Danes hang out" --what we now know as Cafe Paludan ✔
***The first night we were in Copenhagen, Lennart told us that their prior students would go to a cafe/bookstore all the time to find cute Danish boys. Of course this went over our heads, as we were a little delusional after our long flight. We found out later in the semester that the cafe he was referring to is right near DIS. We frequently get coffee and do homework at. It is very hyggelig, but I have yet to meet/sight any cute Danes there. 
37. Go to "The Drunken Flamingo"--a little bar near DIS
38. Norwegien Mountain Music concert at Roskilde Cathedral ✔
***After about 40 minutes, Lennart suggested that we leave and go out to the bar instead =)
39. Royal sighting
40. Read A.C. Anderson's stories ✔
*** The Little Mermaid, Thumbelina, The Emperor's New Clothes, The Little Match Girl, etc.

Of course we have done so many other cool things in Copenhagen, so this list doesn't nearly capture everything. But clearly we still have a bit of work to do. . . 

Contemplation

"As you walk and eat and travel, be where you are. Otherwise you will miss most of your life." -Buddha

Herslev Bryghus: The Local Brewery

Just got back from a tour of the local brewery Herslev Brygus, which is located about 2 miles away from my house. The beer was absolutely incredible! 7 different beers, made from organic wheat and barley  grown in fields adjacent to the brewery. Some were sweet, some bitter, and some so incredibly rich in flavorful spices. Of course the best was for last. . . beer with chocolate undertones! Yum!

Here is a link to the Herslev Brygus website. (Warning: it is all in Danish. I have an automatic translator on my Google Chrome browser. . . highly recommended to anyone using foreign websites!)

We also learned about the fine art of beer tasting and appreciation. Lessons included swirling the beer to release the flavors, smelling the beer, identifying sweetness/yeast content/bitterness/dryness/smoothness/malt. We also got to see the machinery and tanks in which the beer is processed.

(Photo credit: Herslev Bryghus) 

"Our keywords in production is high quality, pure ingredients and full traceability. We make beer, we can enjoy, and are inspired by the seasons in the development of new intense flavors - each brew has its own flavor and history."  ~Tore Jørgensen, Herslev Bryghus

Spring or Winter?

The first day of spring in Denmark was March 1. Why is there still snow?!

Staying inside today and writing a paper. At least the snow provides a pretty view from my window. But seriously, two-and-a-half months of cold and darkness. . .when will the sun come out and shine upon Denmark???

Mid-March blizzard. 

Thought of the Day: Danish Keys

Currently struggling with the Danish keyboard on the DIS computers. The added keys are interfering with my ingrained typing patterns. Some are new keys (e.g. æ å ø £ € 'Alt Gr'), and some are familiar symbols in different locations (e.g. the question mark). It takes me so long to type!