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!

DIS Trip to England Part 2: Devon

I spent the past week in England with my European Sustainable Development class. We spent Sunday through Tuesday morning in London, and Tuesday afternoon to Friday in Devon (southern England). Following are some photos and highlights from my trip!
Tuesday, March 5

1. Arrival at Totnes Train Station

2. Arrival at Sharpham Estate, Totnes

Sharpham Estate is a beautiful 1770's Palladian-style villa located in Totnes in Devon County (southern England). Everyone in our class, myself included, was so surprised when we first drove up to the estate- we had definitely not expected this! Sharpham Estate is surrounded by gorgreous views overlooking lush, rolling hills, a vineyard, and the River Dart. I felt like I had just entered one of Jane Austen's novels!

Read up more on Sharpham Estate here.

The façade of the house.

View of River Dart, a tidal river.

Taken from a walking path in the early morning.

View of the Dart River and Totnes down below.

The Vineyard. And spring flowers!!

Inside, looking up. Egg-shaped foyer with spiral staircase and pink walls.

On the way upstairs (I lived on the top floor).

Into the "Walled Garden."

Inside the Walled Garden.

Reminds me of Mr. McGregor's garden from Peter Rabbit.

Gardens around the house.

Gardens

The Courtyard. My room is the one with the open window on the top left.

 3. Dinner at Sharpham: Fantastic wine and cheese made right on the estate! Doesn't get more local than that!

4. Went out to the local pub with friends and had a pint (or two) or locally-brewed Jail Ale.

Cheers!

Wednesday, March 6

Today we learned first-hand about the Transition Town movement, which is a global movement for towns to develop resilience and self-sufficiency in reaction to peak oil and climate change. Underlying concepts include community-building and re-localizing the economy. Totnes is the first town ever to become a Transition Town!

More eloquently put from the Transition Town Totnes website:

"Transition Town Totnes (TTT) exists for the people of Totnes and District to help create thriving, healthy, caring local communities where people's ways of life take into account the needs of future generations as well as the present ones.  Rising fuel prices, the social justice impacts of being part of a world fighting to take control of every last oil reserve and natural resource, our current economic uncertainty and climate change are just some of the reasons we have for needing to rise to this challenge.  However, TTT focuses on these motivators as opportunities to increase community well-being, to expand our local economy, to take responsibility for the impact we are having on the ecosystem and other people, and to find ways of living that are in line with our Earth's natural systems."

1. Exploring Totnes

View of Totnes from Kingsbridge Hill.

High Street in Totnes. Heading to lunch at Bay Horse Inn.

Traditional Tudor houses in the town square.

St. Mary's Church of Totnes.

2. Lunch at Bay Horse Inn

Local Elderflower Bubbly drink! So delicious!

My plate =)

3. Visit to the "Mushroom Man," a local who sells mushroom growing kits around the world.

 4. Visit to a Transition Street, a neighborhood in Totnes where Transition volunteers have helped locals to retrofit their houses and reduce overall consumption to save on energy bills. The average person saves about $600 a year after doing this program!

5. Visit to Transition Totnes Office: There wasn't much to see here. Instead I offer a picture of the Transition logo:

If you are interested in Transition Towns, look online to see if there is one in our town/city. The network is huge, and there are over 500 official initiatives worldwide. In the Hudson Valley area, I am aware that there are Transition gatherings in Kingston, Rosendale, and Woodstock. For Gettysburgians, there is one in Gettysburg that is unfortunately not active at present. (Get in touch with me if you are interested in starting it up again, as I plan on trying to bring it back to life when I get back to the States.)

6. Drinks with the class at Albert Inn to celebrate a great day!

(not my photo)

Thursday, March 7

1. Dartmoor National Park: apparently a very beautiful place, but it was so foggy and rainy it was hard to see much. Nevertheless, we hiked anyway =)

In my Wellies (rainboots) and raingear.

2. Lunch at Riverford Field  Kitchen



The Menu.

My plate.

Sticky Toffee Pudding. No words can describe how amazing this was.

 3. In the afternoon we went on a walking meditation around Sharpham estate. It was so peaceful and calm. I saw lots of wildlife, including a seal down by the river!

Sheep on the estate!

Dart River, Sharpham boathouse, and fallen tree.

The Sharpham Vineyard.

The River Dart.

4. Fireside Reflection and Celebration: reflection on the walk by the wood-burning stove, and great conversation and live music over a glass of local hard cider. Very, very hygge!

Friday, March 8: Last Day in England

1. Early morning walk with Katie around the Estate property and down to the River Dart.
2. Introduction to Permaculture lesson in the morning at Sharpham
3. Visit to local Agroforest Research Trust for tour of a forest garden.
4. Bye Totnes! It was great visiting!