Guten Tag!!

VIENNA!

I have arrived in one of the greenest places yet! Austria is over 70 % forest and we definitely are getting a taste of this luscious country!! The first day was spent having a sunshiney picnic in the park next to our hotel. We are located far from the city center, thankfully, so lots of peace and quiet.

The second day here (Sept. 24th), we had a class around the city. Our group saw lots of cathedrals including Karlskirche, Stephansdom, and Votivkirche. Additionally, we saw the Austrian Parliament Building and the Hofburg Imperial Palace! We spent most of our time at the Kunsthistorisches Museum and saw some major art pieces from elder Bruegel and Vermeer!!

The next day was free after a poetry class involving art and Beethoven's 9th Symphony (we are so blessed to have "class" here). Megan and I spent the misty day in our room, recouping from our long, exhaustive travels. Unfortunately as Saturday dawned bright and cheery, I awoke with the worst aches in my shoulders and neck. Quickly, a high fever took over and I spent the rest of our beautiful free day in Vienna in my BED, issuing small, sad groans and skyping my family. Megan was loving, as usual, and nursed me back to health!

Today dawned clear again, and this time we did it all right- set out after a bountiful breakfast to the Modern Art Museum (with a major gallery devoted to Cy Twombly) and then toured the massive Natural History Museum seeing many skeletons, fossils, stones, minerals, tools, and a zoo of taxidermied animals. What a field-day for my camera! It was eery, beautiful and slightly grotesque (especially the bottled eels and snakes in formaldehyde!)...of course I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Tomorrow, before catching a night-train to Paris, we are going to see Queen Maria-Theresa's palace, Schönbrunn. Can't wait!!!