By Hannah Gordon
Czech Correspondent
At this time two years ago, I was on a 10-day excursion through France, Monaco and Italy with about 40 girls from my small, Franciscan high school.
We went to Mass on Easter, and I remember writing in my travel journal how lucky I was to be there. I thought I surely wouldn’t be back in Europe for a very long time, let alone for another holiday. My wanderlust drew me back sooner than expected.
I have always had an affinity for travel. My attraction to the new and fascinating was with me at a young age. I’ve never wanted to sit still, and I doubt I ever will. So here I am, taking a semester-long break from my small, Franciscan college to quench my wanderlust yet again.
I spent the weekend in Vienna, Austria. It was the perfect combination of new and old. Take all the appeal of a modern city, but with cobblestone streets, historical architecture and a couple palaces tossed in for good measure, and you’ve got Vienna.
Visiting the Habsburg summer palace was my favorite part of the trip. A bit of imagination transformed the drizzling, dreary day into a sunny, summer day in the 1700s. (Of course, this imaginative “flashback” was sepia tonied.)
The gardens weren’t in bloom yet, but I could imagine the colorful flowers strategically weaving in between the trees, which were all cut meticulously across the top for a rectangular shape. I turned to my right from the tree-lined path and faced the Gloriette positioned on a 200-foot-high hill or 60 meters behind the palace. About the length of two football fields, or so I would guess, since no one seems to have an answer to that question, the Gloriette stands proud as a testament to the power held by the Habsburg empire.
If you don’t get your kicks out of imagining you’re a Habsburg empress (or emperor), there are plenty of other attractions in Vienna. The Albertina and the Naschmarket are must-sees. The Albertina’s architecture, much like the rest of Vienna, is just as beautiful as the masterpieces inside. I couldn’t possibly have seen all the exhibitions during one visit to the gallery, but I did manage to see Monet, Picasso, Warhol, Degas and a few other artists’ work. It was a fabulous time.
The Naschmarket is a stark contrast to the poshness of the last two destinations I’ve mentioned. A path lined with forest-green stands peddling international foods is the perfect place to grab lunch. A glorious mix of fresh pastries, seafood, dried fruit, sausage, jams, cheeses and so much more coated the air with a different scent for each step, each one better than the next. (Except for the fresh fish stands. The next Yankee Candle million-dollar recipe will not be the raw- octopus-on-ice scent.)
On the bus ride home, our tour guide asked if Vienna treated us well. I nodded my head yes, because my mouth was full of Viennese chocolate.
gordonhr13@bonaventure.edu
