A Weekend in Vienna...

 Hallo!

Brandon here! This past weekend was our free weekend, and while a few folks stayed in Budapest a large number of us hopped on a train and spent two days in Vienna, Austria! As the students dive back into math classes I thought I'd give you a sneak peek into some of the Viennese highlights!

When in Vienna, one must eat their weight in schnitzel! A group of us started our adventure at Schnitzelwirt, a local, family-owned restaurant that specializes in traditional Austrian food. 10/10 would recommend! 

Saturday was a beautiful, sunny day which was perfect for exploring the city. I took a self-guided walking tour of old Vienna, winding through narrow streets and taking it all in! Some highlights for me included graffiti along the Danube canal, a quiet St. Stephen's Cathedral, and some hot chocolate and Sachertorte for breakfast 😋.

Later that day a group of us had dinner and attended a performance of Johann Strauss's Die Fledermaus, an opera that was written in, about, and first premiered in Vienna. It was a fabulous time!

Sunday was another beautiful day! I spent the morning exploring the Schönbrunn Palace, a sprawling cultural and historical monument. On the grounds, I toured the palace, walked around the Tiergarten Schönbrunn (the world's oldest zoo), and explored the greenhouses. What a beautiful place to spend a morning in Austria! After the palace, I used my last afternoon to simply wander around the city on foot, taking it in. I ended my time by stopping by Prater, a local theme park to ride an observation Ferris wheel for one final aerial view of the city,

The weekend was a such wonderful adventure. Now, back to math in Budapest!

Auf Wiedersehen!

- Brandon