Day 10: Journey to Vienna

Today was a late start. We left the hotel at 9:30 and started on our to Vienna, Austria. After 20 minutes of driving we arrived at a communist statue park. Upon arriving we were greeted by what was once a large Stalin statue. During the Hungarian revolution the people of Budapest tried to saw off the statue from where it stood, but were not able to get the boots off of the brick stand. In the park there were many statues that glorified soldiers of the Red Army and the liberalization of the Red Army and the liberalization of Hungary. We got back on the road and we’re on our way once again. For lunch we stopped at a gas station that had an overpriced restaurant. We were able to spend the rest of our Hungarian money at the gas station, where most people bought snacks and drinks. When we got to Vienna we got a local guide who pointed out famous and important building while we drive to our first destination. The first place we went to was an abstract apartment and shopping center where there were no staring lines or even floors. After we went to the palace of Maria Theresa, which was very extravagant. Many of the rooms were filled with gold, however many of the statues were not the originals. After a brief tour we said goodbye to our guide and were able to explore the glorious garden behind the palace. Along with the garden, there was a hill that we climbed. On top of the hill we got many great photos of the palace with the city in the background. After the palace we went to dinner where we got schnitzel with potatoes for our main course and a crepe for dessert. After a long and exiting day we got to the hotel and retired for the night.

- Jason

Today was one of the days where we were allowed to sleep in later than we normally were allowed to. As I got up out of my bed and got dressed I started to walk over to breakfast. I grabbed eggs some meat and cheese as well as some apple juice in a cup. After my breakfast I filled my water bottle with cold water and placed it on the table which resulted in it falling over into my plate which fell on to the floor. As we loaded onto the bus on the way to Vienna we packed our bags under the bus and drove to a communist statue park. We took many pictures and saw many interesting statues as well as an interesting film depicting the life of a spy. As we boarded the bus on our way to Vienna many people were either sleeping, reading articles, or playing games with each other to pass the time. And as we stopped for a lunch break and ate overpriced sit down good which was pretty good but not worth the price and then again set off to Austria again. Once we arrived in Austria we saw a very abstract building which also contained many gift shops and bathrooms. We arrived at the palace created by Maria Theresa and explored many rooms, paintings, and learned many interesting facts. After the tour we explored around the palace and ran to the top of the hill behind it and ran back as well so we could arrive in time for dinner. For dinner we ate schnitzel with lemon and potatoes which was delicious and for dessert we had crepes. On the way back from dinner on the way to the hotel everyone was much more energetic as we just ate very good food and as we waited for our room assignments we talked and joked around with our friends. Today was an excellent day and I'm so happy to be on this trip.

- Casey