Continuing with yesterday, we flew to Vienna and walked to the hotel in the First district, which is downtown. We deposited our bags and then walked to McDonald’s for a quick lunch. McDonald’s here is quite amazing actually. It is run by different people in Austria than in America, and the American executives have no idea what other McDonald’s’ are like. I had a very good burger there. Look up the Big Rösti in Austrian McDonald’s. It was excellent! Then, we walked around and quickly saw many important things, such as the rathaus, or parliament building. We then went to the Hofburg Palace (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hofburg_Palace) and saw what it was like. This was the original palace for the royalty of Austria until they built Schloß Schönbrunn, the palace everybody thinks of when they hear “Austria”. Then, we saw Roman ruins that were discovered while constructing the underground subway system. All my Latin memories came back and I thought of Mrs. Brand and my six years of Latin. I can read inscriptions, and it makes me feel important or something. We then went to the crypt for the royalty and saw such people as Maria Theresa and Emperor Franz Joseph. Then, it was time for Jause (say yowsa), or afternoon pastry break. Yes, I could totally live here. I put a picture of the pastries of facebook, as some of you have already seen. Then, it was time for a break and then dinner, where I had authentic Wiener Schnitzel. It was exceptional. I felt like everything was as it should be, eating the classic dish of Vienna in Vienna with a Viennese man. After that, it was off to coffee with Elliot and Kiefer, where we had our male bonding time. That was it for yesterday!

The first thing I noticed about Vienna was that it is a beautiful city. Berlin is wonderful, but it is not a beautiful city on the level that Vienna is. Every building here is in the classic architecture and is pretty, even apartment buildings or normal city buildings. The blocks all look similar because the buildings are so exquisite. I mean that in the way that every part of this city is like the small, old downtown section of other cities that one so likes to visit. I can’t wait to have another week here!