No, we will never get a break.

This I've concluded.

Samstag - On this first weekend in Vienna, I decided that I wanted to explore the neighborhood that my dorm is in. It's about fifteen minutes by public transportation from the city center, and it's pretty quiet and mostly residential. I walked up the side of the street that we hadn't taken yet - so far we had only gone right to get to school, so I went left. My walk went to show that you don't need to be in the downtown rush of Vienna to find beautiful architecture and quaint little shops. There was even an Easter market by the train station near us with stands selling linens, flowers, jewelry, and food (roasted chestnuts aren't just a Christmas snack over here). Our plans for the evening were to see "Lucia di Lammermoor" with Anna Netrebko in the title role, but after seeing the line for standing room, we decided to come back another night when we thought our chances would be better at getting tickets. We wound up strolling through the Staatpark (Gorgeous! I'm taking more pictures as it warms up and the plants start coming back.) and getting dinner and drinks at a traditional Austrian fare restaurant. I'm definitely going back for the marzipan mousse and a Bellini that I wanted to have for dessert.

Sonntag - I had a quiet morning and afternoon. I got some much-needed grocery shopping done, picking up yogurt, pasta, fruit, juice, and other necessities from the Merkur. I was introduced to the concept of putting a "down payment" on shopping carts - putting in a euro and getting it back when I turn it in. We saw "Die Land des Lachelns" by Lehar Sunday night. Again, I snagged another 75 euro ticket for only 10 euro, in the first row of the balcony. "Lachelns" was the most visually appealing show I've seen so far here. There were Asian influences everywhere, from the music to the set to the costumes. I'd definitely see it again.

Sorry about the delay in posting. Between sightseeing and showgoing, and now adding classes, I'm realizing more and more just how much I have on my plate. It seems like every day I stumble upon a neighborhood that I want to explore more - and I've barely started to think about my out-of-town travels! And of course, I know I have to take care of myself. Relaxing and finding down time is understandibly becoming more difficult, but I definitely don't want to burn myself out. I'll put up pictures soon as well as posts about the last couple of days soon.

I hope you all are doing well wherever you are. I love you and miss you and wish you all could be here!

Yours, Lucy