So amazing. I can't believe that at only 21 I got to go to Europe and experience some of the most amazing sights the world has to offer. We were so lucky to be able to take the opportunity now when we are young instead of waiting until after our future kids have grown up (i.e. 30 years from now). And what a great chance for us to have five weeks, just Jacob and I, to be with one another more than we have in the past six months!
Vienna is one of my new favorite cities. I can't quite explain why. Yes, it can be a very wicked place. Smoking, racy advertisements. But there is something about it there that I just love. It is probably the architecture. People back then (1500's - 1800's) definitely cared more about the exterior of their buildings than American builders do now. And although I can't say that I believe in what the Catholic church teaches, they sure do make some beautiful cathedrals. Vienna is chuck full of them. Stephansdom, Karlskirche, Votiv kirche, St. Peter's . . . they were all so beautiful. I also had the opportunity to get to know Vienna really well. Their U-Bahn system is amazing, and gave me the opportunity to go anywhere in the city I wanted to go. It easily began to feel like home, and while we were visiting Prague, I referred to Vienna as home. I definitely want to go back there someday.
I very much enjoyed the food offerings of Austria and Germany. Man-o-man, Wiener Schnitzel is so good (no, not the American fast food chain; they've got it ALL wrong). European Fanta is crazy good. I couldn't imagine that using real fruit juice could make a drink so much better, but it does. The Turkish people are definitely doing something right with Döners. They are so good, even if I get it "nur fleisch." And while in Germany, I have never experienced such amazing sausages. Münchener Weißwurst, Nürnberger wurst, and the Coburger wurst were some of the most delicious things I have ever put in my mouth!! The Coburger wurst is roasted over pine cones and gives it the most crazy awesome flavor. Even just thinking about it is making my mouth water.
Germany is very beautiful. Vienna is a lot of concrete, but i got to see so much green while I was in Germany. Rolling hills of green green green. Coming back to Utah made me feel like I was wearing brown sunglasses. (Don't get me wrong, I still love Utah). Rothenburg was a great place. It felt and looked just like you would think an old-fashioned, little German town would look. Nürnberg was one of my favorite cities we visited. Besides their crazy awesome sausage, the buildings there are so beautiful. It reminded me a lot of Vienna. Bamberg was also very cool (besides all the drunk teenagers). We walked up the big hill to a cathedral and palace that overlooked the city. We had an amazing view of the red-shingled houses and the stormy atmosphere added to the effect.
Coming home was bittersweet. Yes, I will miss the places I have seen and I will miss the food. But there is something about being home and being back in routine that feels nice. It is also nice to wash my clothes in a washing machine instead of in a sink, by hand.
All in all, the best vacation I have ever been on. I got to spend my first anniversary in one of my favorite cities, and it was wonderful to spend so much time with my sweetie.
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