Submitted by Emma Straw on the 2020 spring semester study abroad program in Madrid, Spain…
Midterms are in full-swing here at Saint Louis University Madrid. The study rooms are packed, and the stress levels are rising. But, let’s talk about something more exciting… winter break!
This past week, our university scheduled a short “winter break”, so we finished up our Wednesday classes, packed our bags, and hopped on a plane to Vienna, Austria. We arrived in the country’s capital on Thursday morning and ate a traditional Viennese meal of wiener schnitzel, pretzels, and apple strudel (apple strudel with vanilla ice cream – I highly recommend). We visited St. Stephen’s Cathedral, explored the café lined streets, and visited Belvedere Palace, home to Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss. Vienna was an absolute dream and after two days in the city, we ventured to our second location nestled in the Austrian Alps.
On Saturday, we took a train across the entire country and headed to Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart and the film, The Sound of Music. We went on the original Sound of Music Tour and saw all of the filming locations, along with a few extra surprises. Fun fact about Salzburg, they have over 100 people that are over 100 years old living there! And it’s all thanks to their extremely active lifestyles. The people in Salzburg are all either avid hikers, skiers, swimmers, runners, or a mixture of both. It was amazing walking down the street and seeing elderly people riding bikes and running (and no, not a light jog!). Salzburg offered some of the most amazing views I’ve ever had the pleasure of witnessing. The Austrian Alps towered over the landscape and I was lucky enough to capture their majesty in a few snapshots you’ll see down below.
We arrived back to Madrid on Monday and it’s amazing how easy it is to jump right back into my routine here abroad. Madrid is now a place I call home and while I loved my winter break, I missed my wonderfully sunny city here in the heart of Spain.
