Procrastination seems to be my middle names these days. Yes, Christmas is over. Happened 3 weeks ago and News Years 2009 has lived and expired this year too. I haven’t been keeping my loyal readers up-to-date with the adventures, scandals and tribulations in the life of Stephanie Clark. In fact, I’m writing this blog at the moment because I’m trying to find an excuse not to study for finals. I wish I could say I had a good reason not to have written, but I don’t. When I arrived back in Salzburg after my glorious Christmas vacation I did nothing but lay around and watch movies and go to the pub of choice, O’Malleys.
Now I’m reaping the consequences of being a lazy student this semester. I’ve had a horrible flu all week with a temperature peaking at 101 degrees Fahrenheit. I’ve missed all my classes this week and have been cooped up in my tiny room with nothing to do but think about my friends and family back home and try to download movies off the internet. I’ve tried to study and complete my homework but the sickness clouds my mind and allows no such concentration. With two weeks of school left I need to get well and get my butt in gear!
Well, Christmas 2008 wasn’t as gloomy as I’ve made the past week sound. I spent it in Vienna, Austria with my relatives. Fritz and Inge are so warm and loving and do everything in their power to make me feel comfortable and at home. They practically wait on me hand and foot, which includes breakfast and coffee the second I arise out of bed. The first night at their home in Vienna I was exhausted by the 3 hour train ride, visited with Fritz and Inge and reminisced by looking at old photos from their visits to the states during the past 20 years. The Austrians are very organized. Each photo album was proudly displayed on their entertainment center, one after the other, numbered and arranged by year, recently dusted. Displayed like trophies. I enjoyed looking at the memories and family members at a younger age. Less wrinkles, more diapers. I imagined a similar arrangement in my future. Photo albums, trophies, of my year abroad proudly displayed in my future home.
I spent five days in Vienna seeing new sites and meeting family members I had never met. I met my great-aunt Herta who was humorous, kind and a joy to chat with. I met Inge’s son Gerhard and his family who greeted me with the same warmth as Fritz and Inge. I felt confident and brave enough to explore Vienna a little on my own and in the presence of new company. One day I visited the Jüdische (Jewish) Museum on my own and the next the Kunsthistorisches (Art History) Museum with a relative, Christian, and his girlfriend. The art museum in Vienna is one to brag over. It has an awesome collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts including real mummified people and animals! The museum also boasts a fantastic collection master painters including Reubens, Caravaggio, and even Raphael. I was proud to see Parmigianino’s Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror and recognize the piece from art history class. I’m becoming quite the museum junkie here in Europe!
Christmas Eve finally arrived and for the first time I celebrated the day without the usual lunch and gift exchange between me, my mom, dad and brother. In Austria, Dec. 24 is the big day. The Christkind flies through the window to leave presents for the children and the family spends the day together enjoying each other’s company and good food. I spent Christmas Eve this year in Vienna, Austria with new family and new traditions. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel homesick. Only a little out of sorts not receiving any presents and not eating a big turkey dinner. I ate a delicious Greek meal instead and tried to breath it all in.
When I left Vienna on Christmas Day after a nice long walk in the cool crisp air with Fritz and Inge, I felt more comfortable with Vienna, these distant relatives of mine and the German language. After five days of straight German speaking I learned a few more phrases! I called my family Christmas night when I arrived back in Salzburg and wished them happy holidays from across the Atlantic Ocean.
With no time to relax I flew to London, England on the 26th of Dec., took a train to Tottenham Hale subway station, the subway to Victoria Coach Station and a bus to Sheffield, England where my friend Steff and her mom Val picked me up. Steff’s mom Val was so generous, full of energy and easy to be around. She welcomed me into her home, fixed me a typical English Sunday roast including my first taste of Yorkshire puddings, and chauffeured me and her two daughters to Durham one day and Chatsworth the next.
The City of Durham was a beautiful, small English town just as you would imagine or see in a movie, and the cathedral was magnificent. The cathedral is the film site of several scenes from the Harry Potter movies; and though I haven’t read the books or seen the films, it felt very Harry Potterish. The same day we paid a visit to the Angel of the North, a 66 ft tall steel angel with a 178 ft wing span. The angel towers over the land as a protector, but in the night it resembles something less protective and more eerie. Still breath-taking.
Chatsworth was beautiful as well as the manor house is also a recognizable film site. Pride and Prejudice (2005) was filmed on the grounds. As I could see why since I wanted to dress up in beautiful dresses with my friends and take photographs amongst the abundant sheep, plush, green grass and magnificent English manor house.
It was finally time for Steff to say goodbye to her mom and for us to head off to London. We were experienced tourists that day and viewed the Parliament building including Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, the Tower of London and the main shopping street all before 5:00. And after waking up at 6:00 a.m., riding the train to London, and accomplishing all that we could, we decided to make it an early night by eating dinner and watching a movie together in the hostel. After all, the next day was New Years Eve and back to Salzburg.
Lastly, on this epic journey of Stephanie Clark’s Christmas Vacation 2008-09, I spent New Years Eve in Salzburg with my close friends, Greek food, familiar pub and fireworks over the Salzach River at midnight. It was definitely a night to remember as the firework display seemed to never end and the reflection from the water doubled the luminosity of the night. You never knew from where the next bursting light would come. From the mountains across the river, from down stream or from 10 feet away as a seemingly inexperienced neighbor on the river lights a giant explosive. The beginning of a new year I’ll never forget.
I survived the holidays. Isn’t that what we say every year? I made it gracefully through another milestone of my time here. Send thoughts of health and luck my way as I fight this evil sickness and prepare to wrap up another semester.
