Holiday Season

Happy Holidays!

Christmas is coming up quite fast especially here in Austria since they celebrate one day earlier on the 24th.

I remember my parents telling me on my birthday that time would really start to fly and it has.  It seems like December just started the other day and now its well over halfway over.

I've been taking in as much of the Christmas market as I can, trying the different foods and drinks.  Unlike other souvenir shops and sights, the Christmas markets are only open around Christmas time.

Last week, we visited the Christmas market in Mariazell!

For those of you who don't know where or what Mariazell is, I have provided a small map:

Mariazell is a beautiful little city that lies near the border of the states of Styria and Lower Austria.

I don't think these photos do the actual scenery justice.  It is absolutely beautiful there!

We went by train and explored the Christmas market and the nearby sights that afternoon.

Aside from the popular Christmas markets in Vienna and whatnot, we also have a little one at home...

My host brothers enjoy making little crafts and selling them in their own little Christmas markets.  I think it is so cute and I've already visited (and bought a few things) already.

This past Sunday was my host mother's birthday!  We had a bunch of little surprises for her throughout the morning, including a stylish limousine ride wherever we went!

One of the things we did on Sunday was go on the Riesenrad, a giant ferris wheel in Vienna!  

It was quite cool, the ferris wheel has gondolas that you can stand and move around in, much like tiny rooms.

Being up high on the wheel made for some beautiful views.

This view in particular I think is a bit funny.  In the picture, you have modern buildings and a skyscraper, but you also have this much older-looking church (I think it is a church anyway).  It really sticks out and shows the differences of architecture in Austria with a mixture of old and new.

I have really been enjoying this holiday season.  I LOVE the Christmas markets and it has been cool to experience some of the traditions that my host family and Austria in general have. 

I likely won't write a blog next week because my host family and I plan to go on a skiing trip to a place not too far from Mariazell.

That is all I have for this week!

Thanks for reading!

Merry Christmas and happy holidays!!

Start of the Christmas Season

Hello!

My apologies for not posting a blog last week.  It was a very slow week and nothing much happened, on top of that I was really tired and didn't think I could write a good post.

I'll just have to write for two weeks this time!

Last week, I spend Thanksgiving in Vienna with a friend.  We walked around the big Christmas market in Vienna.  Since Thanksgiving isn't celebrated out here, I was able to get a head start on the Christmas season.

We got our first snowfall of the season last Thursday (November 30th)!!!  It was quite magical being able to wake up to snow falling.  

It was also warm enough that the snow was perfect for snowman building!  So of course, my host brothers and I build a snowman.

I think the snowfall really started up the Christmas spirit, at least for me.  

This past week we made some gingerbread cookies!

The dough had already been made, but I think we all really enjoyed just cutting out (and of course eating) the cookies.

Today (December 6th) is the day of Saint Nicholas' Day.  Saint Nicholas is somewhat like America's Santa Claus.  He has a book that he checks to see if children were good or not throughout the year and he brings the good children gifts.  

There is also Krampus, who comes and takes away the bad children.  Thankfully, Krampus did not come to our house this year.

The celebration of St. Nicholas differs from country to country and possibly region to region.  For us, he came and read what good things my host brothers had done this year and gave us each a little bag of goodies.  I think my host brothers were all very excited, I don't think they stopped smiling the whole time he was here!  

This past Saturday makes 3/5 months of my exchange here in Austria.  It feels both like I have been here forever and that I haven't been here for that long at all.  Its hard to believe that I have less than 2 months left now.  I hope to make the most of it.

I go to Vienna a lot, especially with friends.  It is so nice living so close to such a big city.  A lot of times, the trips I take with my friends start out as little shopping trips and we end up in a part of Vienna we had never seen before.  I think I have discovered some of the prettiest sights, coolest stores, and nicest cafes just wandering than I have actually planning out where to go.  

I also love going to the Christmas markets in Vienna.  It is so pretty and there are so many opportunities to try "typical Austrian" foods and drinks.

Well, that is all I have for this week!

Thanks for reading!