LET'S PLAY CATCH UP, because, let's be honest. It's been a while. READY, SET, GO!
Okay, so back before Christmas...in Forbach...my memory get's a little jumbled:
Many days, I went to Saarbrücken, Germany for some nice strollin' and shoppin'.
I also went to look at super decked-out houses for the holidays in France...
Trier, Germany was also on the itinerary, two times. The first time was to meet other assistants...
...to see Roman ruins...
...and drink Gluhwein (note to others: It's a lot stronger than vin chaud in France)
My second time in Trier was to see my roommate from last year (her college is in Trier)...
Then we had a shit-ton of snow in Forbach before Christmas...
Finally, on the 23rd, I left for Regensburg, Germany for Christmas again with the Heiss family. We visited the Christmas market which was at the old Castle of nobility (Schloss Thurn und Taxis). It was hands down the most beautiful Christmas market I'd seen. We ate a lot too...
On Christmas, I was at the Heiss' house. They were dog sitting for an English family who went back home for Christmas. So, the dog and I were the only ones who couldn't understand German. We bonded.
With the Heiss family...you always eat and drink really well...
YUM! Then, the day after Christmas, I left for Vienna...
I stumbled across an Italian market on my way to Stephansplatz.
I bought some chocolate-coffee liqueur.
The next day, I just popped around some museums and saw the beautiful architecture of Vienna...
I sympathized with these poor guys...
I really fell in love with Vienna. It's really a mixture of my two favorite places: Paris and Bavaria. The culture is really similar to Bavaria, as it is right next door. They say Grüß Gott (Say hello to God) instead of Guten Tag. The culture reflects Paris, of course, in the architecture and the ambiance. It's more relaxed, their are hundreds of beautiful cafes and people hang out for hours: drinking their coffee for hours and smoking their cigarettes. There are also lovely chic shops tucked away in between the streets. There are so many museums and so much lovely art. I really adored it.
Here I am @ the Belvedere in Vienna. It was a palace that has now turned into a museum. It houses Gustav Klimt's most famous painting, The Kiss. Also, it has Jacques-Louis David's famous painting of Napoleon.
As a "gourmande," I had to visit the famous
Demel; it's kinda like the
Ladurée of Paris. Let me just tell you, it definitely did not disappoint. I had the punsch torte with a bizarre mix: white wine and black tea? I dunno, it was a winter specialty drink:
