Wi-Fi Sucks

So I’m pretty sure my last post was about climbing mountains so since then we have gone to Mozart’s birth house, seen another opera by Mozart, got to see Wind Serenades this morning and the Vienna Philharmonic for the third time tonight. Yesterday we got fresh baked bread from the mill which was amazing. And tomorrow we leave for Vienna again.

I Tripped and Nearly Got Stuck in a Drain-Ditch!

View of the Castle from our Hostel

       Yesterday was our third day in Salzburg and it seems to be the most popular one so far on this trip. Its a small place but lots of hustle and bustle goin' on. The first thing we did yesterday morning was go and visit the Hohensalzburg Castle/Fortress. Now, I like to think of myself as a decently healthy human bean.... but, man, that hike up was intense! There was a mix of stairs and the hill but both were pretty steep.We weren't even half way up and I as already winded. It didn't help that the day before, a small group of us went and did a small hike up to the monastery. So now my legs and ankles are super sore. On the bright side, however, by the end of the trip I'll have nicer legs (maybe??... haha).

So, fast forward from our long and tiring hike, the view from the Fortress was absolutely amazing and the fact that it was such a nice, sunny day made it that much better. One cool thing that I learned from our guide was that the mountains that we were super close to were a part of Bavaria. Then we were told about the various people that ruled over this Castle/Fortress. It's interesting because, there were no Kings or queens or princesses that rule here; simply archbishops who were essentially princes. There was one story about Prince Archbishop Leonard von Keutschach that stuck out to me above the rest because instead of having anything fancy like a Fleur-de-lis on his coat of arms, he just had a simple white turnip. The story behind it was that when this prince was younger, he wasn't taking his studies seriously. It got to the point where he and his father got into a heated argument which in turn resulted in the Archbishop getting a turnip thrown at his head. Thus, the turnip became the humble symbol on his coat of arms. Apparently, there are around 57 or so turnip symbols that can be found in paintings, friezes and sculptures around the castle.

This is one of the heaters that people would use
to keep rooms warm for up to 8 or 9 hours

    After we went through the main tour of the castle, the guide took us up to a tower that faced the city of Salzburg  which almost no-one gets to go to unless they are working there. The tower had a really great view of the city, however the purpose it was built for wasn't so great. Apparently, there was one point where the citizens had rioted and surrounded the castle. So to prevent that from happening again, the archbishop built the castle as a warning that if it happened again, there were cannons on the tower that were aimed at the citizens.

     The visit to the tower ended our awesome tour of the castle. But i think most of us weren't looking forward to the steep hike back down... So a on our way down, I decided to hold on to the hand rail and walk backwards because I thought it would work different muscles... However, I had forgotten about the small drains that go horizontally along the pathway. I ended up getting my foot stuck in one of those and nearly fell backwards if not for the hand rail. Lesson learned, pay attention to where you're going.

This was the hike up..
 but behind my head is one of the drains I got my food stuck in...

Munchin' on that Käsekrainer

The city of Salzburg seems to be a hit for a decent amount of our class. You have the ability to walk your way up and out of the bustling city in matter of minutes, ending up with a panoramic view of the Alps from the bastion of a centuries-old castle, the Festung Hohensalzburg. On our first full day, my classmate Jeffrey and I ventured up the hill opposite the Festung Hohensalzburg, and found ourselves invested in an actual hike for about two hours (maybe 20% hike and 80% casual walk, to be clear).

There is just an endearing quality to the city that is enjoyable to a great amount of people- city bustle, suburban quiet, expansive nature, vast musical heritage- it's all here.

But what you need to know is that after I drank the most stereotypical liter of beer I've ever drank (a liter from a frothing stein, in an Austrian beer hall), I had the käsekrainer hot dog included here. That was the best hot dog I've ever eaten.

A Walk to Remember

When it comes to the Holocaust it settles very deep in my heart. I have done a lot of research on the Holocaust and have taken a class at PLU on the topic. Many people have an idea on what actually happened during the Holocaust but when you study it in detail you understand it on a completely different level.

While in Berlin we took a tour through various different parts of the city and we came across something that really hit home for me. We approached these tall and short cement cubes lined up in rows extending over these hills. The tour guide said that it was a memorial for the Jewish individuals who lost their lives in the Holocaust. As I walked between the cement I couldn't help but think that each stone represented the numbers of lives lost in each camp, ghetto, street or home. As the stones got taller the higher number of lives lost and I wept. The memorial was not on flat ground it had hills with different ways to get out and each one leading to a different fate and a different place, this was the same for those Jew's who lost their lives in the unfortunate event. Although there is no right or wrong answer this memorial is ment to me interpreted differently to each person. But in each interpretation I have heard thus far each one is in rememberance of those lives lost.

The next day we went to a concentration camp in a city very close to Berlin. This was a very impactful thing to see because it made things a reality. Everything I have learned about the Holocaust was only done through books, lectures, the internet and papers. When I stepped foot on the grounds of the camp I could only think about who's footsteps I walked in. Thousands of Jew's walked through that camp not knowing what was to come next and some even lost their lives. As I looked out at the camp I could picture what happened there and what it may have felt like to be a innocent Jewish individual being worked to death every day. The wooden bunkbeds stacked to the ceiling knowing fully well that 3 to 4 Jew's shared just one of those beds. Seeing the places they lived for years not having any idea where they were, what day it was, what time it was or even when they would be able to leave. The hardest part for me was to actually see the place where the Nazi's did their dirty work at the camp and some of the devices they used. This part of the trip I will never forget and I will be able to share my knowledge and my story about the camp to help remember those lives lost during the Holocaust.

It's a freaking CASTLE

We went to a CASTLE!! Like, an actual castle with ramparts and arrow slits and holes for pouring boiling oil on people and a dungeon and bastions and crenellations. As a person who grew up reading about places like that—places I thought I’d never get to see—this was pretty cool. Unfortunately, it was at the top of a killer hill. This made for an awesome defensive position, but it basically murdered my legs and lungs (which I guess it the point but you know, I didn’t appreciate it at the time). It was 1000% worth it though. We took a tour and talked about Prince-Archbishops and sieges, and how the rings in the ceiling were for hanging bags of sand and water, ready to put out fires when the rope was cut with a sword. We learned why the people of Salzburg are called “bull washers” (but in German obviously)—because during a siege the people in the castle were running out of food and only had one cow left, but they wanted it to seem like they had more, so they painted the cow a different color each day so it looked like there were multiple cows. Of course, to change the paint, they had to wash the cow off at night, hence the name. One of my favorite moments though was walking through this narrow passageway and imagining that I was a guard patrolling the castle… and then barely five minutes later I learned that that’s exactly what the passageway was for: guard patrols! This was yet another case of “this is just like being in a book.” Oh man, it was so cool. I’ll never forget that.

Castle

Austrian Alps from the Castle

City from the Castle

Part of the Castle as seen from one of its bastions

The next day we went to the Mozart Museum (in the house where he was born) and ate bread from the oldest bakery in Salzburg, which grinds its own flour using electricity generated by an actual water wheel. I also had Mozart chocolate (chocolate and marzipan) for the first time. It has to be some of the sweetest candy I’ve ever tasted (because of the marzipan—which I’ve never actually had before so I had no idea what it tasted like or whether I’d like it), but it was really good! If you don’t like really sweet things, you probably wouldn’t like Mozart chocolate, but to me it was awesome (I’m even eating one as I write this!)

And then we saw The Abduction from the Saraglio. This was a… really interesting performance. They used period instruments, but the actual opera/onstage part was really modern and had an interesting interpretation (the Pasha was basically like a director, and there were cameras shooting the action at times). Overall, it was pretty hilarious. I actually laughed out loud more than once, which I rarely do at live performances. My favorite part was when one of the characters (Pedrillo I think) actually said “Stay cool. Relax” like actual English words in the middle of an opera sung in German. I really loved Osmin because he was super angry and violent (and his man bun was hilarious), Pedrillo was also great, Blonde was so sassy I loved her, Belmonte was okay as a character but a good singer, and Constanza was a great singer, but I didn’t like the character or some of the acting she did. Pasha Salim was so weird (he like actually took his shirt off, tied himself up and then laid on the floor for a bit during a duet between Belmonte and Constanza and I was just like… Why?) I think overall it was enjoyable because of the comedy, but it was also really weird.

The Concert Culture and Coat Check

    The movement ends and after a few seconds a new piece begins. But this is not more music, not yet anyway. This is instead the chorus of coughs and clearing of throats that seem to have been held in during each movement. Of course there is the occasional cough during the course of the music but on the whole it's as if the audience is too polite to cough when the orchestra is playing. I have continually been interested in this. Having done theatre for most of my life, I am aquatinted with audiences making some noise, but I was not expecting the relative silence and then so much noise in between movements. 

    The second part of my blog post title revolves around coat check. This is mandatory (which is understandable because who wants all those coats in the concert hall?). But I have been directed back down to the coatroom when I tried to enter the concert hall with my coat in hand. Now you would think that because it is mandatory that payment for a place to hang your coat for two hours would not be expected. And it hasn't been -except for in Austria. In both Vienna and now Salzburg there is a charge in exchange for your coat. Let me just say, I now greatly appreciate all the free coat checks that we've had. Additionally after the performance, it is a fight for your life at coat check. People don't really seem to like the concept of a line to get their jackets. People push and swoop in in front of you just to be able to leave a little sooner. It has been an intimidating experience but also one that has made me more assertive (at least in this situation). 

    Last and most interesting about concerts with live orchestras is the amount of curtain calls the conductors get. I come from the theatre world where you bow once on your own, bow once with the cast, and then get off the stage. So to see the conductor bow with the orchestra, leave, and then, with the encouragement of the audience, come back on for another round of bows. And I've seen four to five curtain calls depending on how much the audience continues to clap. But I do have to say that the applause and multiple curtain calls is well deserved. 

Obsessed, never!

Obsessed over what you ask? Well to my own amazement and probably to my moms as well….a book. I bought this book while in Berlin after our tour of the Saschausen concentration camp. The book is titled I Shall Live by Henry Orenstien and is a book I can't seem to put down. I was never much of a reader as a kid and still wouldn't identify as one now but this book is different. From the moment I've picked it up I have been invested and refuse to let myself read it unless my attention is 100% focused on each page. The book is a gripping tale that follows Henry and his family through WWII and five concentration camps. Henry's quick thinking during this time not only saves himself but his brothers while at the same time playing the greatest hoax ever pulled on high Nazi command including Heinrich Himmler. I have yet to reach this great hoax and I honestly can't wait until I do. I highly recommend this book and because of where I bought it and what it represents is also quite emotional. What happened under the Nazi regime and anti-semitism is absolutely horrific but these detailed accounts give us a look into the struggle of daily life and what it took to survive these horrific events. We need to educate ourselves and make sure that the mass extinction of humans or anything close to that never happens again.

Love from Berlin

-Jeffery Steehler

I Could Get Used to This

Yesterday morning I woke up at 6:15 to climb Hohensalzburg Castle and look at the sunrise. At the foot of the gate there is a ledge that overlooks the city of Salzburg so before the gate opened I sat there and looked out at the town. It was still dark so I looked out over the city and could see some of the lights on in the buildings. The bells in all of the churches ring at 7:00 so I could hear them echo across the city. Once the castle gate was opened at about 7:30 I climbed to the top and took pictures of the sunrise from there. Here are just a couple from that morning:

I was so taken with the sunrise that I decided I wanted to find a place to watch the sunset as well. I hiked up to a walled fort right outside the castle that I had went to the day before and got a clear view of the sun setting over the mountains. Many other people seemed to have the same idea as there were several couples sitting on the wall looking out on the mountains and people sitting on the benches. Here are some pictures from that as well:

After a long day of hiking up and down stairs to catch all of the views I was incredibly sore and tired. I hiked over 11 miles, had 25,000 steps and climbed over 100 floors, and you know what? I’m probably going to do it all again tomorrow.

We got to See a Ballet! It was a Gem to See

On our last day in Berlin, we went and saw Jewels at the Staatsoper. There were 3 main parts to it; Emeralds, Rubies and Diamonds. What I thought was interesting was that the Ballet was choreographed to fit to the music instead of having the orchestra be composed to follow the story of the ballet. I thought that the choreography for Rubies was definitely the most intriguing because it combined the styles ballet and jazz into it. Not to say it was bad at all, but it almost seemed like that one slightly weird rebellious sibling but for ballet. I think my favorite section, however, was Diamonds partially they were doing a bunch of cool moves and just seemed to have more of a story going on than the other 2. When it was ending I almost started crying because I thought they were so amazing and it made  me miss the days when I used to do both ballet and jazz. 

Heavy Heart and Heavy Mind; Berlin

So we've been in Berlin for a few days now but the first and second full day had my heart sinking to the floor.  On our first day, we took a walking tour around the city of Berlin. The first half wasn't too bad at all; we got to see all the various museums that the city had and their history. Then as we went on, the guide began to go into figures of history like Stalin and Hitler and the Nazi party. It was really cool to get to hear about this topic and see the monuments as we went. Our the end of our tour (3 hours later) was at the topography of Terror  museum. It's here that we got to see part of the Berlin wall that was still standing. One thing I found interesting was that any type of museum or monument that has anything to to with the holocaust is free of charge, by law. Being in that museum, I could see that some people were  at the point of tears because of  all the pictures and information that were put on display; others had a look of silent shock. For me, as I saw some of the pictures and read about them, I felt a sadness and heaviness take over. I couldn't process that something like this had taken place.

 This feeling was amplified when, on day 2, we went on a walking tour of the Saschausen Concentration Camp.We saw a lay out of what the whole place looked like and then saw some of the original buildings that were in it that had become museums. there was one building that had letters and paperwork from all the victims of the holocaust and honestly, it made my heart hurt. On the bottom floor, There was a large floor display of all the shoes and clothes of people that had been found and excavated. As I stood there looking at this, I just felt increasingly heartbroken and was at the edge of crying when the guide told us we were moving on. For the rest of that tour and the day, I just felt so emotionally exhausted. It was honestly a really sobering experience to see and learn about such a significant part of our history....

 

Get Lost in the Wilderness

We started out the day with a lovely tour of Salzburg. We walked through the city and learnt a lot!

After that a few of us decided to hike up to the Monetary that is one this mountain. The walk was a long windy road that felt like the stair machine in a gym. The view was great and we could see most of the city!

Earlier that day I had briefly read of a restaurant or a brewery of some sorts that was past the Monetary. I decided to walk up past and check it out, and dragged a few people along with me. We found a sign that pointed to it and decided to find it, since it was clear there was a restaurant!

What was planned to be a short walk, turned into a very long hike. The whole time, I just wanted to climb a little higher to see the Alps. Eventually we stopped to take a break but I wasn't ready to stop hiking. Honestly, I just wanted to walk up another path to get a picture above the trees. However, this small detour turned into another hike with half of the group. Many more steps later and a few random turns later. We finally found the view I was looking for! It was absolutely breathtaking! The middle of Salzburg is a giant castle that sits on a hill, but this view overtook that hill. What was once a huge castle appeared so tiny no as the Alps towered over it!

This view was worth it the super long hike! A big deal thank you to Carl and Katie for tagging along with me and being so adventurous. I hope to come back and explore the Salzburg wilderness again!

Berlin Music Scene

Wow! That's is my first reaction to the past two nights and to the performances we watched!

First we got to see the Berlin Philharmonic!! This ensemble has been on my bucket list and I have dreamt of seeing them perform. I am still in awe of the performance! The best part was our seats. I was talking to my parents on the phone and asked them to guess where I got to sit. They guessed the front row. I told them no and that we were closer. Much to their surprise, the class got to sit on the seats on stage right behind the orchestra! We were so close that we could watch the music over the brass players shoulders.

The Berlin Philharmonic is one of the top ensembles, if not the top, in the world. I definitely can hear why. Their time was so clear and precise. Even when playing soft, everyone's sound would carry throughout the whole performance venue. Since we were sitting so close, we definitely heard a lot of brass sound. In some of the louder sections, it felt like sitting behind a brass army.

The next night we got to see the ballet Jewels. This was a performance that I continuously forgot we had tickets for. However, now the ballet  is my favorite concert on this trip! Right when the curtains opened and the dancers walked out with their beautiful and shiny costumes, I felt like a little kid drawn to watching all the jewels dance. I have always been a visual learner, even in music. While playing or listening, I like to have an image in my head to help convey the mood of the piece. Usually, that image is a dancer since I grew up doing dance along with band. So for me to watch professional dancers perform with an amazing orchestra quickly became my favorite concert. After this concert, I hope to see another ballet!

Berlin was a glorious city with an incredible music scene. I hope to visit Berlin again in the future and be able to attend more concerts!

Sick in Salzburg

I thought I made it.

It is the last week of the trip. 

“I’m in the clear” I thought.

So naive. 

Salzburg is a tiny (“tiny”… it is still pretty large, 150,000  inhabitants) city in Austria, birthplace of Mozart, second to last stop on our trip. We arrived here on Mozart’s birthday (Saturday) after a very long day of travel by train. Two night prior a group of us went to a Swing Dance in Berlin, and my voice was gone the next day. I thought it was just because it was loud at the dance and I wasn’t speaking from my stomach. 

Oh no.

View of Salzburg from the Hohensalzburg Castle

We arrived at the hotel in Salzburg and I started to get a headache. “No big deal, it will go away after a ton of water” I thought. 

Spoiler: I was so wrong. 

Over the course of the rest of the day, we found a food stand, checked out some shops, walked around Salzburg for an orientation, and lastly ended at the concert hall to hear Elgar’s Violin Concerto and Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony, two pieces I am not 100% familiar with but throughly enjoy. 

The concert hall was beautiful and as our second live hearing of the Vienna Philharmonic, I was blown away. We had front row seats and everything to the orchestra. 

Ya Boy Mozart 

Now, I don’t have the best immune system, but I figured I could make it through the concert. I couldn’t have been that sick, it was just a cough. 

Oh boy. 

Being sick and listening to a violin concerto is a wild ride. I was super dizzy, my eyes burned, I started getting a fever and I couldn’t keep my head up. This all is happening as the soloist is going wild on the violin and what an interesting experience. I definitely don’t remember most of the performance because I was too worried about being sick, but I do remember being a total nerd when the second movement was being performed because it sounded like another piece of Elgar’s (Nimrod from the Enigma Variations). 

Then all of a sudden the first half was over. 

I stood up to go outside to try and cool down and I started actually tripping over my feet, so it was time to go home. Luckily, Rachel is a lovely human and went home with me. 

I have gotten better now, but it has been hard getting over this whatever sickness I have. 

Also on the last week of this adventure, I am homesick. As much fun as I have had this past month exploring Europe, enjoying the culture, the food, and my study away peers, I am ready to go home and see my family again. This month has had ups and downs, difficult situations and amazing performances from even more amazing artists. I am glad I am here but I can’t wait to show my family what I saw and what I learned. 

Climb Every Mountain!

Yesterday we had a tour then we climbed up to a monestary. We saw an awesome view of the city. Then we went to dinner, I had an allergic reaction to something either in the woods or in the salt shop we went into so I was asleep the rest of the evening.
Today we went up to the castle/fortress. There was a beautiful view of the alps and the city. We got a tour of the castle. We got to see parts of the castle most people don’t get to see. After the castle we went into the grave yard and went into the catacombs there. Then Erika, Katie, Paige, Rachel and I put a plu lock with our names on the lock bridge in town.