Guttentag!

Dear Friends,

I can't believe how long it's been since I've last updated this blog. Lot's went on at the end of last term. There was a lot of work and a lot of packing and I spent a lovely time at home with my family for Christmas. I saw so many of my wonderful friends and indulged in all of the American food I've been missing so much. Now get ready for a long update!

And after Christmas the real fun began. I took an amazing trip to Germany and Vienna! The trip started in Garmisch, the small town in Bavaria where my mother was born. Garmisch sits right in the Alps and is such a picturesque town, complete with ski lifts, schnitzel houses and domed churches. I was able to see so many special things there. I explored the town, went to ettal, a beautiful monestary where my mom was baptized (also featured in The Sound of Music I'm proud to say), Oberamergau where the famous passion play takes place, and the army base where the Patterson Family lived. Bavaria is a magical place. The people there are so kind and the history is so fascinating. I was lucky enough to stay with my good friend from Wellesley and her family who are civilians in the army and have lived in Garmisch for years. They were the most generous tour guides and trip would not have been the same without their kindness.

We also spent one day in Munich which is such a beautiful city. Lauren was the tour guide for the day. We say so many churches, stopped at the hofbrauhaus for a weissbier (of which I am very very fond), watched the glockenspiel, and did I little shopping. Munich is small but beautiful.

From Munich my friend and I took the train to Vienna. Speaking of magic, this city is full of it. The palaces, museums, opera, and food are just incredible, I don't even know where to start. The first day my friends and I took a tour of the city. The Hapsburg history of Austria is so interesting and isn't something that I've studied before so it was wonderful to learn so many new things. That night, I was so so so lucky to attend the famous Vienna Staatsoper. They provide this very smart very stealth system where the night of a performance, a line forms for standing room tickets. It's all very civilized (of course). The line moves and everyone buys a 3-4 euro ticket on any one of the three levels of the opera. From there, you are led to your section where you must mark your place with a scarf. Then you can leave for dinner and come back for the show.

Standing room isn't really the right word for this experience since there were bars in front and behind us that we could lean on. But I would have stood for this. We saw Puccini's Tosca and it was magnificent. So dramatic and the music was beautiful. It was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. AND the next day we went back for Lucia di Lammermore which is an equally dramatic opera, though Tosca was by far my favorite. The next day was spent seeing amazing art collections with paintings by Peter Paul Ruebens, Breugel, Rembrant, Klimpt, and Schiele. Of course more beer was involved and lots of delicious German food, not for the faint of meat.

This trip was so amazing. I feel so lucky to have seen the place where my family lived, and two beautiful cities and new cultures. The people from this region of the world are amazing, so kind and accommodating. I would go back in heartbeat.

And now I'm back at Oxford, settling in, starting work, and drinking lots of tea. I'm taking European Christian Thought and Modern British Politics this term and can't wait to start both of them. Expect more updates soon!

XX Sarah

*Pictures above are of a church in Munich, my friend Matt and me at the Opera in Vienna, Ettal Monestary, Cuckoo Clocks made in Oberamergau, the mountains from my window in Garmisch, and St. Karl's Church in Vienna