Studying First Hand

8) Field Trip 2

Our second group field trip started in Vienna, Austria.  The first day we visited the Maria Theresia Platz which is the main square in Vienna.  In the middle of the square is a large statue of Maria Theresa.  Maria Theresa was the only queen during the Habsburg rule.  During her time in power she ruled over Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria, Galicia, part of the Netherlands and Parma.  It was unheard of for a women to be ruling during her time, but her father had attempted to ensure that she would be allowed to rule after her passing as she was his only heir.  However, after he died Saxony, Prussia, Bavaria, and France changed their minds and attempted to take over her empire.  Maria Theresia was successful as she kept most of her empire intact and continued to rule.  It was inspirational to hear about such a powerful women that was able to effectively rule a large empire. 

While we were in Vienna we also got to see the Imperial Treasury of the Hapsburg Dynasty, which was filled with extravagant clothes and items that used to belong to powerful rulers.  While I was touring the treasury I kept thinking about how different it would have been to be born in a time where monarchies were in place.  It was easy to see how flashy the rulers were and easy to infer how tough life would have been as a peasant.  I am incredibly thankful that many of the strict class systems throughout the world have been abolished.  Nevertheless, it was very interesting to see the outfits and jewels of such a large line of rulers. 

After the treasury a few of us decided to wander around the city and ran into a beautiful garden.  Some of my best discoveries in Europe I have simply stumbled upon while exploring. 

Bright and early on Wednesday morning we left Vienna to head to Venice.  The bus ride was about seven hours, but it was hard to complain when I could see the stunning Swiss Alps from my window.

Once we arrived in Venice we headed to St. Mark’s Square.  It only took me a twenty minute walk to the square to fall in love with the city of Venice.  We passed by dozens of canals, pleasant musicians, and an abundance of Italian restaurants before we reached St. Mark’s Square.  This square is the most breath-taking square I have visited yet.  The fact that it is surrounded by water only adds to the beauty. 

For dinner, I decided it was imperative to eat pasta while in Italy.  The spaghetti I ordered was easily the best pasta I have ever had in my life.  I continued the tradition of eating strictly Italian food for the rest of my time in Italy and the only thing that suffered is my waistline.   

The only downside of Venice was that it is incredibly busy.  Because of this, some friends and I decided to get up at 6:30 am the second day and explore before most people were out.  Our instructor wasn’t kidding when he claimed that Italians are paralyzed until 9am, as no one was at St. Mark’s Square when we arrived.  It was a completely different experience to see the city when it was empty.  This was when it really hit me how large St. Mark’s Square was.  We met up with the rest of the UNK students and toured through Basilica of St. Mark and Doge’s Palace.  The Basilica was composed of intricate artwork and high ceilings.  My favorite part of Doge’s Palace was seeing the prison that was underneath.  A thought-provoking contrast was seen between the beautifully decorated upstairs and the grungy prison downstairs. 

After our tour of Doge’s Palace spring break officially began.  However, the group that I was traveling with decided two days in Italy just wasn’t enough, so we decided to stay in Venice for one more day.  Just when I thought that Venice couldn’t get any more beautiful, the four of us decided to take a gondola ride.  This was one more activity I got to cross off my bucket list thanks to my study abroad experience. 

When we felt like the main square had been thoroughly explored, my friends and I hoped on a boat and headed to a different Island.  We spent time at Lido and were lucky enough to stumble upon a beach.  The water was freezing, but I couldn’t resist at least putting my feet in the water.  I felt like I could have spent another two weeks in Italy, but I had other countries to explore.