Thanksgiving Feast

Well being in Austria for Thanksgiving I didn't have the traditional celebration. I wasn't with my family and I had school on Thursday but it was still good and I am still grateful. This year, I have so much to be grateful for and so it was so good to have two days to celebrate! The Lord has blessed me so much and I have seen His hand in my life so much. I am grateful that he knows all and loves me. I am so grateful for my testimony of the Gospel and the happiness it brings to my life. I love my family so much and I am so thankful for them. I am grateful that Landon is serving a mission. He is doing the Lord's work! I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to be on a second study abroad. It is amazing how life works out and the things we do that we never thought of doing.

So on Wednesday, our BYU group got together and had a Thanksgiving feast. It was amazing because we were able to get turkeys, pumpkin pie mix, and other American foods from the Army base in Frankfurt and the UN Center in Vienna. It was so good and so fun to cook and help make food. We had a lot of food and it felt like Thanksgiving because the group has become like family as we have been together for the last three months. We started by having a devotional where we all shared about what we are thankful for and then a few stories about the origin of Thanksgiving. We then ate until we felt sick!

Here is the dessert table.....lots of yumminess! Pumpkin pies, apple crisp, sweet potato cheesecake, and more!
After a little lounging around we had a talent show. It was so fun because there was a great balance of fun and serious acts. I was part of the group that did a music video as our talent. It is pretty funny!

Then after the party, a group of us when to a soccer game. It was so cool to be at a sporting event! The soccer game was between Oesterriech and Tunisian. The final score was 0 to 0! No goals but still fun to watch with a lot of close ones.

Then on the actually Thanksgiving Day, I went to school in the morning. It was so hard to get up and go to because I just wanted it to be holiday so badly. But after class I then went to a chocolate museum. It was amazing because we got chocolate samples!
This is me oh so happy because I am eating chocolate! It was the best truffle I have ever had! So then after that I went to Shoenbrunn and walked around the grounds. It was fun and so beautiful with a little snow on the ground.

That night, I went out to dinner to an Austrian Restaurant....because it was Thanksgiving Day!
I got veal scallops with mashed potatoes and salad. It was so good! Then we walked around the city and enjoyed the wonderful setting of Vienna!

Kurt Koehle's Special Photo Section

Rumor has it there was a special request for more pictures.....ENJOY!

Beautiful Pictures of Europe!

Wien Music Video

Check out this music video.....I did the editing!

Stockholm, Sweden

This last weekend I went to Stockholm, Sweden. The adventure started with an hour and half bus ride from Vienna to Bratislava, Slovakia. The flight left from the Bratislava. The drive was long and there was a big snow storm but we made it and had a two hour wait at the airport. Once we got on the plane we had a two hour flight. The flight was nice because I got a great nap in!
Here are the Brittanys on the flight! So when our plane landed everyone clapped (felt like I was at a movie in Utah or something) and then trumpets started playing announcing that Ryan Air had another on-time arrival....it was so funny!

So the airport was way small and we got there and found out that the airport is about 100km from the city. So we got to take another hour and half bus ride to the city! There was about a foot of snow but wasn't too cold. We got to the central station and from there we realized how unprepared we were. We had a map of the T-bana (Metro System) in English and Swedish and a map of Sweden where our hotel was. But a closer look at the map I realized there was an arrow pointing to the location of the hotel without an address and the arrow covered half of the name of the train station we needed. Luckily I remembered what it looked like so I was able to pick out the letters that were hidden. So we bought train passes and headed to the hotel. When we got to the train station that was near our hotel we asked the guy working there and he was kind enough to look up the hotel and tell us where it was. So our hotel ended up being really nice. It was very modern and had a great atmosphere. We got there around 10:00pm so we called it a night so we could get an early start the next morning. Here is a video of our room!

Not sure if that would fly in the states with no windows but it was a great bed!

So the next morning I woke up at 6:30am and got ready. The bathrooms were in the hallway but they were nice and so it worked. We then had a great breakfast. Breads, meats, cheeses, yogurt, jam, and juice! It was nice to have a good big meal to start the day. So we got on the train and headed to the center of town. It wasn't too cold but I also wore a lot of layers...two scarves, leggings, boots, hat, and lots of shirts!

Our first stop was at the water front. It was so beautiful and the buildings were so cool. I found out that Sweden has a Royal Family....their picture was everywhere! Then we saw the Royal Palace and the Nobel Museum. I didn't know that the Nobel Peace Prize is given in Stockholm. After the water front, we found the Vasa Museum which houses a huge ship that sunk 300 years ago and was brought up about 50 years ago. It was huge and so cool. The museum showed what life was like on the ship and how it sunk then also how it was brought up. It was very cool. We then walked around the downtown area then decided to get on the T-bana and get off at a random stop. We got off and ended up asking a lady where to eat. She was so helpful and nice. She told us about an open market with lots of restaurants. It was awesome with lots of authentic Swedish food. I ended up getting fried herring and mashed potatoes. It was so good. I even ate the fish bones...because they were so small and I was way too hungry to take the time the bones out....Dad, I really wanted you there right then!

After lunch, we got Princess Torte...pretty much it will blow your mind! It was so good.
While we were there we also went to the Vasa Museum which has a huge ship that sank like three hundred years ago. It was preserved in the Baltic Sea because the salt level is lower. So in the 1960s the ship was raised from the bottom of the harbor.
While in Stockholm, we also went to the Temple. It was so beautiful and a very special spirit was there. We weren't able to do any work but we went inside and talked to a worker for a little bit.
The snow made it magical too! Love the Gospel and how even half way around the world I felt at peace.

Berlin

Here we are in the Vienna Airport so excited to go to Berlin! It just so happened that Dr. Keele and his wife, Linda, were on our same flight to Berlin....the Keele's were my first study abroad director and they are in Berlin with a study Abroad group! It was so amazing to see them because it was my experience with them that made me want to do this European experience again!
Our hostel that was only 10 euros a night...and it was so nice! We were so happy that it wasn't like the hostel in Prague! Berlin was treating us right.
This is the Olympic Stadium from the 1937 games. It was so huge! It was destroyed during WWII but was completely rebuilt with a very modern style...I like it!
All around Berlin were markers showing where the Berlin wall stood. The East Side Gallery is the only part that is still standing. It is crazy to think that I was alive when the Wall came down.
This is the Kaiser Wilhelm Church that was bombed out during WWII. Now it is a memorial to the war.
These were sweet teeter-totter that were built by the Sony Center. Berlin is a way modern city and has such a different feel than other European cities because it has built especially on the East side.

Prague

Well I went to Prague and even though the weather predicted rainy weather....it wasn't! I love when the weather reports are wrong. So we took a four hour train ride to Prague and from there went to our A Plus Hostel....well it was anything abut A plus! The bathrooms were in separate rooms from the bedrooms and for the shower it was just a common room with five shower heads! So we then had an awesome tour guide that took us around the city and showed us all the exciting sites.

Prague had amazing food. The first night we found this amazing Italian restaurant and then this Czech Kitchen that had amazing Czech food.
This amazing pasta dish had the CREAMIEST sauce I have ever had! It was a huge portion too! No messing around with going home hungry after spending too much money....it was cheap and a lot of food!
Here is a meal I had at the Czech Kitchen.....goulash with potatoes, borscht soup, and Fanta!

So Prague had a lot more tourist shops and things than other cities we have gone to. One thing I really enjoyed was going to a Body Exhibition where they had cadavers and all different parts of the body to learn about. It was amazing!
This was shop with Russian stacking dolls....it was amazing some having over thirty dolls and the big one was like three feet tall! I wanted one so badly!
This is me on Charles Bridge touching the Saint. It is not for good luck as many people believe it is the thought of being "close" to the saint so you literally touch him. The bridge is definitely a great place because it gives a beautiful view of castle hill and lots of people selling stuff.
This is up on castle hill behind the St. Vitus Cathedral....it is beautiful! The three Brittanys.

OktoberFest

Well this past weekend was a lot of fun hanging around Vienna! On Friday, a group of us meet up and went around Vienna filming a music video. It was so fun to find different locations in Vienna to film and be funny. We even choreographed some moves! We started at Schonbrunn then went to the Danube Canal. Unfortunately, it started to rain in the afternoon and so we went to Camille's house to start the Oktoberfest feast!

We got cookies, milk, and lemon Manner bars for snack while we played Ligretto--a German card game that is like nertz! Then we made wurst and Spaetzle (German noodles), broccoli, and drank apple juice! It was so fun to cook and it tasted and looked good! Then we ate some yummy cakes for dessert. Europe definitely has my heart when it comes to food.

Hungary in Budapest

Last week, I had the opportunity to go to Budapest, Hungary. It is a beautiful city divided by the Danube River into two parts: Buda-the hill side with the castle and old city and Pest-the flat side. It was a great experience especially compared to last time. Last time it was freezing, so cold I wanted to just stay in the Hotel! But last week the weather was beautiful. We took about a 3 hour bus ride from Vienna and arrived in Budapest in the afternoon. We got a very American hotel which was nice and then we had a tour of the city. The first night, I enjoyed a traditional Hungarian dish....goulash! It was good and warm with lots of spices! Then enjoyed a walk on the Buda side because our hotel was on the Buda side.
Thursday we had another tour and this included the Jewish part of Pest. We went and saw the largest Synagogue in Europe and it is so beautiful. The architect was actually a Catholic and so it had a few things that weren't traditional but it was so amazing. After the synagogue, we went to a jewish museum and saw many Jewish artifacts. It was a very neat experience. After our tour, we were taken back to the Hotel and there we regrouped. We made a list of everything we wanted to see and then mapped it out.

We walked around all of Budapest seeing Heros' Square, Opera House and The House of Terror. The House of Terror was a museum dedicated to telling the story of Budapest days during Communism. It was a scary place because it was the headquarters used by the Communist party to hold prisoners and torture people. We were able to go into the actually cells and rooms that the prisoners stayed in. And all over Budapest there are reminders of Communism. Buildings still have damage from bullets and bombings. It amazes me to think that Communism was still affecting the Hungarian people when I was born! But being in Budapest, it was great to see how they kept their culture alive during those terrible days.
Another highlight was seeing the Parliament building. It was not easy to get in because they only sell so many tickets. We had to arrive at 8:00am to get tickets but the first day we did it they didn't have any more tickets but our second time around we did get tickets. The building is built in the neo-Gothic style and unlike any other building I have seen.

I also had amazing food in Budapest. One restaurant we happened upon while walking around the Buda side was so amazing. It was very traditional and I enjoyed turkey stuffed with cheese and nutmeg with mashed potatoes....very good! There were seven of us in our little group and it was so fun because our bill totaled 16000 Forints. It was so funny because it took us like ten minutes to just get the right amount and the waiter came like three times and we would have to tell him we weren't ready yet. He laughed!
It was such a great experience to see so much history in one town. The people were quite friendly and I enjoyed learning more about the culture.

Build a Cake or Something!

Well it has been awhile so here are a few fun stories that I have had! One of the girls on the Study Abroad, Camille, had a birthday and so a few of us decided to make a cake for her birthday! We all made up excuses as to why we could hang out with her on the afternoon of her birthday....Laundry was very important to some of us!
So we first went to the store which was about an hour ordeal because they only had one kind of cake mix. You would think with no selection that it would be easy but trying to read the German and figuring out what exactly we wanted to make was hard. So we finally decided to just get the chocolate cake mix, this creme frosting package, and sugar flowers for decorations. We then headed home to start cooking. There were five of us in the kitchen trying to bake a cake! So we couldn't find a cake pan or a mixer and we don't have a microwave. So we started with the hard butter and just had to fork into the mix. We then just stirred the batter until our arms hurt! We did find a springform pan which we just prayed that the batter wouldn't leak through and then covered it with butter. Once we put the cake in the oven we found the mixer....oh well! And then we only had 30 minutes until we needed to meet up with the rest of the group for a big party at T.G.I. Friday's with Camille but the cake needed to cook for 40 minutes. Well after 35 minutes we took the cake out and the top was burnt.....not sure how that happened. So we cut the top off off the cake and it was the most dry cake I have seen. Luckily the cake came with a chocolate glaze so poured that all over then we had the creme frosting we made. We used the mixer we found but it just wasn't quite right. It didn't get fluffy or stiff even though we added twice as much powdered sugar as the recipe required. So we then put the cake in a shoebox lid and poured the frosting mess over the top. It probably didn't help that we didn't have time to cool the cake but we put it in the freezer for 5 minutes. So with the "frosting" on the cake it just ran down the sides and made a puddle around the cake! Good thing it was in a shoebox lid because it would have been a horrible mess as we carried it around Vienna. We then put the hard sugar flowers and Happy Birthday decorations on but in the frosting they won't stay on the cake either.
So now being a half an hour late to the party and not the cake we had envisioned headed to the party. People looked at use as we walked from our house with this mess of frosting and cake. On the streetcar we got a couple good second glances too. Luckily, the cake tasted just fine with all that frosting and the cake wasn't even that dry because it was soaking in the bath of frosting! Definitely cooking in Austria has been quite the experience learning how to read directions and make things work!

A World-Wide Church

This last weekend, I had the opportunity to watch General Conference. It was amazing! First, I am so excited about President Eyring being the new second counselor and then Elder Cook (great last name) being the new Apostle. It was a great experience because I was able to watch the Saturday Morning Session LIVE at 6pm on Saturday in the Stake Center. When it started I had goosebumps all over and the world got a little smaller. It did make me miss home a lot but hearing the familiar voices of the leaders of the Church made my testimony so much stronger. Then the talks were amazing with so much power and each one had a special message or something I needed to hear. They are so inspired.

Also, I appreciated Conference way more and wished it could have been longer. The two hour sessions flew by and it was a bigger sacrifice for me to watch it. Thank heavens for technology because I was able to watch both morning sessions live and then I watched Sunday Afternoon online. Anyways, I love the Gospel.

ITALIA!!!

Italy is one place everyone should visit. It was my second time to Italy and I loved it even more. My trip started with a night train from Vienna to Florence. It was actually quite comfortable and nice except for being sick and the constant going and stopping of the train. So then at 6:15AM we arrived in Florence, Italy....we almost didn't get out at the train stop because they woke us up like 5 minutes before we arrived and so I just grabbed my stuff and left the train. We dropped our stuff off at the hotel and then hit the sites. We saw the Ponte Vecchio (Bridge shown below) and Duomo (Church shown below) first.

It was so beautiful and around 11:00AM we decided to get gelato because the temptation was too strong. We went to Corona's Cafe and it ended up having the best gelato....one flavor in particular....CREM CARAMEL. It was the most beautiful thing I have tasted! A very rich creamy caramel but even that doesn't describe it! So then we saw a lot of churches and art. Of course, the David by Michelangelo...then tons of art at the Uffizi. I also lost myself a few times in little shopping markets. It was a fun experience to talk to the people and see how low you could get prices....I got a purse down from 65 to 15....so fun! One day I decided to get lost by just take the little streets in Florence. It was so fun because I happened upon a little store where this old man opened his store so I could come in and look. In the little stores it was a lot more fun because they didn't really speak English but were so friendly and helpful...unlike the street people.

One unexpected trip I took was to Pisa. It was only an hour train ride away from Florence. So we went out there and it was so amazing to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It really does lean a lot and it was beautiful. Luckily the weather was even kind and didn't rain even though it was threatening but it made for some sweet skies.
After Florence and Pisa, I went to Venice....a magical and romantic city! I just hope next I go it will not be with 30 girls...haha! But it was so fun and just the way Italy should be imagined. We arrived at night in the middle of a downpour which wasn't very fun because I didn't have any rain gear....but Friday it cleared up and was beautiful for the rest of the time. We did have to deal with flooding from high tides but no big deal! I loved going to all the shops...jewelry shops, glass shops, clothing shops....just everything! So my quest began to find a glass penguin...because I really think my collection wouldn't be complete without a penguin from Italy but I just couldn't have any penguin...it had to be perfect....no small task and the selection was large. I did find blue glass penguins that were three feet tall but 620 euros....not quite my price range....but on my last day headed to the train station I saw this little penguin in the window and it had my name all over it. The penguin is on its stomach and just so cute!
So then I also had fun in Venice on a Gondola ride. It was with six girls but I loved it! Our Gondolier was so fun because he knew a ton of facts and history of Venice and the buildings. He showed us that the canals are anywhere from 6 to 3 feet deep....crazy!
On Saturday, we got on our train headed back to Vienna but it was crazy because our train was delayed. We were told we would be there for 30 minutes so some got off to get food at the train station. Then all of a sudden the conductor told us we were leaving and so we had to leave the Director, the director's wife, and a student at the train station because the train wouldn't wait. So then after two hours our train stopped at a random stop and we waited for two hours! It was crazy because we had to wait for another train to come and when it came our director, his wife, and the student were on it and so they caught up with us. All the confusion happened because there was a train strike in Italy and our train was the last one leaving for Austria for the weekend. SO CRAZY! But it was a great trip and only 1 day of rain and lots of gelato and pizza!

Sound Of Music

Last week, I was in Salzburg enjoying the land of the movie The Sound of Music. It was beautiful and so much fun. We got to Salzburg Thursday night and went out for dinner at an Italian restaurant. It was some of the best food Italian food I have had. It was a spicy spaghetti dish.
So the best part of Salzburg was the festival that was going on while we were there. The festival was right downtown with rides, booths, and live music. On Friday night, we went to the big tent where we got chicken and french fries. But everyone was wearing ledenhosen or drindls and drinking huge mugs of beer! As an outsider, it felt like a Halloween party with everyone dressed up. This mini "Oktoberfest" was so funny because they would start singing their drinking songs and as the night went on the singing got louder and more crazy.

A Diamond in the Rough

Hallstatt is one of my favorite places in the world. It is a small town in the Austrian Alps in the Salzkammergut region. It is right by a lake and so beautiful with it's picturesque surroundings.
This is the center of town and every building looks like a cokoo clock! When we first got there it was raining but it cleared up and we went out and found the best park ever! It had a zip line and this amazing tire swing....but Brittany and I got a little out of control and stood up and jumped to go higher and I ended up hitting my lip and making it bleed!
So then we went to the Salt mines in Hallstatt and it was so much fun! It was like Disneyland with the music, lights, and train ride...but better because no long lines and it was for real! We also got to wear sweet outfits...I mean honestly can you look any more attractive. I just wish I could have kept it.
The special gray patch is for sliding down the wood slides! It was so fun and beautiful views being way up in the mountains.

The Prophet

I just finished hearing the BYU Devotional online and I love hearing the prophet's voice! It is great how computers make the world a little more connected and the distance a little shorter! I am loving my time in Vienna and this time around I have been able to be really involved in the church. At church, I play the piano for Relief Society. I haven't played in so long but luckily the lady I live with has a piano so I have practiced a little. However, there are different hymns in the German Hymn book and then trying to follow along with German words is a little more difficult but I am enjoying it.

Sunday was my first week at the German-speaking ward and I was so happy with myself because I actually understood a little bit. Last time I was here church was way over my head and I usually only understand Amen. So hopefully that means my German is getting better!

GELATO!

I have found a new Gelato (Italian ice cream) place that is amazing. I try to eat it every day because it is such a great thing. I just wish I could bring it home with me and share it!

I want to Ride my Bicycle! I want to ride my Bike!

On Wednesday, I went on a 34 kilometer (about 20 miles) bike ride from Melk to Krems. We left Vienna at 7:30am and first went to Melk and saw the Baroque monestary. It is so beautiful with its libraries, royal living quarters, and church. The church is amazing with tons of gold decorating every part of it.

So we then went to the start of the ride and got our bikes. It started to down pour right when we got our bikes. Luckily I had prepared for rain but I really didn't want to ride in the rain. The trail goes right along the Danube River and through small Austrian towns with beautiful vineyards and castles. But when we finally took off the rain stopped and it turned out to be a perfect day for a bike ride not being too cold or too hot. I took my time enjoying the scenery taking lots of pictures along the way. We had lots of fun exploring and eating the grapes off the vine from the vineyards! We also stopped at some churches and castle ruins. It was so beautiful to be out of the city and enjoying a slower pace of life and nature! I kept singing Sound of Music--the part when they are riding bikes....When you you know the notes to sing you can sing most anything! For lunch, Brittany and I stopped at a restaurant and got Wienerschnitzel!

It was so good and I haven't had it yet so I was so happy. Then we found this amazing park that would never be allowed in the States because of the potential lawsuits because it is so unsafe making it so much fun! It had ropes going up to different levels, a zip line, and tire swings.

So by the end of the bike ride my legs and backside were killing me....I don't know how bikers bike for so long! I would need a big pillow seat for the Tour De France. Well, probably more like a recliner on wheels!

Opera Time

Well my time in Vienna has been nurtured by music...it being the city of music! I have gone to two operas so far: Carmen and Die Zauberflote. Carmen is a French opera and has some familiar tunes but Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute) is where my heart finds joy! The opening note gave me goosebumps and I thoroughly enjoyed the entire three hours of standing for it. The Queen of the Night song is one of my favorite parts but unfortunately I can only recreate this moment when I sing in the shower because it is so HIGH! Mozart was so ahead of his time and so talented.
This is us waiting for the opera to start. We are in the Galariestehplatz area. It is at the very top where we can see the entire stage and orchestra! Luckily there is railing for us to lean against and also screens with English translation.

It Rained, and Rained, and Rained!

Wednesday, I went to Bratislava, Slovakia for the day. We took a train from Vienna to Bratislava and it was so fun because we felt like we were in Harry Potter going to Hogwarts. We had compartments that could fit 6 people with sliding doors and a little walk way. All we were missing was the food trolley. But it was fun hour train ride!


We got to Bratislava and it was freezing with lots of wind. So we road a tram down to the center of town and first went to the Primates Palace. There we saw tapestries from England the 17th Century and paintings of the Hapsburg. After the palace, a group of us went out exploring to find lunch. We went in circles trying to find a place that wasn't too expensive but it was very cold and the rain was coming down hard so we wanted a place to sit down. In Slovakia, they do not use the Euro but the Koruna. It felt like monopoly money! So finally found a place that had doner sandwiches and they were quite tasty. Then we went to a cafe and got hot chocolate to warm our bones. It was so rich and thick...almost like a pudding. I got strawberry hot chocolate but they had many different flavors and also ice cream! So yummy. After eating and getting warm, we walked up the hill to the castle. It was quite cold and wet at this point and my umbrella kept flipping up with the wind. We all got quite wet and then the water went through my shoes and socks making it not very fun to walk around. At the castle, there was a well down below that we went and saw. It was 84 meters deep and so we had a lot of fun and it was a great place to get out of the rain. We then left the castle and on the walk down it was still raining and very windy so Brittany and I broke out into song...."Part of Your World" but changed the lyrics!

Out where they walk, up where they tan
Up where they stay all day in the sun
Out on the beach - wish I could be
Part of that world

What would I give if I could live out of these waters?
What would I pay to spend a day warm on the sand?
Bet'cha on land they understand
That they don't hike around in the storm
Dry young women sick of rainin'
Ready to tan

I wanna be where the people are
I wanna see, wanna see them tannin'
Where's the sun and why does it - what's the word?
Sunburn?

When's it my turn?
Wouldn't I love, love to be dry and warm in the sun?
Out of the rain
Wish I could be
Part of that world

Something like that! It was fun and so when it was finally time to go to the train station we weren't quite sure how to get there. We bought a few treats at a store and of course the lines were so long....very unEuropean! Then this guy in front of us bought 1095 koruna worth of groceries....it was like Costco shopping!


At this point we had 20 minutes to get to the train station. We got out on the street and we needed to caught the 13 tram but we only saw 13 headed in the opposite directions. So we ran around in the pouring rain having no idea where to go and no ability to read or speak the language! Plus no one spoke English and only a few spoke a little German. So we kept running around and then we finally found a tram stop for 13 headed in the right directions. We had to wait 5 minutes for the tram and so it left us with 7 minutes until we needed to be at the train station. If we missed the train at 6pm, we would have to wait until 6:50 for the next rain! So we got to the train station and ran to the right platform....of course it being the last one and farthest away! BUT WE MADE IT! It was quite the adventure and we were so happy to be warm and headed back to Vienna!

America is my Country, Vienna is my Home!

Well I have been in Austria for two weeks! The first week, I was with my family staying in Bad Gastein. It was the best family vacation ever...relaxing with lots of exploring. We hiked to ice caves, explored a fortress, toured Salzburg, walked through a salt mine, visited Hilter's pad and ate dinner at a castle. The food experience was amazing with lots of yogurt, chocolate, pastries, and schnitzel.....I love the food!


After the family left, I stayed with my director and his family in Vienna. I was able to help the professor get ready for the students to arrive and have a little time to relax. It was amazing how much I remember Vienna from last time and there was a strange feeling of coming home!

On Thursday, the students arrived and from there it has been quite the whirlwind! I am living with one roommate, Brittany, so the lady we live with loves saying "Brittany" and having us both answer. Christine is our host frau who lives alone but she has two daughters and 4 grandchildren. We live on the fifth floor in an apartment in the fifth district, which is right in the city. Brittany and I share a room that is pretty small (long and narrow) but the beds are quite nice. The first night at our new place I slept the whole night through. But Sunday morning I had a rude awakening when I tried to take a shower.....it was either FREEZING cold or BURNING hot! Plus I have to hold the shower head over me...so my arm gets way tired holding it. At that moment, I was ready to fly home and get back to my American showers.....perfect temperature water and shower head in one place.

Then went to the International Ward for church....they have me play the piano in Relief Society which makes me realize I need to practice!

After church, I came home and had Sunday dinner with my host family. Christine's daughters, son-in-law, and grandchildren there too. The grandchildren were hilarious...Felix is 7, Piere is 4, Anna is 3, and Bertha is 1. Unfortunately, the kids' German was way too good for me to be able to understand and converse but they were so cute running around and yelling German words. So during dinner everyone spoke German with a little English to help Brittany and me.

Today, I started school (no Labor Day holiday). German was my first class and I am in the "advance" German class so it will be an interesting experience to see if I can keep up. I think I understand quite a bit (compared to last time) but I have lost all ability to speak German! It has been fun seeing some of my favorite things and operas start tomorrow!