So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Adieu~

(Ok, disclaimer: I really apologize for all of the SOM references in my post titles, but they’re just too perfect to resist…)

Sadly, this week was the time to say auf wiedersehen to Austria. It was extremely bittersweet to leave, but I know it was a “see you soon” kind of situation, and certainly not “goodbye”. I don’t know when, but I have every intention of returning to that beautiful city of music and culture. Maybe if my dice fall right, I’ll even be up on one of those stages some day, but who knows.

For my final day in Wien, I decided to do my favorite things rather than squish in something new. In the morning, I did some final singing in the lovely echo-y practice rooms, then headed to the Naschmarkt for some final souvenirs, and finally, walked around Shönbrunn for one last time.

The vibrant colors of the Naschmarkt

Hiked up to the Shönbrunn garden gloriette and this was the view~

After leaving Vienna, I did a bit of traveling. First, I visited my close friend in England for a couple of days. We spent one day at Brighton, walking up and down the “lanes” which are full of adorable shops, and strolling by the beach and boardwalk. We also had some fun with sparklers since it was July 4th and I was missing home.

Brighton beach

Sparklers!

My last destination was Venice, Italy! I arrived early in the morning to bustling streets alongside beautiful canals. I absolutely loved this city for the few days that I was there, and I definitely hope to return soon!

Beautiful canal

Gondolas

REAL gelato!

After exploring many of the markets and shops, I headed out on a vaporetto, or waterbus– the primary way of getting around– to the island of Murano, from where murano glass originates. We got to see how it’s made, and then walked around all of the little galleries and shops where all kinds of beautiful figures and glassware were on display.

A Murano glass harp, among other glass~

I then hopped back onto the Vaporetto and headed to another island called Burano. This island is known for its vibrantly colored houses.

Burano

Of course, while I was in Italy I had to get a cannoli from a real Italian bakery:

Fresh cannoli

For my final day, I explored San Marco’s square and the palace and museums surrounding it. After one last stroll along the canal, it was time to say ciao and begin my 30 hour journey home to the States.