HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!

It's nearly midnight here in Vienna, so it's almost technically Fourth of July! yay! one of my favorite holidays! I'm going down to the latin area with some friends to celebrate..
here are some pics of us girls from 4th of July 2008:

watching the fireworks.. of course, Elina pulling Destiny's hair at the parade...

sisters on the merry-go-round!

fireworks

Elina messin with Destiny again!

Friday afternoon.. Belvedere

Put my toes in the hot tub, too hot in the hot tub! uh! burn myself! :)

***actual pics from my trip to the Belvedere coming soon!***

Happy Birthday Day, Dad! Zum Geburtstag, Pa!

Academy of Applied Arts...

construction going outside the studio & the lift to go to the top floor

the door out & looking out the window from inside

looking down from the window in the center of the studio

School where our Printmaking class is taking place... it's an adorable building! We are in the "Penthouse Printmaking".. up on the top floor of this apartment building off Schwedenplatz.

drawing for my litography & my lithography plate after it's prepared

view out the window of one of the studios, overlooking a construction site

floors & this DEE-licious mango drink!

had a little picnic for lunch yesterday.. I felt festive because it was Dad's birthday & close to 4th of July (a picnic was going on at Webster campus for it, but we didn't get to go)
we had traditional 'Speck'.. it's like bacon that is smoked & cured, so you don't have to cook it, like salami & you eat it on toast with cheese, tomatoes & spread! so good! we also had berries, little sweet peppers stuffed with cheese, olives stuffed with cheese.. etc. awesome!

The big, ol' printmaking presses

another studio

view out the window

Schonbrun Palace!! Just a few previews!

SOOO excited to be at Schonbrunn!

View of Vienna from the Gloriette looking down onto Schonbrunn Palace

Obelisk fountain

Looking out from Neptune's Fountain

and again


Asian tourist took my picture in front of the Neptune's Fountain
She asked me to take hers first...

the "Gloriette" in the background w/ the garden

looking at Schonbrunn Palace

mocking the cover of my Vienna travel book!


I like this one.. nice lighting

Another afternoon walk!

Yesterday I continued my self-guided, walking tour around the City Center & discovered all kinds of great things.. it was a beautiful, magical afternoon... with the weird, alive feeling that comes right before a tornado or a thunderstorm. (we just had a little more rain...)

The next few following posts are pictures from my walk!

trams..

My favorite building in Vienna! Or the world!

I love columns!


Chariot atop the Parliament

mosaics I think!



horse-breaking.. Austrians are legendary for it ...looks more like horse-punching to me!

Parliament!


"the lady stands, long and tall"

Athena



Karyatids!!


view of Parliament from the back.. a perfect place to get married.. in the middle of this round rose garden.. with all your family/friends outside it.. soo pretty!