Things have been pretty busy around here lately, starting things off with a wonderful long weekend in Amsterdam at the end of January to visit my dear friend Ema who is now living there.
It was a lovely weekend of exploring the city and getting in some quality time to catch up. Amsterdam provided the perfect backdrop for both, even in the dead of winter. Hopefully I'll get to go back and see the city in the summer as well, when everyone is making full use of all the canals and outdoor spaces.
Back in Vienna, not being in school anymore doesn't mean I don't still need my fix of this view from Kahlenberg. Thankfully working on a research project means flexible hours to meet with friends at the coffee shop up there.
This is my attempt at a panorama at what is probably my favorite spot in the city. There is this specific spot when you're walking through the Hofburg and it opens up on to Heldenplatz and you are suddenly surrounded by the palace, the two main museums in front of you, the Parliament building, and the Rathaus. I am still somehow amazed at how beautiful I think it is every single time.
And then, it being February, it's ball season in Vienna! Once again I was fortunate enough to attend the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) Ball at the Hofburg. As in years past, it was a magical evening of all sorts of dancing through the night.
Finally some real snow! This was sort of a bizarre blizzard day, it snowed very fast for most of the day, and was super windy and unpleasant, but then the temperature was expected to rise and all of it turn to rain. Since I've been so looking forward to the snow I figured I should brave the elements and go out while I could to see it.
While the big ice rink is set up at the Rathaus, there is also this temporary "City Skyliner" observation tower. Basically about 60 people can fit in this rotating glass compartment which then goes up and down this tower while slowly spinning. A friend and I decided to try it last night, and it was one of the coolest things I've done in a long time.
Looking across the Ring at the Burgtheater, with Stephansdom in the distance behind it, and the Hofburg to the right.
Getting up close to the Rathaus from above
Oddly now my to-do list looks a lot like it did 3 years ago, but in reverse. My research project ends the end of this month, so several weeks ago I bought a return ticket to NYC which I'd use if I didn't have any serious job prospects here by then. I don't at the moment, so two weeks from tomorrow I'll be back on a plane to the States. So now I'm trying to sort through my things and figure out how to get it all packed up and shipped, closing down accounts, and trying to wrap up life here. It's all a bit overwhelming still, and I'm trying to get all I can out of these last couple weeks. I know this won't be anywhere near the last time I'm in Vienna, as a visitor or perhaps something more permanent at another time, but for now I'm trying to properly close this chapter of the past three years the best I can.
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