Day 5: another day, another adventure!
Today we were off to Vienna at 7:00 sharp! We stopped in a village 2 1/2 hours away where my uncle's dad lives. (My 'uncle' is actually my great uncle and he is 70 and his dad who is 95 is still alive!) When we got to his flat, papa came to the door and showed us to the table where there was a huge plate of pastries and he told us that he spent all Sunday baking them! We believed him, but it turned out he just bought them at the market.. What a sneaky guy. He can barely see or hear but he lives by himself and he shops by himself also. He goes down to the bus stop once a week and then goes shopping by himself and then hops on the bus and comes back home. He also goes swimming in the pond close by their neighborhood everyday. There must be something in their food over here in Austria because everyone lives such long and healthy lives. It was my first time ever meeting papa and I just fell in love with him. He would laugh at everything even when he had no idea what was said or who said it. Oh man, I loved him. And his house was gorgeous. 

After we said fierte, (goodbye), we drove for another 2 1/2 hours where we finally arrived in Vienna. There are almost 2 million people that live just in this city. (That's a lot) The buildings are all old and there are people everywhere! It's just what you would imagine an old city in Europe to look like.
Our first stop was the castle. I've never seen a building so huge in my life. We got to your around the inside and see how they lived back then. It was siiiick. You weren't allowed to take pictures in the rooms, but what the know won't hurt them, right? Yolo. Oh and a fight almost broke out. This angry guy it mad at people in front of us because their kids were crying and he started yelling so loud you could probs hear it on the other side of the castle, but no worries, security interfered. But it shows you how harsh Europeans are. They have bad tempers and are not the happiest people I've ever met..

After the castle, we drove to our hotel and there we were able to rest a while until dinner. Our room is on the very top floor and we have a window that faces the gardens and part of Vienna, so why not sit on da roof.

Then we drove up the top of the mountain where you could see the whole city of Vienna.

DINNER TIME. always my favorite time. We met up with my uncles sister and brother in law and then we went to a hidden restaurant and ate outside. It was wonderful.

I have been in Austria for almost a week, but after today, I can officially say that I have fallen in love with this country. The food, the culture, the people, everything. Their way of life is so simple and beautiful. They go to the store each morning for their food for the day, and why drive when you can walk? The cashiers sit down in chairs at their registers, because why stand? You bring your own shopping bags because why waste money on plastic ones? They eat ice cream before dinner, because why wait? They smile at everyone they pass by, even the crazy American girl that is always much too loud. Everyone keeps to themselves and is in their own world but always while being friendly. They sit at cafés and chat for hours with friends about anything and everything. They don't dress for show, because who do they need to impress? They enjoy life and that's how it should be.
I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have had to be here and see the world. I made it a goal to not say 'no' to any adventure this trip, and because of that, I have tried so many things that I never would have back at home. I have gotten to see the way that other people live and realized that just because they aren't like you doesn't mean that's a bad thing. I'm only 1/3 of the way into this trip, but I feel like I have been here for weeks (definitely not a bad thing) and I can't wait for what these next 2 weeks have in store.