Laura Remembers About this Blog Thing

Hello, faithful (or unfaithful) readers! Please excuse the absence. As you know, I was traveling for a month in February. Then I had tow measly weeks of classes, followed by two more weeks of vacation. Don't ask me how the Austrian school system works, because I couldn't tell you.

I'm not going to write a proper entry on all my vacationing in February, because that would take just too much time. And my fingers would fall off. One of my hands is already going carpel tunnel on me, so you wouldn't want me to exasperate it, now would you? Besides, I spend a lot of time putting all my photos up on Flickr. This includes typing commentary for almost every photo, so you can go there and read all about the adventures. And comment on the photos too!

So, shortly. Mom flew into Munich. After spending the day showing her around Munich (and by showing her around, I generally mean the "Laura's Tour of Nazism in Munich", we headed to Salzburg. I showed her around the town here. It was fun having someone who had never seen the place before, as it helps me remember why I like this place (sometimes it's hard to remember). We climbed the Monchsberg and took an awesome tour of the fortress. Best part was standing on top of the castle and having the best view of Salzburg and the Alps.



Then it was off to Vienna for a few days. I love Vienna, so I had no problem with this. Coolest part for me was dragging Mom out to the huge cemetery where tons of famous people are buried. Check out the Flickr for pics of their graves. Here's a teaser. Your truly and her musical god:


After a few days in gorgeous Vienna, we flew to Rome! I could hardly believe that we were really going there. There was so much to see, that I thing a person would have to go back 3 or 4 times to even have a hope of seeing everything on their list. Mom and I hit up the main sites.

St Peter's Basilica:

Roman Forum (Cradle of Civilization, as our guide put it):

Roman Colosseum:

And much more. Check my Flickr.

We also went to Florence, Naples, and Pompeii. Unfortunately, my Pompeii pictures got deleted accidentally by a friend. :( So who wants to take me back so I can take the pictures again?

Copy of the David at Florence:

We saw the real one in the museum, but weren't allowed to take pictures.
And pretty cathedrals:


So yeah. Unfortunately no Pompeii pics. Pompeii was awesome and something I'd wanted to see since I was about 8 years old. We only spent about 3 hours there, and it definitely wasn't enough. The town is a lot bigger than I thought!

After we returned to Salzburg, Mom and I went up to Munich to pick up my friend Joyce. We did a day trip to the Dachau concentration camp (only 15 km outside Munich).


("Work Will Make You Free")

It was a very well done site. It's a place I would like to visit again because they have an amazing museum that I'd like to spend more time in. The visit was very moving. At times too moving. When I entered the building where they used to register the new prisoners, I got the strangest feeling. It was overwhelming and I almost had to walk out of the building. It was like I couldn't breathe and I was lightheaded, yet felt heavy at the same time. I don't know what it was. If it was the idea that I was really THERE finally setting in, or if it was my weird ability to sometimes pick up on 'things'. Either way, it went away after I moved through that wing of the building.

I said goodbye to mom the next morning. It was hard, knowing that I wouldn't see her for another 4.5 months. But I tried to think on the fun times I still had in Europe. And that included Ireland and England with Joyce!

See all my photos here: Click!