Host Family & School Day 1

Sunday, fist day with my host family

Eating lunch at the festival.

My host family was nice and let me sleep in on Sunday morning.  My host mom was working in her garden when I got up so Alexandra gave me yummy pastries and hot chocolate. Family friends came over and we all went to a nearby farm that hosts an annual traditional Austrian party.  The girls were dressed in dirndl's and the boys in lederhosen.  Everything was authentic... food, music, crafts, horse rides, etc.  The farms here are so beautiful, clean, and so well maintained.  I have decided all the food here is just amazing, because the food at the party was no exception!

After we left the farm party we went in town and my family showed me around Salzburg... where my college is located, important buildings, history, etc etc. My favorite part was when they took me on a horse carriage ride through town that lasted a good half hour or more. Everyone else complains about the horse smell in town, but I LOVE it! :) the air is so fresh here. And the water, I found out that it comes from the mountain top springs and it isn't necessary to filter it because it's so fresh.
After the horse ride through town we walked through the main shopping streets and they bought me ice cream.... basically they are the best family ever!

Horse ride through town.

Host mom Karoline, and daughter Alexandra

Horses in Salzburg :)

Mozart's Birthplace

Monday, first day of class

Class was easy the first day, I had orientation in the morning and one class after lunch.  Phoebe (Salzburg College director) walked us around Salzburg to show us important buildings and places we will need to go. I am so glad my host family took me through town once already, I feel like I'm learning how to get around so much faster already. We went to lunch as a group and afterwords everyone had 'Understanding Austria' class... which was interesting.
The college building itself is really strange... it is built into a mountain and used to be a living place. There was a mountain slide and parts had to be rebuilt so it is now a college. Some of the windows look right into the mountain, and in the music room there's a bathtub! The real windows that actually look outside are gorgeous though, I have a view of the Alps and castles and important buildings/churches.