This post was composed by Natalie Brown
After having a wonderful experience on our group tours, both to Salzkammergut and to Vienna, we had some much needed down time where we got to explore the area close to home and settle in to life at the Center. After living in the Center for over a month, it really has become a home and everyone has settled into the routine here.
One thing that has been really fun for a lot of students at the Center is cooking some of our own meals. Here in Salzburg, we have all our meals prepared for us during the week. But come Friday we are given a meal stipend with which we can go shopping and make some of our own meals at the center. Something that may at first seem mundane or boring, like cooking a meal, can actually turn out to be a lot of fun!
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There are many great places to visit in Salzburg for a day, or even just an afternoon. One day trip that many students took, was to a lake in Salzburg called Mattsee. The group was able to travel by bus right to the small town surrounding the lake and spend a relaxing sun soaked day swimming in the water. The town was beautiful and the lake itself was clear and stunningly blue. There was even a nearby playground to have fun in. It was also one of the last sunny and warm days we had in Salzburg before the weather started to get chilly. A day by the lake was the perfect way to bid summer goodbye.
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Another great trip that can be made easily in an afternoon is exploring the Mirabell gardens. This is an easy walk away from the center and many of the scenes from The Sound of Music were filmed there. It is very beautiful and you can walk around the gardens and enjoy the familiar sites from the movie.
There are many things to do in the evenings in Salzburg, and some students decided to go and support the local Salzburg Red Bull soccer (fussball) team play in their home stadium. The group donned the red and white colors of the team and loaded on a bus. The students arrived finding a huge stadium and many excited fans. To top off the night the Red Bulls won the game! Much to the cheering of the Salzburg section.
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One more outing worth mentioning is a trip to Reyna’s where you can get a delicious Kebab. Reyna’s is a little hole-in-the-wall place hidden down an alley, but it has some of the best Kebabs around. This has quickly become everyone’s favorite spot for a fast (and cheap!) place to grab some delicious food.
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All of these trips are a fun and affordable way to spend a day in Salzburg. There are days that students aren’t hard at work in classes, or on adventurous weekend trips. On these days there are countless options for fun activities in and around the Center.