Wow. I just got back to Olomouc from a whirlwind 2 week long adventure! The journey started with the whole group of 21 students traveling together to Vienna, Austria and Venice, Italy, accompanied by our Professors Matt and Martin.
On the first day, we took a bus from our dorms to Vienna, and walked around the city. We had planned to visit the treasury followed by a museum, but everything was closed! Sometimes plans just don’t quite work out the way you thought they would, but that didn’t really matter to us! We moved the planned activities to the next day. Instead, Julian, Mary, Tiff, Ria, and I went to Haus des Meeres Aqua Terra Zoo, an aquarium (liquid zoo!)
The more I travel, the more I have learned the way I like to travel. Before this trip I didn’t think I liked museums, and while history museums are still usually not my favorite, I have fallen in love with art museums! I’ve always known I like zoos and aquariums, Henry Doorly Zoo all the way amirite? I’ve now visited aquariums in Omaha, Boston, Lisbon, and Vienna.
This aquarium really blew us away because it had over 10 floors! The top floor was a panoramic view of the city, which revealed how beautiful Vienna truly is. We worked out way down seeing fish, sharks, Gila Monsters, and even Anacondas. On the ground floor there were koi fish that would suck on your hand if you put it in the water. My favorite part was a jungle walk where monkeys, bats, and various birds were uncaged and hopping around. A monkey even jumped on me as I bent down to take a photo of it!
The panoramic view! 
This was a top moment of my life, I felt chosen. 
They just want to suck on your hands 
This guy stopped by to say “Hi!” 
Bonding with a Gila Monster
That night the whole crew decided to have a few drinks at the hostel bar together. I will never stop being thankful for this group of people! With 21 college students living together 24/7 you would expect there to be a fair share of drama, but it truly has not been an issue! Love you guys if you’re reading this!
The next day, we finally made it to the Treasury and to the Natural History Museum. The treasury was full of interesting things to look at including crowns, textiles, a crib gifted to Napoleon, and the nail that was said to pierce one of the hands of Jesus Christ at his crucifixion. The coolest thing about the Natural History Museum was probably the building itself. The building was huge, a beautiful piece of architecture adorned with large paintings and frescos. Walking through the animal section was my favorite, seeing the immense biodiversity on this planet, and all the animals I hope to see out in the world someday. That we played card games in our room and talked and bonded.
Crown, Scepter, and Orb 
This would be worn by a new monarch at their coronation 
I would not want a serpent eating a baby to be my family symbol 
The crib gifted to Napoleon, his symbol was the bee 
The nail that pierced the hand of Jesus Christ at his crucifixion
Skeleton of the largest species of Sea Turtle, now extinct 
Interior of the Natural History Museum 
The ceiling of the Natural History Museum 
A cool monkey/lemur thing 
A whale skeleton
Bright and early the next morning we ate breakfast and set out on our 7 hour bus ride to Venice. Venice is a place I have only dreamed of, and it was so breathtaking to see it. The whole city is full of canals, there are no cars on the island, and boats serve as taxis, buses, police cars, and ambulances. Martin walked us through the Jewish ghetto and taught us some of the Jewish history in Venice. It is insane how widespread persecution against the Jewish people was in Europe. In our lecture yesterday, Martin talked to us about how Hitler gained power by playing on stereotypes that had existed for centuries. Many people connected Judas, the betrayer of Jesus Christ, with Judaism. Hitler used ancient stereotypes disguised as science. He convinced people that Jewish people were actually less advanced humans, and the cause of all the problems in Germany. We didn’t do much that evening because we were exhausted from the bus!
Day 2 in Venice started by walking to St. Mark’s Square. We walked through St. Mark’s Basilica, one the most beautiful churches I have ever had the pleasure of stepping foot in (the Cathedral in Prague Castle might have it beat just because of those stained glass windows, and yes I’m still not over it.) We were not supposed to take pictures inside, so I only have one from the entry way. I think it is okay to not have pictures, it is something everyone should go see in person.
The marble exterior of the basilica was unlike anything I’ve seen before 
This is the entry way, so you can only imagine what the rest of the interior and the alter might look like
Next, we toured Doge’s Palace, and may I just say, woah. It was honestly overwhelming how incredible the place was. Every ceiling in every room was ornately decorated with paintings encompassed in decorative frames. I could have spent hours looking at any one of the 20+ rooms we walked through. The wealth that Venice has experienced in the past is impossible to ignore.
Every room… 
… in the whole place… 
… was this spectacular
Following Doge’s Palace, the group split up and a few of us went and climbed the tower in the square to get a overhead view of the city. The panoramic view showed the ocean, St. Mark’s square, the top of the Basilica, and so much more. Next, we toured the Guggenheim, an inclusive modern art collection including masterpieces by Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollock.
The view from the tower and my main ladies 
Tiffany standing in front of a Pollock piece in the Guggenheim
That night the group scoped out the Venice night life scene and we all had a really good time! The next morning, our group split up and spring break officially began. My spring break group decided to spend one more night in Venice, and I’m so glad we did! I started the day with another Modern art museum, which had a huge oriental art collection. After, a group of us ventured to the island Burano. Burnao is one of my favorite places that I’ve ever been in my entire life because every house is painted a vibrant color. It is impossible not to feel happy surrounded by all those colors!
Traveling Rays 