The pearly white light glistens through the transparent medium. They symmetrical shape reinforces the beauty of the object. The decorated designs of flowers and other miscellaneous flora dance influence the illumination upon the room. What could I possibly be talking about? I am talking about a chandelier. That's right, I am gazing upon the beauty that is a chandelier in my hostel room. Ironically enough, the name of the hostel is The Happy Hostel. But, I guess they may be more common/in style here in VIENNA, AUSTRIA. No, my cap button did not get stuck. I just like saying (or typing) it. It is unbelievable that I am actually in Vienna. We arrived in the city today at about 1, and I have already seen and done so much. We, first, tried to establish our living quarters in the hostel, but the rooms were not yet ready, so we packed all of our stuff into one room, and we hit the town. It is a bit of a walk down the main street, but the walk is far from boring. Shops populate the streets. Anything and everything one could possibly imagine could, more than likely, be found on that street, alone. In any event, today was subject to a change in the original plans. Initially, we were going to just stroll the town square, seeing the various attractions and shops, etc. However, when we hit the square (about the center of Vienna) it began to rain. For those of you who know me, I had found my cup of tea. (Well, I found the water, but not the tea) But, of course, not everyone on this trip shares my affinity for the rain. Umbrellas sprang into action, legs were put to use, and everyone began a mass movement to the nearest shelter. To prevent being left behind, I had to run with them, but I would have preferred to have just walked and enjoyed the feeling of the rain running along my face. I desperately desired that feeling of God refreshing the Earth. Sometimes, I need it just as much as the Earth does. Anyway, we all ran underneath a bridge, and the plans were amended. Instead of the stroll, we decided to see the Habsburg's treasury. This was, originally, the plan for tomorrow morning, but we are flexible that way. Anyway, I saw some pretty amazing things. I saw crowns decorated with jewels, scepters of the kings, the various robes they wore, crucifixes, gems, and jewelry of all kinds.

 However, what, probably, intrigued me the most were the objects linked to Jesus Christ. For example, on display, there was the spear head that was said to have pierced the Son of God's side. Next to it, there was a piece of wood supposedly taken from the cross that Jesus Christ, himself, had hung from. However, I believe I heard, later, that they proved that wasn't the case in regards to the wood. I still found that quite fascinating. I also found a tooth from John the Baptist, as well as bones from various saints.

After we left the treasury, we returned outdoors to find that it had ceased raining. By the way, upon entering the treasury, we had to remove our jackets and leave them in a storage room. After all 24 of us having run in the rain, all of our jackets were soaked through. When we returned to fetch them, the storage room was as humid as a sauna. It was quite breathtaking, literally. When we returned back outside, I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed that it had stopped raining. I like the rain, ok? That does not make me weird. Also, what is it with us and running? First, we run for at train, and now we are running in the rain. Whatever, I think it is fun to do because the locals all look at us like we are high on something. I just enjoy staring at them as I run by. You have to get inside their heads every now and then. Anyway, after the treasury, we split up to eat a late dinner. I had a scrambled egg, ham, and cheese platter. It sounded good, it even looked good, but it didn't taste as good as any of that. It was almost watery, as if it had sat in a pot of water, and then the pot had been dumped on a plate, and then it had been given to me. The problem with restaurants in Europe is that the beverages, if it isn't alcohol, are really expensive, and you don't get free refills. Pacing myself with that has never been my strong suite. We left the cafe, and we went to visit St. Stevens Cathedral. I have always liked old buildings and churches, so when you put the two together, I am floating on a cloud. It was quite different from the Cathedral in Prague. It wasn't as tall, but it was more "sacred." That is the best way I can describe it. It felt older, almost stronger. Whether it actually was older or stronger than the one in Prague, I do not know, but that is just what I experienced.

After the Cathedral, we began our long trek back to our hostel. Our happy hostel. Just from memory, we passed a shoe store, 3 grocery stores, a KFC, a bank, a strip joint ( I think, I wouldn't know), a McDonalds, and some other places with crazy names that I couldn't tell you what they were. O, a Foot Locker, but that was across the street. We are only here for another day, and on Saturday, we travel to Venice, Italy. Tomorrow, I think we are seeing some museums in the morning and something else in the evening, I can't be for certain. I'll have way more to post tomorrow as well, so hold onto your seats, if you are close to falling off by now. I tend to have that effect, after all. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my thrilling adventure, and I will continue on tomorrow. Maybe we will do some running again, who knows? I sure as hell don't know what to expect anymore, that is for sure! Well, have a fantastic day and night, and "May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favor!"
                                                                                             -Anthony-