My summer in Graz

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I spent 5 weeks in Graz, Austria this past summer. I had never spent so much time in Austria before, and it was rather lovely. Graz is a wonderful little city, over 850 years old it is the capital of the Austrian province of Steiermark (Styria). Its beautifully restored Altstadt (Old City), it is the largest in Europe and all this makes it an architectural treasure. Steiermark has a beautiful and varied landscape ranging from magnificent mountains for hiking to green hillsides and valleys for food and wine production. The long and rich cultural tradition of Graz and Steiermark dates back to the 14th century when Graz was the residence of the Austrian Emperor. That tradition continues today through the Opernhaus (Opera House), Schauspielhaus (Drama Theatre), the excellent concert halls, and an exciting and creative concert calendar.

I was with a program called AIMS in Graz (American Institute of Musical Studies). I was on Faculty working with young singers, I am a vocal coach. It was a wonderful work environment and it was very good for all involved to practice their German and be submersed in the culture.

I did some sight seeing, but not too much, the schedule was hectic, but here is a short diary of my summer, hope you enjoy it!

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Photos

Me at Frankfurt airport(self portrait)
Here I am ...tired, having a coffee in Frankfurt airport...I had missed my connection, but still managed to smile...what a trooper! The flight from Dulles Washington arrived so close to my connection that after running across this HUGE airport, I missed my flight to Graz, so I had to wait 5 hours.

May as well have some breakfast!
Typical European breakfast...and oh, is the coffee good!!! Fortunately Frankfurt airport is big and had many little coffee stands. I decided to sit and have some breakfast. Good news is, it is hard to find bad coffee or bad bread in Europe, so this, was delicous!

Studentenheim, Elizabethstrasse, Graz
My little room...little being the operative word. You can find Studentenheims almost everywhere in Germany and Austria (college dorms). They are usually reasonably priced. Some of them are fancy, some of them not...as you can well see. It was comfrotable enough and the maid service was nice. I stayed here for five weeks.

Other view of the room.
Every room has a sink and a closet and some limited storage space. Something I found out only later is that you can lift your mattress and store your suitcases under there....that was a welcomed surprise! Everyone shares the bathrooms and showers, although they do have private stalls.

A poor substitue, but happy to have him.
This is Harry-Beary, since I was a newlywed when I took this trip, I needed something to cuddle at night and he was it. I loved coming back to the room and seeing where the maids placed him...it was different everyday.

Schloss Eggenberg
The first night in Graz, we had a cocktail party at the Schloss Eggenberg. It was rainy, and I was jet-lagged, but it was still nice. Even in the rain this was a beautiful sight.

Schloss Eggenberg, in the rain
We had to walk in the rain, but it was worth it to be inside this beautiful castle. It felt like we went back in time.

The clock tower
The castle had a clock tower in the inner court yard.

Inside the castle
Some of our musicians played, their music stands were lit with real candles. It was wonderful. I couldn't use the flash on my camera, so the piture is blurry, but gives an idea of the atmosphere.

Weiss Bier
My friend Caroline and I toasted to the beggining of our summer in Graz.

Heisse Liebe
Everyone should try this. Vanilla Ice cream, hot raspberries and whipped cream, accompanied by waffles....one of the best deserts I had all summer. Hot love indeed!

Mozart Kugeln
This is a popular souvenir to bring back from Austria. Mozart is pretty popular there since he was born in Salzburg. You can find these treats on every corner of almost every street.

Haupt Platz
This is the clock building in the middle of Graz. This is where all the shopping activity happens, needless to say, I knew this area pretty well...*sigh* where did all my money go??

Transportation
Transportation in Graz is pretty easy. There are buses and trams. As in almost everywhere in Europe there is the honour system, which means that you can walk on the bus without showing your ticket, but if you happen to get caught you pay a fine. They sell, day passes, full week passes as well as month passes.

Walking around Graz
Photo of a building, I took it during one of my lunchtime walks near where I was working.

Comments

[Georgia]

Great Pics
Hello, glad I found your little site here on the net. My daugther will be attending AIMS this summer 2006 and it was nice to get to see the dorm and surroundings to help get familiar with the town of Graz. Any suggestions or things you can recommend ? thanks Georgia