“Ooh Krakow we love you”

I promised I’d be back with a blog just about Krakow and I’m finally living up to that. Sorry, I kept you waiting. Once again the Erasmus Buddy Network at WU organized a fantastic trip for us to visit the city of Krakow, Poland. We began our trip by stopping before we even reached Krakow to tour take a tour and taste the beer of Tyskie brewery, the largest brewery in Poland. We arrived in Krakow at the Giraffe Hostel (which is a great place to stay if you visit) and immediately left to get some traditional Polish cuisine. Over the course of the trip my courses included: Goulash, Bigos, Kielbasa, Kotlet Schabowy, Pierogis, and a plethora of soups, desserts, and snacks.

There’s a competition every year around Christmas to see who can build the most elaborate model of the church. This is the winner.

We were given a walking tour of Poland on our first full day by a woman who was very proud to be Polish and took us around the entire city listing off fact after fact and story after story from medieval times, to WWII Krakow, to modern day.

Looking wary of arrows

For example: every hour there are trumpeters within the castle walls who play ‘Taps’ but they always never finish the full song. The piece used to be performed to signal the lowering and raising of the gate. The legend behind the uncompleted song is that during a Mongolian invasion in the 1200s, a trumpeter began playing to alert the gatekeepers to lock up but his throat was pierced by an arrow of the invaders and therefore didn’t finish playing.

Yup that is a real dragon bone…

Filming location for Schindler’s List

She also told us tales of dragon bones, showed us where the pope would come speak to people when he visited Krakow, and took us to one of the major filming locations for Schindler’s List.

Later in the day following our walking tour we were taken into the Wieliczka Salt Mines.

Pretty sure this is Gimli’s uncle or something

Something punny about ‘can you please pass the salt’

If you picture Moria from Lord of the Rings you won’t be far off. The tunnels are crafted straight through the salt. You can literally run your hand along the wall, lick your fingers, and they’re salty. There are statues four times taller than me carved into the salt. The chandeliers were made of giant salt crystals. There was even a replica of The Last Dinner carved out of – you guessed it- salt. I’ve been into caves before but nothing as fascinating as this. We were 327 metres below the surface when we had dinner that night.

Following the Salt mine we grabbed a little bit of rest and got ready for the Krakow pub crawl where we got to experience the Polish nightlife, Polish drinks, and got to know our fellow travelers a bit more. A good friend of mine on the trip, Jacco from the Netherlands, was humming a song under his breath that’s a soccer chant but he had replaced the team name to ‘Krakow’. Fast forward 5 minutes and he and myself had taught the nearest 5 people the song, who taught the nearest 5 people the song, and we had a full marching parade going through the streets singing about how much we love Krakow (thus the title of this post).
The next day is difficult to describe. Maybe influential is a good word. We spent the majority of the day on a tour of Auschwitz and Birkenau. Our guide was fantastic but that’s about the most positive thing I can say. It was haunting. At one point we walked through the smallest of the gas chambers (the only one still standing since the others were destroyed when the Nazi’s were trying to cover up their atrocities) and I would count that as the single most uncomfortable moment of my life. I’m really glad(?) that I had the experience but haunting and sickening is the only way I can think of to described it. As something that we begin studying at such an early age in America, it’s so disorienting to see it with your own eyes.

The rooms full of human hair, full of shoes from all ages, full of suitcases stamped with the names and locations of their owners, turn the textbooks and lessons into actual people. The sheer scale and size of the infrastructure is baffling. One of the thoughts that kept running through my mind while there was just imagine if all of this time and effort had gone towards something productive instead of something so heart-wrenchingly destructive. I highly recommend going if you ever get the chance because it definitely was a life-changing experience.

We wrapped up Krakow with another dinner and another night on the town and we went all out. If I’m being completely honest, I would hate to live in Krakow. It is foggy and dirty and feels much calmer than many of the places I’ve travelled. BUT it is the perfect place to visit for a few days as we did. You can really soak up a lot of culture and history there as well as have a good time and (as always) good food.

I’ve been busy

Since I last posted I’ve traveled to 6 more countries. If you’re planning on visiting Europe on Study Abroad because you want to travel all over (one of my top reasons) you can’t beat Vienna. I mean, it borders 7 countries in the center of Europe and is a major city with an international airport, and an international train station, and great student bus system, and it rests on the Danube.

Since so much happened over the trip I’ll just give you a highlight (with pictures of course) from each country.

Slovenia was the first destination on the (in)famous 8 person, 2 car, 6 countries road trip. Unfortunately, we were only passing through Slovenia and only stopped at Ptuj Castle late at night. All my photos of here were accidentally deleted but it was definitely worth the trip even with the mutant spider infected bridge we had to cross.

After Slovenia we arrived in Zagreb the capital of Croatia. Here we spent a night in the club, in the rain and in the cars. Do not sleep in a car with 4 people. Not that it wasn’t safe, we were smart about it, but the cost of a hostel for 8 people is minimal and worth it. When we woke up before the crack of dawn we traveled to Plitvice National park which is on the UNESCO world heritage site list and for good reason: 

From there we moved on to Split in Croatia where we had an actual AirBNB apartment set up which was wonderful. We finally got to lay down for the first time in over 2 days. After Split we split and went down the coast of Croatia to Dubrovnik or as you might know it: KING’S LANDING.

After Dubrovnik we headed towards Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In Mostar there’s the “Old Bridge”. The story behind the bridge is that on one side of the bridge lived Christians and on the other side Muslims. The bridge was continuously being destroyed because the two sides could not get along but, it was constantly rebuilt because it was needed from travel and trade. Long story short- eventually times changed and the bridge has been up since 1994. 

From Mostar we went to Sarajevo where we stayed in a lovely hostel right in the center of town. For me all of Bosnia was very interesting because of everywhere I’ve ever visited Bosnia is the place that has most recently been affected by a war. There are still bullet holes in many buildings and there are ruins everywhere.

After Sarajevo the next destination was Belgrade, Serbia which surprised our whole group. Unfairly out-shined by other European cities Belgrade has a very long and interesting history, a HUGE and beautiful city center, and (like everywhere else on our trip) wonderful food.

After Belgrade we got on the road once more destined for a hostel in Budapest, Hungary. Unfortunately, we only had a few hours in Budapest and were not able to fully appreciate it (I hope to make it back there before leaving).

302 steps up St. Stephen’s Basilica to view Budapest

From Budapest we headed back in to Vienna. Of course I’m leaving out the stories, jokes, people, dancing, arguments and other personal experiences that made this trip unforgettable but I don’t want to talk all day (and trust me I could talk all week about this trip). So, if you’d like to know more about any specific place, feel free to comment/message me!

The last place I’ve been to since last posting was Krakow, Poland but that will have to be a full post on it’s own since we were there for 4 days.

Traveling Abroad- Abroad

Recently I embarked on a trip with 4 friends to Bratislava, Slovakia for a day. We woke up early to catch a train ride which took us to the neighboring capital in roughly an hour for 15 euros round trip. Great deal! Except that there isn’t much to see in Bratislava. We visited the Bratislava Castle which was interesting but felt inauthentic after being remodeled over the years since the original burned down in 1811. The view from the top of the castle was amazing though. In the castle was a museum with art, coins, and a World War I exhibit which was interesting because before going in I could not remember which side Slovakia had fought for. Then I realized Slovakia was non-existent at the time as it was part of Austria-Hungary and I definitely knew which side they were on. Other sights we saw were the main city center and Grassalkovich Palace (aka the Slovakian White House). We stopped in a brewery for lunch and here we discovered the best part of Bratislava is the prices. There’s very low cost for everything without sacrificing quality.

The trip was accompanied by the worst weather all 5 of us had experienced this semester as it was rainy, cold, and windy but despite the poor conditions and lack of things to do we had a wonderful time getting to know each other and learning about our respective cultures. There was an American (Myself), a Japanese girl, a guy from Belgium, a guy from Sweden, and a girl from neighboring Canada. One very interesting thing I’ve learned abroad is that most people know a lot about America. Be it good or bad, people (at least in Europe) know a lot about US politics, celebrities, businesses and media. People here know about their home country, Austria, and the United States of America. 


I don’t have service in Austria, but many of my friends have bought plans that we can use while out and about. I also have a list of places I know I can go for wifi. But in Bratislava this was not the case so we were disconnected from the world until we went into a cafe for a snack and finally (overly dramatic?) found some wifi. Of course not having a constant stream of social media, communication and entertainment at the tip of your fingers 24/7 is an adjustment with cons and pros. It was a shock though, when my Canadian friend pulled out her phone and found out that the Canadian Parliament building had been attacked. Soon after we realized it was the headlining news story in all of our countries. I think we all had a realization at that moment of just how far we were from home. There had been a terrorist attack on a government building of our companion’s and we didn’t hear about it until 3-4 hours after the fact. As a Wolfpacker abroad of course I know you should Laugh, Think, & be moved to Tears everyday to have a full day and Bratislava definitely gave us a full day. 

On Wednesday I’m embarking on a road trip with 8 other international students to 6 countries over 4 days. We will visit Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia Herzegovina, Serbia, and Hungary. I’ll be back with plenty of pictures and stories I’m sure.

P.S. I also represented NC State at the Global Fair here and hopefully we have more International Students interested in studying back in Raleigh with us.

The Pros and Cons of Schedules

I realized I’ve been slacking on my blog posts a little bit. Sorry! That realization actually led me to a perfect topic for future study abroad students: Schedules. Vienna continues to be an exciting place to explore and study even 1 1/2 months in. Back in the States I usually work 2 jobs while taking classes and trying to maintain an acceptable social life. So, needless to say I’m pretty busy and busy people need schedules to fit everything in.

When I arrived in Vienna, I had no job and no classes for a month which was great! It was such a relief to have unlimited free time to visit all of the sightseeing hotspots, or to gladly waste away an afternoon at a cafe (a Viennese art form), or to simply pause a little longer during my commute to listen to the street accordion player. I started slipping into a never-ending-vacation mindset where time was only important to remind me how long it had been since I last showered. This is when the lack of schedules actually started to bother me.

• Planning trips to other parts of Europe (or even dinner in Vienna) was difficult because our open schedules caused everyone to shy away from taking the reins and actually setting a time and date.
• I was eating very poorly because I would wake up, eat a light breakfast, visit one of the many museums for 5-6 hours, then eat a large dinner, and that was all.
• I was finding it frustrating to talk to people back home between the time difference and activities without scheduling conversations ahead of time
• I went MIA on my blog and social media posts that kept my family and friends back home up to date on my excursions (assuring them I was alive)
• Everything in Vienna closes early during the week and most places are closed all day Sunday. This makes grocery shopping very difficult. Let’s just say I’ve had more than one close call when it comes to toilet paper…
• Laundry. Dirty Laundry everywhere. (Note: actual dirty laundry not the blackmail kind)
• With classes looming in the distance I needed to make sure I allotted enough time to get all of my schoolwork done.

Realizing the cause of these problems was my lack of scheduling allowed me to get on a healthier diet, make more plans with more people (I will be traveling to Bratislava on Wednesday with a group), stock up on groceries during the week, and find time to talk to the people I care about.

However, on the other hand I woke up yesterday with no plans. Thanks to a Facebook post in a group for my apartment complex I met around 10 new friends, saw one of the best sights of Vienna (yes, I’ll post pictures), tried some new local wine, and went to a party at a club lasting through the early morning full of other international students. I’m telling you this because sometimes “going with the flow” turns out to be the right approach. What I’ve learned and will continue to practice is the importance of maintaining a healthy, and comfortable balance between scheduling and the unknown.

To the left is the city…

…and to the right are the mountains that overlook Vienna.

A planned visit to Belvedere Palace (behind me) and Gardens (behind the mirror)

An unplanned trip to let loose with new friends.

The Oktoberfest Stranger

This past weekend the student organization here, organized a trip to THE Oktoberfest in Munich. It’s similar to the NC State Fair except that everyone is drunk and, therefore, in a wonderful mood. It also means ride lines are much shorter because who wants to spin in a circle at high speeds after a day of drinking? Spoiler: Me. We took an all night party train from Vienna to Munich where the drinks were free and plentiful, caught a few hours of sleep, and woke up with a few hours to find breakfast before heading to our festival hall reservations.

Once at the Lowenbrau Festhalle we were given 2 vouchers for a liter of beer each, and 1 voucher for a half a chicken and the fun began. There was singing, dancing, laughter, meeting new people, and… oh yeah: Drinking! After our main get-together we had a few more hours of free time before meeting at the train station. I did bumper cars with friends, explored other festhalles, met people from Brazil not in our group, rode one of the rides to get a view of Munich from above, and sang along with friends as German folk bands covered ‘Sweet Caroline’ and ‘Hey Jude’.

At one point though I was separated from my group and decided to go find a park to take a nap which was our plan anyways. Right outside the main gates there were some benches so I grabbed one and fell asleep. After being asleep for maybe 10 minutes an old man about 60 years old sat down next to me. Maybe an hour and a half later another person, around my age, sat between me and the older man. This younger person spoke both English and German while the old man only spoke German. They started talking and after a while I woke up. The young man leans over and tells me that the old man saw me fall asleep on the bench and was afraid that somebody would steal my bookbag, so he sat down and waited almost 2 hours at this point for me to wake up to make sure that nobody would steal it. A complete stranger who didn’t even speak my language waited close to 2 hours because he was afraid somebody would steal my bookbag. He could have just walked by or woken me up even, but he waited. I offered the man a beer or coffee or snack as a thank-you but he just waved me off and smiled. I patted him on the back and told him he that he was a good man (using hand motions and the little German I’ve picked up) and we went our separate ways. Talk about needing some faith in humanity. Prost!

“What does it take to be lonesome?

…Nothing at all”- Lonesome by Dr. Dog.*

When I first arrived in Vienna, now 20 days ago, I knew of 2 people here. One was my roommate who is a fellow Wolfpacker I met at Study Abroad orientation once; the other was my assigned Viennese buddy whom I had only met virtually via Facebook. Thankfully both of them proved incredibly helpful and friendly while I was first getting settled in and adjusted. Unfortunately, both of them were also very busy. My buddy was busy with studying for summer exams and my roommate was busy with the cultural program and spending time with her visiting father. If you do the math (2-2=0) that left me in Vienna with a grand total of zero friends and since so many other exchange students were also in the cultural program (I was not because I came later and it was pricy) I also had zero opportunities to meet people. Or so I thought…

At first I was fine with being on my own for many reasons: I love to explore and this gave me the time to explore Vienna and just aimlessly wander around which led to me finding an array of entertaining and interesting sights and activities. Many of these included museums with self-guided tours and being alone allowed me to spend my time doing all of these at my own pace without worrying if I was staring at this or that painting for too long. My Buddy told me that I’ve seen parts of Vienna she never has. After awhile though, the loneliness started to find me. Being lonely is not an easy feeling to deal with and it can be intimidating to try and fight it because that means reaching out to strangers (who might only speak German). My family, friends, and girlfriend back home helped enormously via Facebook and FaceTime calls but I came abroad because I like meeting new people and wanted to do that!

Luckily, at my host university, there is a Facebook group for exchange students and two bars that participate with the exchange program on Mondays and Wednesdays (by participate I mean invite exchange students to come party and offer free drink vouchers). With these tools I started to reach out to people. I went up to small groups at bars and introduced myself. Via the Facebook group I found and signed up for student trips and while on the trips I introduced myself to more people. When there weren’t any trips planned I reached out to other students (again via Facebook) and made plans myself. I have now met friends from all over the world just because I made the tiniest effort and the loneliness is gone. It doesn’t take anything at all to be lonesome, but it doesn’t take anything to make friends either.

*Note: if you watch the music video, do NOT kidnap people to make friends.

The view from one of the “Student Trips” to Neusiedlersee

And some friends from the Neusiedlersee Bike trip

Expectations vs. Reality

I’ve been in Vienna for a week now and it’s like a dream. Some aspects fit my expectations exactly, some surpassed them, and yet others surprised me. I expected Vienna to have a much more homogenous community. So far I have seen and met people from Egypt, India, Sweden, Germany, Spain, Brazil, Algeria, Australia, Japan, back home in the US, Austria (obviously), and many others. This was a nice surprise and actually made Vienna feel more like home. Since Vienna is pretty far north it gets and stays pretty chilly here so I expected the people to be more adjusted to the cold. This whole past week though the daytime temperature has been right around 75 but I’ve seen people wrapped up in scarves and jackets! Another pleasant surprise is how many people speak English and on top of that how many speak it so well. I’ve only had to interact with 2 people so far who spoke zero English and we made do with a crude version of charades. I’ve done a lot of exploring on my own since many of my fellow exchange students are participating in either the cultural program or German language course or both and I am doing neither. It’s during these solitary adventures when Vienna surpassed my expectations. I visited Schönburnn Palace* and the surrounding gardens where you can look over all of Vienna. I walked through the bustling, cobblestone city center Stephansplatz where ancient gothic churches rise up across from high fashion stores and I strolled through the relaxed and inviting Stadtpark** full of flowers and statues. I spent close to 6 hours admiring paintings, sculptures, and other artifacts in the Kunsthistorisches (Art History) Museum and I’ve wandered the streets trying coffee shops by day and bars by night. I had the best hot dog I have ever had in my entire life. I expected to have an incredible time while here and Vienna is living up to that.

Also, I have been, and will continue to post pictures (like the one below) from my trip on Instagram so feel free to follow me at WherethemusicIs or on Twitter at WherethemusicAt

Me in front of Schonbrunn Palace*

The Wienfluss running along Stadtpark**

On the Plane

Although this was posted on September 13th, I wrote it on the plane on the way over to London on September 9th.

My name is Robert Granecki and I’ll be spending the next 3 months (!!!) studying in Vienna, Austria. I’ve always loved traveling I just never knew if I would want to study while traveling but many friends of mine had studied abroad and they valued their experiences so much I finally decided I would do it. Some friends and other people I’ve talked to about study abroad spent the whole month before their departure stressing over every tiny detail of their trip. There is nothing wrong with that at all, that’s what made them comfortable but, that’s just not how I work. I left on the 9th of September. The weekend before this (September 4th-6th) I had my busiest week of the summer. I helped to coordinate a 20,000+ attendee event in Downtown Raleigh called Hopscotch Music Festival and I think it actually prepared me to study abroad even more. I had to make adjustments to my schedule, sleep patterns, and eating habits. I had to find time to talk and hangout with my old friends while making all new friends throughout the festival. I had to push myself through my exhaustion to experience as much as I could in those few days and found out my limits are much higher than even I expected. So my biggest piece of advice before departing is to make sure that you PLAN. Don’t misunderstand me: planning ≠ stressing out. In fact, if you plan well enough, it should eliminate most of your pre-trip jitters. I knew what I was packing, I knew my flight information, I knew how I was being picked up and where my apartment in Vienna was so I was able to make the most of the end of my summer. Leaving Raleigh on such a good note was the perfect springboard to start the next part of my life over here in Vienna.

Below is the sight of my first European sunrise