Vienna, pt. 1 (1/11-1/12)

Started the last day in Hannover with a tour of a nephrology department, where we listened to some of the more negative effects German healthcare has on the way medicine is practiced. It was surprising to hear about all of the loopholes that doctors figure out for extra compensation, but then again the United States isn’t really much different in that respect. It was a reality check of sorts, after we heard how certain aspects of European systems are incredibly more humane than ours (we’re the only third world country who doesn’t provide some form of care to the entire population), it was easy to glorify their healthcare, but of course even the best system on paper has its faults. We learned about different dialysis methods, including an at-home system (very cool), and a portable ICU machine that concentrates and stores the dialysis fluid itself. After some lunch, we headed to an axolotl research center. These are the most amazing animals in existence. Why? 1. They regenerate. You can cut off a leg, and it grows back, regardless of age. And, this center has shown this ability could be applied to therapeutic regeneration in humans! 2. They act like dogs. They like to see what you’re doing, and one of the researchers told us her pet axolotls wait for her to come home. 3. Their gills look like these massive headdresses. They’re so fun to watch. The spiders we “visited” next weren’t quite as exciting… besides their medical application (the silk can be used to rout nervous tissue). Needless to say, I was pretty glad to get on the plane to Vienna and attempt to sleep for a bit!

The first days of Vienna were wonderful! I love the city, it seems a little more “refined?” than Berlin, if that makes any sense, but it’s gorgeous, like everywhere we’ve been on this trip. We saw much of Joseph II’s contributions to the city, which were largely influenced by the renaissance. After a long lunch with some shopping and torte from Demel, we toured Stephansdome. The sun was finally shining through some of the stained glass windows so that they cast beautiful colors on the pillars; it was gorgeous! On the other hand, the catacombs underneath the cathedral had more history than beauty going for them… there were thousands of skeletons from the 1700’s piled up, some bones were made into walls, some full skeletons we displayed close to the windows overlooking other rooms. It seemed like we were in an endless maze. Next we toured the Vienna History Museum and learned of the two sieges on the city, and how it outgrew its massive walls. That night we were treated to The Magic Flute in a Viennese Opera house, which was absolutely gorgeous. I was torn between listening to the symphony and the beautiful voices, not to mention taking in the intricate sets and trying to pick out (any?) German words in the spoken dialogue. I was mentally exhausted, but the performance was beyond worth it. I need to see a few more of these!