It has officially been a full week since our arrival in Graz, with just four days until the majority of us fly back to our (hopefully) open-armed families. Each day is filled with more activities than the previous, whether it be with the whole group, or just with our own exchange students. The day today, for me, at least, began by hitting the snooze button on my alarm a few extra times and enjoying a relaxed breakfast before heading off to school with Margarita (my host student). Since her first two classes were free periods, I got an early glance at what “come late, leave early” feels like, and I can easily say that I’m already looking forward to such senior privileges. We came in late, sat through a French class, and left early for free time in the city before visiting the Schlossberg. The Uhrturm (clock tower) at the top of the Schlossberg was surely captivating, but even more impressive was the view of all of Graz. We could see each café we’ve eaten at, all the trams we’ve just barely avoided, and, of course, all the clothing shops we’ve raided. We were lucky enough to be able to visit the Schlossberg before the ominous rain clouds unleashed their downpour, but the luck didn’t stay when it was time to visit the Zeughaus (armory). Athina, Brett, Felix, and I tried our best to dodge the rain drops, but blatantly failed. To add to this lack of luck, our tram missed the Zeughaus station, forcing us to have to once again run through the rain and jump over puddles down a block before meeting up with our group. Although seeing the medieval weaponry of Graz was enticing, the frozen toes and soaked shoes could only be forgotten with a nice cup of hot chocolate and croissant in a nearby cafe called Graf Leopold. As the day came to an end and the sun reappeared, I treated myself to yet another beautiful view of Graz after going on a run through Margarita’s neighborhood, this time seeing the Uhrturm in all its glory from below. ~Ruhi
