Who would have thought that after four different pandemic-related cancellations, we'd finally make it to Austria! The Our Planet, Our Future project, supported by Erasmus+, began as a cooperation between a school in Austria, another in Belgium, and our own VIKK. The project focused around environmental issues, and we took on the role of trying to improve food waste awareness and solutions. April was the first time our virtual experiences finally made it to the flesh!
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| Photos by Karl-Hendrik Nool |
Coordinating 25 people to travel to Austria, and to a small city, Wolfsberg, wasn't exactly the easiest feat. But, certainly worthwhile. The most miraculous part was our morning to depart Viljandi, because not a single person was late for the bus! It was expectedly long … nearly 14 hours door to door. Most of the students had also never been on an airplane, and the stormy weather did not hold back when landing in Vienna. It was a great introduction for the students to understand what real turbulence feels like.
Our first meal was nothing short of … McDonald's. Or as we say down under, Maccas. But this was a careful plan, as everything, even the Circle K, wouldn't be open by the time we arrived to Wolfsberg.
The hotel was certainly nice, and the breakfast was delicious. One brisk 20 minute walk later, and we found ourselves surrounded by another 40 students hailing from both Belgium and the local neighbourhoods. An ice breaker game is always a fear for Estonians, but having two circles rotate in opposite directions, let all of the students get to know each other one on one rather quickly. Questions on the board made it easy to not have to think about topics, but just go with "This is my name, this is what I think". Our two deaf students created their own circle with two of the Austrian students, and not only did the Austrians learn very quickly how they could communicate with the magic of texting, but the our two Estonian boys quickly became the most popular at the school. They were surrounded by a new entourage, no later than lunch time.
After lunch we saw some pretty excellent presentations about the environment. Students were tasked with discussing a host of different topics, including nuclear energy, overconsumption and carbon emissions. Our Estonian students really shone with their confident presentation skills, and well-studied English. Our time at Wolfsberg finished up with a recycled art project, and a bunch of new friends excited for the next stop.
The city of Graz probably deserved its own trip onto itself, yet our one quick stop was pretty great. The highlight was definitely the walk up to the castle. The Wolfsberg castle had certainly knocked the wind out of our more sedentary students, yet by Graz their stamina seemed to be on the rise. The views of the old town and the streets themselves were charming. We spent the afternoon in the CoSA science centre museum. The displays were interactive and covered everything from medicine to mechanics to physics. Of course some people were definitely grumbly, and bored easily, but the majority of us were having too much fun to notice.
Vienna is a fantastic and enormous city to digest. Our hostel was a Japanese-style capsule-esque offering that felt a bit like sleeping in a locker. Aside from an initial phase of despair for the narrow hallways, the students found the beds themselves were really quite comfortable. Perhaps later in life they'll discover this was in fact one of the world's cleanest and nicest hostels.
Vienna had a lot to offer. We went to the Time Travel museum, a 5D experience, that used VR, motion rides, scents and touch, to really have you experience Vienna and Austria over time. It was an incredible museum, and definitely a must if you've never gone. We ended up at the Technical Museum, which had a display all about food waste, consumption, shortages, and ingenuities. They even had bugs to eat! Yes, the students ate them.
Vienna is equipped with an 11-story aquarium, Haus de Meres, which had its own monkey room with uncaged animals. Luckily, nothing was thrown at us. On our free day, some of us even continued the animal journey by visiting Vienna's Zoo. The Zoo was near Schonbrunn castle. The castle itself has an awe-striking main thoroughfare, which leads to the top of a hill, where an impressive glass cafe sits. The students kept thinking each avenue was the main one, and were not prepared for the scale and grandeur when they finally reached the actual centre.
One definitive highlight from the trip was a guided tour through the city. This wasn't just any tour, and yes, the tour guide was very enthusiastic, so it already stood out. This tour was to understand how the city was being planned. We visited a neighbourhood that was built with community and social housing in mind. Buildings that were green, and yet just as affordable and as accessible as others. It certainly had us swimming with ideas for how we could bring it to Estonia.
The Austrians and Belgians left a day before us, so we had a final team dinner at the Prater. Prater is somewhere between a fun fair and amusement park. By this point all the students were out of pocket money! But luckily the lights and attractions were overwhelming enough that they could still enjoy the festivities with their new found friends.
Our final day wasn't in Vienna at all. In fact, we took a short train ride to Bratislava, Slovakia. A charming city that frequently cooperates with Vienna. The old town was a great size, and very walkable. The gelato did not disappoint! It was a nice way for our students to experience an entirely new culture all over again. Though just a day there was only scratching the surface.
Of course the trip back was a bit bittersweet. And arriving at nearly 4 in the morning didn't help anyone's mood! But our students really impressed. They had a great time, even giving IT support to other hostel guests that were confused by their own cell phones.
The prater and time travel museum were definitely highlights for the students. Also learning how to orient themselves in a large city full of trams and the metro, plus learning about Aperol Spritz! But their main takeaway was getting to know new and interesting friends, and learning about their culture and history.
Written by Ryan D. S. Sandberg, the leader of the Erasmus+ projekt "Our Planet - Our Future"