The end

Friday 29th June was the final presentation for the Urban Ontology design course. Hélio and I were working together to produce an urban masterplan for Valletta. Our proposal was a coastal promenade with various nodes of activity along its path to encourage a more distributed pedestrian flow, generate new business and promote urban regeneration.

Our first presentation sheet showing analysis of the existing situation with proposed interventions

along with diagrams to explain the overall concept of our scheme for Valletta

Working in collaboration with Hélio (from Lisbon, Portugal) was a great experience. We had a good working relationship as Hélio was happy to work at my apartment where we could also play music, cook food and go for a drink afterwards. In the end we were able to play on each other’s strengths to produce a really good presentation.

As architecture students we constantly had to remind ourselves to work at an 'urban scale' and not

venture into too much detail. We did however develop a more focused strategy for one area along

the promenade as an example of our vision

I believe the presentation went well, or at least the lectures liked the sheets, as Mark Gilbert later spoke to me about my Photoshop work saying “we could use someone like you, are you staying in Vienna?”. At that moment I was very torn; I had fallen in love with the city, the weather was great, and I had a beautiful woman, friends and so many memories still in Vienna. My reply however was instantaneous; I had a job and a whole other life waiting for me in England, I could not abandon everything, let people down and throw away my integrity. C'est la vie!

We built this city

Wednesday the 20th June was the final hand-in for ‘The Mediterranean City’ design course by Will Alsop. For the course we were organised into small groups representing different ministries. Ana Sofia, Enrique and I were the Ministry of Education and had to make a proposal for the education structure and facilities in a city with a density of 80,000 people per sq. km. Alsop asked all of the ministries to create a name for the city and contribute towards a brochure as a final submission. The chosen name was Alsopia.

Alsopia Brochure

'District ESA' Masterplan

The Story we decided for the origin of Alsopia:

Long ago the ancient Mayans predicted the end of the world in the year 2012. But the world did not end. Instead, disaster and horror was spread upon mankind. It is said that a viral experiment that was going to advance and improve the future of all people went terribly wrong, and all natural resources were contaminated in most of the earth’s climate areas. In the struggle for survival, people fled their homes in search for new ones. Others died immediately after the outbreak of the virus and did not have to witness the chaos and brutality that shook the world. When the earth turned against man, man turned against himself in constant battle for resources, where only the strongest could survive. Cities were abandoned, countries became voids. 

But it was not long until hope was born again.

40 years after the accident it was discovered that the resources around the Mediterranean climate turned out to be mysteriously unpolluted. Some say it had to do with a natural antidote in the vegetation that yet somehow could not be detected. Others say it was a strike of sheer luck. 

As hope flourished, so did man’s humbleness. The people organized around the Mediterranean climate zones and made plans for a new society where peace prevailed and resources belonged to everybody. A small group of people started what came to be known as the beginning of the New Era. It is said that among this group of people, a couple of great minds based their ideas on theoretical work they once had done under the guidance of a British architect and professor named Alsop. A city was built along the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea, with provinces along the whole Mediterranean climate zone. It was named Alsopia. 

Much that once was and should not have been forgotten is now lost. Hundreds of years passed, and history became legend. Legend became myth. Though none have lived to remember the beginning, this is the story about Alsopia as we know it today.

Will Alsop and the 'Alsopians'

A few days later, a big group of us met to celebrate at the Donauinselfest (an annual open-air music festival) and thereafter have a few drinks at Charlie P’s.

Alsopian after-party

What a wonderful world

On Sunday 10^th of June Pelin, Ece, Şefkat, Burak, Ali, Fabian and I took a day trip to Hallstatt, a small village in Upper Austria. It was a four hour drive in Fabian’s camper van from Vienna and the day was gloomy and wet but the visit was definitely worth it. The only disappointment was when my camera battery died shortly after arriving.

Hallstatt

Me, Şefkat, Pelin, Fabian and Ece

Şefkat and I

I want to break free

Very sound advice

One week

On Wednesday 23^rd Kiran, a friend from England arrived in Vienna. A few days before he came, I kindly composed a teaser poster to get him psyched up for his visit.

Kiran arrived in the evening so we dropped off his bags at my apartment and went to Travel Shack to meet the guys. Whilst waiting for the pool table a fairly drunk Austrian girl popped up beside me and mumbled something in German. “Sprichst du Englisch” I instinctively replied. “Yes… well no, not very, where are you from?” she asked. “England” I said, “Oh so it’s true!”, “What’s true?” (no answer) ”Can I give you my sister, she wants you?” she said next (very good English indeed), gesturing over to a less drunk, but far more embarrassed looking girl at another table. I smiled and replied that her sister should have come over herself and that I was here to play pool with my friends. I’m still curious what was “true” about the English.

Arriving home I got to work editing some film Şefkat had helped me shoot earlier for a project due in the next morning – I shouldn’t have procrastinated, but I didn’t compromise on quality and even had 1 hour left to sleep!

Still from the film project which had to include a transportation effect

Obviously architects use this all the time

On Thursday morning Kiran came with me to a Diagrammatische und Hybride Entwurfsmethoden lecture (film editing class) and that night went to Prater Dome. The next day we joined a BBQ at Donauinsel and went for a swim in the river before rushing home early to prepare food for a dinner night I was hosting.

Donauinsel BBQ

I cooked cottage pie with vegetables and gravy. It was a very difficult task to prepare the meal for 12 people with only two hobs and a microwave so the food was ready an hour later than I had initially promised. I had never before made cottage pie – or anything similar – but the result was edible and more importantly everyone had a good time! After the dinner we went on to Gasobar where Kiran and I formed an unbeatable team at pool.

Kiran, Marco and Federico at my English dinner party

On Saturday 26th Kiran, Mỹ-Lan and I went to Heldenplatz to attend the solidarity rally for Tibet and see the Dalai Lama who is travelling around Europe to create awareness for the situation in Tibet.

The Dalai Lama at the Solidarity Rally for Tibet

That night we went to a fancy dress party in the Molkereistraße party room organised by some Spanish students. The party was very boring so we decided to go to Dick Mack’s Irish pub at Schwedenplatz for a foosball tournament with Kiran and Federico against Guillaume and I. The next day I took Kiran around the city center to see the tourist sights of Vienna. In the evening we went out in a group but gradually lost each other at different clubs and pubs until it was just Kiran, Loïc and I in a bar.

Stephansdom transformed by coloured canvas covering the windows

On Monday 28^th Kiran and I visited the Hundertwasserhaus, an expressionist landmark and working residential building in the Landstraße district. We then went to the Schloß Schönbrunn and dragged ourselves around the large landscaped gardens. That night we decided to give ourselves an easy night and went to the Salm Bräu restaurant (very recommendable) in the Belvedere vicinity with Fabian.

Hundertwasserhaus

Tuesday 29^th was Kiran’s last day in Vienna. We left in the morning to get to the City Airport Train at Wien Mitte. Unfortunately we forgot to get a U-Bahn ticket for Kiran (€2 for a single journey) and got checked by the ticket men. They issued a fine of €100 Euros - not likely to be paid by a student leaving the country that day – hopefully Kiran enjoyed his first and last visit to Austria!

You can leave your hat on

On Thursday 17^th Bas, a Dutch Erasmus student, held a “22.5” Birthday party in the theme of ‘Pimps and Hoes’. Federico and I realised it there was a theme at the last moment, so our pimp customs were extremely improvised, unfortunately we forgot to take photos. The next day we found ourselves dressing up again for another party; everyone must wear a hat!

Not having a hat at the ready, I employed my architectural model making skills and fashioned myself a rather trendy top hat from a few empty cereal boxes.

Poisoned Vodka Jelly

On Saturday 19^th I met with Stéphanie and Tiphaine in Museums Quartier for a couple of drinks. The girls ordered their beers and were initially surprised when I asked for just a coke, reaching into my jacket I brought out a bottle of whisky in explanation – I’m a poor student after all (and whiskey is very expensive from the bars here).

Museumsquartier (MQ)

Ich lieg gern im Gras

On Wednesday 9^th I had an exam for ‘Ökologie und nachhaltige Entwicklung’ (Ecology and Sustainable Development). Despite being associated with Architecture on the online course system, the lessons had almost nothing of relevance to architecture; one of the exam questions even asked for the equation for respiration! Later that evening a group of us met up at flex café for a few drinks by the Donaukanal. With the temperature now warmer in the evenings, it was great to sit outside, have a few drinks and chat to new people. Şefkat had a friend to visit from Istanbul and Chris (the Greek) had Patra from Athens. Having lived with a girl from Athens last year, I took the opportunity to show my (very limited) knowledge of Greek.

There is a running joke amongst the Italians that I only know the ‘bad’ words and phrases (they encourage it and I indulge them). Unfortunately for Greek, this is actually true – but I see a positive side – boring things like “how are you” don’t get any laughs. Rule; if you’re only going to learn a few things in a language, make them interesting!

Patra, Me, Epic Photo-bomb Guy

On Thursday night we went to Prater Dome as usual, and then went to Wiener Prater public park to relax and eat a sandwich. The next day was the long planned beer-drinking contest on the Donauinsel. We arrived midday, and with a bit of luck, found an empty public barbeque by the river; these can be reserved online, or you can find one not being used and hope nobody has reserved it – alternatively there are designated ‘grillzones’ where you can make your own fire. It was great to chill in the sun and then dip into the Donaukanal for a swim to cool off - definitely something to do more often.

Fabian, Guillaume, Michel, Pelin, Xavier

It’s a small world

On Monday 30^th April I had another presentation to give on the factory work of Peter Behrens (1868 - 1940). Starting out as a painter and then graphic designer, Behrens had no formal training in architecture, but became a very prominent and influential architectural figure in Germany. His protégés, amongst them Walter Gropius, Mies van der Rohe, and Le Corbusier, subsequently spread his ideas throughout the world. My chosen topic focused on his work with the Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft (AEG – General Electricity Company), arguably his most celebrated achievements are from this collaboration.

Behrens became the first to apply the principles of the ‘Deutscher Werkbund’ of 1907; an alliance between industry and the decorative arts (inspired by the British Arts and Crafts movement), with the aim to produce high quality goods for mass consumption. He initially started by designing marking graphics and domestic products, but later designed AEG factory buildings and workers housing. His co-ordination and consistency within this work generated a unified appearance, establishing a visual identity for the AEG which is now known as ‘corporate identity’.

By far his most celebrated architectural project for the AEG, was his Turbinenfabrik (Turbine Factory, 1910) on the Moabit factory site, which was the principal focus of my presentation. Of interest is the structural system (triple-hinged girder construction) which is articulated on the façade. The building was Behrens’ first industrial building project. It should be noted however that, with Behrens’ inadequate knowledge of engineering for such an undertaking, the design was a collaborative endeavour with engineer Karl Bernhard. Today, due to his work with the AEG, Behrens is often recognised as the father of German industrial design and the founder of corporate identity.

Study of the AEG Turbinenfabrik

That evening I had just got off the U-Bahn at Karlsplatz station and was heading to a design meeting when I spotted a familiar face. Adrian, my housemate during my year in professional practice, was visiting Vienna for a few days. Unfortunately I had caught him on his last day in Vienna, so after chatting for a short while I said farewell and promised to meet up again when back in England. I’m still amazed that I would bump into an old friend so far away from home.

Hello, goodbye

Having arrived at the beginning of February, I’m amazed that we are towards the end of April already. The past months have gone by rapidly, ever reinforcing the idiom ‘time flies when you’re having fun’. Today two incredible people, Raffaele and Solvita, left Vienna. I’ve known them for such a short time but they were two of the most instantly likeable people I’ve met.

On Thursday Susan, one of the Americans we met in Budapest, came to visit. In exchange for free accommodation for a few days, I can take up a return offer for Copenhagen where she currently studies – along with the promised guided architectural tour. Thursday was Solvita’s Birthday so on Friday she invited us all around Raffaele’s flat to celebrate and also say farewell. It transpired that most of the music Raffaele had on his computer was of a romantic nature which, combined with the candle-lit setting, produced a fairly uncomfortable but amusing atmosphere (I made plenty of jokes anyway).

At least Raffaele didn’t play Jeremih’s “birthday sex”!

Albanian Guy, Susan, Me, Cindy, Tiphaine, Stéphanie

 

On Saturday Susan and I walked around the city centre, and then met up with Şefkat and Pelin in Prater park to relax in the sunny weather. We then took a ride on the Wiener Riesenrad (€8 student), a c.65m tall Ferris wheel in the amusement park in Leopoldstadt which looks out over the rooftops of Vienna.

The Riesenrad was erected in 1897

Originally supporting 30 gondolas, only 15 were replaced with post WWII restoration

On Sunday morning Susan left to visit Prague and in the evening I met with Raffaele and Solvita in Travel Shack to enjoy a few games of pool and table football. On Monday morning I gave a presentation on Peter Behrens and his factory designs for the AEG as part of my history of architecture course. Then Tuesday night was the final farewell for Raffaele and Solvita at a bar in the MuseumsQuartier complex. At the end of the night we all said our farewells (albeit interrupted by a drunk local) at Praterstern Station and left Raffaele and Solvita to return to their lives in Italy and Latvia. 

Everywhere you go, you always take the weather

For the last few weeks the weather here has been brilliant – not too hot but something comparable to an average summer day in England. On the morning of Thursday 12^th April my parents and grandmother came to visit me in Vienna. I don’t know how they did it, but they seemed to have brought the rainy weather with them! Knowing my way around the city, I walked them from sight to sight with little regard for their fatigue after their early start and long flight; after dropping off their luggage at the Nh Belvedere Hotel, I marched them down Kärntner Straße to Sephansdom and from here to the Hofburg Palace, the Parliament, and the Rathaus. At Rathausplatz there was a festival celebration with plenty of beer huts and people dressed in their finest lederhosen. On our journey back towards the hotel we passed Museumsquartier, and decided to take a detour along Mariahilfer Straße to find a restaurant. With more shops than eateries (which were chain restaurants), we took a small side street and settled for ‘Gelateria Frascati’, an Italian Restaurant (not just an ice cream store as you might expect from the name).

Rathausplatz

The weather the next day had improved, so we seized the opportunity to walk around the Belvedere Gardens before heading to the Schloß Schönbrunn and taking a tour around the palace. The tour concentrated on the lives of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elizabeth (known as ‘Sisi’) of Austria. Of all the information taken in that day I remember most clearly two things; that Franz Joseph had some impressive mutton chops; and that Sisi suffered a tragic assassination by Italian anarchist Luigi Lucheni (with a three sided file).

Inside the Schloß Schönbrunn

Parents at the Schloß Schönbrunn gardens

That evening we went to an orchestra performance accompanied by opera singers and ballet at the Palais Auersperg. The orchestra played music by Mozart and Johann Strauss. After we went to the Zwölf Apostelkeller, a traditional Austrian restaurant.

The oval performance room in the Palais Auersperg

The following day the drizzle came back so we took a tour inside the Hofburg palace and saw some impressive, but rapidly very boring, collections of ornate gold, silver and porcelain tableware and furnishings. We saw more of the royal rooms and amusingly the audio guide made many references to the Emperor’s “frugal” lifestyle – by this it meant, an elaborately furnished room with paintings and all, but with a single bed in place of a double (the tour certainly wouldn't have made his subjects more comfortable about paying taxes). In the afternoon I had to depart to attend Şefkat’s birthday celebration at Centimeter Restaurant.


On Sunday we met up again in a café near Stephansplatz and I taught them Briscola with a pack of Italian cards specially brought back for me from Trento by Federico. With my parents and grandmother needing to catch a flight in the afternoon I said cheerio and went home (where I then cried for days on end…. honestly).

We no speak Americano

For a couple of weeks Chloe, Zharah, Anne, Federico and I had planned to visit Budapest for a long weekend, so on Friday 30^th March Federico and the girls took an afternoon Eurolines bus to Budapest (costing around £14 including return). Due to lectures I took a later train and arrived at 10:30. I hadn’t thought to bring a map so I approached a guy and girl whom I had heard talking with American accents to discover where they would be travelling. Luckily our hostels were in the same area, so we all took the metro and I soon arrived at the street for the Ginkgo Hostel. Checking in, I discovered that the others had gone out for a drink and unfortunately my Vectone SIM card decided not to work in Hungary, so I ventured out, found a public telephone, and arranged to meet them back at the hostel.

The girls decided to call it a night, whilst Federico and I went to Lámpás, an underground bar they had visited earlier. Although the bar looked like it hadn’t been cleaned for some months, it had a fantastic grunge atmosphere, served cider, and had a DJ playing some great tunes – the Hungarian equivalent to Portsmouth’s Honest Politician! The next day we ascended Gellért Hill to see the Szabadság Szobar (Liberty Statue, 1947) and a superb panorama over the city. Our next destination was the Budavári Palota (Buda Castle) and the Castle District on its northern side. The district streets are lined by colourful houses which lead onto fantastic historical public buildings including the late Gothic Matthias Church (14^th century).

Liberty Statue

  

Statue of the Hortobágy horseherd by György Vastagh, 1901

The Széchenyi Chain Bridge - suspension bridge across the Danube opened in 1849

  

Halászbástya (Fisherman's Bastion) - neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque style terrace

  

The Castle District

Arriving back at hostel I struck up a conversation with some American students (Ben, Lauren and Susan), studying in Copenhagen, and Federico and I were soon showing them the art of Briscola (Italian card game). Playing in teams Federico and I managed to confer in Italian to gain advantage. Lauren, Susan, Federico and I later went back to Lámpás but to our disappointment there was no DJ and the atmosphere had changed completely. We stayed for a drink and then followed Susan and the directions on her iPhone to another bar called ‘Instant’. The club featured a central covered courtyard overlooked by a gallery which adjoined a labyrinth of smaller rooms; some with chairs and sofas, others dancing area – all with psychotic Alice in Wonderland themed décor. Going to the bar to get a drink Federico discovered his wallet was missing, but assuming he had left it at the hostel we continued the night. Back at the hostel Federico couldn’t find his wallet, so we both returned to Lámpás to see if it could be found. With no luck at Lámpás, and not knowing the directions to Instant - or even wanting to travel that far at such a late hour - we went back to the hostel.

  

Covered courtyard inside Instant

  

The following day we visited the Dohány Street Synagogue. Built between 1854 and 1859 it is the largest in Europe. Later Federico and I walked to the police station to report his missing wallet. Frustratingly none of the policemen spoke English or German. We then met up with the girls in the city centre to go sight-seeing and visit Hősök tere (Heroes Square) and the Városliget (City Park). At the hostel we saw the Americans again and decided to all go out to a restaurant along Károlyi Mihály utca. On the way back to the hostel Susan and I split off for a pleasant walk along the river bank and visited the Parliament building which was transformed by lighting in the night.

Heroes Square

Moat at Vajdahunyad Castle

The next day I accompanied Federico to the Italian Embassy to get his emergency identity card whilst the girls went shopping. After returning to the hostel to get our swimming gear, and towels, and to meet up with Susan, we all went to the Gellért Thermal Baths near to the Liberty Bridge. Back at the hostel we collected our bags, said cheerio to Susan and set off towards the bus terminal and the end of our trip to Budapest.

The sky was all purple

Vienna is becoming very familiar now; I know my way around the important parts of the city; my courses are all sorted; and I’ve built up a great collection of friends. In fact the first seven weeks here have been tremendous; constantly meeting new faces; visiting interesting sights and museums; learning about cultures and languages; and of course finding new places to sit back and have a drink! On Monday 19^th I attended the first lecture of a course entitled ‘Theory of Film’. The main theme is a debate about whether a certain character of feature film can be associated with the Baroque (characterised by illusion, complexity and movement). In each lecture we will be analysing different movies, the first was ‘Gun Crazy’ (1950). I originally intended it to be a bit of a ‘social class’ but have become quite interested in the subject and theories presented.

Wednesday night was spent in Bricks Bar on Taborstraße – a small, underground pub with vaulted ceilings - where they were giving away free beer between 8 and 9pm as part of an opening anniversary celebration. The next day was the most stressful experience I’ve had during my time in Vienna; it was the first day of British architect, Will Alsop’s course ‘The Mediterranean City’. As a student not registered on the course, I was extremely anxious to find out whether I would be allowed to stay. Already the online system showed 23/20 students registered (oversubscribed). Around 40 students turned up to the course and Alsop explained his dilemma; with so many, he would be unable to give adequate guidance to all of us – stating that his ideal number of students would actually be 15.

Alsop began by asking which native and non-Erasmus students weren't registered and then asked them to leave immediately. I was now one of the four students not registered remaining in the room, all of us on the Erasmus program. He asked us each where we were from and how many semesters we had been in Vienna. Everyone was on edge; the tension in the room was stifling, even I suspect, for those who were registered. Telling him that I was from England he asked ‘where is that?’ – nervous laughter ensued. His face relaxed a bit, he pointed at me and said ‘you can stay’ …and breathe!

Alsop eventually let the other three Erasmus students stay as well. The celebration that night was in Prater-Dome and I even managed to convince Kathryn (also from Portsmouth Uni.) to join us - showing up with a few French girls at her door and employing a little peer pressure did the trick. Staying awake in the lecture the next morning (Friday 23^rd) was definitely a losing battle. It was ‘Spatial and Environmental Planning’ so already something of a challenge to keep attention. Fortunately I had an hour before ‘Current Issues in Architectural Theory’ and it was an excellent day so I found a patch of grass in Resselpark, set my alarm, and went to sleep.

That evening I joined a group of friends at Raffaele’s flat for a dinner party. Federico, a “polentone” from Trento made polenta, I made some chilli con carne, and others brought drinks and snacks. It was a fantastic evening, and I especially enjoyed improving my Italian (albeit mostly inappropriate sentences). We met up again on Saturday to join a larger group of students enjoying the weather with a picnic on the banks of the Donauinsel.

Raffaele, Dariusz, Xavi, Solvita, Andrea, Me, Federico, Stéphanie, Tiphaine

Picnic on the Donauinsel

Later a small group of us we split off to visit the Schloß Schönbrunn, a Rococo palace used as a summer residence by successive Habsburg monarchs. As we ascended the hill in the garden toward the Gloriette structure the sky coloured into a superb pale purple. From the Gloriette there is a terrific panorama across the rooftops of Vienna with Stephansdom rising prominently above its neighbouring buildings. From this vantage point we soon realised that a storm was headed our way and made our journeys back home.

Schloß Schönbrunn

View over Vienna (Stephansdon centre)

The Gloriette

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

On Thursday 8^th, after speaking to Kathryn and going through the University course website (TISS), I realised I had missed numerous introductory lectures throughout the week. Assuming courses would start after their registration periods had ended, I hadn’t noticed that they in fact start during. Presumably students turn up, regardless of whether they are registered or on a ‘waiting list’, and hope to get a place. I resolved to get up early the next morning, go into the TU and sort everything out. I warned everyone that I wouldn’t be going to Prater-Dome that night but Marco and Federico practically dragged me out (okay it didn’t take much convincing!). Still keeping to my plan, I managed to get into university early and speak with Will Alsop’s secretary in an attempt to register on his ‘Mediterranean City’ design programme.

Prater Dome - our local haunt

Students must register for design programmes via the TUWEL system (separate to TISS). Unfortunately my account does not work, so I felt fairly cheated when the secretary told me the course was full. I continued to appeal, but ultimately all I achieved was the advice to turn up on the day and see if Alsop would accept me. Not yet securely registered on a design programme, I spoke to the secretary of Prof. Kari Jormakka who signed me on the ‘Urban Ontology’ design course. Until I know whether I can attend Alsop’s course I have to attend a bulky number of subsidiary units to ensure I achieve 30 ECTS credits (my learning agreement with Portsmouth University). Consequently, that morning I attended a lecture for a course entitled ‘Spatial and Environmental Planning in CEE Countries’ – and it’s just as exciting as it sounds!

Technische Universität Wien, known as the TU

Up close, the TU façade reveals its age

On Saturday I decided to go for my first run in Vienna. I took a route through the ‘Wiener Prater’ – a large park in the local area historically used as a hunting reserve – but after only a short while I gave in. It seems one month of limited cardio exercise combined with excessive drinking has drastically affected my fitness! Unfortunately the endeavour had me lost in the middle of the park and I had to use the Ferris Wheels of the amusement park as a point of reference to find my way back home. That night we faced a decision between two parties; one organised at the Gasometer dormitory, the other at Molkereistraße. We decided to go to both!

The Wurstelprater Amusement Park

Weiner Riesenrad (backgroud) one of Vienna's tourist attractions

Sunday was terrific, purely because of the Six Nations Rugby game. Throughout the whole tournament Loïc had been boasting that France would easily defeat England – needless to say, when England won, my victory dance felt all the more satisfying! On Monday morning, I found myself wondering the corridors of the TU, trying to find the seminar room for a course on the work of Peter Behrens (20^th century German Architect). I bumped into a similarly lost group of girls also in search of the room, and with a stroke of luck, the person we asked for directions turned out to be the lecturer of the course. We followed him through an unmarked door into the seminar room - frustratingly none of the rooms at the TU have numbers on the doors – little did I know this was just the start of a stressful process for locating all future lectures.

The course was very nearly held in German; the lecturer explained that, had there been any native German-speaking people in the class (which fortunately there wasn’t), he would have held it in German. Asking us where we were all from, he seemed even more reluctant to speak English when he found out I was from England – he explained that he would be more conscious about making mistakes – that night, whilst drinking far too much wine, I found out from Şefkat that many of the students I know here actually feel the same way (damn my impeccable English!).

One thing to be prepared for as an Englishman going on Erasmus, is the word guessing game which appears to be a favourite of the professors here; when faltering on a word, they will point at you with the expectation that you will read their mind and give them the correct word in English – usually I have to desperately shout out random words until one meets their satisfaction. Aside from these occurrences the lecturers actually speak brilliant English, and it’s rather embarrassing that they can speak so well in my language, whilst I cannot hold a conversion in theirs – especially since we are in Austria!

The rest of the week went well and the Urban Ontology course, which focuses on the potentials of Malta, seems really interesting. Surprisingly when someone asked if we should read any literature, the lecturer replied that we should just watch a few films set in Malta – so far, so good!