Day 2 in Graz, Austria

The peanut shaped museum: Kunsthaus
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This morning we wore up in Graz. Our hotel was very nice and modern. The breakfast consisted of rolls with butter & jam, cereal, and hot tea. Jacek lead us into the city at 830am. It was truly a spectacular place. The city itself is much smaller than Viena but even more beautiful. Our first stop was at Kunsthaus, a modern glazed museum. We all argued whether it looked more like a peanut, or a jellybean, or an organ with arteries. Then we walked down to the Mur River. In 2002 it was the site for a design competition. Peter Cook, an architect from USA won and designed an ‘island’ in the river. I had studied it last year as a precedent in studio and it was so amazing to see it with my own eyes.

Graz was full of neat bridges
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A large cliff rose up beside the river.  We took a glass elevator up to the top from inside the mountain.  The air on top was so clean and peaceful.  I felt like I could live in a place like this or at least come back for a longer visit.  From the top you could hear children playing in a courtyard below and the bells of a nearby church.

By 11 we left Graz.  It was a beautiful ride south through the Alps.  The bus stopped at an Auto Grill for lunch.  It's similar to a reststop with much better food.