Today, Becky and I made a day trip down to Graz. The second largest city in the country of Austria, Graz is home to a progressive school of architecture, and thus contemporary buildings and additions are sprinkled throughout the city's centuries old buildings.

One of the main buildings we went to see is called the Island in the Mur, designed by Vito Acconci. Built only a couple of years ago when Graz was the Europe culture capital, it is literally an island. Two elevated sidewalk arms connect the shell-shaped structure. The interior of the shell holds a junglegym and a cafe, while the exterior part holds an amphitheater which is also used for outdoor seating.

Another building that we saw that I didn't like nearly as much was an art museum. The building consists of a blob resting on a glass box, and apparently the locals refer to it as the 'friendly alien.'

We headed back to Vienna for the evening, and met up with two of the guys, Shane and Ryan, for dinner.