I fell in love with Vienna. Head over heels, completely, irrationally, rose-tinted glasses, can-do-no-wrong kind of love.
The bus trip was long, and we didn't get to stop for lunch, so when we arrived at 2.30pm on a Sunday and I realised that nothing would be open (curse you Europe!), I was in a foul mood. It was hot, I had a headache, they'd messed up my hostel room (which resulted in an upgrade though, hooray!) and I was hungry!!
I'd stomped off from the hostel in (what I hoped was) the direction of the city. After about fifteen minutes I realised there was a good vibe coming from what little I'd already seen, and by the time I returned to the hostel I was in love. I figure that any city that can make me feel like that when I'm at my worst must have something going for it! :)
But enough ranting, here, you can see for yourself!
This is (reportedly) the home of schnitzel. Starving as I was, I decided to see if the claim had any truth to it.
Oh boy, did it ever! They've been serving it since 1905, and the practice has obviously paid off. It was DELICIOUS! But so unbelievably huge!! I couldn't finish it all, and seeing as it was so yummy I decided to take the leftovers to eat later. Bad idea. Cold schnitzel is gross. May have had something to do with my generous squeezing of the lemon, which led to soggy batter. So please, learn from my mistake, don't ruin an incredible taste sensation by being a piggy and feeling like you need to get your money's worth by taking a doggy bag. Take a friend and share instead!
The next morning dawned drizzly and grey. I tackled a load of washing (ahh the glamour associated with living out of a backpack) and read a book while I waited for it to finish.
Grabbing my umbrella, I scurried across the road to Naschmarkt (a farmers market that opened in 1780) and had a wander through the stalls, admiring the colours and smells of all the incredible looking fresh produce, spices etc.
Speaking of incredible foods - having the mother and grandmother that I do, I have eaten my fair share of falafel. But no amount of vegetarian upbringing could have prepared me for this.
This falafel sandwich (as it was called - I would have gone with wrap) was four euros and was so so very delicious! I couldn't even wait to take a photo before I tucked in! Sorry :S
I then wandered into the city.
I'm not sure if this will play - but if it does, take note of the ridiculously large triangular shaped bass!
I then arrived at my destination, the Sisi Museum.
The museum was very popular - I spent 45 minutes in line before I could get my hands on an entrance ticket!
The Silver Collection was incredible. I was not expecting to be as interested in china and silverware as I was. There was something so fascinating about seeing all the pieces and truly understanding what it meant to run a royal household such as this one - I really enjoyed reading the placards about the duties of members of the household staff and the requirements for various occasions. It seemed so surreal to realise that this is how people once lived. Some of the pieces were extremely beautiful, others I found too gaudy and/or frilly.
For those interested, here is the link to a virtual tour of the collection.
Photos weren't allowed so I stole this from here.
The Sisi Museum was also interesting. I had no previous knowledge of the Empress, so I enjoyed learning about her and her life through the exhibition. Unfortunately, I was caught behind a guided tour, so it took longer to get through than I would have liked (museum fatigue had already set in while touring the Silver Collection!). Girl that I am, I enjoyed the replicas of her wedding ball gown and jewellery the most.
And this from here.
The Imperial Apartments were very grand. Too fussy for my taste (ha!), but again, an incredible and bewildering experience to think that these people once lived in these rooms. In one of the living rooms there was a large fireplace that had a passageway built in behind it so that the servants wouldn't have to enter the room to stoke or fuel the fire!!! Oh how the other half live! :)
I left the museum and continued to wander through the district into the city.
Mozart's house. It's now a museum. I was too hungry at this point to go in.
Instead I went in search of dinner, and settled on Japanese.
Perhaps not the meal you would expect to have during a European tour (Vietnamese vs. Viennese) but oh my goodness it was so delicious! I had been missing fresh veges and tasty flavours, and this really hit the spot (miso and fresh spring rolls in case you couldn't tell).
I sat near the kitchen, and it was fascinating to watch him work! He could whip up sushi like no-ones business!
I then treated myself to an ice-cream from Zanoni & Zanoni, which was very nice, but not the incredible experience I was expecting from the reviews I had read.
The maps that I had (both from the hostel and my travel guide) had been pretty useless, as there are so many little side streets and alleys that the maps simply couldn't go into enough detail. Consequently, I got myself lost on numerous occasions, and had a number of problems trying to track down sites of interest I wanted to see. One of these was Manner, the home of the city's favourite sweet, the Manner Schnitten - wafers filled with hazelnut cream.
But lo and behold, on my walk back to the hostel I strode right past it! I love it when things like that happen - you spend all your time and energy searching for something, and the minute you give up, Bam! It's right in front of you. And it was soooo worth the wait! :)
The next morning the sun came to the party!
I spent the morning at the Wien Museum, which provides a snapshot of the city's history. One of the most fascinating exhibits were two photographic panoramas of the city skyline - the first taken 50 years before the second.
This is a milestone from 1732.
.
The museum also had an exhibition about St Stephen's Cathedral.
(Photos taken at the cathedral the day before when, as you can see, the weather wasn't quite so pleasant)
Then I went for a wander through the surrounding area.
'The Morning Line' - an art instillation that played music when you walked through it.
Fancy buildings.
Schloss (Palace) Belvedere.
The shade provided by the Botanical Gardens was a welcome relief after so much walking in the sunshine.
Walking makes me hungry. Good thing there are lots of yummies to choose from!
Did you know that the croissant originally came from Austria? They were one of Marie Antoinette's favourite pastries, so she asked for her french chefs to make them for her.
I then caught the underground to ...
the Imperial Palace of Schönbrunn.
And it's vast gardens.
It was beautiful.
I was admiring this ...
when I turned around and saw this ...
which took me completely by surprise! I had no idea the fountain (below) or the zoo (above) were visible from the main palace from the photo Niki took and posted on her blog (being my sole prior point of reference for the Palace).
The view made the walk up the steep hill (very VERY steep) worthwhile.
There is a large forest that runs up either side of the hill, so I decided to walk back down through it.
Suddenly I came across this wee fellow (who didn't want to pose for a photo).
And then realised he had about six or seven friends with him - all being fed by a little old man!
They caused quite a stir. They were eating out of his hand!!!
That night, some of my busabout buddies caught up (having stopped off in Cesky Krumlov for a couple of days), so we all went on an expedition to find the Prater fun-fair.
This ferris wheel is 65m high and over 100 years old. It was very expensive, so we chose to admire it from the ground.
We did, however, indulge in some spun sugar.
None of the rides appealed to me and my dislike of high, spinny, out-of-control sensations/experiences, but this looked the worst. The arms turned the baskets upside down once they spun to the top, and the speed was phenomenal! I don't understand how these pass health and safety requirements!
We walked back past the Opera House (which looked very grand all lit up).
Austria would not have been complete without the sampling of some delicious Apple Strudel. I had to wait till our service stop on the bus the next day, but it was worth it!
It's interesting to note that during my time in Vienna I felt like I 'belonged' in the city, and that it was a place I felt a real 'need' to come and live in. It's been two months since I was there (what?!! How did THAT happen?? Sorry it's taken so long for me to post this! :S), but I'm a little ashamed to say that my love for the city has worn off a tad. Am I really such a fickle being?? I might just have to take another trip to be certain! :P
xxox
The bus trip was long, and we didn't get to stop for lunch, so when we arrived at 2.30pm on a Sunday and I realised that nothing would be open (curse you Europe!), I was in a foul mood. It was hot, I had a headache, they'd messed up my hostel room (which resulted in an upgrade though, hooray!) and I was hungry!!
I'd stomped off from the hostel in (what I hoped was) the direction of the city. After about fifteen minutes I realised there was a good vibe coming from what little I'd already seen, and by the time I returned to the hostel I was in love. I figure that any city that can make me feel like that when I'm at my worst must have something going for it! :)
But enough ranting, here, you can see for yourself!
This is (reportedly) the home of schnitzel. Starving as I was, I decided to see if the claim had any truth to it.
Oh boy, did it ever! They've been serving it since 1905, and the practice has obviously paid off. It was DELICIOUS! But so unbelievably huge!! I couldn't finish it all, and seeing as it was so yummy I decided to take the leftovers to eat later. Bad idea. Cold schnitzel is gross. May have had something to do with my generous squeezing of the lemon, which led to soggy batter. So please, learn from my mistake, don't ruin an incredible taste sensation by being a piggy and feeling like you need to get your money's worth by taking a doggy bag. Take a friend and share instead!
The next morning dawned drizzly and grey. I tackled a load of washing (ahh the glamour associated with living out of a backpack) and read a book while I waited for it to finish.
Grabbing my umbrella, I scurried across the road to Naschmarkt (a farmers market that opened in 1780) and had a wander through the stalls, admiring the colours and smells of all the incredible looking fresh produce, spices etc.
Speaking of incredible foods - having the mother and grandmother that I do, I have eaten my fair share of falafel. But no amount of vegetarian upbringing could have prepared me for this.
This falafel sandwich (as it was called - I would have gone with wrap) was four euros and was so so very delicious! I couldn't even wait to take a photo before I tucked in! Sorry :S
I then wandered into the city.
I'm not sure if this will play - but if it does, take note of the ridiculously large triangular shaped bass!
I then arrived at my destination, the Sisi Museum.
The museum was very popular - I spent 45 minutes in line before I could get my hands on an entrance ticket!
The Silver Collection was incredible. I was not expecting to be as interested in china and silverware as I was. There was something so fascinating about seeing all the pieces and truly understanding what it meant to run a royal household such as this one - I really enjoyed reading the placards about the duties of members of the household staff and the requirements for various occasions. It seemed so surreal to realise that this is how people once lived. Some of the pieces were extremely beautiful, others I found too gaudy and/or frilly.
For those interested, here is the link to a virtual tour of the collection.
Photos weren't allowed so I stole this from here.
The Sisi Museum was also interesting. I had no previous knowledge of the Empress, so I enjoyed learning about her and her life through the exhibition. Unfortunately, I was caught behind a guided tour, so it took longer to get through than I would have liked (museum fatigue had already set in while touring the Silver Collection!). Girl that I am, I enjoyed the replicas of her wedding ball gown and jewellery the most.
And this from here.
The Imperial Apartments were very grand. Too fussy for my taste (ha!), but again, an incredible and bewildering experience to think that these people once lived in these rooms. In one of the living rooms there was a large fireplace that had a passageway built in behind it so that the servants wouldn't have to enter the room to stoke or fuel the fire!!! Oh how the other half live! :)
I left the museum and continued to wander through the district into the city.
Mozart's house. It's now a museum. I was too hungry at this point to go in.
Instead I went in search of dinner, and settled on Japanese.
Perhaps not the meal you would expect to have during a European tour (Vietnamese vs. Viennese) but oh my goodness it was so delicious! I had been missing fresh veges and tasty flavours, and this really hit the spot (miso and fresh spring rolls in case you couldn't tell).
I sat near the kitchen, and it was fascinating to watch him work! He could whip up sushi like no-ones business!
I then treated myself to an ice-cream from Zanoni & Zanoni, which was very nice, but not the incredible experience I was expecting from the reviews I had read.
The maps that I had (both from the hostel and my travel guide) had been pretty useless, as there are so many little side streets and alleys that the maps simply couldn't go into enough detail. Consequently, I got myself lost on numerous occasions, and had a number of problems trying to track down sites of interest I wanted to see. One of these was Manner, the home of the city's favourite sweet, the Manner Schnitten - wafers filled with hazelnut cream.
But lo and behold, on my walk back to the hostel I strode right past it! I love it when things like that happen - you spend all your time and energy searching for something, and the minute you give up, Bam! It's right in front of you. And it was soooo worth the wait! :)
The next morning the sun came to the party!
I spent the morning at the Wien Museum, which provides a snapshot of the city's history. One of the most fascinating exhibits were two photographic panoramas of the city skyline - the first taken 50 years before the second.
This is a milestone from 1732.
. 
The museum also had an exhibition about St Stephen's Cathedral.
(Photos taken at the cathedral the day before when, as you can see, the weather wasn't quite so pleasant)
Then I went for a wander through the surrounding area.
'The Morning Line' - an art instillation that played music when you walked through it.
Fancy buildings.
Schloss (Palace) Belvedere.
The shade provided by the Botanical Gardens was a welcome relief after so much walking in the sunshine.
Walking makes me hungry. Good thing there are lots of yummies to choose from!
Did you know that the croissant originally came from Austria? They were one of Marie Antoinette's favourite pastries, so she asked for her french chefs to make them for her.
I then caught the underground to ...
the Imperial Palace of Schönbrunn.
And it's vast gardens.
It was beautiful.
I was admiring this ...
when I turned around and saw this ...
which took me completely by surprise! I had no idea the fountain (below) or the zoo (above) were visible from the main palace from the photo Niki took and posted on her blog (being my sole prior point of reference for the Palace).
The view made the walk up the steep hill (very VERY steep) worthwhile.
There is a large forest that runs up either side of the hill, so I decided to walk back down through it.
Suddenly I came across this wee fellow (who didn't want to pose for a photo).
And then realised he had about six or seven friends with him - all being fed by a little old man!
They caused quite a stir. They were eating out of his hand!!!
That night, some of my busabout buddies caught up (having stopped off in Cesky Krumlov for a couple of days), so we all went on an expedition to find the Prater fun-fair.
This ferris wheel is 65m high and over 100 years old. It was very expensive, so we chose to admire it from the ground.
We did, however, indulge in some spun sugar.
None of the rides appealed to me and my dislike of high, spinny, out-of-control sensations/experiences, but this looked the worst. The arms turned the baskets upside down once they spun to the top, and the speed was phenomenal! I don't understand how these pass health and safety requirements!
We walked back past the Opera House (which looked very grand all lit up).
Austria would not have been complete without the sampling of some delicious Apple Strudel. I had to wait till our service stop on the bus the next day, but it was worth it!
It's interesting to note that during my time in Vienna I felt like I 'belonged' in the city, and that it was a place I felt a real 'need' to come and live in. It's been two months since I was there (what?!! How did THAT happen?? Sorry it's taken so long for me to post this! :S), but I'm a little ashamed to say that my love for the city has worn off a tad. Am I really such a fickle being?? I might just have to take another trip to be certain! :P
xxox
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