Willkommen in Wien

Welcome to Vienna!



After a bus ride and two train rides that consumed over 24 hours, we made it to Vienna from Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik is not the easiest place to get in and out of. Lindsey and I were 2 weeks into our trip, but we already felt as if we had been traveling for months. Needless to say, it was great to see a familiar face. As our train pulled into Vienna, my Dad was waiting at the tracks to greet us!

After reuniting with the old man, the 3 of us were on the move. We arrived at our last minute apartment, did a little negotiating and got settled in. The first mission in Vienna was to find food. We walked into town, and found a nice place to grab a bite to eat right outside the Opera House. Right from the start you got the feeling that Vienna was a well polished city. Lindsey and I also noticed how willingly my Dad approached strangers for help. (Something we need to work on). There was a young man outside the restaurant dressed in a funny outfit, and my Dad asked what he was up to. Turns out he was selling Concert tickets. Now the show wasn’t being held in the State Opera House, but just down the road in the Hofburg Imperial Palace. Classical music is a staple in Viennese history….so we decided to go!







The concert ended up being really cool. It brought back memories of performing in high school. There was a full orchestra of 35 professional musicians, and 5 opera singers. The show was an introduction to classical music. They played a “potpourri” (as my dad would say) of Mozart, Strauss and Schubert.





Some parts of the show were a bit hokey, but the conductor got the audience involved which made for an entertaining show.



We were all exhausted and decided we would take it easy the first night to make for an eventful day tomorrow. On Wednesday we woke up to a beautiful day, and ventured off into town. Our first stop was the Karlskirce (St. Charles Church). The cathedral was under construction, but it offered us a special treat.




There was an elevator and very sketchy scaffolding that led to the top of the cathedral. This provided a brand new prospective to the many churches we have visited so far on our trip. It is truly incredible how they were able to build such massive buildings, and than decorate them with stunning frescoes.

Following the cathedral the three of us headed off to Shonbrunn Palace, the summer residence of the famous Hapsburg family. This palace was located a little outside of the city. I guess it was their getaway for the summer and trust me this was no little summer cottage on the cape. It was enormous.

It wasn’t the palace itself that was so impressive, but the outdoor garden and large hill/lawn that looked over the landscape.



It was a beautiful day so we decided to hike up the hill to see the Gloriette and take a look over everything. We have learned on our trip that when there is an opportunity to climb something you must do it! Once again, my dad did some negotiating with a small restaurant located on the palace grounds, and was able to buy a bottle of wine and crackers to go.

Despite numerous signs requiring visitors to stay off the lawn…which everyone abode by…we decided to take a short cut down the hill…after enjoying our early afternoon cocktails.
This was all my dad’s idea, something Lindsey and I would never have done. Though you can’t tell from the video, he did sing “The hills are alive” from the Sound of Music as he frolicked his way down.



The following day my dad departed for London…despite our efforts to get him to stay an extra day…and Lindsey and I headed off to the world famous Spanish Riding School located in the Hofburg Imperial Palace. The Spanish Riding School, founded in 1572, is the oldest riding school in the world where classic dressage still exists. It is named for its Lipizzin horses. Every day from 10AM to 12PM they perform morning exercises. The hall in which they performed seemed more like an opera house with incredible columns and a box for the royal family. The riders cantered in unison, brought the horses up on their hind legs, and did this one particular move that looked like the horse was tip toeing and holding a pose in between each step. It was amazing and impossible to describe. Youtube it! Taking pictures was "absolutely forbidden," but we were able to snap this one off.

After the Spanish riding school we walked along Graben (the old town) through the shopping areas. This area is considered one of the most beautiful streets in Europe. We then stopped in St. Stephen’s Cathedral which was located in the middle of the old town.. The sheer height of this cathedral and its gothic design made for an unforgettable sight. Unfortunately there was a mass going on so we couldn’t walk around inside, but this cathedral was flat out HUGE! In addition to its enormity, the roof was made up of 230,000 pattern tiles.

That evening, Lindsey and I met up with Julian...the son of one of Mr. Bates' college roommates and longtime friend who lives in Vienna. He showed us around his lovely home and showed us the other side of Vienna. We had a fun time...but made Lindsey and I came to realize sadly, we are not 18 anymore, we felt really old!

Lindsey and I decided to spend a couple extra days in Vienna. Don’t get me wrong, we loved this city, but we really just needed a couple days to relax since we had been on the go so much. We strolled around the city, and visited the flea market and the Naschmarkt. In preparation for cold weather in Germany (our next stop) I bought a sweater and Lindsey bought a scarf in the flea market. I finally did some successful bargaining! The Naschmarkt was a beautiful food market that stretched down the same road as the flea market. Lindsey and I stopped at a very exiting Mediterranean food stand. The women at the stand was the most enthusiastic and aggressive saleswomen I have ever seen. She force fed us falafel, humus, pita bread, olives, marinated garlic cloves, and cheese stuffed peppers. I honestly think we were full from all the samples she gave us, and before we even opened our mouths she was handing us a huge bag full of food and asking us for 15 euros. She was that good!



Well rested, and fed…. we prepared for our journey to Munich. I think Hvar is still number 1, but Vienna may be a close second.


Stay thirsty my friends,

Matt and Lindsey