Vienna, Austria

Do you have a fondness towards something but you never really consciously thought, Why?  Maybe it’s potato salad, apple strudel, or hazelnut wafers... something from childhood your grandparents loved, but you didn’t because you were a kid and you preferred McDonald’s?  Now as an adult, you are lured in by the nostalgia and would fain to order the potato salad?

We both instantly felt the connection with the German-speaking Vienna, something subtle in the speech, the decorations, the food.  Our families having collectively hailed from the region (Austria, Poland, Germany), there is a simple familiarity that we couldn’t name but thoroughly appreciated.  

Walking within “the ring” (the center of town) the level of wealth, history, and architecture astounded -- each opulent building more magnificent than the last.  The longing for the past is transparent: art-filled museums, majestic palaces, and horse drawn carriages (for the tourists of course).  The vibe is one of elegance, historical significance, and newly leaning globalization.

Vienna is incredibly easy to get around, with an efficient and cheap public transit system.  I, being geographically inclined, always like to use a map (whereas Ken is a spontaneous wanderer), thus had a comical moment when I put the map into the confines of my purse and Ken took lead navigating us through the winding streets of the inner city.  He kept referring to street signs that said “Einbahn” and saying, “Ok, I know where we’re at now” and he’d confidently lead us towards the direction and I would follow him.  Unbeknownst to him (or me for that matter), the sign is not a street name but simply means “One-Way.”  Even with this minor mis-translation, he seemed to always get us to a pleasant destination.

Another few highlights:

Eating at our favorite restaurant, Figl Muller’s, with schnitzel so large it fell off the plate, our stomachs so full we swore not to eat again (although that didn’t stop us from visiting two nights in a row).

Finding Ken’s great-great aunt’s house via a local family friend.  The house was under construction and she encouraged us, “Just go in and if they question you, just say your grandma lived here.”  We looked once, twice, and then snuck through the construction signs to find a grandiose old mansion the size of a city block under restoration.  (She also told us the new owner was possibly in jail on corruption charges, but that is another story).

Riding the 1897 ferris wheel (you may know it from an episode of the Amazing Race)

Wandering through the gardens of the Schonbrunn Palace (see picture at top of post)

Walking to the Belvedere Museum, home of Gustav Klimt’s famous paintings (minus a few)

48 hours later we’ve agreed: we will definitely come back for a longer visit.  Who knows, maybe I can convince Ken to open a schnitzel house?