The first three days were full of exploration, delicious food, and language barrier. It's been truly incredible and I haven't even ventured outside of Vienna yet. Through these blog posts I will document and attempt to capture the essence of my travels.
Monday, Jan 8th
After about eleven hours of flying, the group and I landed in Vienna at noon, local time. This was, of course, far from the noon to which my body was accustomed. Nevertheless, I managed to stay awake until Austrian bedtime. This would probably not have been the case if not for the spectacular city waiting to be explored. Since we arrived at our hostel, The Wombat, an hour before check-in time, Alex, Matt, Konner, and I decided to take a stroll. We found a food stand which graced us with our first meal in the new city.
After about eleven hours of flying, the group and I landed in Vienna at noon, local time. This was, of course, far from the noon to which my body was accustomed. Nevertheless, I managed to stay awake until Austrian bedtime. This would probably not have been the case if not for the spectacular city waiting to be explored. Since we arrived at our hostel, The Wombat, an hour before check-in time, Alex, Matt, Konner, and I decided to take a stroll. We found a food stand which graced us with our first meal in the new city.
Hühner kebap, delicious street food.
Getting settled in was the next order of business, after which my roommates (Alex, Matt, and Jeffery) and I wandered our way into a pub. Fortunately the bartender understood enough English to ensure we got our beers and complimentary potato chips. We followed this excursion with a group dinner at Zwölf Apostlkeller, a restaurant that descends several floors underground! I may not have chosen the best entree to pair with my strawberry wine, but it was hard to resist the roast pork and dumplings.
Tuesday, Jan 9th
I started my first full day in Vienna with a couple of espressos and a hearty breakfast at The Wombat. The group and I then headed for St. Stephen's Cathedral in the city center for a guided tour. I learned about Vienna's history and got to see the house (now a shopping mall...) in which Mozart died. Our tour guide, Herbert, also showed us one of Beethoven's favorite cafes. It was very surreal spending time where my two favorite composers spent time, and this was just an appetizer for the next day's event.
I started my first full day in Vienna with a couple of espressos and a hearty breakfast at The Wombat. The group and I then headed for St. Stephen's Cathedral in the city center for a guided tour. I learned about Vienna's history and got to see the house (now a shopping mall...) in which Mozart died. Our tour guide, Herbert, also showed us one of Beethoven's favorite cafes. It was very surreal spending time where my two favorite composers spent time, and this was just an appetizer for the next day's event.
“In this place until 1849 was the house in which Mozart died on December 5, 1791.”
Later that night we attended our first concert. The program revolved around love letters and songs by Robert and Clara Schumann. Though I couldn't understand the letters, the music was beautiful and I found myself entranced by the opening piano part. I also really enjoyed this take on the production as it was, well, more of a production than a recital, complete with acting and humor that prompted the German-speakers to laugh. After the concert, Megan, Matt, Jeffery, and I took to the streets in search of dinner. It was only after this outing that I realized I walked over 30,000 steps that day!
Wednesday, Jan 10th
The main course to Tuesday's appetizer was a visit to Zentralfriedhof, the site at which the greatest composers are buried. If standing where Beethoven once stood was surreal, standing above him was phantasmagorical (yes, I had to look that up). I got to see the gravestones for Mozart, Schubert, Strauss, Brahms, and many others including the elusive Legeti, for which Aaron and I spent the better part of an hour searching. On our way back to The Wombat, Aaron, Caroline, and I got separated from the group and ended up lost in the city. Fortunately I had the two prerequisites to salvation: Google maps and an international data plan.
The main course to Tuesday's appetizer was a visit to Zentralfriedhof, the site at which the greatest composers are buried. If standing where Beethoven once stood was surreal, standing above him was phantasmagorical (yes, I had to look that up). I got to see the gravestones for Mozart, Schubert, Strauss, Brahms, and many others including the elusive Legeti, for which Aaron and I spent the better part of an hour searching. On our way back to The Wombat, Aaron, Caroline, and I got separated from the group and ended up lost in the city. Fortunately I had the two prerequisites to salvation: Google maps and an international data plan.
After some brief downtime, Caroline and I headed north for Kahlenberg, a hilltop that overlooks the city. We arrived only to find the thickest fog I've ever seen; our view of the city was a lost cause. It was an enticing change of scenery nonetheless, and I thoroughly enjoyed our trek through the foggy woods. Before we hopped back on the bus, we decided to stop at a little souvenir shop where we were greeted in German. In previous encounters, the phrase, "Sprechen Sie Englisch?" had saved the day, alerting the Austrians that they were dealing with American tourists and should switch to English. No such luck this time, as the owner replied, "Nein, nein," and continued to mutter at us in German. We tried to ignore his implacable presence while we browsed around. This continued for a few minutes until Caroline asked if he was closing, to which he replied, "Yes!" Finally aware of our transgression, we got out of his hair and made our way back for the next concert.
Thick fog!
Our second concert was the Bellini opera, I Puritani. The venue, the state opera house, was enormous. We were seated in the top row and there were probably six or seven rows below us. The seats could have been more comfortable, but I'm just glad we didn't have to stand in the very back as others did. The show featured large choral and instrumental ensembles, great soloists, and even subtitles in either German or English. I used this as an opportunity to work on my German; I would read the subtitles of the people in front of me before reading my own English subtitles. All in all, it was a great experience and I can't wait for what's in store in the next cities!
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