Vienna Oh Vienna

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We left the comfort of Prague, the cheep beers, affordable meals, and warm private apartment for a bit of uncertainty in Austria. The immigration of thousands of people from Syria is only getting thicker as they are flocking to Germany, but getting held up in certain places like Austria. We were warned by many to stay clear of these areas and be cautious. But we knew that we had to get to Vienna-even if it turned out to be as crazy as people had stated-we had to see it for ourselves so that we could finally try to understand the situation that our media has only scared us away from. Our uncertain feelings about heading to Vienna were not brought on by the refugees. They are people like you and me: pleasant despite their hardship, educated, family-oriented, citizens of this world who just need some help to get their lives back again. Our worries were brought on by transportation. We had heard stories of canceled trains leaving people stranded, other issues like limited train travel to certain destinations with services occurring less frequently, overcrowding, and mainly that Vienna's main station was basically converted into a refuge camp. Weighing all of our options we soon agreed our only option and mission was to get to Vienna. 

We played out ignorant fear-induced scenarios in our heads as we headed to the station in Prague to hop on that train to Vienna. We felt better once we saw our train still on the board, departing on time at 10:30am just like it was suppose to. In retrospect our question as to if the train might be canceled was foolish because we were headed south, the opposite direction of the migrating masses, and we would soon find out if trains were leaving Vienna as frequently as we would like. But until we were on the ground, so to speak, there was nothing we could do. So speculations would only make things worse for our immediate situation, which was no situation at all. We comfortably boarded a sleek and clean rail jet train, our favorite train thus far, and headed out to Vienna. 

The passing Czech countryside was quite beautiful mostly sprawling green pastures, rolling hills and patches of forest. The fall color at this point is in peak conditions with trees radiating color illuminated by the sun who occasionally peaks through the grey clouds- stunning. Em caught up on her journaling and I think I stared off into space listening to music for most of the journey, captivated by the landscapes I was more than satisfied. For lunch we had a sandwich that Lady Luck provided for us. In Prague we had about 62 Czech crowns left, and every sandwich was just out of reach by about 3-5 Czech crowns- bummer. Just when we thought we would be going without lunch for the day I found a coin worth 5 crowns on the floor! It was just what we needed!! So we ate that miracle sandwich with smiles on our faces despite its lack of content. Maybe 2 pieces of ham, an equal amount of cheese with one small leaf of something green on a baguette- perfect! As the Czech Republic faded and Austria crept closer our nerves/excitement started to grow. Expecting a mad house we pulled into Vienna's main station. We were shocked by what we saw. 

"Well this is nothing like we were lead to believe," we thought to ourselves. Where were all the refugees? They were supposed to be camped out everywhere, the station is suppose to be mobbed. It was quite the opposite actually. It was eerily quiet. And for such a massive station the lack of people was alarming. Curious with questions we walked through the station and onto the streets. Following my phone's GPS to our AirBnB we rounded the corner of the train station, and that's when we saw it: huddled groups of people, tents, aid stations, fences, family's with little kids with no where to go. We walked right through it being respectful and curious as we looked around trying to take it in. At that moment we truly with our hearts felt for these people, and realized the severity of the situation. They all still seem to keep a cheerful demeanor despite all they have been through and all they have yet to go through, and it appears they are getting good treatment here: food, doctors, water, and some shelter. 

We continued our walk to our new AirBnB which was located in district three (Vienna is divided into districts). It turned out to be a pretty lengthy walk from the station, but we don't mind that because it helps us get our bearings. When we hop off the trains we are generally disoriented until we hit the streets. We met our wonderfully cheerful host, Elisabeth, a gal a little older then us who spoke very good English. We were very excited to be able to communicate so well. It helped to form a great relationship right off the bat. She gave us the grand tour of our new flat for the next three nights, and then she went above and beyond and took us around the neighborhood to show us some good local places and help us gain even more awareness of our exact location in the world. She bid us farewell, but not before we made plans for an outing on Friday night! 

Em and I decided that we would use the night to investigate the neighborhood further and check out some of the suggested watering holes. The first stop was a smokey basement pub with old wooden furniture and good beer full of what appeared to be hard-working Austrians finishing off their day with some beers and smokes. The vibe was good but we weren't there to stay so we soaked up the atmosphere as well as plenty of second-hand smoke and enjoyed a round. Next stop was Mollipop. Elisabeth had recommended this place for two reasons: first being that the vibe was cool and the owner had an exstensive collection of LPs that she would often play th B side of, and the second being that the owner was quite a riot. Elisabeth described her as, "the Zombie Lady of the Third District". After meeting her I would assume that if she knew of that nickname she would embrace it full heartedly. She was an older woman dressed in all black. She had long grey hair down to her waist and she stood behind her bar with a sobering demeanor, sporting a face that would never crack a smile but might shatter glass if she stared long enough. She was smoking her cigarettes with conviction while peering deeply into her patrons souls. All of that description should not be taken negatively because it made her an extremely interesting individual who I found to be really cool and sure of who she was. The music we entered to was quite different then we were expecting, but fit the mood so much it was scary. No, I mean it, it was scary. It sounded like horror movie-esque electronic screeches accompanied by trancey beats thrown together in an off-beat tempo being played way to loud. It was perfect for our first impressions of the Zombie Lady of the Third District. Despite the music we stayed for a drink, and after a couple bouts of bleeding ears the music changed and became rather good; we determined that we would definitely go back. After that culture shock I believe we turned in after finding somewhere cheap to grab a bite.

The next day the morning greeted us and we planned to set out and see Vienna's sites and learn Vienna's history. First we had a little breakfast at the flat. Elisabeth had bought us a loaf of bread to welcome us, so we ate a piece of that with some apricot jam, tea, espresso and some lovely singing and guitar plucking by Em. During breakfast we plotted our attack plan and by 10:30am we were out the door. The first stop on our itinerary was the famed St. Stephen's Cathedral.

This is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna. We wandered our way there passing beautiful architecture, clean streets and famed Viennese coffee shops. The cathedral was breathtaking, another testament to the sheer talent of the old builders. We walked all around the exterior taking in the majesty of its towering spires and the intricate architectural detail. We then made our way inside to be even more blown away. It's beauty inspired us so much that we decide to come back and partake in the 12 o'clock mass! Between studying the detail of the cathedral and attending mass a little bit later, we ventured off down a couple of back alley streets to find one of Mozart's apartments. We spent some time there soaking it all in before returning to the cathedral. So much history in one city block!

It was very interesting for Em and me to sit through mass in a completely different language in a place that has seen so much history. Even though we don't normally go to church at home, we were both very happy we attended this mass because it was a beautiful experience. We continued the trend of sight-seeing and history-learning for awhile and found ourselves in the museum district called "Museum Quartier". 

I was excited to check out the Leopold museum. Rudolf Leopold was an eye doctor turned art collector. The museum houses the largest collection of work by Egon Schiele. If you aren't familiar with Schiele he was an amazing painter and the most significant graphic artist of Austrian Expressionism. There is also work by Gustav Klimt who was a huge inspiration and mentor to Schiele and also the most extraordinary artistic personality of the secession. Inspired and enlightened we left the museum in search of some grub. Over by the Gold Leaf Dome and the Opera we stumbled across Naschmarkt, an open air food paradise that spanned about 3 blocks. It was full of vendors selling meats, nuts, cheese, herbs ,wine, fish, produce, bread, anything you wanted. Also amongst the vendors were restaurants and places to have a drink. Having split one piece of bread for breakfast earlier that morning, it was really overwhelming to decide what to eat, but absolutely perfect as we found cheap food to gorge on. 

Full and satisfied with the feeling that were being so Anthony Bourdain we headed out. We got a bit lost but only to find ourselves in a beautiful park close to our flat. Vienna is known for its parks and green space and this park was a testimony to that reputation. We found a park bench to sit on and relax for a bit. The sun was going down and the lighting made for the most perfect fall evening. Two other lovers felt the same way, as they made out for literally 45 minutes. The night was spent doing a bit of bar hopping, finding dinner then going back to the flat to enjoy some wine we had bought- Viennese wine is exceptional. 

The next day we had plans to take the U-bahn (subway) to Schonbrunn Palace. We dedicated the whole day to it and we are so glad we did. The palace itself is massive and gorgeous. This baroque estate is impressive with its 1,441 rooms to say the least, and the exterior is stunning in its neoclassical style. The palace and its gardens have more than 300 years of history behind it and it is one of Austria's most important architectural and cultural monuments. What's even more impressive than the palace, if that's possible, are its gardens. Em and I literally spent a whole day getting lost in the vast expanse. With minimal amounts of tourists we were transported back in time. It was the most perfect fall day so we wandered its mazes, rose gardens, forests, bird cages, Roman ruins, and so much more that is impossible to explain. Our favorite part was the Palm House- a mansion of a green house that was home to a whole jungle and rain forest basically. It was impressive. Europe's oldest zoo is also on the grounds, and as we wandered up the paths to the Gloriette at the top of the hill we were able to see lions, buffalo, bison, deer, and a rhino! 

We had plans with Elisabeth that night so we found a little, gorgeous restaurant in a hidden garden and had a beer and a wine soaking in the setting sun and beautiful scenery before heading back home to get ready and primp ourselves. It was like a first date for Em and me, anxious to finally go out with a local of a foreign country. We took the U-bahn to meet her close to the 7th district where she lived. Guiding us to a cheap and delicious sushi restaurant she acted as a tour guide giving us the scoop on everything around us along the way pointing out the smallest house in Vienna, old theaters, and theatrical monuments. We stuffed our faces with half-priced sushi and Austrian beer (wine for Em) while carrying on light conversation between mouthfulls getting to know each other. Our next stop was a rooftop bar that unless you appeared to be hip you weren't getting in. We got in! With egos soaring high we enjoyed a drink and a whole lot of laughs on the balcony. We also got an illuminated aerial tour of the city from up there. Elisabeth shared so much of her knowledge with us, it really made the experience perfect. We all decided to move on to another bar. Elizabeth kindly asked where we would like to go but we responded by telling her that that was the wrong question to ask, and for her to continue taking the reigns. She had just the spot, one of her favorits. She described it as "a constant" because it's always been the way it is and it always will be. Nothing has changed for years. It was absolutely perfect.

We walked down into a tightly packed space with two rooms. There was a small bar in the corner and a jukebox in the other room. The posters on the smoke stained walls were from the 1980s and the jukebox played the same 30 songs it's always had- Johnny Cash, Jimmy Hendrix, REO Speedwagon to name a few. The room with the jukebox was notorious for having coaster wars- kids flinging their coasters across the room at one another. We couldn't have asked for a cooler local scene.

We found ourselves a table stuffed between happy customers and ordered, "3 Cokes". "It's like cocaine but it's a drink!" Elisabeth exclaimed. It was delicious. Coke is a shot of bakers rum served with a sugar cube and some coffee beans While you chew the sugar and coffee beans together you take sips on the rum. The flavors are like a symphony all paired together perfectly. We stayed for a few drinks and talked politics and refugees, shared travel plans, and stories from our past, all bonding so well. Em and I were so pleased to have found such a great new friend. We hugged goodbye and headed home (to her home) but not before getting sausage from a roadside stand as recommended. 

Vienna was kind to us as were the people we met. Its beauty inspired us and we made new memories and new friends. What more could you ask for? In the morning we said farewell and made our way to Innsbruck, anxious to get in the mountains.