Days 3 and 4: Vienna

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Day 3 (Monday)

Arrived at hostel about 8pm last night. Sharing a room with German called Philip and four australian girls. Hostel reminds me of an australian university - underground bar where drinking games played late into night.

Went to Grinzing, a wine growing village on the edge of Vienna. Rural idyll full of drinking taverns known as heuringer that serve their own wine. Neighbours take it in turns to open and display bushels above the door when they're serving. Discovered that bushel hunting isn't one of my talents and spent two hours trying to find a place that was open. Worth it in the end though, beautiful gardens, waitresses in traditional outfits, calm autumnal atmosphere. The fresh wine that had been made the previous day tasted much like fruit juice albeit very alcholic. Wine made earlier in the year was better

Sampled wine in 4 heuringers then got tram back to city centre. Centre of town is full of monumental buildings celebrating might of the austro-hungarian state. Mainly built in 2nd half of 19th century when empire was still mighty powerful but far from the leading european state it had been under the hapsburgs. Wonder why so much building took place at this time - seems a bit of a waste.

Wandered down into bar again, met a lad called Tony who's going overland to Australia. Great bloke, from Leeds though is Liverpool fan. Ended up getting very drunk and passing out on sofa in reception.

Day 4 (Tuesday)

Day started in a bit of daze. Couldn't remember how I'd got to reception and why I hadn't slept in my dorm. Last memory is of chatting to some girls in the bar. Not really sure what happened after that.

Did a couple of museums then met MC for opera. We went to old school Viennese cafe for tea and cake beforehand. Very Austrian - traditional, understated, respectable, similar to having tea at the Ritz. Opera was Picque Dame. Difficult to follow even with subtitles but great fun nevertheless. Opera house sublime, makes Covent Garden look like am dram. Could definitely get used to this lifestyle.

Wasn't sure what to make of Vienna. Spent less than 8 hours in Paris and in Munich but both cities left a strong impression on me. My impressions may be wrong - I saw the prettiest parts of Paris and the booziest parts of Munich - but both seemed confident, outgoing sorts of places. After spending 3 days in Vienna I still had no idea of the sort of city it was. It felt like an awkward first date with a pretty girl whom you have loads in common with but just don't get. Everything worked well, clean streets, friendly people, architecture stunning. But it lacked vibrancy. Everything Austrian felt staid - the cafes, the opera, the museums, the trams, the horse drawn carriages. You are surrounded by history but its a very conservative, 19th century history, not the debauched Graco-Roman history, baudy medieval europe or exotic far east. People seem grown up too - nobody crosses road unless they've got a green man even if road is clear, there is no grafitti and no mess. Wouldn't like to be a teenager growing up there.

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Photos

Kunthistoriques Museum
Typical of grand 19th century Viennese architecture.

Heuringer
Got drunk here