Day 19: Vienna and Pride (Eric)

Day 19: June 15th, 2019. We enjoyed yesterday wandering the streets of Vienna so much that we decided that we would do the same thing today. We had a few planned stops, but for the most part, we just let our feet, eyes, and ears be our guide. 

We started with a visit to the Belvedere Museum and Gardens. We briefly walked through the gardens yesterday, but we wanted to go into the museum to see the artwork. 

One of the more famous artworks in this museum is The Kiss by Gustav Klimt, an Austrian artist. 

The rest of the collection is also impressive, and the museum is relatively small, so even if you’re not a museum fan, it’s worth a look. Vienna’s prices tend to be a little higher than normal, so you could stick to the gardens, which are free, if you’re on a budget. Surprisingly, we were allowed to take pictures of most of the artwork which doesn’t seem to be the norm in Germany and Austria. 

The last artwork I have to share is a painting of Königssee which was the alpine lake we visited a few days ago. 

After the museum, we took a break to eat breakfast at Cafe Frey which is clearly a cafe for locals, no English menu. I ordered what I thought was going to be a ham and cheese omelet and ended up getting a plate of ham and cheese with bread. But honestly, the whole experience was fun. Jenny and I both love the “lost in translation” experiences. 

Next, we rode the subway into the city center, and this is were the fun started. We had accidentally got off in the middle of the Vienna Pride Parade route. This ended up being really cool, and we thought it was going to be crazy crowded, but it actually was more inspirational and fun to see so many people celebrating diversity in their own unique and interesting ways. The music and the atmosphere was energizing. 

After leaving the Pride festivities, we wandered the city and saw amazing churches, architecture, and other interesting sights. 

We took a break at Cafe Central and had a snack and some fun iced tea. For dessert, we had apple strudel which we noticed the Austrian version is different than the German version. It may upset some locals, but we preferred the German version. 

Then, we wandered the city to enjoy a little more of this vibrant city. It’s really a great city to just wander and explore (and apparently shop).

Anyway, that’s all for now. We’re taking a break before we had off to dinner. Auf Wiedersehen!

Day 18: Vienna (Eric)

Day 18: June 14th, 2019. We left Salzburg around 11:00 am and arrived in Vienna around 1:30 pm. We’re staying across the street from the train station at a chain hotel called Motel One. Besides being the cheapest hotel we’ve stayed in on our trip, it ended up being one of the nicest. It has an excellent air conditioner, plenty of space, and nice shower. It’s also convenient because from the train station you can hop on the subway and get anywhere in town by buying a 24-72 hour pass. 

On to Vienna... this city initially seemed a little too crowded and touristy, but once we began wandering as we love to do, we saw one amazing thing after another. This is an architectural paradise and a vibrant city with something going on around every corner. That’s the main reason this city is fascinating. Jenny and I both found ourselves audibly saying “wow” as we rounded the next corner. It’s getting late here, so I’m going to wrap this up with a photo montage of our afternoon walk through Vienna that won’t fully capture the spirit of the city.