After arriving at Wien Meidling, and figuring out how to use the U-Bahn, I got my my hostel- Wombats at the Naschmarkt. While I was waiting in line, a girl who I saw at the train station also came in, so we started talking and she became my friend.
Isabella and I decided that we would go to the opera together, so after settling in we checked out the website (this ended up being wrong) and we walked to the Wien Staatsoper to get tickets for standing room. But when we got there we were told that we wait in line, and then get our tickets, and then we can't leave and must wait until the show started at 8pm... This was at 5:20! We were also inappropriately dressed for the opera (as we planned on going back to the hostel to get changed) so we decided that we would go the next day instead. So we went back home, via the supermarket for some snacks, and then I went back later to buy some dinner.
Upon check in I got a free drink voucher for the Wombar at the hotel, so I ventured down there, alone, figuring that it's more acceptable to drink on your own in a bar than be a loner in my dorm room. It turned out to be such a good idea. I was quietly siting at the bar, sipping my wein and then a girl came up to the bar to order her drink, and we started talking. This is how easy it has been for me to make friends. So I ordered another wein and joined Maddie and Emily, and the rest of their busabout crew. A few Bosnian boys came to make friends with us/Emily, and we were all just chatting, getting along, and drinking our drinks. I still didn't have a too late night, but that afternoon was fairly relaxed.
The next morning I got up early for a day of seeing Vienna. I was meeting up with Isabella, Maddie and Emily at 5 to go to the opera together, so I had to fit in as much as I could in the morning (I also wanted/needed to do my washing that afternoon). I started the morning by walking to the train station to reserve my seat from Wien to Zürich for the 10th. After realizing that I wasn't at the station that I wanted to go to, I realized I was at the station that I was suppose to go to. Phew!
I should have coughed up the €1.80 and bought a train ticket, but I walked, instead, to the Schloss Schönbrunn, the summer residence of the Habsburg. The palace was large and beautiful with immaculately kept gardens and lawns. I got there just in time to join the 11am guided tour, and it was worth spending the extra couple of euros. The tour guide was great, he was knowledgeable, witty and engaging. So far, out of 4 palaces, this is running top spot with the Palazzo Ducale in Venice as my favorite. It's decorated in a fee different style because of the changes it underwent when someone new took over, but it is primarily in the 'Rococo' style, and full of gold, and it's pretty. Some of the palace is undergoing restoration, which I think is a great thing, and we were told that one of the rooms that is already restored cost about €500,000! After an hour in the palace, I took a walk in the gardens up to the Neptunebrunnen and then further up to the what use to be the middle of the palace grounds; it now marks the end of the grounds. I trekked back to the hostel, figuring that I should get back, have lunch, do my washing and get ready for the opera.
Schloss Schönbrunn
Infront of the Neptunebrunnen
The view of the Schloss Schönbrunn through Neptunebrunnen
In the grounds of the Schloss Schönbrunn
The outside of the opera house is beautiful, the onside is stunning. Once we finally bought our €4 tickets (costing about 1hour of our time) we got in and forced our cameras in to some poor boys hands so that we could have a photo at the opera! We had to do some more waiting but when we finally got in, and picked our spot, we were able to see the beautiful theatre. The opera we saw was 'Eugene Onegin'. I really enjoyed it. It was tough standing, but for €4 I should really complain. After 3 hours of opera we descended on our watering hole, the Wombar, but we were pretty exhausted after standing for so long, so we only lasted about 1/2 and hour.
Mysef, Maddie, Isabella, and Emily at the Wien Staatsoper
Inside the Staatsoper
Stephansdom
The beautiful stined glass windows, with light streaming through, in the Stephansdom
The spire of Stephansdom
It was forecast to rain, and took my rain coat, but so far it was only a little bit. I walked around the Ring Road a bit, and then back to Stephenplatz, and finally across to the the Hofburg Palace. Here I decide not to wait 2 hours for a guided tour, so I did an audio guided tour instead. (The audio guide was as monotonous as some of my uni lectures; I definitely rate the guided tour higher). The first room was full of silverware, fine china, table decorations baking dishes... So much! A little too much. A lot of it was pretty, and I wouldn't mind eating off something that expensive, but there were about 27 audio tracks to listen to all about tableware! Next up was the Sissi Museum, about Empress Elisabeth. It was more interesting than a silverware collection. I liked most seeing her crown jewels and pretty gowns (all replicas) and hearing about her beauty regime and here crazy weight obsession (things were the same in the C19th). The exhibition emphasized how much she disliked being an empress and losing her freedom. After learning about Sissi, I moved in to the final rooms of the Imperial Plalace that displayed many similar things to the Schloss Schönbrunn, so I skipped through it a bit. I shouldn't have though, because I got stuck waiting at the exit point by the downpour of rain that was expected. After if calmed, probably 1/2 and hour, I braved the weather for the U-Bahn. Some of the roads had also flooded, so my feet go a little damp. I safely made it back to the hostel though, and journeyed to the Naschmarkt to forage for dinner. I had a hearty dinner of lamb chops, and a pikkolo of Henkel to make me feel better about the rain.
The flood in Wien
Later than night in the Wombar, we congregated for last drinks with the busabout crew. After sex on the beach, a tray of jäger shots appeared on the table, also with another tray of Captain Morgan and coke, and then some Rum and coke, and possibly another Cpt. Morgan... Suddenly it was 3:15am. The next day Vienna saw me suffer possibly the worst hangover in my life. But it was a great night, with great new friends.
Because it rained the daybefore, I missed out on seeing other things that were around the Hofburg Palace, so I went back, and saw Parlament, and the statue of Franz Josef after defeating Napoleon, I also found a beautiful garden, filled with roses of every variety, fountains filled with Lilly pads and sleeping ducklings, and statues. It was so pretty, I wished it wasn't cold and wet so that I could enjoy it more. I kept walking around the Ring Road, and found more beautiful buildings, halls, churches... I was also getting hungry (couldn't stomach breakfast that morning) so I took the U-Bahn home, via the Naschmarkt for food. I really want to have a Wiener Schnitzel, though, I wasn't leaving Wien without having one. So I made my way to the schnitzel place recommended by the Wombats. I thought I would be able to handle it, but when you order a schnitzel and get 2 schnitzels that fill up a huge plate, you know you are in trouble if you are me! I manage one. But I also really wanted some apfelstruddl (the stopped serving food in the Wombar when I wanted it the night before) so I stopped in there before I went to pack my bag. The apfelstruddl got demolished! Yumm!
The beautiful garden that I found
So many different Roses, and they all smelled devine!
The wiener schnitzel!
This morning I got up earlier than usual to get to the station and board my 8 hour train to Zürich. So far I have passed through Linz, Salzburg, and Insbruck, and now I'm in the hills with fog hovering above their tops, and the most beautiful (but cold looking) river rushing along the train line. It's very scenic, and it's not even a 'scenic' route! I'm a little concerned about what the weather will be like when I arrive in Luzern, I'm wearing shorts! But I am really looking forward to getting to Switzerland and eating all the Lindt that I can get my hands on!
Oh, and I can see the snowwww!
Love between Wien and Zürich, on the train, Emma xx
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