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Still, even that didn't detract from Vienna's architectural and natural beauty. It really is a lovely city--though we joked that it was probably too nice for us! The Neo-classical buildings and public parks and gardens gave it an upper-class atmosphere.
How classy is Vienna? This is their Rathaus, or City Hall!
My favorite part of Vienna were the State Apartments in the Hofburg Palace, the Habsburg seat of power for hundreds of years. In the State Apartments we learned about Emperor Franz Joseph I and his larger-than-life wife Elisabeth, called Sissi. Franz Joseph, by all accounts, was a good guy, a ruler who actually cared about his people. He worked extremely hard, getting up at four in the morning and spending several hours a day hearing the grievances of ordinary people who sought an audience with him. The only slightly creepy/weird part about it was that he required them to dress in the national costume of their region when they came to visit him! He also lived quite simply, sleeping in a plain bed. His apartments were classy rather than Versailles-level opulent. His wife, on the other hand...
It's no surprise that Sissi was Ludwig's cousin (yes, that Ludwig). They came from the same messed up, dysfunctional family, and she too had a sad end. I quite admire her. She was a woman who had an arranged marriage foisted upon her as a young girl, grew to love her husband (and he adored her) but felt trapped by the stuffy Viennese court. So she went traveling, took up causes like Hungarian rights, entertained everyone by her fashion sense, and didn't care about what people thought of her when she took part in athletics or sports. She even head a gym and exercise room in her royal apartments! Despite her independent streak, though, she had some major problems with her children. She loved her daughter born in Hungary, but never got along well with her son, even though they were both anti-monarch and anti-establishment. When he killed himself, she almost went mad with grief. Her last years were spent in deep depression, and she was finally assassinated at the age of 60 by an Italian anarchist while on holiday in Geneva. Apparently it had nothing to do with her--he just wanted to kill royalty. Sad, sad story.
I want this dress though!
After that, we had a true Viennese experience: drinking coffee in a high-class coffee house, complete with chandeliers and a live pianist playing next to our table. It was the most expensive coffee I've ever had, but it was worth it. It was a double shot of expresso topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Mmm...later that day I had an Eiskaffee, which is basically iced coffee. It was delicious, and I don't even like iced coffee! But there was a downside with the coffee. You see, coffee had never affected me much. I could drink a latte or cappuccino or mocha late at night and still sleep like a baby. But that was before I experienced strong Viennese coffee. By mid-morning, I was literally shaking! By mid-afternoon, my caffeine high had past and I crashed. I was walking around Vienna trying (and failing) to keep my eyes open! It would have been humorous if it wasn't happening to me.
In addition to coffee, the other Viennese treat I tried was weinerschnitzel. The best way I can think of to describe it is that it looked like a fish fry and tasted like chicken (even though it's really made of veal or pork). It was cut impossibly thin and fried to greasy perfection. We had it with Austrian style potato salad, which is quite different than the regular American variety. I think it uses a special vinegar-based sauce rather than mayo. It was delicious. :) We ate it in this hole-in-the-wall place outside in a courtyard in some back alley, where we were attacked by mosquitoes and surrounded by chain-smoking locals. Oh, Vienna and your lack of public smoking bans...I don't understand why Europeans think Americans are so unhealthy. It's a bit rich coming from people who sit out in cafes smoking and eating pastries all day! But Vienna was beautiful enough to compensate, and we stayed in a "World Famous" hostel, Hostel Ruthensteiner. This place was the hostel equivalent of a 5-star hotel.
Unfortunately, we didn't plan ahead and bring proper attire so we didn't get to see any opera in the cheap "seats" (AKA standing room). The closest we got to famous music was walking around a park with statues dedicated to different composers (including Mozart, who found fame and fortune in Vienna). We did, however, go on a backstage tour of the famous Burgtheater, which is Austria's National Theater for plays and was created in 1741 by Habsburg Empress Maria Theresa. It's one of the most famous theaters in the German-speaking world. Sadly, parts of the theater were destroyed during World War II and by a later fire. The two grand side entrances have been preserved, however, and the artwork on the ceiling is magnificent (worth the neck strain). Finally, Diep and I decided to be totally cheesy and sat down on the plush maroon seats in one of the boxes. Someday I hope I can come back to Vienna when I'm older and better able to enjoy the city's charms...sigh...
And that's it! That was the end of our trip, and the end of my month-long sojourn as a vagabond! I'm not going to lie; it was nice coming back to Warwick and sleeping in the same bed for more than two nights in a row. I've become addicted to travel, but Warwick is my "anti-drug"! Of course that doesn't mean my wanderlust has been cured... ;)
My favorite park, the Volksgarten (People's Garden):
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