WILLKOMMEN TO VIENNA

Sunday, March 24, 2019
Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Trisha and I landed in Vienna at 10 am. We couldn’t check in to our Airbnb until 2 pm, so we had to bum around with rather large luggage in tow. After learning my lesson in dragging unnecessarily large luggage around from my South America days, I normally only travel with a carryon. This time around we had to pack not only for fun but also for work. Trisha and I are both speaking at a few large events, and have some important meetings. We both brought a few blazers and the shoes to match… Needless to say, our luggage left something to be desired when maneuvering with ease.
 
Thanks to our unwieldly rolling friends we couldn’t go too far before we made our way to our Airbnb. We were also hungry after travelling for 12 hours, so we walked until we found outdoor seating at a little Italian café (it was the first thing we could find with room for us and our baggage). It was an odd “breakfast,” but we got spaghetti carbonara and a chicken/mushroom risotto and our very first sips of European coffee. It may have been an odd choice, but man it tasted great after not having real food for a good stretch. As Trisha is discovering, traveling with a Celiac is not always easy. I couldn’t eat anything on the plane, but I was prepared for that and had snacks. Luckily Austria has a nice system of delineating what has gluten on menus, so it hasn’t been difficult to find some really delicious items. That first bite of creamy, salty, hot risotto was heaven. And I don’t think I need to go into much detail on the nectar that is European espresso.
 
After satiating our hunger, we lugged ourselves over to another patio (this time Australian - they do seem to love international cuisine here) and ordered a beer and a cider, respectively. A big shout out to Europe being 10 degrees warmer than forecasted, as it felt fantastic to have sun beaming down on us after the long Chicago winter. That being said I did not pack appropriately and am slightly irritated to have mostly long sleeves and layers when spring has clearly sprung over here. It was a great way to kill the four hours we needed to before finally checking in to our home-away-from-home.
 
Our Airbnb was on Neustiftgasse street. I still have absolutely no idea how to pronounce that. German is really hard, especially if you’ve only ever studied the love languages. I kept thinking of that great Youtube video where people name things (like butterfly, pen, etc) in their own languages and German is so abrupt and distressing. Look it up if you don’t know what I’m talking about, you won’t be disappointed. Our little flat was super clean and cozy, and our neighborhood reminded us a bit of Wicker Park or Bucktown – hip and upcoming. We showered and forced ourselves to go out for an early glass of wine in the plaza and dinner down the street at a cute Vietnamese restaurant. It was comforting and delicious and with full bellies we stumbled home and fell into bed. After being up for more than 30 hours it was incredible to finally be able to sleep.
 
And sleep we did! We were out for a solid 11 hours! Refreshed and rejuvenated, we ventured out to meet the group for our guided walking tour. This was my first time booking an experience through Airbnb and it was great! We only had 8 people in our group, from all over the world, so it was really intimate and fun. Our guide Hannes led us through the city center where we discovered one of Mozart’s apartments, the balcony where Hitler addressed Austria and informed them they were becoming part of Nazi Germany, the Hofburg Palace where the Habsburgs ruled and lots of through ways – little passages that serve as shortcuts through the maze of apartments and buildings. He also filled our ears with legends and tales about local heroes and villains. It was a delightful way to become more familiar with the city and learn about the history of Vienna.  
 
Afterwards Trisha and I meandered for quite a while trying to find a lunch spot. We finally ended at the Greek Tavern, a place of local legend that’s been standing for centuries. There’s a room that has the signatures of all the great composers, some dignitaries and many celebrities on the wall. Trisha finally got her schnitzel and I had a sumptuous thin steak with onions and fried potatoes. We slowly walked back to our flat and may have stopped for a glass of rose on the way.
 
We ate our leftover Vietnamese food before cleaning up a bit and heading out to Loos American Bar – a recommendation from a family friend. American Bar was completed in 1908 and designed by Adolf Loos. Only 290 square feet this architectural gem heralded modernism and has hosted the likes of Sigmund Freud and Jude Law. Other than the cigarette smoke that fills most restaurants and bars inside and out here in Vienna it is indeed a gem! The cocktails were out of this world and the service impeccable. Victor, our bartender, entertained us with stories and free tastes of the other cocktails he was creating throughout the evening. We ended up sitting next to a young man that was also from Chicago but currently living in London. It was a great end to our very short stay in Vienna.
 
As I type we’re on the train headed to Budapest! Excited to explore and learn all we can about Hungary’s capital city. Auf wiedersehen for now, Austria.

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