“Amazing how a room full of ticking clocks makes the mortal coil squirm.” – Old Sean
A Vienna Arrival
After spending a rushed morning in Salzburg, I caught a train heading to Austria’s capital, Vienna.
Vienna is justifiable considered one of the most beautiful cities for arts and music in Europe.
When people say “Oh, wow, Vienna is beautiful” they’re talking specifically about the museum district and surrounding shopping area. This patch of land is where Vienna broke the bank creating a glorious combination of palaces, museums, parks, fountains and stately government buildings.
One of the first things that was readily apparent when visiting Vienna was the price. As I started to walk through the area, I quickly got picky about where I was spending money.
Though everything famous in Vienna is more-or-less in walking distance, nothing is free-entry.
First Impressions Visiting Vienna
Ultimately, I decided to visit the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien first. Widely considered one of the foremost museums on the planet, the venue was utterly stocked with incredible artworks ranging over centuries. Calling the museum opulent and magnificent would have been a pale understatement.
Statues breath, patterns swirl, every surface is meticulously pattered with the height of architectural and artistic mastery. Pillars and ceilings alone could be stared at for hours. Scultpures alternate between looking lifelike enough to wave into artworks possibly too complex to be crafted by humans.
The only detraction were the crowds of people that milled around. I often lingered back, waiting for rooms to clear out before I explored.
After my time in Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien was finished, I stopped by The House of Music which contains interesting and interactive exhibits. I was quick to reaffirm how musically challenged I am.
Next, I lounged with a fizzing drink in Schmetterlinghaus, a white-framed glassy greenhouse trembling with a butterfly pavilion. The large-winged blue butterflies continuously flitted around my head, apparently fulfilling their slight ear fetish.
Over the next two hours, I wanted to find myself lunch early so I rushed my next three stops somewhat. I stopped to look at the odd, ornate Vienna Clock Museum. This museum, absolutely crammed with unique timepieces, deserved a few hours on its own. Overall, however, having that many clocks ticking around me made me painfully aware of my own mortality.
Next, I attended the Rathaus and its lovely park area. Finally, I made a point of adoring the splendor of St. Stephan’s Cathedral.
Already worn from my ambitions, I found a small, pricey café and stuffed myself silly.
Further Afield
Though I was happy with my accomplishments for the day, I decided to push on through the afternoon to explore the edges of Vienna.
I attempted to work my way up to Prater Park, a sizeable amusement complex that supposedly hosts The Republic of Kugelmugel. The Republic of Kugelmugel is a strange rounded structure which once served as a micro-spherical society-independence experiment. While the idea is compelling, I shouldn’t have bothered. The sphere is caked in a shroud of unkempt foliage, a screen of ugly wire fencing and some rusted-but-still-pertinent warning signs.
The Republic of Kugelmugel is an interesting eyesore, but still an eyesore
To restore faith in Vienna’s artistry, I took a train to Schonbrunn with low expectations.
My expectations were shattered with style, because Schonbrunn has everything. There’s an enormous hedge labyrinth, numerous lanes of well-trimmed trees, a bunch of odd ruins scattered about, access to a quaint little zoo and a few lakes to top it all off.
As usual, nothing was free so I was pretty selective when deciding what I wanted to do,. However, it was still an excellent experience.
On the Right Shoulder
I should mention that my time in Vienna wasn’t spent alone. I had been joined by a young lady named Marie from France who I’d met at a jazz bar during my first evening in town.
Marie, who turned out to be staying at my hostel, accompanied me for reading sessions on our building’s fire escape, enabled my concerning ice cream consumption and introduced me to a nearby Thai restaurant.
She walked with me for a fair portion of my day as well, choosing to head back to the hostel once I tried making my way to Prater Park.
Alas, that was pretty much all the time I had available visiting Vienna. I wanted to give it many more hours of attention, but I ended up spending the next day in mild stupor, resting lightly. I didn’t have the day off, exactly, as I was conducting interviews and stopping at Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (Austrian National Library) and the Museum of Art Fakes (a popular counterfeit culture museum). But I did move slowly, without much haste.
I haven’t had a day off since I left Rome, and Rome had been a whirlwind of its own.
Sadly, moderation doesn’t seem to be in the cards.
My next stop is Budapest, which will plant me firmly back in Eastern Europe (Vienna is a bit of an on-the-edge gateway between East and West).
Tomorrow morning, I’ll be catching a ride over the border.
So until then,
Best regards and excellent trails,
Old Sean
Written August 23rd 2018
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