I had just dragged myself away from Budapest, where I was tempted to stay for at least another week, and now I was in Austria with an attitude.I literally checked into the hostel with my iPod headphones in my ears and my money and documents ready in hand; clearly throwing out a “don’t talk to me” vibe...
Christmas Market in Vienna
I used to be really good at this gypsy type of life; moving from place to place, friend to friend, job to job, but lately I’ve noticed a trend. I’ll meet really interesting people in one country, dig into their lives forming a bond and when it's time to move to the next country, I get a little depressed because I have to leave them and there's a possibility that I may never see them again. When I arrive in the new country, I won’t try to meet new people because I don’t want to put my heart out there just to get it broken again. So, I isolate myself and become the lone tourist. I’ll isolate myself so much that by the time I move to the next country, I’m starved for contact and meaningful conversation. It’s a roller coaster of emotions and I have to literally shake myself out of it in order to enjoy my time during the low periods. Why am I telling you this? I’m sharing this tidbit about my travel persona so that you will have some context on my views of Vienna and understand that I probably didn't give the city a fair chance...
My assessment of Vienna: Vienna is likely the most boring, pretentious, plain vanilla on a wafer cone with no toppings city I’ve been to on my journey. Again, this may not be a fair appraisal. Friends of mine love, love, love Vienna and have commented on how much fun it is, how clean it is, and how pretty the city is. I, however, couldn't wait to leave.
Austrian Parliament
Now, I will say that Vienna is pretty and I really felt like I should be interested in all they had to offer.For example, the Vienna State Opera is world renowned and employs some of the world's best talent. I should be interested in seeing La Boheme; again. It’s important they tell me.There was also the Museums Quartier, which is home to a number of really large museums that house some of the world's greatest works. I should be interested in seeing the world's largest private art collections of Baroque art or masterpieces of the Viennese Secessionist movement. It’s important they tell me. Don’t forget their excellent classical music programs, which highlight the works of Mozart, Beethoven and Strauss I and II. Also, there's always the option of learning the Viennese Waltz, in order to attend a ball, or taking traditional riding lessons at the Spanish Riding school for Lipizzan horses! These are all must do, highly cultured, tourist activities in Vienna and they are all important they tell me.
If you are interested in packing each day with this type of fun, then Vienna would be an orgy of entertainment and a cacophony of pleasures for your refined palate. Unfortunately, I can only handle the opera about once a year and although I like music, classical does nothing for me. And another fine art museum... umm... about ten countries ago, I gave up feigning interest in things I really couldn't give a crap about. I know... I think I'm a hillbilly at heart. Whatever the case, I walked around Vienna with my tourist map, visiting key sights, taking note of the silence and at times being really impressed by the architectural features of the buildings, including; the Natural History Museum, Austrian Parliament and Hofburg Palace. Nevertheless, I left Vienna understanding why the Austrians were prominently at the center of both World Wars; boredom.
On to Slovakia, where I was now in the mood for companionship…
Bratislava is only 1 ½ hours away from Vienna, but the change in energy from one city to the next would make you think that they are worlds apart. It’s possible that they are so different because the history of Slovakia is so intertwined with the Hungarians that many of the cultural and architectural features of the city are similar to Budapest. So I immediately recognized and fell in love with the small village feeling of the city; narrow, cobbled stone walkways leading you along Gothic style buildings and opening up unto medieval squares with massive fountains, cozy boutiques, and people everywhere! People milling along the streets and talking arm in arm; people sitting in coffee shops or eating pizza outdoors; and people wondering in and out of the many Cuban, Jazz, or Blues music venues throughout the city.
The Slovakians, surprisingly, are super serious about their jazz music. If I had been there the week prior or had plans on staying a week later, I would have been there for one of their many jazz festivals. Instead, I opted for staying at a hostel called the Blues Hostel. This place has a stage in the bar area for guests to jam together and it has large pictures of blues and jazz musicians featured throughout the hostel. I couldn’t name most of the musicians pictured, but it’s a kick to see these old, black and white photos of Billie Holliday, Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, and Louie Armstrong; it reminded me of being in my dad’s music room.
Taking advantage of the free walking tour, I had the opportunity to explore Bratislava at length. We visited Hlavne namestie (main square) and Hviezdoslav square, named after a famous Slovak poet. We also perused a number of places including: St. Martin's Cathedral, Church of St. Elisabeth (nicknamed The Blue Church), Slovak National Theatre, and Michael's Gate. We also watched the changing of the guard at the President's office and the tour guide showed us the four most photographed statues in Bratislava. Quirky... The tour was nice, but most of the time, the people you meet while traveling will make or break your trip.
Since it was Thanksgiving and I was alone, I was tremendously grateful to have met a really lively group of people during a Slovakian cooking lesson. I was the only American in the group and when I mentioned that it was Thanksgiving, everyone became really excited. We prepared our meal, chatting happily, singing, and joking and all that was missing was a family fight and it would have been a perfect Thanksgiving.
Funny enough, once we sat down to eat, everyone around the table started holding hands. Unfortunately, holding hands before eating the Thanksgiving meal is all they really knew about American Thanksgiving traditions. So after sitting there for a minute, someone finally said, “ok. What are we supposed to do now?” I answered that traditionally we either pray or everyone says what they are thankful for. However, considering I was having Thanksgiving dinner with Australians, Brazilians, French men, Brits and Slovenians, a proverbial rainbow coalition of people, I was okay with starting new traditions.That's when the worm began. Suddenly we were pop locking around the table with our hands locked together like a breakdancing crew - A new tradition! Yes... definitely a hillbilly at heart. This ended in a fit of laughter and I proposed a toast, so we could finally eat. Raising my glass I said, “I’m thankful for meeting new friends in new places and starting new traditions."
Here’s to the worm! Cheers!
Micheal's Gate - It's bad luck to talk while walking through, so it's VERY quiet.
The Blue Church - The interior is blue as well!!
The cannon to the left of the window is courtesy of Napolean.
Regarding Vienna - I don't think there is any hard and fast rule about having to enjoy every destination. Sometimes, it's just like that. I'm certainly not as well-traveled, but there have been places I expected to lurve, and I was sufficiently underwhelmed.
As an aside, I love your Facebook badge picture up top. It's great, beautiful photo of you.
The Slovakians, surprisingly, are super serious about their jazz music. If I had been there the week prior or had plans on staying a week later, I would have been there for one of their many jazz festivals. Instead, I opted for staying at a hostel called the Blues Hostel. This place has a stage in the bar area for guests to jam together and it has large pictures of blues and jazz musicians featured throughout the hostel. I couldn’t name most of the musicians pictured, but it’s a kick to see these old, black and white photos of Billie Holliday, Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, and Louie Armstrong; it reminded me of being in my dad’s music room. 
Taking advantage of the free walking tour, I had the opportunity to explore Bratislava at length. We visited Hlavne namestie (main square) and Hviezdoslav square, named after a famous Slovak poet. We also perused a number of places including: St. Martin's Cathedral, Church of St. Elisabeth (nicknamed The Blue Church), Slovak National Theatre, and Michael's Gate. We also watched the changing of the guard at the President's office and the tour guide showed us the four most photographed statues in Bratislava. Quirky... The tour was nice, but most of the time, the people you meet while traveling will make or break your trip. 
If you are interested in packing each day with this type of fun, then Vienna would be an orgy of entertainment and a cacophony of pleasures for your refined palate. Unfortunately, I can only handle the opera about once a year and although I like music, classical does nothing for me. And another fine art museum... umm... about ten countries ago, I gave up feigning interest in things I really couldn't give a crap about. I know... I think I'm a hillbilly at heart. Whatever the case, I walked around Vienna with my tourist map, visiting key sights, taking note of the silence and at times being really impressed by the architectural features of the buildings, including; the Natural History Museum, Austrian Parliament and Hofburg Palace. Nevertheless, I left Vienna understanding why the Austrians were prominently at the center of both World Wars; boredom.
If you are interested in packing each day with this type of fun, then Vienna would be an orgy of entertainment and a cacophony of pleasures for your refined palate. Unfortunately, I can only handle the opera about once a year and although I like music, classical does nothing for me. And another fine art museum... umm... about ten countries ago, I gave up feigning interest in things I really couldn't give a crap about. I know... I think I'm a hillbilly at heart. Whatever the case, I walked around Vienna with my tourist map, visiting key sights, taking note of the silence and at times being really impressed by the architectural features of the buildings, including; the Natural History Museum, Austrian Parliament and Hofburg Palace. Nevertheless, I left Vienna understanding why the Austrians were prominently at the center of both World Wars; boredom.
The Slovakians, surprisingly, are super serious about their jazz music. If I had been there the week prior or had plans on staying a week later, I would have been there for one of their many jazz festivals. Instead, I opted for staying at a hostel called the Blues Hostel. This place has a stage in the bar area for guests to jam together and it has large pictures of blues and jazz musicians featured throughout the hostel. I couldn’t name most of the musicians pictured, but it’s a kick to see these old, black and white photos of Billie Holliday, Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, and Louie Armstrong; it reminded me of being in my dad’s music room. 
Regarding Vienna - I don't think there is any hard and fast rule about having to enjoy every destination. Sometimes, it's just like that. I'm certainly not as well-traveled, but there have been places I expected to lurve, and I was sufficiently underwhelmed.
ReplyDeleteAs an aside, I love your Facebook badge picture up top. It's great, beautiful photo of you.