At the Airport

 Gruss Gott,

I thought I'd make another post detailing my departure experience. I was instructed by the aparthotel folks to leave my key in the lockbox--the one I had trouble with on arrival, so I gave myself a time cushion so I could mess with it, but I finally got it done.

Then the trip to the airport was fast and smooth.

But then. I printed out my luggage tag and applied it and got in line for the automated drop off. Problem was none of the machines assigned to our flight worked. I was there nearly an hour before the technician got things back on line, and then my bag needed "handling," which meant I had to show my passport.  Sometimes, you know, machines alone won't do; you need humans.

I still had time to wander around duty free, but I didn't see anything exciting. I made my way through security and passport control to my gate.

Now I have always just gone in and found a seat. Not this time. There was a huge line stretching into infinity because Austrian Airlines was doing a document check. Some people were pulled aside by security officers who weren't satisfied with passports or visas. I do not know how these folks were chosen, but I suspect it helps to look European, which I do.

Also some people were turned away at the gate and told to come back in half an hour. I was let in, and I think it was because I'm in Premium Economy and Boarding Group 3. 

So I'm hoping boarding goes fast and easy and I'm looking forward to a pleasant flight.

Servus.

The Roman Museum of Vienna and Shopping

Gruss Gott

Here I am at the end of my voyage, and things started to go wrong--not badly but in an irritating way. 

First off wherever I am I strive to be a good and considerate guest. The important thing to remember is that I really do mean well, but there was something I misunderstood. I've been taking my trash and recycling out and leaving them where I thought I should. Today I got scolded for it. Ok. I made a mistake. I asked three times what I should do instead and just got more scolding. I looked around inside and out. Where is the correct place? I don't know! I ended up dumping my trash in a bin on the street.

I did my tourist stuff and came home--wilted--looking forward to the Tour de France stage. My streaming platform keeps telling me things have gone wrong. I don't seem to be logged into my account. I keep getting a Peacock head and error messages.  

It's Really Hot. But I did manage a museum. Vienna is a Roman Foundation like many other a European capital. It began as a legionary fortress called Vindobona, which is apparently a Roman version of the original Gaulish place name.  The museum is located in the heart of the Roman settlement now known as Hohermarkt. I got my ticket on line and got in. It is not a large museum, and the collection is undistinguished. I happen to be interested Roman settlements, but I think most visitors could skip it. The best part of the museum is below ground level where the excavations are exposed. There's a lot more apparently, but it would mean ripping up some of the Innere Stadt.

Then I betook myself to Graben and Julius Meinl. One of the pleasures of travel is bringing back treats for friends. No one I know likes souvenirs, and I refuse to buy anything Sisi branded--or Mozart or whatever. But my friends do like sweet treats, and they can be found in abundance at this lovely  gourmet shopping Mecca. The problem is I'm in Austria and I want to bring back things from Austria, and Julius Meinl is a big import place, so I had to stay alert to avoid anything Italian, or Belgian. or even British.

I am proud to say I came away with quite a nice haul.  And tomorrow I may be able to hit up duty free at the airport. And once again I was able to check in on line for a more efficient airport experience.

So my reflections on Vienna. It was lovely to be here and revisit well-beloved places. The city is both beautiful and easy to get around--very user friendly, I would say. I wish it had been cooler because I would have gotten around more. I had good food and drink, and except for the garbage scold everyone was gracious towards me. Vienna is a wonderful destination, but it is expensive. I would say it is more than worth it.

Servus

Stadtpark--the City Park of Vienna

 

Gruss Gott,

Not only is it a Tour de France rest day, but I have exhausted the supply of museums I want to see that are open Monday--and it is hot and sticky, and as I am near the end of my trip I am tired.

But I did want to go out. For one thing I needed more cash and groceries and artificial sweetener, too. And I thought that some greenery and shade would do me good, so I took the U Bahn to Stadtpark.

Most European cities have green areas--lush and beautifully cared for. Vienna is no exception. In fact there are several parks. It's just that Stadtpark is the largest in city center.  One of the thing I come to Europe for is to walk. Walking is problematic in my home area. There's nasty traffic, and the patches of green are few, far between and small.  Also men honk at me and offer me rides. 

Walking in Europe is the norm and is made easy. Not just the pedestrianized streets, which I appreciate, but the parks are so lovely to walk in. Stadtpark straddles the Danube Canal and features, fountains, a pond with ducks, and a stream plus beds of colorful flowers.  I had a very nice stroll.

I'd run out of sweetener for my tea and couldn't find any at the grocery store. No drug stores that I visited had any either. ???

On the plus side, I located the stop for the airport bus, so I accomplished something today.

I debated on whether I wanted another pastry or some sausage. The sausage won. I finally found a Wurststand that offered Frankfurters. It wasn't the same as before, and the hot dog wasn't as divine, but I got two of them and a lot of good German mustard for significantly less money.  And the sausages are very good, especially with chilled Austrian rose. 

Servus

Schonbrunn Part III: Carriage Museum and Greenhouse

 

Gruss Gott,

I walked down to Schwedenplatz--an easy stroll in hopes of finding the stop for the airport bus. I searched in vain. And google and google maps are no help either. I'll get it sorted somehow.

Then I went to the U Bahn and got my pass and hopped the train to Hietzing. I had a lovely stroll through the park land of Schonbrunn. I had two targets for the day, and I had provided myself with tickets bought on line and sent to my phone. I find this very convenient and easy, and I intend to make a practice of it when I visit other European destinations. No fumbling for cash or credit. No chance of dropping or misplacing a paper ticket.

My first stop was the Imperial Carriage Museum. Now this might not sound like fun to you, but I am fascinated with carriages of various sorts and purposes and how they are constructed, and I take every opportunity to visit such exhibits. I do not recall there being a carriage museum when I was here in 2009, but I made sure I availed myself this time.

It's quite a collection! And pretty Sisi heavy as in her younger days she liked driving her own carriages and sleds. Some vehicles are smallish and efficient, made for speedy getting around.

Some, like the state couches and the traveling couches are huge and heavy and would take a large raft of horses to pull even at a slow pace. The Imperial carriages are elaborately decorated--very beautiful and grand--and apparently quite comfortable to ride in. This was the primary form of transportation until railroads were established.  Sisi liked trains, but she also traveled with her own carriage, so she would always be provided for.

The children were not neglected. They had their own miniature versions of the grownups' equipages.

It's not just carriages. Some of Sisi's outfits are displayed as well as Imperial Livery for various office holders.  The aristocracy loved parading their wealth and status around as evidenced by their highly costly transportation. The Twentieth Century is also represented. You can view an Imperial Limousine, and one of the Hapsburg scions had a racing car and career.

Then I walked over to the Palmenhouse--the Imperial Greenhouse where the Hapsburgs collected rare and exotic plants.  It's very big and packed with greenery, but I also spotted a snail and a teeny, tiny red frog. There's also a pond with fish and a turtle.

If you like flowers and a variety of leaf shape and colors this is the place for you, but be warned it's damp, and I don't think sandals would work.

Servus

Schonbrunn Part II: Entering the Palace

 Gruss Gott

Since it was a bit cooler today, I wanted to make sure I got my walking in.  My smart phone counts my steps for me, and my goal is well over 10,000, which I have been reaching regularly.  In service of this goal, I decided to take a different approach to Schonbrunn. There's a U Bahn stop for the palace, but you still have to walk a piece, and it's not very scenic. Or you can do what I did today--go one stop further to Hirtzing, stroll to the gate and enter Schonbrunn's grounds by the back door.

It's a lovely shady walk under the trees and far less frantic than the main entrance. I encountered quite a few joggers, but the green, glimpses of gardens and quiet were lovely.  On my previous visit to Vienna and Schonbrunn while taking this walk, I was accosted by a pair of pastry loving squirrels. I kept my eye out, but this time all I saw were birds, who seem very habituated to the presence of humans.

I had obtained my ticket on line, paying royally for The Grand Tour of the palace, and no oldness discount was on offer. Tickets have a timed entry and Schonbrunn is strict about this. The entry price includes an audioguide.

Now I love period rooms, and I have to say that Maria Theresa's digs are sumptuous, but what I don't like is sharing said rooms with hundreds of other people. It was a zoo with large tour groups clumped and blocking the passages. I tolerate crowds. I do not like them,  And it was hard to see some of the things.  The photo will give you an idea.

The decoration is largely Later Baroque and Rococo with some rooms done in the style of the Early Nineteenth Century. It was all beautiful--elegant and grand. While I did enjoy a lot, I also felt disappointed that I did not get an optimal experience for the money I paid, and I was relieved to get outside again and back under the trees.

But I am not done with Schonbrunn. There's more to see, and I will be back for it.

Servus

Visiting a Very Old Friend at the Natural History Museum

Gruss Gott.

And there she is The Lady of Willendorf commonly known as Venus.  

Once again I bought my timed ticked on line and got a discount for being old. To tell the truth, I don't think museums are all that strict about timed entries, since I entered about fifteen minutes early, and no one asked me to prove my age either.

Now I was there specifically to see The Lady, but that does not mean I did not enjoy the rest of this fascinating museum. The exhibits are excellent and educational. I walked along viewing various minerals, crystals, salts, metals, many of which were colorful and beautiful. They will even show you big chucks of meteorites that have fallen to Earth. I especially appreciated the gemstone offerings featuring the raw material and then what could be done with it once polished.

Do you like fossils? I do! The museum will take you through the stages of multi cellular life all illustrated with wonderful examples. Then you can visit the evolution of plants and fish and amphibians and . . . Well, I thought you needed to see this horrid Murder Bird. Chirp.

Everyone loves dinosaurs, right? You can find plenty. I didn't photograph it, but there is a very threatening animatronic T Rex.

There's also a lot about human evolution, and then they get into the copper, bronze, and iron ages. This is a very generous interpretation of "natural history."

But I got to spend some time alone with The Lady. No one knows why she was made or what she was for. Lots of speculation, but we just don't know. No member of a hunter-gatherer society could possibly look like her.  She's fat with a pudgy belly, pendulous breasts, and big thighs. She has no face, and yet she does have an identity. We just don't know what it was. She is small--about the size of the palm of my hand, but you get a sense of monumentality. I have always found her very moving.

Servus

The Upper Belvedere

                                                 

Gruss Gott

I've been walking a lot, so I decided to treat myself to a sausage. I found a Wurststand with nice offerings and staff that spoke English, so I placed my order. This used to be a cheap snack. No more. I paid seven euro fifty for my sausage, bun, and condiments. But I must say the sausage is wonderful! It's juicy and packed with flavor. Nom nom nom.

Also attending the stand was one of my fellow Americans who attempted to pay in dollars. Oh honey. Fortunately for him the stand accepts credit cards. I told him (I might have sounded a bit condescending.), "You know you can get Euros from an ATM." He replied, "I believe you," in a tone of voice that implied this was one of the stupidest suggestions he had ever heard.  And people wonder why American tourists are widely regarded as idiots--even when the hosts are polite to their foreign visitors.

Pro Tip: Austrian sausage goes well with Austrian rose.

Now for the Tourist Action.

There was a big old thunderstorm over night. When the lightening flashes I can see it despite drawn curtains and closed eyes. Then comes the thunder and--fortunately--at last--rain. So it cooled off a bit for my second trip to Belvedere.

I obtained my timed entry ticket on line and even got a discount for being old. Armed with my ticket on my phone and having obtained more cash (Euros from the ATM only fancy!) and a transport pass, I set off.  One thing I find rather heartening. Austria operates on the honor system. No one asked for proof of my age--as if my appearance wasn't enough, and I rode the rails without having to show the ticket--which I made sure to validate.  But a society based on trust is lovely.

I climbed the hill to the Upper Belvedere. You can't tell from the photo, but the facade is phony. It's a curtain while they do restoration work.  They also had some of the of fountains working. It is, of course, possible to visit both Belvedere's in one day. I did it the first time I came to Vienna, and if it wasn't so hot, I would have done it this time, too.

I arrived early, but they let me in anyway.  Prince Eugen had excellent taste, and I approve of his house even though it's full of art rather than period rooms.  I began with the Late Medieval and Renaissance pieces, exclusively religious in nature, but some very interesting works. Here's a polychrome ceramic bas relief from an altarpiece.

Then I went upstairs where one finds a lot of Twentieth Century works--nice, but not exciting, and then the middle floor where I enjoyed the Baroque. Now the Big Draw is Klimt's "The Kiss," but I'll tell you the other works of his that are exhibited are far more compelling. Remember what a cliche Van Gogh's Starry Night became.  Samsies with The Kiss.  But Our Gustave was a much sought after society portraitist even though his sitters knew they'd be turned into some kind of mosaic.

I made my way back after a good day out.

Servus