Until 2011, as much as I had professed a love for Vienna, I had not experienced it alone. Sometimes the best way to feel the soul of a place is to travel alone, with nobody to act as a buffer or distraction. By forcing oneself to interact with locals, one can get to great conversations, debates even or have a very quiet and lonely time. Locals are more apt to adopt one traveler then multiple ones. As a single traveler it is also easier to play the lonely card to insert oneself into a social interaction, particularly in bars and clubs. However, another way to do it is to actually stay in someone’s home and share their life for a couple of days. It was time for a Viennese immersion experience.
That year my cousins asked me if I would mind showing them around Italy. I told them I would be happy to, as I had never really explored the country either (only Venice, Verona, & Trieste). I was confident that my travel experience would make up for any lack of knowledge of the Italian peninsula and sure enough we had a wonderful time independently touring Rome, Vatican City, Florence, Sienna, & Venice together. After they left I continued my trek through Ferrara, Ravenna, the independent Republic of San Marino, & Bologna, where I would catch a romantic sounding overnight train to Vienna (Read my “Terror Train” blog entry about that). I relished the chance to go “home” again, but this time actually in somebody’s home.
After a horrifying train ride, Vienna saved my life. I had a nice civilized breakfast with an eccentric fellow who shared the previous night’s harrowing experience with me. When we went our separate ways I contacted my host who gave me directions to his flat. He was quite friendly, but his English, while excellent, felt very cold. I think there is a misunderstanding by English speakers, particularly Americans, that Austrians are not friendly based on how they talk to us. I could tell when he was talking German that he was more comfortable and had a different demeanor. In any case he was very generous with his time and space. We discussed a lot about misconceptions and social quirks that our cultures share. I got to see a real home (very orderly, so that stereotype was spot on, but also incredibly modern with clean lines, not Habsburgian Baroque for sure!) He made me delicious espresso every morning and not Nescafe, Thank God! One evening he took me to this cheap restaurant, in the basement of some old office building with decidedly no traditional Austrian atmosphere, but the food was delicious. Despite its hidden nature, the place was packed. He told me if it wasn’t good Viennese wouldn’t support it. Of course, isn’t that how it should always be? I love when locals show me hidden gems that I wouldn’t otherwise find. Anyway, most of the time I pretty much did my own thing, exploring the city without trying to impress anyone and be on anyone else’s schedule. This was all about me and my relationship with the soul of Vienna.
While traveling alone and interacting with locals, and even when pondering the city alone with my thoughts, something about Vienna occurred to me, something in plain sight, but I guess gets lost when exploring this Baroque masterpiece. Despite the grandeur of an Imperial capital, the balls, Mozart, centuries old coffee houses, Vienna is quite a modern city with a contemporary vitality. It’s public transportation system (an obsession of mine) is clean, modern, & efficient. Its progressive urban planning policies are the envy of the world. Its economy is among the strongest in Europe. Since the fall of the Iron Curtain the city has become the gateway to Eastern Europe. In fact it is quite multi-cultural. There are definite issues facing the city such as elements of right-wing extremism and occasional revisions of 20th Century history. Not to downplay those tendencies, but for the most part, the Viennese have learned to appreciate the traditions of the past without living in a museum, albeit a beautiful one. I think this is what has enamored me about this city. It is lovely, historic AND relevant.
Always looking for an opportunity to visit again (despite the fact it rains a lot while I’m there it seems) I made Vienna our departing city when I went with my sister to Venice, Croatia & Slovenia. My parents may not have fell in love with the city as I had hoped, but maybe my sister would. We might be nine years apart but we always have a fun time together. We found magic everywhere we went. My sister is good at that, and when I travel so am I. I should never have doubted how Vienna would stack up. Our hotel was annoying. It was a well known chain, but it had the only room I could find that was affordable and available during the high season, unless we wanted to share a bed (no thank you!). The room was hot and the staff not helpful at all, absolutely no local charm.
Thankfully the hotel was the low point. I took my sister to magnificent Schonbrunn Palace, always a must see for new visitors. It was a very sunny day and we loved exploring the grounds together. We even ran and sang “Edelweiss” through the gardens. (I know, wrong city, but the mood overtook us). I then told her I was leaving her alone to find HER Vienna. I have become a big advocate of abandoning my travel partners for awhile so they can experience the “alone in Europe” feeling. There is nothing like the freedom of finding your own story that you can then share when we reconnect, and later relive with loved ones. Travel is all about sharing stories. That’s what this blog is about. One night I took her to the same Heuriger where my parents and I had an enchanting evening years before. Vienna was casting her spell on my sister too, although not as consummately as she has on me. The last night of our trip was almost miraculous. During a lovely after dinner stroll, probably looking for schnapps, we passed by a jewelry store. My sister pointed out a ring that she loved, describing it as the perfect engagement ring. She thought her boyfriend might propose before too long and she liked to look. It was a lovely ring. Very unique. During our international two week journey together I had kept a secret from her. He wanted to propose upon her arrival. He told me he got the ring before we left on our journey, but I had not seen it. I have to admit it was fun keeping the secret. When we arrived home he picked us up and we went to a beach party, where he did in fact propose. After admonishing me for being a vault and not even spilling a clue about her impending engagement, my sister made sure to point out her ring to me. She was stunned. She was confused. So was I. It was the unique ring we saw in Vienna the night before! But how? He bought it weeks ago. He must have sensed her soul, and so did Vienna.
I cannot wait to return again. I thought about trying to live in Vienna for a little while but getting a job would be very tough, if not impossible. During my travel pause people often ask me where my next destination is. What new place will I visit? I don’t know, but I will try to include Vienna in my plans. It has been too long. Maybe absence makes the heart grow fonder, but we need to reconnect soon. I hope this is To Be Continued…