Austria trip day 1: Vienna and first impressions

Servus!

Finally! To be able to travel again! And not in fear of closing borders, but in anticipation of relaxing afternoons and marvellous sights! Two hours on a plane with a mask is a small price to pay.

There were stresses and uncertainties leading up to the arrival–what if they don’t accept my vaccine card as valid proof?–but these were immediately dispersed as the immigration officer at Vienna waved me on without a moment’s hesitation. Curt, direct but friendly. This would form the basis of my opinion on the Austrian temperament, an opinion which would be solidified throughout the day as I came across more and more Austrians.

From above

From beyond the clouds, Vienna doesn’t look particularly special. The landscape is a massive quilt of colour-coded fields (different shades of green), while closer to the city industrial factories jut out upon scrutiny. The Danube river snaking through the land seemed peaceful enough, but nothing about it made me want to jump up and waltz.

On the ground

However, as we emerged from the airport and approached the city centre, the city’s romanticism began to reveal itself to me. The pretty white buildings running beside the river, the cobbled passages and trams cruising through them (I don’t know why, but trams give me small-town vibes, which is always very romantic), the cyclists meandering along the wide cycle routes separate from the main road…oh, did I mention the wide cycle routes SEPARATE from the main road? Yes, that’s right; not stick-thin lanes where bicycles are forced to run alongside buses, but ACTUAL ROADS for cyclists. Did I say structured urban planning is also very sexy? Cycle routes alone are enough to make me love this city.

The sun was gracious enough to lend us its bright rays as we explored the streets of Vienna today. We passed by grand buildings such as the Wiener Staatsoper and the Albertina Museum which retained their imperial glamour. These buildings, while imposing in their grandeur, struck me as living in harmony with their surroundings. This greatly contrasts the London situation, where St Paul’s Cathedral sticks out like a sore thumb amidst glass buildings and giant walkie-talkies. Rather than having to walk around going from one landmark to another, we felt at ease to wander the city, appreciating it as a whole, stumbling across one landmark after another. Reminds me of one of my favourite films, Before Sunrise, where the two protagonists felt free enough to walk around the whole city with no particular goal in mind, talking about love. One can hardly walk down a street in central London without being harassed, be it by a drunken person, a junkie, a street vendor or an incredibly irritated Deliveroo guy. Wandering down the straßes of Vienna, one feels part of this romantic European life. No vendor trying to single you out as a tourist, floating around foreign phrases, appreciating the city not as an artifact but as a picture you are also part of…I felt worlds away from London!

In between the sights

Another thing I was looking forward to in Vienna was chilling at the coffee houses. Having a coffee, perhaps a cake (or three), watching life go by…classic European afternoons as seen by Woody Allen. The perfect venue would be at an open-air café, but unfortunately I must have missed the memo about the amount of smokers, because we were surrounded from all sides by smoke as we tried to taste our coffees. The café was in quite a touristy area, so didn’t make the best food. Either way though, I don’t think I’m a big fan of this Viennese kaffee melange (I must be spelling this wrong), which is espresso topped by hot water and then frothy milk. Too much liquid before I get to the substance!

I didn’t have the best first apfelstrudel in Austria, but I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt. Looking forward to better apfelstrudels in the coming days, ones to beat the one in Inglorious basterds.

However, we went to another coffee house after visiting St Stephen’s church, called Kaffee Alt Wien, and that place, plastered with posters and indecent art, giving off Montmartre vibes, was really nice. The staff were very friendly, I loved the Gösser beer I had there, and I tried the Verlängerter coffee (espresso with some hot water, not quite Americano though), which I preferred to Melange. Going to try out more beers and coffees while I’m here and decide what I like. After all, they are what Austria is famous for!

Went to a very rustic (consciously so) restaurant called Pürstner tonight in my hunt for the famous Wiener Schnitzel. The place was very nice, the service great, and I’m sure the schnitzel was very nicely cooked, but unfortunately I was still disappointed by this national dish. Was hoping its poor appearance (literally a fried slab of meat draped over potatoes accompanied by a single leaf of salad vegetable) would be compensated for by its great taste, but alas, there really isn’t much variety of flavour to excite me. Neither did I feel the Ottakringer beer I had was as good as the Gösser beer in the afternoon.

So, my first impressions of Viennese food? Lots of meat, but not particularly exciting. The pastry is more appetizing, so I look forward to trying better pastries and cakes.

The Austrian temperament

I was really looking forward to writing about the Austrian temperament, and how different Vienna feels as a city to London, but it’s getting late so I might save this for tomorrow. Ciao!