I’ve just boarded a bus at the main train station in Vienna on my way to Prague. I was only in town for the day; since I’m attending a larp at the end of the week¹ I wanted to have time to hunt up costume pieces in Prague, plus it’s often easier to travel on weekends, plus I already spent a couple days in Vienna a few years ago. So I figured I’d be fine just quickly passing through.

Boy, do I regret that decision.

The last time I was in Vienna I flew in fairly late and, jetlagged and out-of-it, just managed to check in to the hotel, wander out to an English-language movie in the hope of staying awake,² and then wander back and collapse. The next day was a tour of the Royal Apartments, an exhibition on Sisi, the Secession Museum, a visit to the Haus der Musik, and finally dinner at a Heuriger.³ And then I caught a train out.

This time I met a friend and just spent the afternoon wandering around the city, talking and looking at the architecture. Then I checked into my hotel room and went out to dinner. And it’s not like I hadn’t remembered how much I liked it the first time around, but the city was a beautiful as I remember it, the architecture just as stunning, and it felt like such a privilege to be there, to just be able to wander around after dark and have a drink, or to get up early and go to brunch.

I guess I’ll know for next time.

Next: Prague to Kopaniec
Prev: Ouagadougou (OUA) to Vienna (VIE)

Footnotes

¹ Avalon, as I’ve mentioned

² The movie, as I recall, was Edge of Tomorrow. I did not stay awake.

³ Wine producers in Austria have a right to sell their own wines, which over time has turned into these rustic, family-owned kind of places with simple Austrian food; nice, local wines; and a reputation for relaxed community atmosphere. There are lots catering to tourists, so try and find one catering to locals.