So maybe my short visit to Vienna happened at a very unfortunate time during my trip. I had just spent three amazing days in Münich, hanging out with wonderful people, and didn’t quite want to leave. And then I arrived in Vienna, it was way warmer than in Münich, the cars were everywhere and I couldn’t find zebra crossings anywhere! Seriously, how can a big culture metropolis like Vienna have such heavy traffic going through it everywhere? No, we didn’t get to a good start, Vienna and I. I’m sure I, under different circumstances, would have been able to like it. But now, ah, well. Let’s just say, in retrospect (I’m back home again, after all), Vienna turned out to be the city I liked the least of the cities of my trip.
Still, I wandered around the city for an entire Tuesday (2/7) and saw my fair share of pompous buildings.
The Votiv-kirche and Sigmund-Freud-Park in the morning sunshine. Funny/weird with the Coca Cola advertisement. I guess they’re doing some kind of restoration behind it, but still. I wonder what god would say…
The lovely little Volks-garten, a green pause for breath in between the parliament and the Royal Palace.
The Royal Palace. White, just like everything else. A nightmare in the sunshine for my camera.
I had first thought that maybe I could visit the Spanish Riding School. As a girl, there were several programs on TV about horses, and I’ve seen clips about the Spanish Riding School in Vienna with the white Slovenian horses many times. But when I arrived at the Riding School information office, I realized what an annoying hassle and how extremely expensive it would be to go see a show. I’ve already been to a horse show in Lipica, where they breed the white horses, and also, I’m not sure if I agree with the methods they are using when training the horses. The bits on some of those bridles look like a nightmare! So I decided to continue on my way.
But all buildings weren’t painted white in Vienna, after all. I love mint green.
After having wandered around almost all day, building up irritation over all the cars and the tourists and maybe a slight headache from the heat, I finally found something to be excited about. Down by the Donaukanal, by Schwedenplatz and the Schwedenbrücke, I found an oasis for street artists, a place that even seemed to be designated for that kind of expression. Eating a carton of take away noodles, I sat by the water and thought that maybe this wasn’t that bad, after all.
By the St Stephan church, the young men dressed in 18th century costumes created a human wall, impossible to get passed without first having to convince one of them that no, I did not want to go to a Mozart concert tonight. I love Mozart, especially singing his choir pieces, but going to a concert where the musicians are dressed in wigs and pastel silks just doesn’t sound like a guarantee of quality.
From the inside, St. Stephan looked kind of like any other old cathedral. Not as cool as St. Magnus in Kirkwall, that’s for sure. And far too many Japanese tourists, too.
Katja Malmborg 