After two fantastic days of organized tours, I did not prepare myself well enough for my self-guided tour of Vienna. At this point, I had not factored in a real break of any kind and I think my brain had reached a bit of overload. Thus, I did not eagerly anticipate my walking tour. I packed up my things and trekked first to the main train station to store my bag and then out into Vienna for the tour I had crafted ahead of time.
Going into this trip, a few cities topped my list. As someone steeped in classical music growing up, I could not escape Vienna. In history as well, Vienna makes frequent appearances due to its status as the home of some of classical music greats as well as its role as Imperial capital for the Hapsburgs. hence, the city holds nearly innumerable sites of historical importance. I saw few of them.
When I planned this trip, I ended up making a goal of seeing as many countries as possible within the month necessitating surface treatment for more than a few of the locations. Alos, due to teh timing of when I needed to finalize travel detailsfor transportation and lodging, I did not have the time to dedicate to planning nor did my, at that time, current work situation allow for me to get in the proper headspace to plan adequately. I did not realize how much that would affect my travels until I arrived at days like this one. I could have planned my walking tour better which would have affected my overall experience.
I started my tour by the State Opera House. Thanks to the meet up locations for the previous two days, I knew exactly where to go and how to orient myself. After starting my walking tour, I came to St. Stephen’s Church, a magnificent cathedral with a grand plaza in front.
I watched as a trio of cellists set up in front smiling at the thought of just how many classical music buskers I had seen. I also observed the displays inside the church presenting pictures of the destruction wrought on the church in various bombardments during World War II. As I gazed on the utter devastation and then at the building around me. I pondered the ramifications of war and how history can vanish to soothe men’s egos.
In the decades since the war, many have come together to restore the grandeur of the building, including the south tower now open for people willing to pay five euros to climb to the top for a panoramic vista of Vienna. Along with bridges, I love climbing up high and looking down at the city or canyon or whatever lies below. I found my way to the exterior entrance to the tower only to discover that they accepted only cash, of which I did not have enough.
This worked out well because I needed to find a bathroom before I headed up a spiral staircase of more than 200 stairs with no other outlet. I left in search of a cash point and then a bathroom. After withdrawing ten euros, I headed to the closest metro stop knowing it likely head a bathroom that I would have to pay for but a bathroom nonetheless. Unfortunately, that bathroom was closed for renovation. I headed back out, desperate by this point and rushed to the next nearest stop, obviously not close. When I found the restroom, I looked around the entrance for a sign indicating a required payment. Seeing none, I dashed in and attempted to close the door but it would not latch. I stepped out to locate the problem and encountered an irate attendant pointing to a sign taped halfway down the interior wall which I completely missed in my haste. I have no idea what she said to me; I simply begged to use the restroom and pay after. She did not understand. In desperation, I scrounged for the Euro note I had just withdrawn. She snatched it from my hand and just stood there making no motion to give me any change. I needed that money, obviously, so I asked if she had change. She put her hand into a pocket and pulled it out to demonstrate her possession of change but put the change back in her pocket. I asked for my change. She glared at me before huffing off to her desk in the back leaving me standing bewildered and still needed to use the restroom. When she returned, she doled out my change in 50 cent pieces one at a time into my hand with a smug grin on her face. Okay fine. Just let me use the restroom.
As i headed back to St. Stephens, I could not shake the interaction. It hung over me like a dark cloud which I knew shortly after that day colored my experience in the rest of my tour. The only inhospitable interaction I experienced on this trip made me feel sad. I hated the fact that I could not communicate with the woman and that my bumbling attempts offended her, causing her to believe that I had tried to get something for nothing. I shook off the interaction as best I could and walked back to the South tower, using my 50 cent pieces to pay for the climb to the top.
The climb did not disappoint, its tight, twisting stone staircase giving off medieval vibes. You could feels the history soaking into your bones as you climbed, avoiding other visitors heading back down. (If you have even the slightest hint of claustrophobia or balance issues, send your camera up with a steadier traveler or avoid altogether.) The magnificent views did not disappoint. If you get up high enough, they never do.
After slowly descending, I made my way over to the Imperial Complex, the former Hapsburg Palace grounds, a complex so large that I had time to visit only one of the museums and two other sites. When I stood in front of one of the many different site maps, I had to decide between the Albertina Art Museum or the Imperial Apartments and Queen Sisi Museum. Both money and time forced my hand. I chose the Imperial Apartments, making do with views of the exterior of one of the greatest art museums in the world as I navigated towards my destination.
Along the way, I stepped into St. Augustine’s Church, a small parish church for the Imperial Court of the Hapsburgs. Of course, I took a plethora of photos, especially of a magnificent sculpture on the right side of the chapel. A chill ran down my spine when I realized that this sculpture marked the burial place of Maria Cristina, the favorite daughter of the Empress Maria Teresa, the one daughter whom she allowed to choose her own husband, Albert, and marry for love. I enjoy the unexpected historical encounters more than almost anything else.
The ticket to the Imperial Apartments and Queen Sisi Museum cost more than I expected but the ability it granted to walk where Hapsburgs once trod and to learn more about the adored Queen Sisi, someone I knew little about, made the entrance cost worth it.
I skipped the first portion of the museum, moving quickly through room after room dedicated to royal silver including cutlery, dishes, and glassware. Although beautiful and ornate, these displays held no allure for me.
Once I stepped into the apartments, I knew I made the right choice. (Unfortunately, we could not take pictures in this portion.) This museum displayed the apartments as they existed during the reign of Emperor Franz Joseph I and his reluctant queen, Elizabeth, better known as Sisi, her childhood nickname. I loved walking through the places where royalty once lived and learning more about the beloved queen.
Sisi, the younger daughter, married the heir to the Austrian throne out of duty, not love, although her husband clearly adored her and gave her everything she could ever want. Even amongst all this Sisi battled immense physical and mental struggles, intensely overwhelmed by imperial duties yet longing for the adoration of all, longing so deeply she relentlessly pursued the upkeep of physical beauty. She became adored by the Hungarian people when she took the time to learn their language, so different than German and something no other Hapsburg monarch bothered to do.
I exited the museum and found the last site I could fit in, a beautiful garden and fountain complete with statue dedicated to Queen Sisi. I took several pictures before power-walking past the backside of the palace, heading back to the train station in time to catch my train to Prague.
As I waited in the train station, I attempted to connect to wifi to screenshot directions to my next flat. Supposedly the station offered free wifi but I could not connect since it required entering a code sent via SMS which I did not have the capability of retrieving. I delved down the rabbit hold of adding travelpass to my Verizon account which came in handy later in the trip but not on this particular day.
I retrieved food for supper and boarded the train expecting similar compartments to all the trains I had ridden thus far. I encountered something quite different, something that felt cheaper and much less upgraded. I had to enter on already nearly completely full compartment designed to hold six people, not comfortably. My seat lay in the far corner, my lest favorite position. On top of that, I doubt that the compartment had air conditioning which meant lowering the window to make it more tolerable even despite the significant wind that persisted in batting the curtain against my head.
Obviously, these uncomfortable few hours did nothing to contribute positively to my mood which did not improve when I stepped off the train in Prague and could not figure out how to get to my flat. I had some screenshots from where I had brief wifi connections but kept going around in circles. It did stretch me, take me out of my comfort zone, because in my desperation, I approached someone and asked if he could help. not only did he speak English, but he also used his phone to look up the address and walked with me to put me on the correct path. It still took a little longer but I finally made it, coming to the realization that it helps to put the entire address into the search bar. In Prague, they have a completely different method to identify locations, one I still do not understand.
Relaxing in an apartment decorated with a coffee theme brought immense relief, especially with everything that went down on day 11. Every trip has its high and low moments. day 11 set me up for an absolutely spectacular day 12.