Beer

Our train ride into Vienna was just long enough to eat most of the treats we ordered with our remaining crown and drink our beer. There were two offerings, so we ordered one of each. The server had given his recommendation, but we have learned that our tastes are quite different than the locals and we usually don’t enjoy the recommended brew. This time was no different. I think between the two of us we may have finished half the bottle. Andre is the beer person (I am red wine) but I have come to enjoy many of the beers he prefers. We have found the Belgium beers to be our favorite by far since arriving in Europe. Germany would be second with several nice Hefeweizens. The Czech Republic beer Andre sums up in one word. Brutal. But since he can never use just one word. Ever. After “brutal” he went on to rant “Brutal, bitter, punchy as fuck. You know how your mom would say she was going to wash your mouth out with soap? They could use their beer to punish their children.” Then I stopped listening. He’s passionate about things.

Cheap as Chips

Our place was about a 20 minute drive from the train station and we had looked up public transport, but as it turned out they have Uber/Bolt which would only cost four Canadian dollars. What a deal! It was lovely to get off the train and not have to negotiate public transport with our packs in 34 degree weather. Our host met us at the place with a buddy who could translate. His place is really unique. He has things posted all over his walls and I took several photos. I used Google Translate to try to understand some of them and I have posted the translations with the photos. He had also created a stencil of Daenerys Targaryen which was part of the wall art.

Oh! And he had the most fantastic shower curtain. I love cats. What’s better than a cat double fisting beers at Oktoberfest?

Bites

We had a few really good meals in Vienna, but the best by far was at Velobis. This place is a little gem. Part bike shop, part bistro. The food was outstanding. A tiny bit pricier than some other locals but for the quality of the meal it was worth every penny… or Euro cent? I had salmon with salad and carrot/potato tartar (mash) and Andre had a bison burger. Nothing remained on either plate.

After dinner we sauntered home in the cool 30 degree weather (it was 7pm).

We also ate a few meals at Kent Restaurant which serves up delicious Turkish cuisine. This is another place I would highly recommend. Our last day in Vienna we spent most of the day touring around and couldn’t wait to get back to our area of the city and eat there. When we got off the train we noticed that the sky had gotten really dark and it looked like something was definitely brewing. Luckily the restaurant is only a few minutes from the station. I think about 30 seconds after we got seated it absolutely gushed down. Sideways. You would have been soaked in half a second. I couldn’t help but laugh at the intensity of it. We got super lucky. As powerful as it was, it only lasted about ten to fifteen minutes and by the time we were ready to walk home the previously flooded streets were nearly dry.

Street Art

Vienna has a ton of street art. Unfortunately like in Berlin many people have ruined pieces by tagging them or damaging them with their super subpar art skills. It’s a real shame. However there are still many that remain in great shape. Mostly because they are high up and hard to access. I found a great little website that provides a map to the murals of Vienna. It was pretty helpful, and if I had any sense of direction and could follow a map it probably would have been super helpful. I didn’t have Andre to help me navigate because he wasn’t up for a second Google Maps Tour By Stacey. He is generally well humored enough to participate in one of these per location, and I wouldn’t dream of asking him to do any more.

If you want to try out your navigational skills and find the street art in Vienna you can use this link – Street Art Guide Vienna

Public Transport

It was also extremely easy to get around Vienna and not have to worry about getting lost. The public transportation is great and you can buy 24, 48, and 72 hour passes (€8, €14.10, €17.10 respectively) that allow you use the trains, trams, and buses. You can buy tickets at the stations or just download the Wiener Linien app and purchase them online like we did. I like knowing that I can get on the wrong train (or 4) and not have to stress about having to get another ticket or end up out of the zone I’m meant to be in etc. Since I get lost easily I like knowing that I can eventually get home without spending 50 Euros.

Things on “The Tour”

Museumsquartier is a very cool area where you can find some of the cities finest museums. That’s not our thing, but the area itself is a great place to relax and people watch in the huge purple lounging furniture scattered throughout the open square.

If it hadn’t been in the mid 30’s we would have hung out there for a bit, but I fear I would have melted into the furniture (and I love the heat). The name of the game for Andre that day was “Find the Shady Spot” and as I took pictures he would be pressed up against a wall or a shrub with a sliver of shade over him.

Across the road we walked through the Maria-Theresian-Platz which is gorgeous. Flanked by mirror image buildings housing the Museum of Natural History in one and Museumsbibliothek in the other. From there we strolled through Burggarten, a lovely green space with several statues and monuments, and ended up at the Albertina (an art museum). It was time for a drink.

New Favorite Drink

The Aperol Spritz. I had been seeing these all over Europe and I finally got my paws on one. Now I’m addicted. Aperol has a mandarin flavor and the Spritz is made with Ice, Prosecco, and Club Soda, and an orange slice. On a hot day these are dangerous. I will be making these for my beautiful girlfriends in Canada next summer. It will be our signature patio drink at the Renaissance (The Renaissance is the name of the building we life in). 

More Things on “The Tour”

We took the train to Stephansplatz to take a look at St. Stephan’s Cathedral, one of the tallest in the world. It was very impressive. The sheer size of it is overwhelming, and the multi-coloured tile roof and details of the fixtures and figures on the outside walls are stunning. I particularly enjoyed was the juxtaposition of the very modern building (Hass-Haus) adjacent to St. Stephan’s.

Stephansplaz is also the home of The Stock-im-Eisen (“staff in iron”). This is a section of tree trunk which has hundreds of nails hammered into it for good luck. I think. You may want to look that up.

We walked from Stephansplatz to the Danube Canal starting near Schwedenplatz and ending at Roßauer Lände station. Along the Danube there is a ton of street art. It’s a mix of beautiful pieces and amateur work/tagging. It’s a popular place to hang out as well. There are steps leading into the water near the Schwedenplatz area that run a good city block in length and are a great place to stop and rest. There is also a good amount of green space with shady trees as you move toward Roßauer Lände. With the extensive public transit system we only had to walk a few steps to the underground to make our way back home… to air conditioning.

39 days in…

Bratislava is up next.