Beattys Overseas

We only had two days to visit Vienna, so we were ready for a whirlwind tour. If you’re into history, architecture, and music, Vienna is your city (well, I guess any European city can offer these things, but Vienna especially so). We arrived on Thursday afternoon via train from Salzburg, and used the efficient, clean subway system to arrive to our Hotel (which, in this area of Europe, is also called a “Pension,” more on that later in the photo album of Vienna). After checking in and settling our bags, we were off to explore the Old City for the evening.

We happened upon Karlsplatz, at the entrance to the Vienna Opera House, which is a dominating structure. John suggested we peruse the ticket office… We’re in Vienna; why not try to see an Opera?!?! But, they were sold out for that evening’s performance, and only had one ticket for Friday night to sell at 178 Euro (roughly $220).  No thanks. We found the Tourist Information office and asked about seeing musical performances. They were very helpful and quite honest with us about the ‘tourist shows’ all over Vienna, for which tickets are sold by the musicians who stand on the street corners, dressed in 17^th century costume, hawking their shows. 
The Prague columnThe Tourist Center advised that the Vienna Philharmonic Symphony would be a good choice, but unfortunately they didn’t have tickets to sell us, and we would have to walk the 15 blocks to the Symphony hall to buy them. No problem – we’ve got nothing but time, and it gave us an excuse to see more of the Old City streets.   Within minutes we had plans for the following night to see a symphony - ooh la la.

Vienna looks beautiful dressed up for Christmas (Noel). The Old City was swathed in little white lights, which are strung across the streets, providing an arbor of holiday beauty. Austria is generally a Roman Catholic nation, so the Christmas (Advent) decorations can be very religious as well (Epiphany on Jan 6^th is a national holiday, and all public offices are closed). As we crossed Karlsplatz, a large street covered in rail tracks, a young Japanese guy dressed in a hotel uniform asked if we needed help; he obviously spotted our maps and Vienna guidebook and aimless stroll. We informed him that although we weren’t lost, we could use a restaurant recommendation. He happily told us that whenever his friends from Japan come to Vienna, he brings them to this traditional Austrian restaurant with cheap prices. Yay. He showed us where to go on our map and walked across the street back into his hotel. Yet another chance-encounter on this trip that has proven to be very helpful in navigating new cities...

StephansplatzAfter dinner we walked toward Stephansplatz, the center of the Old City and site of St. Stephans Cathedral. Then we followed a sign to Mozart’s house, where he lived as an adult in Vienna, and where he became sick and died at age 35. Easy to navigate and easy to communicate, we were enjoying the easy vibe of Vienna’s downtown at night, but decided to take an early night, as we had plans with a new friend the next day.