Raining in Vienna.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

We arrived in Vienna Wednesday morning after a flight from Frankfurt on a small budget airline, Air Berlin. With the flight less than an hour it was amazing to see the flight attendants serve a full meal with full beverage service. This is just another prime example of the efficiency of the European lifestyle. All forms of transportation seem to be run on time, subway trains only open doors that passengars are standing at to (what we believe) save on wear and tear and energy for example. Upon arrival at the airport we were not prompted for any sort of identification or passport, nor were we checked through customs. There went the plan of getting stamps from every country I visit on my passport.

The Wien (Vienna) airport is approx. 30 minutes from the city center and our hostel. En route to our hostel the rain began, which would not subside for three days. After checking into the hostel we began to explore the city. It has been quite an experience to learn and relearn each cities transportation system. Only when we finally figure out the various lines, main stations, transfers, and stops we seem to leave the city for a new destination. Clad in rain gear we wandered into, what we later learned was the city center building. Surprisingly, the security was very lax and we were able to roam freely throughout. We happened upon a setup for some social gathering that was very ornate and elaborate We still aren’t sure if we were supposed to be randomly wandering around the building, although, no one told us to leave.

Continuing with our wandering ways, we ended the day spending hours in a café, enjoying the local specialty, coffee mélange before grabbing dinner.

Thursday, September 6, 2007

I woke up Thursday morning with an optimistic attitude that the rain had stopped, unfortunately, it had not. However, the rain did not hamper our exploration of Vienna. We started the day at St. Stephens’s cathedral. Unfortunately, we were unable to catch an English tour and know limited history about the cathedral. However, it was still an interesting experience.

Following the cathedral we headed towards the House of Music, a modern museum exploring the histories of music in Vienna, sound, and emotion. As an appropriate blend of interactive and stationary exhibits, the museum featured exhibits ranging from the history of the Wien Philharmonic and the history of Mozart to the future of sound and music with modern technologies. Following the museum we wandered towards the Museum Quartier, a collection of four art museums near the center of the city. Being later in the afternoon we were unsure if the museums would be open much into the evening. To our surprise, they happened to be having a special “Art Night” where entrance to three of the four museums was included in one price and the hours were extended.

Below is a photograph of Matt, Monica and I in front of the city parliament (another stop on our exploration).


The experience of a European modern art museum is nothing like I have experienced in the States. Having recently been to the Denver Art Museum during a modern art exhibition, I expected to see pieces like a light dangling from the ceiling in a specific orientation. Needless to say, the graphic photograph scenes of self-mutilation, animal mutilation, and graphic statues were much unexpected. While some art was graphic and disturbing and easily explained, I still need some explanation as to when the projection of a blue screen (imagine just turning on a VCR) onto a wall became “art”. We ended the day at the museum and headed back to the hostel to warm up and dry off before heading out for pizza and the most amazing ice cream float layered dessert I have ever seen.