Vienna

It has been nearly two months now since I took a train to Vienna... it is very hard to believe. I particularly remember that train ride from Prague to Vienna. We got to experience the compartment seats and the little snack trolley, and even on board dining. We ventured through the train cars, pushing open the Star Trek style doors at each car, and eventually discovered the dining cart. Afraid of high prices, we went up to the menu board to choose a cheap meal, and to our surprise everything was priced quite fairly! We ended up ordering Chicken Schnitzel with potato salad for only 5 Euros, which is about $7 Canadian. We nibbled away at our meal while watching the European countryside fly by us. Eating at a little table on a train is a great experience, with a view that you cannot get anywhere else. I would recommend if you are ever aboard a European train to forget about packing a lunch once and spend the extra few Euros on a meal, I assure you that it will not break your budget.

Our train rolled into Meidling Station about five hours later with my travel partner and I hanging our heads out the window like dogs on a summer drive. There were many buildings along the tracks that were leaning, painted bright colors or shaped in ways I thought could never be built; I'm guessing some architects had fun here! We hopped on the metro (U-Baun) to the Westbahnhof station and made it to Mariahilfer Strasse street which is where Wombat's City Hostel was located. I must admit, I was very shocked when we got up onto the street from the Metro. The streets were rather run down and there was not much for scenery or attractive buildings. I'm not sure what I was expecting exactly, but the street I was on was not it...

Our hostel was very modern and clean, with lounging couches and internet kiosks. Our room was very nice and the bunks were spacious and made from solid pine...it reminded me of bunks I had stayed in during summer camp when I was a child. My only negative point about the room was there was no sign of soap (but I wasn't complaining as it was clean and had a shower). No worries though because we were prepared for such a instance with spray soap. We shared our room with two other girls, one which we never got to meet and another who I would describe as an "interesting" individual with a strong personality and a passion for chocolate, alcohol and perfume. That evening we strolled down the street only to find all the shops and restaurants closed, so we went to a grocery store and bought some Cinnamon Toast Crunch (not the most nutritious, but very satisfying). Full of sugar and overcome with tiredness we retired back to our room for a good nights sleep.

Saturday morning greeted us with a dreary grey sky and a bad cup of coffee from the buffet table. We packed our umbrellas and set out toward the city center in hopes of finding the Vienna I'd imagined. We walked all the way to the end of Mariahilfer Strasse until we got to the Museum Quarter. We walked between the Kunsthistor Museum and the Natural history Museum and admired the manicured gardens. There were a set of four fountains that I was particularly drawn to of a merman and a woman. Through the four fountains you could watch as the two fell in love and ending with the woman taking the place of a mermaid. The fountains were beautiful and the details on the faces really captured your interest, almost like you were witnessing this love story unfold right in front of you. This is when the torrential downpour began. We ran for cover under one of the museums covered steps, and when it let up briefly we quickly made our way to a cafe to get out of the rain. We stumbled upon one of the most classiest cafes in the city, Cafe Hofburg. The walls were covered in elegant wallpaper, crystal chandeliers hung from the ceilings and men dressed in full tuxedos hurried around delivering coffees to posh customers. We ordered a Schokoccino, a coffee with caramel and whip cream. Wow! It was not the most affordable coffee I have ever ordered, but it was more for the experience than the coffee. I laughed as I watched a couple of elderly woman dressed in fancy dresses and tacky jewelry gossip about the week's events, than proceed to order desserts and giggle about eating a spoonful of whip cream. The cafe was amazing and I am so happy the rain brought us to such a memorable place.

Full of sugary coffee, we made our way to the government buildings, snapping pictures of the Athina Statue standing guard. Next we snapped some pictures at the Rathaus (Vienna City Hall) and the Votivkirche, a gorgeous cathedral reminding me of a 3D jigsaw puzzle. Even more amazing was the interior of the cathedral, where once again I just sat in the pews mesmerized. I could not fathom the detail and dedication that went into every inch of stained glass and painted pillar.

We left the cathedral on search for food after hours of exploring. Wafts of pizza and pasta from an Italian restaurant down the street sold us on lunch. We feasted on a gigantic "Divola" pizza (salami,mozzarella and tomato) and sipped on a glass of Merlot. People watching was fun from the outdoor eatery, and I observed many trendy dressed men and woman hurrying down the street in heavy conversation. The next stop after lunch was to the famous Demel Cafe! The Demel Cafe is a famous Viennese cafe that is said to of made the original Sachertorte, a dense chocolate cake with a thin layer of apricot jam. This was a highlight for me on my European trip as a pastry chef. The Sachertorte not only is one of Vienna's most famous culinary specialties, but it is made world wide and has undergone many legal matters. Yes, I'm sure you are thinking, "It's cake, how is there any legal matters?" Well, it is such a famous cake and there were claims from both the Hotel Sacher and the Demel Cafe that they were the original creators of the Sachertorte. Still to this day it is not determined who indeed is the 'true' owner of the Sachertorte, but many say that the Demel Cafe is the true version. The Demel Cafe was so elegant and we luckily were able to sneak into a table before someones reservation. I ordered a big slice of the famous Sachertorte! It was quite good, a little drier than I was expecting, but none the less it was amazing to be able to eat a piece of pastry history.

After savouring our dessert we decided to try to find another piece of Viennese history, Mozart's House. It was slightly difficult to find the little house wedged between two large buildings, but we did, and it was amazing. There was a small illuminated window that you could look at from the street, where Mozart lived. It was amazing to think that such a talented musician had lived in such a simple room at one time. I took some pictures and bought some souvenirs from inside, as I have always adored his work. I got chills staring into the window at one point, when I imagined Mozart sitting at his windowsill staring out at the same street I was standing on.

The day was coming to an end, and the skies were looking rather grey again so we began the long walk back to the hostel. About half way back we couldn't resist to stop for another pastry at a cute little cafe called Aida. The awning, chairs, tables and walls were all pepto bismol pink and so was the delectable dessert we ordered; a strawberry mousse cake with meringue. After convincing myself not to order another, I collected a napkin for memorabilia, paid and headed back on my way to the hostel.

That night we got back exhausted once again and snacked on our leftover pizza from lunch. I caught up on some emails and had some more "interesting" conversations with our roomie before falling asleep with an open novel on my chest.

Sunday in Vienna was comparable to Christmas Day back home in Vancouver. On top of it being Sunday, it was also Seabass day! So absolutely everything was closed; every restaurant, shop and cafe. We wandered aimlessly for an hour or so hoping to find something to see but only came across one open cafe. We ordered some coffee and discussed what to do on a day where everything was closed when the Waiter overheard us. He told us about Prater Amusement Park, located only 20 minutes away by U-Baun; where all of the locals go on there days off. We jumped at the idea and hopped on the next U-Baun.

Prater Amusement Park was fantastic! It seemed like all of the locals were there indeed, and it was so fun to be surrounded by all locals and no tourists or tour groups. We went on almost every rollercoaster and ride, which were all reasonably priced. We went on one water raft ride with a local family who were laughing and yelling at us in German, not knowing we didn't understand them. Although we didn't understand them, we somehow had a connection with this family and it was fun to just to be a local for the day. Perhaps visiting an amusement park while in Vienna is not what you would expect, but I must say, the random days where you break free of the guide books and the sightseeing checklists always end up being the ones I remember the most. I feel like I got to see a whole other side of Vienna, the real side filled with the local language and residents having fun and not just hustling by to escape the tourists.

It's funny when I reflect back onto Vienna. In one way I was disappointed because it wasn't as beautiful as Id expected. Sure, there were gorgeous cathedrals and museums, but I guess because of my lack of knowledge of Vienna, I was expecting a city with more forest and mountains, but I suppose I would need to venture into Austria more to see that. Vienna in another way was better than I expected. The cafes, the history, and the trendiness of the locals was wonderful and after writing this blog, I realize that I actually enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I had. Vienna, I will miss your cafes and sachertortes.

Prague

When you were a child, did you ever pretend you were a king or a princess? Or perhaps a knight in shining armour riding into a castle? My friends and I spent many afternoons playing medieval games running around the neighbourhood...perhaps that's why Prague was so magical for me. For a few days I got to walk, talk and eat in my fairytale land...a beautiful place called Prague. Prague is nestled in the countryside of the Czech Republic, about four hours south of Berlin. It is a city filled with such beauty and history, and looks like it hasn't changed a bit since medieval times.

We got off the train from Berlin and took the Metro to stop Straromesky, where we then walked to Old Town Square. The square is surrounded by old medieval shops and restaurants and of course, the famous Tyn Church! Tyn Church was the most majestic looking building I have ever seen, with tall black spires reaching high into the sky. Loaded down with our heavy backpacks, we just stood there in awe. Finding our hostel was a little difficult, as there are many little streets winding here and there, but eventually we found the little sign reading Tyn Hostel. We checked into the hostel and were shown to our average 5 bed room. The beds looked like they'd been decorated by a Grandma, as they were all covered in mismatched, tacky bed linens...it made me smile. That evening we rested and toured around the square, ending in an outdoor restaurant overlooking the square,where I feasted on Czech Goulash.

We woke up bright and early the next morning feeling eager to explore...and that we did. We started out with a tasty twisted cinnamon croissant and a strong cappuccino, before heading out towards the Prague Castle. We crossed the river, admiring Charles Bridge in the distance and began the trek up the hill. There were so many stairs, and I felt somewhat defeated in the early morning heat, but the view kept me going. By the time we had reached the top, you could see right across Prague! The river wove through the town, and all the little houses had red terra cotta roofing. It was a photographers dream! We spent a couple hours exploring the Prague Castle and even climbed up one of the towers. We climbed the 287 steps up the spiral staircase reaching a small platform overlooking Prague and the castle below. The wind whistled through the small windows, and for a brief moment I felt like a princess looking out of my tower.

After the castle, we ventured through the Kings Paradise Garden eventually making our way back into the little streets. We stopped at Palliardi, a sandwich shop and ordered a tasty meat, pickle and cheese sandwich. We sat and enjoyed getting off our feet for a few minutes, admiring a lovely church across the street. We headed back onto the cobblestone streets, and had fun playing with wooden puppets and flipping through funny postcards. We walked until we found ourselves in a park filled with local daycare children and people practicing there juggling tricks. We grabbed some chocolate-vanilla gelato and sat on our maps in the grass, laughing at the the kids playing tag. As the afternoon passed, we decided to head back towards our hostel and find a nice restaurant for dinner. We walked across Charles Bridge and although it was very nice with all the statues, I found it too touristy and busy for me. I preferred taking the less crowded bridge and looking at the Charles Bridge from the distance. We found our way back to the square and I sampled a local treat called Trdelnik, which is a cinnamon pastry wrapped around a dowel and roasted over an open fire. We also got to watch a very odd street performance that included exercise balls, fire, men wearing dresses and feet juggling balls...what a treat! Seeing as we were in the square already, we decided to just grab some cheap grilled meat from a vendor. On the way back to the hostel we stopped off at a restaurant and had the most amazing chocolate fondue....yes we are on holidays!

Day two in Prague and we had yet again another full schedule. I discovered the most amazing juice at breakfast, its called Cappy. A slightly thick, flavour packed juice in a little glass jar (which I have only seen in Prague). After breakfast we snapped some photos at the astrological clock; we happened to be there when the 10:00 bell went off. The hourly bell consisted of dancing figurines emerging from the clock and a man serenading the square with a horn. It felt like we were the village people being serenaded by the King! Our plan for the day was to venture to Vysehrad Castle. We took the metro to the Vysehrad station and followed the castle signs. We walked along a quiet path that overlooked the forest, the river and remote landscape. The air was so crisp, almost like Autumn, and the walk was so invigorating! We came across the Vysehrad castle hidden behind the trees. It was a georgous cathedral with stained glass windows and detailed archways; inside was even more impressive. Every last inch of the walls, cielings, and windows were handpainted in such detail, we sat in the pews and just stared. What a privilege to be able to visit such a special place. After the cathedral, we explored the cemetery and the grand tombstones and statues. We read about people's accomplishments and loved ones poetry...it was a beautiful cemetery.

We descended down the steep hill away from Vysehrad towards the town below, passing a photo shoot along the way (looked like a young pop star). We found a cozy little restaurant on a quiet street filled with people speaking a language we didnt know (that is how you know the food will be good). I ordered roasted duck with sauerkraut, pickled red cabbage and dumplings. It was delectible and exactly what I was looking for in Czech food. After eating too much (yet again) we waddled down the street in the direction of Old Town Prague. Along the way, my travel partner started feeling a little under the weather so we quickened our pace and made it back to the hostel within an hour. She had been feeling stomach pain for a day or so, and it seemed that it was starting to get the better of her now. She wanted to get some rest in the room and try to sleep off the discomfort so I decided to go on a solo mission to the forest that had intrigued me. So I headed back over the Charles Bridge to the other side of town and found my way to the finicular. This little train went straight up the side of the mountain, cutting through the dense forest filled with hikers and joggers. Within 10 minutes we reached the top and I decided to just wander around the top of the mountain and explore. I came across a mini Eiffel Tower!!! I hiked up that tower as well ( I was the only one taking the stairs, as I did not have money in my budget for taking a lift!). The view from here was the best of all! All of Prague was nothing more than little red dots and the gigantic Prague Castle now looked like a toy. The wind was howling, making the tower sway slightly. I also went to a Planetarium while on the top of the mountain, where I got to examine precious rocks, planet exhibits and I even got to look in a huge telescope at the sun! After leaving the planetarium, I wandered through a rose garden and watched the sunset illuminate the sky into briliant shades of red and orange. What a perfect way to end my last night in Prague.

That night, my friend and I went out for Pizza at a reataurant near our hostel and enjoyed the medivel streets for one more time. I did not want to leave Prague....I wanted to stay and explore every little nook and alley. I never thought that I would see that fairytale place that I read about in books, but I honestly feel like I have now. Prague will be a place that I will treasure in my heart forever, and I promised myself the day that I left that I would return one day.