Hofburg Palace, Freud, and Tourist Traps

Vienna Day 2 - Wed 29th Last night I managed to navigate the subways of Vienna and make it to the hostel with only a few wrong turns and a detour into the wrong hostel. I met Jamie and John in the lobby, and we went up to the room so I could get organized. We're staying in a 6 person dorm (so 3 sets of bunks...I felt like a little kid again), but so far this is night 2 and no one has joined us--knock on wood--so we basically have this entire room to ourselves, with our own bathroom. Not bad.

The hostel is clean, new, and nice...but the crowd is kind of weird. I'm pretty sure we're staying with about 5 groups of grade 12 German grad trips, so we feel old. And in a hostel, that's saying something.

The free housekeeping and breakfast is definitely nice, though. Wifi only in the common room, so it's a pain to walk down 4 flights of stairs to send an email. They have towels you can rent (not a bad idea, considering a)I forgot to pack one and b)this way you're not carrying around a giant mildewing sack from city to city), as well as laundry, but I opted out of the latter. Mostly because I brought enough clothes to last me a month. But I do have Tide sink-washing detergent packs--thanks, Shoppers travel section!

This is my first hostel experience, so I'm glad I came with people I know so I can ease into it. But it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be.

After Jamie and I took advantage of our free breakfast (and for those of you that know me know I hate breakfast, so this is definitely about scoring a great deal--free food is free food), we roused John and made our way to the subway for a day of seeing what Vienna has to offer.

...not gonna lie, I thought Vienna was way up in the Alps. Whoops. Way off. Looks like my cartography skills could use some work. We navigated to Stephansplatz where there is a huge cathedral, very beautiful. In one of the towers, you could climb the stairs to the top, so naturally we decide to try it. 3.50 Euros later, we arrive, sweaty and out of breath, to the top, and are greeted by none other than a giant gift shop. In the top of the church. SO TACKY. Then, on the way down, you got so dizzy because of the spiral stairs, and my flip flops were not enjoying the smoothed edges of thousand year old steps. I almost slid down the entire staircase, ass over teakettle. Multiple times. Needless to say, this was most definitely a huge tourist trap...we basically paid 5 bucks to work out. Not impressed.

Next, we walked up Kärterstrasse, which is one of the big shopping streets downtown. One of the really nice things about Vienna is the amount of pedestrian only areas it has. We made a quick stop at the BK Lounge so John could eat, since he missed breakfast. Something I've noticed about fast food in Europe--there are no garbages; you're supposed to leave your tray on the table and someone will clean it up for you. Also, the interior had marble and crown molding...like it was legitimately nicer than many houses I've been in. You stay classy, Austria.

After that, we saw Hofburg Palace, home of the Hapsburg Dynasty, which was absolutely insane to me. I think I took about 200 photos today alone, because from then on, my afternoon was one giant architectural orgasm. I'm not kidding, this place made Buckingham Palace look like a joke. It now houses the National Library, as well as a few museums.

We then walked across the street where two identical, yet equally impressive palaces stood, facing each other. They are also now art galleries and museums, all of which you have to pay for, so we opted for an exterior self-tour instead. (I can google whatever's inside...when seeing something like that is going to be so touristy, it's usually not worth the money)

We walked some more and just kept finding gorgeous building after gorgeous building--theatres, palaces, museums, etc. We ended by walking through the gardens,which were perfectly manicured, and ended up in the big square where the Spanish Riding School is. I really wanted to go watch, but to watch a horseback riding lesson for 12 Euros wasn't worth it to any of us, and the shows are on hiatus for the summer. But we went inside, at least.

After a tumble down some more marble steps--they should really fix that, you know--we made our way to a nearby cafe so Jamie and I could have some lunch. I had a mixed salad and spaghetti bolognese; I just wanted something simple, as my stomach was still recovering from the unknown substance posing as McDonald's that entered my body for dinner the night before.

We decided to check out the Freud Museum, at Jamie's suggestion, and I'm really glad we did -- I studied his work a little in university, and found the bits that I became familiar with to be really interesting. The museum was $7 euros or 4.50 for students (bring your student card everywhere if you have one--you never know what you can get a discount on, and it never hurts to flash it--the worst thing they'll do is charge you full price anyway...like those church stairs....383 divided by 3.50..that's like 1.09 cents per step! Rip. Off.) Anyway, the museum was interesting, it gave a really good picture of Freud's life, some excerpts of his material, and what was going on externally that affected his work (WWII, his emigration to London, etc). I learned a lot.

We came back to the hostel, showered and changed (well, I did--backpacking boys will be smelly boys...thank god I brought my febreeze), and headed out for some dinner. We were on the hunt for traditional Wienerschnitzel. After wandering around a bit to try and find the place recommended by a few places online, we realized it had no patio, so we opted for a different spot. We ordered and basically got veal scallopini with white wine sauce. After 2 hours of waiting. And 2 flies in my glass of wine. UGH. Don't get me wrong, the food was very good once it got there, but they forgot our appetizers, gave me polenta instead of noodles, and it wasn't traditional schnitzel like I specifically asked when we ordered! I guess they take this no tips business seriously in Europe -- I would've never made that mistake while working. What an amateur haha. So I'm a little disappointed and may renew my quest for the Holy Grail of Vienna again tomorrow--the REAL schnitzel deal this time. Deep fried with no sauce, just lemon and potato salad.

Oh yeah, one thing that worries me a bit is that my debit card doesn't work in Austria. I tried 3 different banks, all of which rejected the card saying it wasn't valid when I tried to withdraw money. Jamie's RBC card worked fine, so I know it's not a Canadian thing. It's not a big deal, because I have my Visa which works and some Canadian cash I can change in a pinch, but Goddamn, Scotia..I'm so switching when I get home. Useless!

Tomorrow we are going to relax, take it easy, maybe do a wine tour since we saw most of the sights today. Perhaps have a Viennese coffee, at my Mom's suggestion, and then get in line for those cheap tickets for the Opera. It's a must do, and their last show before they go on holiday for the summer!

We've been pretty low-key in Vienna so far--it's quite expensive to go out, so I think we will take a little more advantage in Budapest starting Thursday. We're just preparing ourselves.

Germanwings? More like Germanstinks

Berlin Day 5/Austria Day 1 - Tues 28th

Germanwings airline, you are the bane of my existence.

First of all, I always cut it a bit close when I leave for a flight, because, well, look who we're talking about (I'm always on time, everyone else is just so early!) And if there's one thing I hate more than being late, it's being early and having to sit around. Plus, judging from my initial flight experience on this trip, you tend to get rushed through like a VIP if you have a flight to catch. Winning.

My flight leaves at 16:05, so check-in cuts off at 15:35. I get from the subway to the bus that'll take me to the airport at 15:13...so I decide to take a taxi to the airport, as I don't have 10 minutes to spare. The taxi was a good sport and sped heavily to get me there in good time, although he dropped me off at terminal A. Germanwings flies out of Terminal D. Of course. How do i know this? Only because I went to A, B, and C first, carrying 80 lbs of my life on my back and going through 2 separate security checks before someone clued in that I wasn't on that flight...makes me feel very safe. 

I arrive at the proper check-in desk at 15:36 (naturally), flushed, sweaty, and panicking that I was too late to make my flight. Budget airlines are not nice when you miss planes...I would be out about 180 Euros...and luckily the passenger in front of me was being such a douche. (seriously...he walks away from the desk, looks at his assigned seat, then cuts in front of me again and is like "why did you give me something so far back? I want to sit close to the front of the plane. -- "I didn't have anything closer by a window." -- "well you should've told me, then I'd have the option to choose...very unprofessional that you didn't tell me until my pass was already printed, I'd like the other seat, THANKS.") After that display, the attendant was enthralled by my Canadian charm (I'm sure this is what happened) and allowed me to check in, as well as not pay extra for my carry-on (which was well over the 8kg limit--told you, I'm gonna come back with gymnast's arms!)

When I went through Germanwing security, I had to take all of my makeup and "liquids" out of my bag...which the lady so garishly assisted me with. She insisted that all liquids need to be contained in ONE 1L plastic bag "next time"...and forced me to repack my entire handbag that I had so carefully stacked before leaving the house this morning. 

I showed her the plastic freezer bag that is definitely 1L in Canada...and she was like "no, that's like 5L. unacceptable." SERIOUSLY LADY, I packed what I packed, where I packed it, for a reason. My blush will crack and my makeup kit, while having a plastic window, has fabric on the other 3 sides and will not be spill-proof, whereas my PLASTIC FREEZER BAG with a seal, will do just fine. Hence why I packed it that way. UGH.

Not to mention that I've flown with this packing configuration twice already, on different BUDGET airlines, so don't try to tell me that's why your rules are different. They just defy logic.

Whatever. I obviously had time at the gate to repack my entire bag in the middle of the airport, which I did with relish, in full view of the security checkpoint I just went through.

On the plane now, I fly Berlin > Koln, transfer planes, then Koln > Vienna. Fingers crossed my bag makes it the entire way, but with Germanwings I am fully expecting it not to, and if it does, BONUS! 

Once I get to the hostel, I'm meeting Jamie and his friend John, and hopefully we will try Wiener-schnitzel tonight! I've been looking forwards to this for like a week. I JUST clued in that it literally means "schnitzel from Wien (German for Vienna)"...this is much like my discovery of last summer, that Clamato juice contains clams.

Other activities I have in mind for Vienna are a bike tour, seeing the Lippazaner horses training, the Opera, and maybe a day-trip to Salzburg. I wouldn't say no to an alpine hot tub either.

Live update: another thing to hate about Germanwings: you order a drink (just a coffee, nothing crazy) and they don't tell you it's not free until you already have it and then owe them 2.50! SHENANIGANS.

On a more pleasant note, check out Bon Iver's newest album. I downloaded it before I left Berlin and am very impressed; I loved his first album and it seems he's done it again. Very easy listening. Sort of like Damien Rice, Javier Dunn, that sort of thing.

Live update 2: One thing I will give Germany, is that their airport food is way better than Canada's. I found it annoying that there were no fast-food places anywhere except in the touristy areas (no coffee to go on the corner, no subway, nothing! They want you to sit!), but the flip-side is that they have fresh grilled foccacia sandwiches for 2.80 in the airport. Score.

Live update 3: Landed in Vienna. On the express train to the city...16 mins, 10 Euros. Funny though, I just walked out of the airport. No stamp, no customs, nothing. Are we sure Austria is a real country? Now I have no proof I was ever here...makes me a bit uneasy, but I wasn't about to ask questions. Luckily, my bag made it, and I managed to read a text from Jamie that said they were at the hostel already (before my phone locked me out because I'm not in Germany anymore and will have to buy a new SIM card if I want to use it).

Beautiful Berlin

Berlin Day 4 - Mon 27

Today Johanna and I went downtown Berlin to do a bit of sightseeing. We went to the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate), which was really impressive up close, and then wandered down to have some lunch by the river.

We sat outside, as patios are pretty much a necessity in Berlin. I think it's great--EVERYONE is always eating and drinking outside! So nice. You know in Toronto, most places have tiny little patios, or it's an extreme luxury and they're so packed on nice days that you can't get a table. Not in Berlin, since so many places have them. I don't think I ate inside once this entire weekend.

I got my first lopsided sunburn (of many this trip, I'm sure). My right side was in the sun, and my left wasn't. I also have a pretty sweet hair-tan-line, because my hair was down on my back. Sexy.

After an extremely awkward attempt at a pick-up by the table of three Israeli guys beside us (the attempt wasn't awkward, it was sitting there in silence after we said no haha), Johanna and I took an hour-long river cruise, which basically takes you through Berlin and you can see a lot of the sights. We opted for a german-speaking tour, as those boats were much less crowded, generally cheaper, and I can understand enough German for it to be worth it. 

It was so relaxing--it was a hot day, but there was a cool breeze coming off the river so it felt perfect. It actually reminded me a lot of that steamboat you can take in Muskoka (Mom, you know the one I'm talking about, we did it last year). I was absolutely floored by some of the architecture we saw. Berlin has to be up there as one of the most beautiful cities I've ever seen. The Reichstag, where the government sits, is a Greco-Roman masterpiece. You feel extremely insignificant standing next to it. From then on, I just saw museum after museum, theaters, and the like, all so painstakingly beautiful it was almost too much. Is this place for real? You can actually live here and see this everyday?

Museum Island had about 16 of these types of buildings all together that we sailed past--their foundations went right in the water! I haven't been to Venice yet, but I imagine it's similar to this, and I will love it just as much. Dead rats floating in the river included. (Saw this as we were leaving the dock)

Even the inhabitable buildings are amazing--most are mid-rise, 6 or 7 floors,  but the attention to detail on the exteriors is just astounding. I've put some pictures in my flickr account to show you--I tried not to take so many because I know this is probably exciting to all of 3 people including myself, but it was a highlight of my trip. I have to live somewhere that I look at and see beauty, and so many of these places did that for me in Berlin. (London too, but those places are fewer and farther between--not to mention they probably cost an arm and a leg)

After the river cruise, Johanna (who was amazing and took pictures on the boat for me the entire time, so I could be in some of my own photos, but also so that I could experience everything firsthand and not through a camera lens) and I walked through Berlin, saw some more pieces of the original Wall--you could get your passport stamped, but I didn't bring it with me--and read about some of the events surrounding its erection and dismantling. I can't imagine what it must've been like to wake up one day and be told you can't drive to work because it's on the wrong side of the city, and then be shot if you try to go anyway. And this only changed AFTER I was born! Crazy to think about.

We walked by Checkpoint Charlie, where you could get your passport stamped again, did the necessary tourist photos, and continued home. The square where the theater, museum, and one of the universities in Berlin meet was really beautiful. I couldn't believe people get to go to school in a building like that! So lucky! I would never skip class! (Not that I ever did*, Mom and Dad...)

Johanna went to her friend's place for dinner, and I decided to check out a dance class. I watch a lot of dance videos that teachers and choreographers post of their classes on Youtube, and I had heard of this one guy who happened to teach in Berlin. Unfortunately, he was away this week, so another girl was substituting. I wasn't sure what the level of dance would be outside North America, where most of the commercial jobs are, but there were some beasts in this class. We did a combo to Rihanna's Skin...and slow hip hop is not my forte, but it felt really good to push myself, and just be back in class period. I haven't sweat so much since...well probably when I got lost on Friday, but other than that, it's been a while. I'll definitely continue this trend of a class per country I visit. Next stop is Vienna, maybe I will learn how to do the Viennese Waltz!

*does not include 8:30am lectures

Laundry, Hate the iPad Day

Berlin Day 3 - Sunday 26th Wow. What a party! So that birthday thing I told you about yesterday was for a friend of Johanna's that I used to know when I was really little (but I don't remember a whole lot)...turns out she lives in Berlin and is a famous actress on a German soap opera! (Google "Anna und die Liebe")

We borrowed a friend's bike and rode through the streets of Berlin at sunset to get there, stopping by the East Side Gallery of the Berlin Wall, which was a really cool experience. You really don't get that feeling until you see it in person of what it must've been like to live in a city with something like that. Crazy.

So the party was her, her friends, and most of the cast from this show, which is apparently a really big deal to people in Germany. She had a pile of gifts from friends, and a pile sent to her by fans of the show--it was so funny watching her open them! It was such a fun experience (minus the second hand smoke--why does everyone love cigarettes so much here? It's really popular compared to Canada)

My German is starting to come back to me--having to speak it at the party last night got things rolling again. Some other friends of mine who are also in Berlin met up with us at the party, and I think we are going for dinner with them later tonight. Today has just been a lazy day, trying to figure out uploading pictures onto my blog and whatnot. I needed a day like this! It's also laundry day, since I've been wearing basically all the warmest things I brought with me everyday!

Tomorrow will be the major sightseeing day in Berlin, then I have to decide whether to take a 9 and 1/2 hour train ride through Germany to Vienna (which could be very beautiful, but it's a full day, and if they don't have wireless or a plug on the train, I'm going to get bored), or take a flight (much quicker, 1 hr flight, but probably more expensive, and I have to deal with the bicep curling bag again, ugh). Ciao for now!

German Soap Opera Star

Berlin Day 2 - Sat 25Christopher Street Parade

Things not to do when you need to wake up at a decent hour: take sleeping pills. I wasnt tired at about 3  am last night so i thought it would be a good idea. my doc said itll knock you out for about 6 or 7 hours, which would let me wake up around 10-11, perfect.

I wake up at 1:48 pm with all these messages from people going "where are you? i thought we were  going to meet today!" shiiiiiit.

to make it even better, my phone wasn't working. apparently sim cards from the UK won't work in Germany, so not only did I have to buy more time, I had to buy a new card. I wonder if I wouldve been better off sticking with rogers and buying an int'l package from them...

Like I said yesterday, another thing I'm realizing is how much I should've spent the extra bucks and bought an ipad with 3G. it is not as easy as I thought it'd be to find public places that have it, and it wouldve been really useful consideriing the amount of times i've gotten lost already on this trip. ugh.

Today is the Christopher Street parade in Berlin, or as we know it in Toronto, Gay Pride. Apparently the road by the Brandenburg Gate fills with like 400,000 people celebrating. I think I'm gonna head down there in a bit and check it out. 

Right now, I'm sitting outside a cafe having penne alla norma and drinking a Berlin beer. This is the life!

Tonight, my friend Johanna, who I'm staying with, has a friend's birthday to go to, and I think I'm going to tag along. A few of my other friends are also in Berlin, so they'll be there too, and itll be great to catch up! We may go to a bar, or Johanna has a friend who's DJing one of the Christopher Street afterparties at like 3 am haha so If we stay up that late, that should be interesting to say the least!

I didn't realize my German was so rusty, but  I guess that's what happens when you don't use it for 5 years. It's almost intimidating to be here, because it used to be so easy when all i spoke was German for a couple of months, and now I know what I want to say in my head but I can't figure out how to say it out loud. Hopefully it'll get better.

I talked to my friend Jamie from Guelph who is also doing the backpacking thing, but he's been here a couple months already. We decided to meet up for a bit, so on the 28th, I'm meeting him and his friend in Vienna for 3 days, and then we're heading to Budapest for a couple of days. After that I will probably do Prague or Romania (depends which is cheaper) and then end in Istanbul on the 8th. I'll spend a couple of days there, and fly to Dubai on July 10!

When i fly  back to Istanbul on Sept 1, I am so tempted to venture down to Jordan--I've heard it's spectacular. But I'm pretty sure I'd have to cross through SYria to get there, which is just a terrible idea. Oh well, maybe in the future the world won't be so messed up and a little girl like me can travel wherever she likes without fear of being kidnapped (I'm looking at you, Somalia).