More Christmas Markets...

Our quest to find all the Weihnachtmarkts (Christmas Markets) in Vienna continues, although I'm not sure we have enough time to find them all!  Unfortunately, Samantha has had classes much of the past 3 days in Vienna, so I was on my own some of the time and with her some of the time.

 
So, on Monday, I walked down Mariahilferstrasse to the Museum Quarter to visit the Leopold Museum. It's a long walk - took about 45 minutes - but it gave me a chance to see more of Vienna. So many of the shops along Mariahilferstrasse were the sames ones we shopped at in Frankfurt, it brought a smile to my face. However, there were so many shoe stores that it made me wonder if the Viennese are obsessed with shoes. :) And, of course, along the way, I found another little Christmas market at a small church, which I think might be St. Josef's.

I enjoyed some of the art at the Leopold, which boasts about their collections of Schiele and Klimt paintings - both famous Viennese artists. For all the paintings in the museum, though, I definitely liked the landscapes more than anything involving people, especially Schiele's landscapes. I had lunch at the Leopold mostly because, after the walk and with the time zone change, I became hungry very suddenly,  After the museum, I headed out to Maria-Theresten Platz again, where the Weihnachtmarkt is not yet finished being set up.  A few of the booths are open, but mostly it’s still under construction.  I walked around the area and then took the U-Bahn back to Westbanhof, where I bought some toiletries, water bottles, and a laungenstange (pretzel bread roll) before going back to my hotel.  I tried to nap but couldn’t really sleep, so I read a bit and then took the U-Bahn to Krieau, the area near Samantha’s school to meet her.

We went to Praterstern, where there was another Winter Market open in an amusement area, where there is a ferris wheel called the Wiener Riesenrad (Viennese giant wheel), various other rides, and Madame Tussauds’s Wax Museum.  We bought a kartoffelpuffer – a potato pancake – because we were hoping to find some as good as those we got in Germany.  We learned that, in Austria, they are not served with applesauce or sour cream and are more like hash browns.  Tasty but disappointing.  There were a couple of big Coca-Cola displays, so as a good Emory girl, Samantha posed with them.  

 

We wandered the market, shopped in the souvenir shops and then headed back to Mariahilferstrasse to the small Weihnachtmarkt I had seen earlier in the day.  Here we ordered a hot apple cider which smelled delicious but tasted like straight rum.  Samantha discreetly poured it into a trash can, but at least she got the pretty mug like the ones in which we’d been served our hot chocolates in the Ratskeller.  We also saw an incredible gingerbread house and some pretty Christmas ornaments.  

Samantha had a morning class on Tuesday, so I was supposed to meet her at the Stephansplatz stop on the U-Bahn at 11:15 so we could meet up, do lunch at one of the two cafes recommended by teachers at York, and then go to see Time Travel Vienna, a “5D” exhibit of the history of Vienna.  I left early so I could go to see St. Stephan’s Church in Stephansplatz, as it is one of the most famous in Vienna. 

Again, the morning was foggy and cold, but I came up from the U-Bahn in Stephansplatz and saw the beautiful cathedral and the little Weihnachtsmarkt next to it in the square.  I went in the church and looked around, but they weren’t offering an English tour until Saturday.  I bought some postcards and then walked around the outside of the church and nosed about the little shops.  From there, I decided to find out where the cafes and Time Travel Vienna were before meeting Samantha.

After checking a map, I turned and walked down The Graben, a major pedestrian area and central shopping area of Vienna’s first district.  This is a beautiful area of town – large holiday decorations, the Plague statue, ornate buildings and St. Peter’s Church, which apparently forms a triangle of sorts with St. Stephans and the Plague Statue.  It was a lovely area and quite festive – I saw two punch shacks set up for the holidays next to each other – one by the Lions Club International and one by the Kiwanas. 

I found the two little cafes right across the street from each other on a little street off of the Graben.  Also, Time Travel Vienna is off another little street a couple blocks up, so I bought us our tickets.  The English tour is only offered at 40 minutes past the hour.  I went back and met Samantha and we checked out the two cafes, but realized neither was really right for us.  One was truly just a café, not a lunch place, and the other, while famous for open “spread” sandwiches, did not appeal to the allergic people that we are.  So, we went to a little Italian place next door and had a delicious lunch.  We headed out along the Graben and did some window shopping before our tour.

Time Travel Vienna is interesting and a nice, brief introduction to the history of Vienna.  It covered some ancient history, the music history of Vienna, the Hapsburg Dynasty, and Vienna through the two world wars – all in a fairly short time by use of interactive films (in Disney-style shaking seats), animatronics, and moving stages.  It’s a little corny, but I found it amusing.

After our tour, we headed back out to the Graben and walked over to the Weihnachtsmarkt outside of St. Stephans.  Very pretty area.  We took the U-Bahn back to the Rathaus to go to that Market, though, because Samantha was freezing and wanted to buy a hat at one of the booths like where I had bought one at the Rathaus.  So, we went back to the market, bought her a nice, warm hat, had some chocolate-covered bananas and strawberries, and wandered around.  I had bought one at the Rathaus.  So, we went back to the market, bought her a nice, warm hat, had some chocolate-covered bananas and strawberries, and wandered around.  

Eventually, we had to head over to the area where the Volksopera House is, where we will be attending The Merry Widow on Thursday night.  Samantha was meeting there with a man who apparently works at the U.S. Consulate, even though he is Austrian, at the Café Weimar.  She had to interview this man about the charity he works with that provides relief to Uganda.  Café Weimar was a traditional Viennese Coffee House, where people meet and talk and sip a coffee, or in our case, a hot chocolate, (which always is served with a glass of tap water) and stay for hours.  Her interview was very successful and interesting.  She is meeting with her group on Wednesday to finalize their presentation and report on this project.After our tour, we headed back out to the Graben and walked over to the Weihnachtsmarkt outside of St. Stephans.  Very pretty area.  We took the U-Bahn back to the Rathaus to go to that Market, though, because Samantha was freezing and wanted to buy a hat at one of the booths like wher

After the interview, we took the U-Bahn back to Westbahnhof and picked up some dinner in the food court and grocery store there.  We took it back to my hotel room and watched some more American TV before I started to nod off.  I was expecting to stay awake longer, as I have been sleeping longer, but I was walking around Vienna all day and must have gotten tired out.  Hopefully I’ll be able to stay awake long enough to enjoy the Merry Widow on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Samantha had class and meetings from 1-8 p.m., so we only had the morning together. First thing, we went back to Heldenplatz to see the Morning Exercise of the Lipizzsaners at the Spanish Riding School of Vienna.  We had a nice hot chocolate in the café there and then watched the Morning Exercise for about an hour and a half.  We got to see three groups of riders put the horses through their paces and it was fascinating to see the footwork of these horses.  They don’t allow pictures – I’m sure it could frighten the horses – so, unfortunately, I have no pictures, but it was fascinating to watch.

After we left the Riding School, we had lunch in a nice little café right on Michaelerplatz, which was good because she wouldn't have any other breaks, so that was her meal for the day.  We parted in the U-Bahn, as she went off to meet her group to finish their presentation before class and I went to Belvedere Palace.  The weather was a little warmer in the morning, so we were too warm with our hats, gloves and scarves, but rainy in the afternoon, so cooler again.  Unfortunately, it is supposed to rain most of the rest of the week, so it doesn’t look like the pictures will be very good.

I took the U-Bahn and then walked a few blocks through a very run-down area on the way to Belvedere Palace.  The grounds of the Belvedere are beautiful and must be stunning when the gardens are in bloom.  Of course, there is another Weihnachmart being set up in front of Upper Belvedere, part of the same market that is being set up in Maria-Theresten Platz and other places around the city.  I don’t think these markets are opening until this weekend, but there was a lot of activity as the booths were being set up.

The Upper Belvedere houses an art museum with the most famous painting in Vienna, the Kiss by Stimt.  It’s interesting and the iridescence of the gold in the painting is fascinating, but Stimt doesn’t really do it for me.  There were some impressionist pieces, including some by Monet, Renoir, Manet, and Degas, so, of course, that was my favorite part of the museum, beyond the grounds and the architecture of the buildings themselves.  I met 5 girls from a small university in Arkansas who are doing a semester abroad in Florence and were touring the area this weekend.  They had been to Berlin and Munich and were in Vienna for only about a day before moving on to Prague, I think.  A lot of study abroad students are sightseeing in Europe every weekend, from the sounds of it.  I never did a semester abroad, but it sounds like it would have been fun.

On my way back to the U-Bahn after Belvedere, I stopped at St. Elizabeth’s Church, just a pretty little church in the neighborhood.  Then I hopped back on the train and headed to Westbahnhof, where I picked up some bread, water, cheddar cheese, and train schedules for Salzburg and Budapest.  I can’t believe we only have tomorrow left before Elizabeth arrives and we fly to Bologna.  It’s going to be so much fun!

First days in Vienna

While the name of this blog is An American in Asia, this week I traveled to Europe.  I am spending just over 2 weeks in Eastern Europe, visiting our daughter Samantha who is spending a semester abroad in Vienna, Austria.  I'm going to be here long enough, and we're going to be visiting many places within Austria as well as in nearby countries, such as Italy, Hungary, Slovakia, that it will take me several blog entries to cover all the incredible sights and share my pictures.

I arrived on Saturday morning, after having flown all night from Shanghai and changed planes in Munich.  Samantha had class all day on Saturday, so I took a taxi to my hotel, dropped off my bags, and wandered around the Westbanhof area in which my hotel and Samantha's apartment are located.  Inside Westbanhof, the major train station in the western part of Vienna, there is a mall, so I was able to do a little shopping and have another breakfast, since they woke us at 3 a.m. (Vienna time) for breakfast on the plane.  I found my way to McDonald's because there was free WiFi, so I could check my email and Facebook, but it was too noisy for a Facetime call to Chris, so I went back to my hotel lobby for that.  The woman at the desk was very precise that I could not check in until 2 p.m., so I wandered along Mariahilferstrasse, near my hotel, which is one of the main shopping areas in Vienna. When I got into my room and unpacked, I had time for a little nap before catching up with Samantha for dinner.  Given that Shanghai is 7 hours ahead of Vienna, I'm having a little trouble staying awake very late in the evening, not like that's a new problem for me. 

On Sunday, Samantha had no classes, so we spent the day walking around downtown Vienna.  The architecture is incredible - what a beautiful city.  Even though every morning is very foggy and the weather was quite cool, I had a great time having Samantha show me the sights.  Many of the Christmas markets have opened or about to open, so the whole city has a very festive feel.   Samantha says that the weather has just recently turn colder, but there has been a lot of rain and fog most of the semester.  She has taken the time to explore a lot of the city while she's been here, by herself, with friends, and through the orientation program set up by the study abroad office, so she is pretty knowledgeable about Vienna, as well as some surrounding areas, by now.  It sounds like her trips to Krakow, Budapest, Salzburg, and Dublin were a lot of fun.  She's going to be going to London to visit Emory friends there after we leave and before her semester ends.  I know she feels torn between her desire to go home and see friends and family and stay here and continue to explore Europe.  I am so glad she's making the most of her time here.

To start our tour, we took the U-Bahn U-Bahn to Volktheater.  From there, we walked out at the Museums Quarter and saw the Leopoold Museum, the Mumok, and the museums in that area.  We walked across from the Museum Quarter to Maria-Theresten Platz, a beautiful square between the identical buildings that are the Natural History Museum and the Art History Museum where there is a huge statue honoring Empress Maria Theresa, the mother-in-law of Europe.  Maria Theresa was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg.  She had 16 children, including Marie Antoinette of France.
 

We walked through the square and on to the Heldenplatz, which is the public space in front of Hofburg Palace.  From the Palace, we could see the Rathaus (City Hall).  The Palace is lovely and Samantha explained how the original plan was to fill the Heldenplatz with palace buildings on both sides, but construction wasn’t completed before the end of the Habsburg dynasty.

We walked through the Palace compound and on past the Imperial Treasury, the Papyrus Museum, and the National Library, as well as the Sisi Museum at the Imperial Apartments.  We came out in Michaelerplatz, which is of significant historical import and is a site where Roman ruins have also been unearthed.  There is a long line of horse and carriages here waiting to show tourists the Heldenplatz and other sights of the city.  We turned and walked up toward the Rathaus and saw a huge Weihnachtmarkt in front of the Rathaus.  

The market was very traditional and full of all kinds of lovely Christmas decorations, hand-made items, crystal, etc.  I bought a new hat, because I found one that fit, and got Samantha some gloves, as it was much colder than we thought it would be.  Samantha and I also bought some snow globes, for which Vienna is famous.  

 After wandering through the market, we went into the Wiener Rathauskeller, in the basement of the Rathaus, for a lovely Austrian lunch.  The setting was beautiful and we were the only ones in our dining room for a long time, even though we got there at noon.  The food wasn’t fantastic – Samantha’s fried chicken was somewhat undercooked - but the hot chocolates were great and it was a lovely break from the cold outside.

After lunch, we walked the Karl-Renner Ring to the Austrian Parliament building, which is also stunning.  All of the architecture in Vienna is beautiful.  We walked on to the U-Bahn stop, having come full circle through the area, and took the U-Bahn to Karlsplatz, where the Karlskirche is.  We went inside the Church and up the elevator to see the top of the inside of the dome.  Very pretty paintings on the wall and beautiful reddish-brownish

marble throughout.  An Advent Market is being set up in Karlsplatz and will open while we’re in Bologna, so we’ll have to go back when we return to Vienna.  

We stopped in a café for a drink – wasser mit gas for me and another hot chocolate for Samantha – and then jumped back on the U-Bahn to go to the Naschmarkt, Vienna’s largest open air market, which is not open on Sundays.  

After all this touring, we headed back to Samantha's apartment, which I hadn't seen yet.  While small, it is very efficient and quite cozy.  She checked on assignments and emails from her teammates for work due in classes on Monday and Tuesday and then we went to a local cafe for a nice dinner.  We rounded out the evening watching a couple of episodes of The Big Bang Theory in my hotel room - always a nice way to unwind at the end of the day.  While I was getting too sleepy to stay awake long, she had to return to her apartment and get some reading done before Monday's class.  All-in-all, a great introduction to Vienna.  I'm excited to see more, whether it's on my own, with Samantha, or with Elizabeth, after she arrives.  This is a lovely city and I know we're really going to enjoy our visit here.