My original host I had planned for Vienna had canceled on me early in the week, but luckily, Phil had come to my rescue.
Phil was a tall native Austrian that spoke better American English than I did. He was also the second host to have a car at his disposal.
Everyone I meet at the station says they will "pick me up", but no one means in a car like most Americans would assume.
I had arrived in Vienna quite late, so we didn't go out to see the city that night. We talked for a couple hours, mostly about past and future travel plans. Mostly we stayed on the topic of his Russian girlfriend (ex? I couldn't keep the timeline straight, as he had also mentioned an American girlfriend) and her standard of living etc.
I admitted how little I knew about Russia. I generally had just considered it a cold and impoverished country with a knack for breeding scientists.
From what Phil told me, it didn't sound like I had stereotyped all that much.
Young students pick their specialties/careers at very young age. He said that PhD's were usually reached in their early twenties. Even though they had such a high level of education, they were still paid poorly. Living was expensive too. Despite the poor conditions. Small cramped apartments. Undrinkable tap water.
Apparently its even harder to get out of Russia for any period of time, than it is for us to get in to visit.
When you visit Russia, you first of all need a visa, no matter how long you're staying. You also need to know exactly where you're going. You tell the customs where you will be visiting, and you check in at these places. They always need to know where you are. If you go to leave the country, and you went somewhere other than your original itinerary, you're in trouble.
That sounds pretty scary to me.
The next morning we went out for breakfast. Phil had read on my profile that I eat eggs and oatmeal every morning for breakfast, so he took me to a typical Viennese cafe that served great omelets.
Over breakfast, he told me about his travels in Vietnam. Definitely not a top destination for Americans, at least not that I've ever heard. He got scammed several times during his trip. Hidden "fees". Broken taxi meters. He said the people there were constantly smiling, but they really hated your guts.
He also said that the majority of their shores all full of trash. They just don't give a shit and throw everything into the ocean. The same goes for animals. They just don't give a shit. Phil said he some local place of some kind when a lady brought in a dog that had been hit by a car. She threw it under the table and laughed. The dog was very much alive and in pain.
There are things in Asia I want to see and experience. But it's no where near the top of my list. I would do months of research before I spent even a week in any part of Asia.
Obviously we had a lovely breakfast discussion.
After breakfast, we got to work.
I was leaving the next morning and we were going to see all of Vienna in that time.
We walked over to the enormous park dedicated to Maria Theresa, last empress of Austria. The Gloriette was a beautiful structure with little function. Apparently Maria liked to drink her tea with a view.
This was all done via walking since it wasn't quite raining at this point.
Afterwards we jumped in the car and raced off.
And I mean raced off.
When Phil drives, he means business. And no speed limit is going to get in the way of his business.
Slightly terrifying.
We flew over to the Hundertwasserhaus, an apartment building designed by artist Hundertwasser. It was a beautiful building. Very few right angles besides the windows. Curves of color. Mosaics of glass and mirror. Non functioning pillars. Aesthetically pleasing in every way.
I cannot understand why design effort like that isn't put into more city buildings. The list to get to rent one of the apartments is years long.
Even with the tourists constantly oogling through your windows.
We walked over to the Museum of Art Fakes. A gallery filled with famous fakes (not forgeries, the artists didn't claim to be Matisse, Modigliani, etc). We didn't actually enter the real museum, as my budget would not accommodate the entrance fee.
Off we sped to the amusement park: Wurstelprater.
The amusement park's beginning goes back to the country's imperial era. It's most famous ride being the Weiner Riesenrad (ferris wheel). The entrance is free, but each ride has its own ticket fee, as they are owned by local families. I told Phil about Cedar Point, and even showed him a video when we got back to his place.
His eyes about popped out of his head.
Cedar Point, I told him, is the only reason one should visit Ohio.
Or unless it is to visit me (so I tell all my hosts).
After the Prater, Phil took me into the downtown district. Despite the rain, it was very pretty. Felt classy some how.
Oh, I forgot to mention Phil has an ice cream addiction.
You wouldn't know it by looking at the guy, buy he routinely puts down a liter of ice cream in one sitting.
We stopped at the same gelaterie twice. Once on the way into town, once on the way back to the car.
While in the downtown, we went to the Imperial Crypt (something he had no idea existed until I told him). There lied Austrian royalty dating back to the 1700's, including Maria Theresa and her husband.
After that, the only thing left for me to see was the Belvedere. A beautiful art museum with equally as stunning grounds surrounding it.
If only the sun had been shining...
We returned to Phil's flat and got ready to go out.
Go out and get schnit-faced.
He took me to a restaurant that served giant pig shaped platters with three types of schnitzel. Two were pig, one was chicken (I think), and it came with a side of schnitzel liver.
The meat schnitzel was amazing. The liver schnitzel....I probably wouldn't have minded it if I hadn't know what it was...
We called it an early night, as I had an early Easter train to catch the next morning.
(yes Easter, I'm that far behind...)
From Schnitastic Austria
Tegs
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