All Aboard to Budapest

Vienna was always considered the starting point of my mini-European vacation so all along, I was considering where else I could go.  Bratislava was definitely close by, and I could always settle on maintaining a pure Austrian experience by traveling to Western Austria, but I was looking for something a little more grandiose, and Budapest fit the bill perfectly as it was close enough to Vienna yet different enough to make it interesting.  To make the decision even easier, I came across the SparSchiene Special in which ÖBB offers Vienna <=>; Budapest train tickets for as little as 19 Euros each way.  So with my ticket in hand, I was off to the Wien Westbahnhof train station, not knowing exactly what to expect as this would be my train trip ever.

Well, this is what the train looked like from the outside... 

and in the inside...

and since you're curious, the washroom...

What surprised me was there was very little guidance as to which train wagon to climb into and of course, I ended up in the wrong cabin, but was quickly pointed in the right direction by an employee on board. I guess the train company expects everyone to know what they're doing.  Well, considering my train ticket was completely in German, I think I did pretty well on getting on the right train the first time, and the right seat on the second try.  Nevertheless, I got comfortable in my seat, and soon enough, the train started moving.


Soon enough, I was asked by an employee to present my train ticket, and I was off to Hungary!

Besides the wind turbines that dotted the farmland, the scenery was not too spectacular but it was interesting to notice the transition from Western to Eastern Europe along the way.  The train stopped at the Austrian-Hungarian border (or at least somewhere nearby) where there the ticket-checkers boarded off the train and new ones boarded the train and again, checked everyone's tickets. Now at this point, I was expecting to have my passport checked but this was not the case; only the train ticket was of any interest to the ticket-checker.  There were a few stops along the way, but none lasted more than a few minutes nor were there any announcements as to the next stop, etc. so if you plan to get off the train before hitting Budapest, it's up to you to get off at the right train station.

Just over three hours later, I arrived at Keleti Pályaudvar Station in Budapest, Hungary!

 

Last Full Day in Vienna

Day 4 arrived and it's another early start to the day.


The first objective of the day was to find a place to sleep the final night of my trip, which was still a few nights away but nevertheless I had unfortunately not booked a place to stay and now almost every place in town was completely booked or priced well out of my budget.  So it was off to a few nearby hostels in hopes of find an off-the-books bed but to no avail.  Oh well, if worse comes to worst, I'll just spend the night criss-crossing the city on the subway, tram, or bus....


Not wanting to waste anymore time, I started my way back to the subway station and passed by a basketball court. Now as you can see in the photo below, the Austrians play in cages!

Anyways, it's off to the subway so that I don't get stuck in the queue for Grand Tour tickets at Schloss Schönbrunn.  The tour gives you access to 40 rooms of the palace.  Each room has its own unique story and decorations, and provided for an interesting start to day.  I got there around 8:40 and didn't encounter a line-up.  On my way out however, I noticed the line-ups were out the door.  Luckily I came early! 

Photography of any kind was strictly prohibited inside the rooms so sorry, no pics to show you from the interior but in my opinion, the grounds surrounding the palace are far more interesting.

Also, on the palace grounds is the KHM Wagenburg, the home to the core of the carriage fleet of the Viennese Court.  This small museum provides a glimpse into the elegant horse-drawn carriages that whisked Austrian royalty throughout the generations. In addition to the ceremonial carriages, the collection includes little carriages for the kids and meticulous designed carriages for weddings and funerals.  Here's a sneak peak of what you can expect inside ;)

Midday passed and it was time to head back into town to take in the sights and sounds of old Vienna perhaps one last time. Next thing on the agenda was to stumble upon a baptism in Jesuitenkirche.

Now, just to show that Vienna isn't as impeccably pristine as you might think it is, here's an alley I came across while strolling in the Innere Stadt. 

Unlike in North America where Sunday shopping is the norm, Vienna appears to have limitations  as to which stores can open on Sundays, as only souvenir stores, bakeries, and chocolatiers were open.  Nonetheless, the Innere Stadt was lively with people being entertained by the buskers and enjoying the warm autumn sunshine while window shopping with their families.

With all this walking I was building up quite the appetite so it came as no surprise that I quickly darted into the Villacher restaurant asking for exactly what the two gentlemen were eating out in the courtyard. 

Now, I'm sure that "Texas Ribs in Sweet Hot Sauce mit Potato Wedges" isn't authentic Austrian cuisine but those ribs certainly demanded my attention.

And boy was I right!  The ribs were even better than they looked. I've had more than my share of ribs in my lifetime, and these were definitely the best by far! And to top it off, the courtyard was nice and peaceful so one can enjoy one's hearty meal without any distractions.

After my lip-smacking good ribs, I was off to stroll the Innere Stadt some more and came across a few things to satisfy my sweet tooth.

How can one say No to a "Buy 2, get the 3rd free" bakery special!?!

Or how about visiting Vienna without tasting some of its gelato?

Now I must admit that I am not a gelato connaisseur but I've had more than a few scoops of gelato back home in Canada, and this gelato was certainly the best ever.  At this point, I was wondering why there aren't more fat people in Vienna but it must be from all the walking because that's what I did for the rest of the evening as I window-shopped all the way back to the hostel to get ready for Budapest!

Sights Unseen

Just when I thought I'd seen it all, I arrive at Karlskirche, the largest Baroque cathedral north of the Alps.

Despite the stale water of the pond and graffiti of nearby concrete walls, this church is definitely worth a visit. The two massive exterior pillars are wrapped with detailed illustrations that goes to show the dedication to detail people had back in the day.

So to this point, you're probably thinking what's the big deal... this is just another church in Europe.  But once you walk in and straight looking around,

you'll quickly notice the rig set up in the pew area and if you look up, way up, you'll see another contraption...

Yes, that's right.... there's an elevator that leads you to a viewing platform where you can get a closer look at the dome's artwork, and if that isn't close enough to the art for you, you can take the stairs up further to get within arms distance of the actual dome as you climb up to the tiny observation deck at the top. 

You will quickly recognize the special skills required to paint domed ceilings as you have to take into account how the mural will look from the floor and not how it looks on the curved dome surface.

Another source of entertainment was watching tourists, obviously afraid of heights, try to overcome their fears up on the platform.... LOL.

I believe the elevator and viewing platform is temporary in nature, as the cathedral undergoes restoration work, but nevertheless, the thought of seeing an elevator right smack in the middle of a church, was definitely a pleasant surprise that makes this church unique in my books.

Next stop: The Rathaus

Now when I first saw this building from afar, I thought it was yet another church but it is not.  It's Vienna's City Hall.  It was the weekend and city hall was turned over to the gamers as part of Game City 2009 festivities. So picture this, a typically stuffy, old political hub is taken over by teenagers for the day. Ahh, a clash of the generations.

After getting spritzed with the latest in technology, it was off to the next attraction but not before noting that camping is not permitted in the nearby park.

LOL... I just can't get enough of that sign!

Votivkirche is one of the most important neo-Gothic religious architectural sites in the world (according to Wikipedia). yet as you approach it, you can only start laughing at the fact that it's wrapped with advertisements including a massive Kia banner.

So there you have it, Day 3 comes to an end as I sit back on a lawn chair and enjoy the peaceful sunset in the park.

The Belvedere

Day 3 in Vienna begins with another trip on the subway...

but perhaps I got off at the wrong stop...

Definitely not the Vienna I've been used to the past few days but nevertheless, I stick with my sense of direction and head upstairs towards the sunlight and catch the tram to The Belvedere as planned.

The Belvedere is a palace split into two residences (the Upper and Lower Belvedere) separated by a magnificently manicured lawn.

This was the first attraction that restricted the use of photographic equipment in the vast majority of the interior but Mike was able to sneak a few snaps to capture the atmosphere of the Upper Belvedere...

Both former royal residences are now galleries housing an impressive art collection including the world's largest collection of Gustav Klimt collection.  The Lower Belvedere houses a number of staterooms each of which is distinctively decorated including The Golden Room, so exuberantly golden in colour that Donald Trump would be envious.  


Between the impressive architectural design, carefully manicured lawn, intriguing artwork, and relaxing garden, The Belvedere did not disappoint.

Munching about Vienna

A trip to Vienna wouldn't be quite right without trying some of its cuisine....

No better way to spend some time wandering around Michaelerplatz, then to have a fresh pretzel in your hand...

Next stop is Cafe Central.  While described as a "tourist trap" in all the guidebooks, I was expecting a cheesy cafe with nonsensical decorations but instead I entered an immaculate coffeehouse.

Now comes the tough part, which cake do I wish to try...

After a delightful sugar-laden piece of cake and hot cocoa, it was off to the Schatzkammer (Treasury) to check out Austria's collection of medieval royal objects. The entrance of the museum are replica vault doors, an obvious yet fitting way to greet visitors.

Besides the crown displayed in all the brochures, there were several other interesting artifacts like the royal crib, but in all honesty, I was a bit disappointed in the exhibits, as I went around each corner expecting to finally hit the "Wow" collection but that never happened.

So while it was an interesting sight, I would recommend skipping over the Treasury if you are rushing through Vienna as there are more worthwhile things to see in town.  That being said, if you have the time and have a museum pass that includes admission to the Schatzkammer, by all means take a few minutes to walk through the small museum and check it out for yourself.  Perhaps, you'll find it more interesting than I did.


In addition to the Treasury, the Hofburg Imperial Palace houses a number of attractions, including the Prunksaal that houses the Austrian National Library.  Typically, a national library wouldn't be interesting, but the Austrians, well to put it lightly, do things with class, and this library is no exception.

Interestingly enough, I was allowed to take as many photos as I wanted as long as I didn't photograph the display cases.  I mention this because the displays were exhibiting some boring historical literature that in my opinion wasn't even worth photographing, so there I was taking full advantage of the non-hectic surroundings to lie on the ground, and play around with Joby and my camera to take almost floor-level photos of the spectacular art work found throughout the building.

Joby had already received curious looks throughout the streets of Vienna, and the Library's security guards were definitely keeping a close eye on me so it was no surprise that they were eager to inform me that the library was closing for the evening so I obliged and left the Library.  Once you leave the Library, there's a bit of walk to actually exit the Palace and one would expect that you could take your time to hang out in the lobby but no such luck.  In Vienna, when Security says they close at 6, they mean they close the last door at 6 o'clock sharp!


After being escorted out of the Palace, it was off to the Vienna Opera House to get a standing room ticket.  Tickets for standing room are available only from the evening box office that opens 80 minutes before the performance starts.  Now you're probably wondering, why would Mike ever want to go see the Opera, let alone one in German.  But when you consider Opera tours are more expensive than a standing room ticket, you see my rational behind my curiosity at attending the Mayerling Ballet instead of just going on a lame guided tour.  Now, one would expect cheap standing room to be in the nosebleeds but to my surprise, the standing room was dead center at the back of the lower level.

So I arrived at the standing room area, and thought I had a wide selection of spots to choose from but I was quickly informed that most of the spots were already taken.  Apparently, if you come early, you can simply tie a handkerchief or some other sort of placeholder to mark your spot, and then proceed to linger in the lobby.  Nevertheless, I found a free spot and soon enough, the ballet started.  Evidently, ballet and Mike don't mix as I was bored out of my mind and I eventually could not stand watching it any more so after 15 minutes, I slipped outside and took in the Viennese night sky.