So, what does one do when one has four days to hang out in Vienna, without any plans? Well, a lot it turns out.
First, there was the visit to the Hundertwasser Haus. It's an apartment building that looks, to say the least, eclectic; I describe it as a "favela" in a building. I had tried to see it a couple of times when I lived in Vienna, but managed to get lost looking for it. This time, however, I had a map and an address and after a few wrong turns found myself standing in front of the place, along with throngs of tourists that apparently have a better sense of direction than I do. So I spent some time just looking at the building, enjoying its uneven lines and the sign on the door politely apologizing for not letting people see the inside of the building since folks actually lived there. I hung around for 20 minutes soaking in the place and then left, with a sense of mission finally accomplished.
Second, I went to revisit my favorite church in Vienna, Ruprechtskirche. It's the oldest church there, darkened with time and covered in ivy. I think I like it so much because it is small. Most of the churches that I have seen in Vienna are huge buildings reaching for the skies, covered in gold and frescoes and stained glass, Ruprechtskirche is small and, except for a few stained glass windows, unadorned. That gives it a cozy feeling that I really like. They also have a glass sarcophagus with the body of St. Vitalis in a reclining pose which I find both comical and disturbing, but for a fan of zombie movies that is just perfect.
Then there was just hanging around the Graben and Kaertnerstrasse, sitting in one of the outdoor cafes (which thoughtfully provide blankets for the patrons), doing some people-watching. When I was living in Vienna I enjoyed walking around that part of town, taking in the street artists and soaking in the atmosphere. I was on a student budget, though, and a cup of coffee at one of those cafes was way beyond my reach and a "one of these days I'm going to do that" dreams. Well, one of those days finally happened and I had a blast.
Another culinary goal for the trip was to have a sausage in one of those sausage kiosks they have all over town. No, this was not another "one of these days" dream, I had actually eaten at those places often; I just wanted to relive the experience. So off to Schwedenplatz where I managed to order the sausage whole (you can also have it cut for you) and had it with bread and mustard. It was a tasty experience, probably because there was a lot of nostalgia involved. What made it even better was that not a drop of mustard made its way to my coat or sweater!
Looking for new touristy experiences, I went to visit the Schatzkammer, or treasury, or whatever it is called. It's the place where the Hapsburgs kept their robes, jewelry and treasures and well worth the visit. Lots of scepters for the different positions in court, lots of regal robes that looked like someone had borrowed a curtain to make them, and the occasional reliquary with the bone of some saint. Now, I already have trouble with the concept of keeping around body parts of other people, and the fact that they build beautiful ornate displays for them just makes it even stranger. However, the stranges thing for me was when they decorated the bones themselves, like a string of pearls wrapped around a bone, or a little crown placed on top of a finger. Bizarre, surreal, but a wonderful way to pass the time.
There was one final culinary experience I wanted to revisit, a trip to the Schnitzelwirt for one of their giant schnitzels. This was a place where I ate occasionally when I lived in Vienna, where you could get these huge, bigger than the plate, schnitzels at a very cheap price. The place was still around and I managed to drag Erich and Ingrid with me where we enjoyed good food and good conversation. The schnitzels were still bigger than the plate and my stomach is still smaller than the plate, so the end result was that I took the leftovers home and had it for lunch the next day.
I did have one mission for those final days, go for a ride in the Prater Riesenrad for Sharon. This is a giant Ferris Wheel, which Sharon had first seen in "The Third Man" and wanted to visit. So I got on the U-Bahn, got out at the Prater station and after a short walk and some exchange of money found myself inside one of the cabins that make up the wheel. It was a gray day, and the visibility was not too good, or maybe it was my tears, but there wasn't much to be seen, just some rooftops and the cranes across the Danube, indicating in which direction Vienna was growing. I thought a lot about my wife during that ride, and came down sad, but happy to have done it for her.
Erich joined me in a walk to Heldenplaz for Austria Day. To celebrate the day, different government agencies had set kiosks at the square, there was food, bands playing, helicopters a mock-up of the Eurofighter on display and lots and lots of people. For me the highlight was again culinary: Erich had been talking up Kaesekrainer, so I had to give it a try. It is a pork and beef sausage filled with cheese, messy to eat and delicious.
The rest of the time was spent with friends. Got to see Evi again, Babsi came all the way from Prague and we spent the day together, walking all over town. That Saturday we were all invited to dinner at Karin's place and I spent my last evening in the company of friends, eating, drinking and talking. Not a bad way to finish one's vacation.
And finish it did. The next day I woke up early, boarded a plane, and after a whole day of flying I was back home, ready to get back to my everyday life, tired and content.
