Haoda and Ava in District.9

In this picture, the area bounded by the red lines is the 9th district of Vienna, Alsergrund. It is located north of the first district. When we first went there, we found the houses here are really regular and normal. According to the online resources, those are government-built housing.  It is a very peaceful area without too many people and cars. I think this is because many departments of University of Vienna are located here. This district also associated with many notable names of Viennese art and science. Here is the birthplace of Romantic composer Franz Schubert and Berggasse 19 is the former house and office of Sigmund Freud from 1891 to 1938, when he was expelled from Vienna. There is a Sigmund Freud Museum in his former house, which is on the second floor in an old building.

Having read a lot of Freud, it is mysterious for us to visit the old place of the antecedent of psychology. His place was occupied by Nazi army during the WW2 and later by local tenants. Though most of the furniture and collection were gone, Anna Freud, the offspring of Sigmund Freud, contributed Sigmund’s museum by donating. Stepped into his old house, we saw the famous waiting hall for his patience. We are also able to closely examine some of his old objects like suitcase, walking stick and hat in the hall. Freud’s hobbies are famous. Traveling, smoking cigar and reading. In the exhibition room hanged the writing of him from postcards, letters and travel journals. From this collection we can tell his zeal about traveling. He had been traveling to Italy more than ten times during his lifetime. For him, Italy was the origin of myths, the center of human civilization.

In his living room stands the collection of Sigmund Freud. He is fascinated by collecting antiques. His collection ranged from Roman relics to ancient Chinese sculptures. He thought from investigating the old he could be able to tell the true of human thoughts. On the wall hanged his certification of Honor Citizen of Vienna which was given to him for his outstanding accomplishment in psychoanalysis. Unfortunately due to the unrest society and the frequent house moving of Freud, no more history was left in this house. He escaped from this dark house into another place in courtside for his mental sickness.

Delaney and Hamda take on Donaustadt!

We decided back in Seattle that we wanted explore the 22^nd district because it was the furthest away, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Thirty minutes and two U-bahn transfers later, we arrived in our district – Donaustadt. The first thing we noticed was the diversity, we had nearly forgotten Vienna being a city of royalty, was also a city of immigrants. Knowing the best way to explore Donauinsel was by bicycle, we set out to find a place to rent one. The Donau was absolutely breathtaking, if you looked close enough you could see some of the rocks submerged in water and cloaked in seaweed.

Donaustadt is a perfect place to go if you want to get out of the city but not actually leave the city. There were children playing soccer, people flying kites, or just lazing about eating ice cream. After finally finding a bicycle rent shop and trying to remember the German word for “rent”, we were flying past the pedestrian crowds. Peddling across a variety of terrains, we saw breathtaking views of hills with castles and vineyards. There’s something about bicycling on a beautiful afternoon with nothing else planned but coffee and cake afterwards that puts our souls at ease. A fairly large island, we biked for an hour in one direction before relaxing in a meadow and turning back to our original location. We both wondered how cold the Donau was, so we stopped and briefly stuck our hands in. It was refreshingly warm after experiencing the icy waters of the Puget Sound.

Before we returned to the rent shop, we noticed a man lying in a grassy patch next to the river. We wondered if he was wearing beige colored pants. We found out the hard way that he was not wearing beige colored pants but that he was in fact very much naked. If this had happened in a park in Seattle we would have already been on the phone with the police reporting a man flashing innocent bicyclists. But because this is Vienna, we took it in stride and tried to burn the image out with delicious cake.

 After we returned our bikes, we stopped at a café to enjoy Wiener Eis Kaffee and Schoko-Crème Torte. Sitting at our table, we observed both the Viennese and their dogs. We noticed that Viennese dogs only come in two sizes – super super large or absolutely tiny. Because we visited the island on a Friday afternoon, we were able to witness the Viennese relaxing after a long workweek and before the many Easter festivities.

 So if you wish to relax away from the city and take in the breathtaking Viennese scenery, we highly recommend journeying to Donaustadt. But be forewarned, your visit may or may not include nudity.

16th District: Ottakring

16^thDistrict Ottakring

Although we had already realized how diverse Vienna is, arriving in Ottakring district we were surprised to find out the extend of culture diversity in this district. As soon as we stepped out of the U-bahn at the Josephstädter station, we could tell this district was not like the other we had visited. The streets were transited and full of life and the sound of other languages contributed to the experience, and ultimately was what gave this district its particular character.  This district is home to some 97,000 residents and the Ottakring Braurei.

Brunnenmarkt

The Brunnenmarkt, which runs along Brunnengasse on the eastside of the district offers a culmination of produce and products, both local and imported.  The produce that is offered at the market stands reflects the culinary needs of the local diverse population.  There is seemingly a broad selection of anything from cheeses, spices, fruits, vegetables, and meats, from all over Europe and Asia.  The Brunnenmarkt does not appear to represent itself as a main tourist landmark. Its easy to understand that the relationship between merchant and costumer was pretty casual; as most customers must be local and frequent the stands regularly throughout the week.

Yppenplatz

As the stands of the Brunnenmarkt stop, we

 arrive at the Yppenplatz, where our

exploration concluded. This square just at

the end of the market along Brunnengasse.

 The Kebab stands that are located at the end

of the market, transition smoothly into Yppenplatz, where restaurants and cafés serve

traditional Viennese and European foods. The restaurants, cafés and bars embrace the

Eastern side of the Platz with a neighboring park and playground just on the westside.  This

Area offers the locals a place to spend the afternoon, whether by relaxing at a café or playing

 soccer with friends at the courts. 

By: Isaiah Morris and Michael Carrizosa

 

 

 

 

District 8 Josephsstadt

We explored Josephsstadt this week and it was really pretty. Josephsstadt is the smallest district in Vienna and it is very quiet and calm compared to other districts I have been to in Vienna. We ate lunch in a cafe and had traditional Viennese food. The goulash was delicious. It was exciting ordering food in German from the waiter. It is always fun to try out my German outside of the class room. Cafes in Vienna are so relaxed, the waiters never try to rush you out once you have finished eating, which is really nice and much different than in the US. We walked around the district and went window shopping. The district is very residential, most of the buildings are beautiful Baroque style apartment buildings. However, the shops in Josephsstadt are mostly small mom and pop specialty stores which were really fun to explore. Most of the stores in the more touristy areas of Vienna are large multinational chain stores which are not nearly as special as the small family run stores I found in Josephsstadt. We went into a beautiful very small candy store that was selling the cutest easter candy. There were marzipan rabbits, beautiful chocolate flowers, and all sorts of rainbow colored gummy candy. It was really fun to look at all the speciality chocolates and truffles. We also went into a family run toy store that sold carved wooden toys. The toys were very cute and whimsical. We also went into a small bookstore. It was so small it could only fit three people comfortably, but it was absolutely crammed with german novels. I bought a small book of Goethe poetry about flowers. It is all in German and I am hoping by the end of the three months in Vienna I will be able to read and understand the poetry.
We also went into three different churches. I am amazed by the number of beautiful churches and cathedrals throughout Vienna. Every church I go into is so extravagant and there seems to be an uncountable number of churches in the city. My favorite church we went into was Maria-Treu-Kirche. It was not what I was expecting from the outside. The church was decorated in a Baroque style, it had curved ceilings with intricately carved molding and gold leaf. The pulpit was covered entirely in gold leaf. The ceiling of the church has beautiful frescoed ceilings depicting biblical scenes. It was one of the most beautiful churches I have ever been inside. We were the only people inside the church and it was really cool to be able to look at all the details of the church in quiet without being rushed. Some of the other larger touristy churches I've visited were so filled with people it was hard to appreciate all the details.
We ate cupcakes at a beautiful small mom and pop style cupcake store. The cupcakes were covered in beautiful frosting and they were delicious. It was the perfect way to end the exploration.

Simmering: District 11

11th District Crest

District 11, known as Simmering, is located in Southeastern Vienna.
To get there from the fourth district. Board the U1 at the Südtiroler Platz and change trains at Stephansplatz, boarding the U3. Our trip took us to the Zentralfriedhof, located on the edge of the district.

Once on the U3, take it all the way to the end of the line. Exit the station, hop on a tram heading Southeast, and the Straßenbahn stops at four of the many gates to the cemetery.

Upon descending from the Strassenbahn we were met with the sight of the tall brick walls of the Zentralfriedhof, which have been standing for nearly 150 years.

Map of the Districts of Vienna,
Simmering is bolded

The northwest corner of the graveyard, where we entered, is home to the nearly 80,000 Jews interred on the grounds. A lightly maintained grass pathway leads through the weather-worn Jewish tomb stones. A majority of the graves are completely overgrown by wild brambles and tall grass, hinting that the descendents of the buried most likely moved away from Vienna over the years.
   
As we wandered further along the grassy pathway, taking an endless number of turns, we began to see Jewish tombstones that have been completely destroyed, headstones toppled over, and ivy growing over the monuments to the departed. Rubble is all that remains of hundreds of stones, owing to their destruction during Kristallnacht in 1938.

As we walked further through the rows and rows of overgrown graves. The undergrowth began to clear and and the trees started to thin. Emerging from the trees we stumbled into a different section of the cemetery.

Here the headstones were packed tightly together. They were clean and ordered in rows that you could see over. Countless graves in row upon neat row.

The contrast between the two sections of the Zentralfriedhof were startling. In the Jewish section there was an oppressive feel amongst the graves, with the untamed grass, destroyed grave markers, wildly growing trees and creeping ivies. While this newer section, a Christian section, was ordered and clear, with more open spaces. Beyond that though was the noticeable difference in the age of the is part of the cemetery.

Aerial shot the center of the Zentralfriedhof,
the Jewish section we were in
is off the photo on the right hand side

Where the Jewish section had familial plats from the 1800s, while the majority of the markers in this section were from the early to mid-twentieth century. The Jewish section we were in is listed on maps as the Alter jüdischer Friedhof. We didn't realize that there was another Jewish section on the other end of the graveyard until later.

Wandering through this rows of names and families, we stumbled upon a collection of well known graves on the central street of the Zentralfriedhof.

Right before the Karl-Borromäus-Kirche in a section all to themselves are the graves of great Austrian Musicians, like Schubert, Mozart, and Beethoven, surrounded by other great Austrian thinkers, explorers and engineers.

Walking from the grove of graves, towards the Karl-Borromäus-Kirche, we found the crypt of Austrian Federal Presidents in front of the Kirche, where the Austrian Federal Presidents have been laid to rest.

The church itself was quiet and large, devoid of noise, much like the cemetery itself. Completed at the turn of the twentieth century, during the latter years of Franz-Joseph's reign.

As we made our way out of the church, down the main road and eventually left the graveyard, our legs were getting so tired that even stepping onto the tram was a exhausting. We were so distracted by the thousands of tombs that we had not realized just how much we had walked and still had only managed to see portions of the graveyard.

In total the graveyard covers 2.4 square kilometers, making it the second largest in all of Europe. A saying even exists at Zurich's expense..."Halb so groß wie Zürich - aber doppelt so lustig ist der Wiener Zentralfriedhof! (half the size of Zurich and twice as much fun). This comes from the fact that its total area is only half the size of Zurich, but "population" is twice that of Zurich.

   

Once four large Gas tanks, Gasometer is now a shopping,
 housing, and entertainment complex

Other things to see in Simmering:

Simmering is not all doom and gloom, there are many other sites of interest.

Gasometer is home to a shopping mall, an entertainment complex, and housing. There is even if that floats your boat.

Schloss Neugebäude is the former hunting lodge of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II and offers an amazing look back into history.

- By Brendan Anderson and Hiram Munn

District 4, Wieden - Exploration Blog (Julia Lister/James Böker)

      This was a nice district to explore as it is the district we live in. So we kind of lucked out that we didn't have to travel to the ends of the ubahn lines to get to the far out districts! But the interesting thing about the various districts of Vienna is over time they have changed, however since the end of the Second World War for the most part they have stayed constant. After the end of WWII the city of Vienna was divided among the allied forces, similar to what happened in Berlin, Germany. The 4th district, Wieden, came under the control of the Soviet Union during this occupational time, and even today it is still very evident. Our district is full of communist style architecture and communal housing.

     Within the 4th district there is the Belvedere Palace, the site that we decided to choose for the exploration as it was the most appealing.

     The Palace is amazingly well kept, and the grounds and gardens are beautiful. The palace grounds span almost the entire length of the district and are a popular spot for tourists and site-seers. As the warmer weather approaches the palace gardens will start to bloom and new flowers will be planted making the site even more gorgeous and appealing than it is now. The palace gardens and grounds are home to multiple fountains, a large central tiered waterfall, and various statues giving it a majestic and imperial feel when strolling through. This only adds to the actual architecture of the palace itself, styled in the Baroque style. The palace has two parts, the upper and lower palace, both beautifully laden with baroque styling and intricacies. Overall it is a beautiful palace to see in Vienna, and next to the Shonbrunn, it is one of the best in the city.

     We were unable to actually take a tour of the palace itself and learn about the history behind it but I am sure we will make it there and do the actual tour sometime soon.

 

 The Upper Palace.

2nd District: Leopoldstadt

Welcome One And All! 

Welcome To The Magical Mystery Virtual Tour Edition of the 2nd District

By: Irina Bobrik & Marina Oldfin

Leopoldstadt is the name of the 2nd district, which is originally named after the Habsburg Emperor Leopold I. Leopoldstadt is also known as the "island district", for the entire district does not actually border Ringstrasse - it lies on an "island" between the Donau Canal and the Donau River. This district is known for its large Jewish community, therefore this district has yet another name: Mazzeinsel (Matzo Island). There are many kosher restaurants and grocery stores in the district, as well as synagogues. Due to the lower real estate prices, the district attracts many immigrants and students. During the 17th century through 1940's came from the Jewish community in the 2nd district, famous people like Sigmund Freud, Gustav Mahler, and Theodor Herzl. The 2nd district is also home to Vienna's most famous boarding school: the Vienna Boys Choir!

The district land used to be used as the imperial hunting grounds, consisting of woods, meadows, as well as an amusement park. The reformist Emperor Joseph II opened this district to the public in the 18th century. Now the district hold the amusement park, a golf course, 2 horse racing courses ( the Trabrennbahn Krieau and the Galopprennbahn Freudenau). There are also a lot of parks for walking, jogging, and strolling with pets/people! 

The site that we chose to give you all a virtual tour on is the lovely Prater Amusement Park!

The Riesenrad at the Prater Amusement Park!

One of the biggest attractions at the park, located at its entrance, is the historical Wiener Riesenrad, built in 1897 by Walter Bassett Bassett. This Riesenrad was built to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Emperor Franz Josef I. It towers over the park at 64.75m (212ft) tall and weighing over 430 tons! In the year 1916 there was a permit drafted for the demolition of the wheel but due to lack of funding, they ended up letting it stand. Originally, the wheel had 30 gondolas but after WWII and reconstruction, the wheel only has 15 gondolas remaining. This famous Ferris Wheel has been featured in big blockbuster films such as The Third Man(1949), Scorpio(1973), and the James Bond film: The Living Daylights(1987)!

It is only 9 euros to ride the Riesenrad and to enjoy a beautiful view of the city of Vienna! However if you are feeling romantic, you can rent out a gondola for a magical romantic candlelight dinner starting at only 210 euros/hour!!! The Riesenrad features two main Luxuswaggons: the Kaiserwaggon, andloclocated. f you look hard enoughbilaeumswaggon for your dining pleasure! You can choose to eat from a variety of delicacies in your Luxuswaggons, such as Schinkenplatte with Austrian Cheeses, Praline aus Gemuese and Kraetersalat on Zwiebelmarmelade, Rindfleischsuppe, and more!!

A wonderful sign welcoming us to the Prater Amusement Park!!

As we ventured out of the U-bahn station, we were greeted into the park by this lovely sign (as shown above)! 

This is EXACTLY where the 2nd District is located in the world!!!

To the right of the entrance of the Prater Amusement Park is the Vienna Zeiss Planetarium! Outside the building was a giant globe, so we decided that this was our chance to really show everyone where exactly this amusement park is located. If you look hard enough you can probably even see the Riesenrad!! It is only 8 euros to get into the planetarium and to view the stars!!!!

The classical colorful carousel!!!!

Throughout the amusement park there are many rides to go on. Above you see a quaint carousel made for little children to ride. They had another carousel in the park for adults and children, however it was run by real horses/ponies!!

The daunting dangerous delightful dinosaurs!!!!!

Here we have a dinosaur themed roller coaster (they made real dinosaur noises too!!!)

The magical dreamy mystical disorienting Magic Dreamland!!!!!!  (Fun house)

We found the giant house elves and a mini dementor playing a flute!!!!!!! (Closed when we were there...not exactly sure what kind of ride it is...)

The Praterturm!!!!!!!!

This is the other main attraction here at the Prater Amusement Park: the Praterturm!! It it the tallest swing carousel ride IN THE WORLD!!! It towers over the world at 117m (383ft) and weighs over 200tons! This turm was a recent addition to the park on May 1st, 2010. Irina was brave enough to actually go on this ride!! It offers a glorious view of the city of Vienna as well, and does not go as fast as on might fear!

The mini swing carousel in motion!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for taking this magical mystery virtual tour with us!! We had an amazing experience in our district. Hope you all have a chance to visit the Prater Amusement Park!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First Impressions of Vienna

Arriving on a calm midday Sunday allowed me to slip into a world of Viennese café spawning culture, with ease.  Upon arrival at the airport I caught the CAT line to Wien Mitte, then from there I hovered down the escalators to catch the U-bahn.  The public transportation operated promptly and punctually, taking me near to my preliminary hotel, just a few days before the study program began.  The hotel was just a brief walk from the U-bahn station.  Navigating the transportation system turned out to be a simple enough task for a jet lagged, non-native student such as myself, arriving in Vienna. 

Just traveling to my hotel brings back memories of my past trip to Germany and the transportation system they have there, which is identical in Austria.  An individual can be allowed so much freedom and ease of travel, without having to own a car.  It’s a near idealistic system of efficient public transportation and a seemingly important element to Vienna’s vitality.  Without it, I could only imagine that Vienna would be crippled during peak hours by the influx of cars and cyclists on the already narrow, car lined streets.

Just by walking the streets and admiring the architecture of Vienna, I have developed a personal sense for just how old and beautiful this city really is.  I’ve recently visited the childhood home of my great grandmother and compared it with a picture from a hundred years ago.  Very little of the building resembles the face it once wore, but today it still stands with the upper archway of the main door in its original form.  I believe that this also reflects the physical image of Vienna, in some ways.  If you look in the right places it’s easy to find the old faces of Vienna; the old buildings that assure its history.  Look elsewhere, and the faces of newer buildings can be seen, dating from pre and post WWII eras, and much of them residential. 

Vienna’s population and culture is still quite diverse and is noticeable on the faces of all the people I see throughout the city, as well as in the great selection of food and goods that are readily available.  It’s a confirmation that the culmination of culture from surrounding countries is still prevalent here in Vienna.

First Impression

            My first impression of Vienna was built on plane. By the time the plane was landing, I got a chance to have a bird’s eye of view on Vienna. The landscape was amazing. My field of vision was full of two color, green and yellow. Green are the forest and plants and yellow are for the mountain and fields. And between those greens and yellows, sat Vienna.

            I arrived in Vienna on a Sunday afternoon. A typical Viennese Sunday. After I checked in Hostel 4, it is already 5. Rather than staying in room, I decide to go out and explore the city. Walking on the street, I can rarely saw residences here. And the shops were closed as well. After walking for half an hour, all I can find were a little grocery store and a pizzeria that still open. Nobody was working. Streets were empty. And the night after six was dead quiet.

            On the second day, most of people in our group arrived at hostel. We went to Karlsplatze for a walk. The street looked totally different. Shops were open and people were out. By the time we went to Karlsplatze it was past 1pm. We were amazed that so many idle people were there in parks and cafes. It seemed that Viennese people enjoyed life a lot. Here I cannot have a cup of coffee to go, instead I can sit in the café and have a full Viennese breakfast served with rolls, coffee, orange juice and water. And the building here kept their tradition. Seattle’s building were more modern and practical, while the building here in the street kept the same style. I can seldom see big advertisement on street. On the contrary, I have to look carefully to find where the building of IKI is. And at last I found it at the front door of the building whose sign was as big as an IPad.

             In comparison, people here walks even slower than Seattle and are fond of tobacco and alcohol. Due to their lack of living pressure can enjoy daily life.

First Impressions of Vienna: Culture Hub

I am of the opinion that you can never fully comprehend a culture unless you take the ultimate leap and explore said culture directly. That is the case with Vienna; which after spending a quarter studying it in class (German 299) and becoming very familiar with it through photos and readings, once I arrived in it, I couldn’t help but to feel sublimely perplexed.  

My transition into Vienna was particularly complicated and quite a new experience. I first travelled from Seattle to Barcelona and spent three days there with Haoda. The switch in language and culture were a consistent hardship in my visit, since I had to speak Spanish in Barcelona and also had to speak English with Haoda. The latter phenomena remained constant as I arrived in Vienna; only this time I needed to brush up my German language skills. The difference in German accent and the presence of other language were one of the first things I notice as I ventured into the city.

One of the best ways I find to define a culture is through its diversity in food, and I can say, Vienna is a very diverse city! (even more than I thought so.) My first meal arriving into Vienna was a Falafel, and since then I have tried to explore the city not only by visiting monuments but gastronomically!

Smoking culture in Vienna and I’ll venture to say in Europe, is very extensive. Coming from Seattle and being a social smoker I can say that there is a different social perception of smoking here. At least no one gives me judging looks when I light up a cigarette while having a cup of coffee!

Finally one of the things that I find very fascinating is the fact that I’m living in a place whose culture is old but still prevalent. I felt especially overwhelmed as I visited the Central Café, where so many intellectuals and artist gathered at some point in history, and while I sipped my wiener Melange, all I could think was that if time were to be bend and past and present became one, I could find myself sat right next to Sigmund Freud.

Michael Carrizosa

First Impressions: Vienna, Austria

First Impressions: Vienna Visiting a country for the first time can seem rather daunting - even to those who are well traveled. I like to believe that I am well traveled for my age, with experiences that I try to use to help me when new situations in life arise. I had already traveled to Germany before, which I considered/expected Austria to be quite similar to, so I already had a picture in my mind of what I should expect during my stay in Vienna, Austria. I have to say that even with their similarities, and how prepared I initially thought I was, there were still some surprises that came up. Language is one of the main things that I noticed here in Vienna. I had expected just to hear people speaking German, even perhaps having a different accent or speaking another dialect, but that isn't the case. For our readings in Germ.299 we learned that Vienna is sort of an international hub in Europe - in the middle of eastern and western European nations. Due to this, there are many people here speaking not only German, but also other eastern European languages - and sometimes those languages are mixed as well. The people here are patient though with you, which is nice when you are trying to practice your German, or also simply trying to get information/receive assistance. They have a really great public transportation system here - very convenient! It took a little time to get used to how the trains/subways all work and how to get from one place to another while still trying to remember where you are and where you are trying to go to. However I believe that I have it down by now!! One big difference that I noticed between Austria and the US is how much they smoke here - literally everyone smokes here in Austria. This is something that I am not quite used to from back home since they are allowed to smoke also inside places/restaurants. My throat is raw and sore form this sort of environment however I will not allow that to deter me from enjoying my stay here in Vienna! The cityscape here is absolutely beautiful - very rich in architecture!!! There first couple of days I was able to explore some parts of Vienna and see some lovely sites. I am excited about the prospects of getting to see more of the city and other historical/cultural sites, as well as further developing my German language skills!!

Vienna: City of Palaces, Tiny Glasses of Water, and Schnitzel.

The first thing I saw when I got off my plane at Vienna International Airport was a great big sign pointing you in the direction of the smoking room. As a matter of fact as soon as I was able to go outside I took in a great big breath and smelled…cigarettes and bread. I’ve never been around people who smoke so I’m not accustomed to the smell but I quickly realized that I better get used to it since everyone smokes here. I’ve had a couple of different people ask me if they could get a cigarette and clearly didn’t believe me when I told them I didn’t have any. After going out one night we joked that we might as well have been smoking since we had inhaled so much of it.

However cigarettes aren’t the only thing I’ve noticed about Vienna. Eating out is an entirely new experience. There is no such thing as a quick meal here and even if you tried you would fail. You order your food and drinks, eat, and then talk for 2 hours. Servers are absolutely nowhere to be found. They leave you alone to eat your meal, and unlike servers back in the States, they don’t stop by every 15 minutes to ask how everything is. They’re also generally pretty grumpy but you don’t have to tip much or at all so the grumpiness I can deal with.

Viennese food is probably everything I would expect it to be. Usually there aren’t very many meat choices besides pork so I’ve unwillingly turned into a vegetarian. My first Wiener schnitzel was pretty good, though the American in my yearned for a bottle of ketchup.

I’m increasingly overwhelmed by the age of everything. Walking around the Ringstraße you can’t help but think you might be walking exactly where Sigmund Freud walked. While also a city full of artists, Vienna is a city bursting with contradictions. A city of stunning architecture and tired eyed homeless families. Ancient palaces next to fairly new government housing. In many ways it has continued to be the city of the Habsburgs and in many ways it has not. All I know is, this city is beautiful and perplexing and older than I will ever truly be able to imagine.

Vienna First Impressions

Vienna is incredibly beautiful and baroque. I am always overwhelmed by how old the buildings are in Europe. It’s hard for me to comprehend that these streets have been walked by people for hundreds of years and the ornate baroque buildings were built hundreds of years ago too. One of the first places I went in Vienna was the Schonbrun Palace and it was so impressive. The gardens were vast and extremely manicured. It was really fun to walk through them and see all the local people jogging through the gardens. The castle was so ornate inside, it was very luxurious and beautiful, but again it is hard for me to really comprehend that someone once lived there. It was cool to imagine that Maria Theresia lived there and I was walking through the same hallways she once walked.

The atmosphere here is very relaxed. I see people taking long lunches outside chatting, drinking, and smoking. It’s really nice to see a different pace of life here than in Seattle; I like it. It’s nice that people here able to take a long lunch and relax, I find that people in Seattle are very focused on work. Here in Vienna there seems to be a better work life balance.  

I always see newspaper articles about Europe’s declining birth rate and how most European couples are choosing not to have children. However, this statistic does not hold true for Vienna! I have seen many women with young children and pregnant women in the subway and all over the city center. There are many families here. I’ve seen more women with babies in Vienna than I have ever seen in Seattle. It’s nice to see all the mothers with their children and hearing young children speak German is really cute.

As with the rest of Europe many people smoke cigarettes here. I am very surprised by the amount of places that let people smoke inside. I’ve also seen a surprising number of people smoking with their children or even young infants with them. It does not seem very healthy.

First Impressions of Vienna

There are rumors about how Europeans are not so hospitable to strangers and are especially racist to Asians, while my first day in Vienna pulverized them. I could not so easily get to the hostel from the airport if there weren’t such nice “Viennese” (I am not sure if they were both Viennese). At the CAT station, there was a guy who came to me voluntarily and showed me where the U4 was, while I was lost and confused about the signs. An old lady pointed the elevator out to me and helped me lift my giant suitcase into the elevator while I was managing to walk downstairs to the platform with it. She didn’t know any English, and I didn’t know so much German (I have only done German 101). It was the unspoken words that made me feel like home, after the tiring flight and the sickness of mine. 

The public transportation surprised me a lot. I imagined that people here would prefer cars to buses or undergrounds because they could mostly afford cars (I suppose?), just like in the states. However, the city has such developed U-bahn system. The stations are easily accessible, reasonably located (where it does not cause traffic but not too far from local attractions and busy places). There are variable kinds of tickets provided to meet different needs of people. There are direction signs and maps in and out of the stations, clearly composed. There are elevators from the ground to the underground. There are colored lights and decorations on the ground, the ceiling and the walls indicating the matching lines, which I think is the most human-friendly design.

 In addition, it is so easy to transfer from the U-bahns to trams, which is even more convenient. The locations of the tram stations are also very convenient--they are never too far from each other or too far from the busy locations where people would mostly like to go. In China, there are developed underground systems in cities like Beijing or Shanghai. While the trains are newer and better in Beijing, the U-bahn system here could be more human-friendly. One last thing about transportation is that there are more people riding bikes as a way of transportation other than a way of exercise. At the same time, there is the clearly indicated bikeway, sometimes occupying more space then the pavements, and there are special traffic lights for bikes, which is, again, human-friendly. 

The way people enjoying coffee and breads here, to me, is the way in which they enjoy life. There are cafés in every corner of the city. There are bakeries in every subway station. And they all taste great! Even the coffee from the coffee machine at the lobby of our hostel tastes better than Starbucks. (I think so.) As I am writing this blog at a café right now, there are people come and go here. Some of them had a piece of cake and left. Some of them have been chatting for the whole afternoon, with a cup of coffee, which reminds me of the day when we had coffee at the stephanplatz and then beer at the Ringstraße. Everybody was just talking and  enjoying the day. It is so relaxing to be here. 

The first week experience could be only a glare to the city and its culture. I am so excited and eager to explore more and enjoy living my life here as part of the city while examining the experience as a curious foreigner far away from the other half of the world.