Blog #4: A New View of Equestrian Sports.

Blog #4: Vienna, Austria

--Do you like horses?
++Yeah, I like horses.
--Hmm. How much do you like horses?
++Well, I really like them.
--Let’s see…. We may have to change tonight’s menu.

So went the conversation between Marcus, a Viennese host, and Dana, my new American friend. Horse schnitzel. Say it fast and you have a new curse word. I will return to our horses in a bit.

So I am standing all by my lonesome in this sleeping compartment, waiting to depart Zurich for Vienna. There is room for six and quite a few other people milling around, but none with me. All of the backpackers are streaming down to second class seating whereas I had dished out the extra money to get a night’s sleep. All the people around me were over 50 or had kids. Neither of these prospects was tantalizing.

Then, as I attempt to get out of this girl’s way as she is shuffling down the hall, she follows me inside and says, “Hey, what’s up!” I recognize an American accent when I hear one… unless it’s a Canadian accent, but that most definitely does not count. Then there were two. For those of you who have not traveled on night trains and think this may be a bit strange, read your Rick Steves’ Best of Europe and he will confirm that it is standard to sleep on night trains in your street clothes. So I was awake late talking with Dana until the old Indian guy showed up and we had to hit the sack.

Since we had hit it off, we decided to hang out until Dana met her host for Vienna. There are traveling clubs that are great because they set up networks of people from all over the world who travel and open up their homes to travelers. You may end up in your own room, on a couch, on the floor or in a barn in the backyard. This is free and you can enjoy some of the local culture, so it is a really great way to travel. Dana’s host in Vienna was Marcus, nice despite the fact that he made it nearly impossible to leave Austria.

It was raining in Vienna. After checking into my hostel, we found this really cool café for some coffee and breakfast. As suggested by Let’s Go, we went to the cafés as frequently as possible—at least once a day. With as little sleep as I was getting, coffee more than once a day was not such a bad idea. We also visited the Kunsthistoriche something museum, the historical art museum. It was quite impressive and, as expected, contained a lot of old art. I think I enjoyed the statues most. I have posted pictures of some really interesting Egyptian artifacts, as well. We breezed through the ancient, and most likely priceless, coin section, but I was so wall-eyed and dizzy at that point in the day that I did not really care. So after another coffee and sandwich (something is terribly wrong: Chad has been eating fresh tomatoes in Europe!) and a brisk walk to the train station, we met Marcus.

I was invited along to try this horse schnitzel, especially after it was known that I like to cook and Marcus likes his guests to prepare a meal the next night. Technically, it was “young horse” so, unless my equestrian knowledge is completely erroneous, it was actually colt schnitzel. Yummy. Actually, it was quite good. I had to remind myself that it was not beef. There I am, chewing away, and I remember, “Oh yeah, this is horse. Huh.” I think the winner for the night was the potato salad. I am really loving the potato salads they make in this region. Other than potatoes, there are onions, chives, diced pickles, salt, pepper and this sweet vinegar & olive oil sauce with vegetable stock.

After dinner I made a lame, unsuccessful escape attempt. The choices for evening entertainment were a discussion of American politics or this strange Austrian game that seems to be somewhere between Shoots & Ladders and Risk. Go figure. We pacified our host and spent a few minutes on politics and the death penalty. I should really avoid those conversations. Then we launched into the never-ending game. Chad was tired. By the time it was over, it was nearly midnight and I still had to find my way on the Underground back to my hostel.

Having made it back to the hostel, I discovered that the only real reason I have used my little keychain light is for unpacking in the dark. There I am, completely exhausted, waking everybody up when I trip over a bed or “accidentally” slam the door. I try to be nice, sometimes it just doesn’t work out so well. Who goes to bed before 2:00 AM in Vienna, anyway?

The next morning was an early one. We met early, in the rain, to find another café. After waking up a bit and hoping, vainly, that the rain would stop, it was off to Schonbrunn, the Habsburgs’ palace. Sign me up to be the red-headed step child of the Hapsburgs, ‘cause they had it all. They say Versailles is the only palace to beat this place. I believe them. After wandering around inside with these audio tour handsets up to our ears (and laughing at the most inappropriate places), it was off for a stroll in the garden. The wet garden. Have I mentioned yet that it was raining? You will find some pictures of the garden in the pictures I posted. Apparently the rain was following me because it has been sunny and beautiful in Austria ever since I returned to Zurich.

Here are the posted pictures from Vienna: http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2126477587&code=16116250&mode=invite&DCMP=isc-email-AlbumInvite

After walking through a marketplace filled with lots of kebab, produce, dessert and spice stands, we headed to the inner city. A note on kebabs: when in Europe, it’s a great way to eat reasonably cheap. These stands are all the rage wherever I have visited. These look a bit like wraps and there is almost always chicken or lamb, but the rest is variable. The meat is turning on a large spit and shaved off for individual kebabs. Other than chicken or lamb, there is often lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, hot sauce, and one of the common alternative ingredients is chips—french fries.

After a quick swing by the opera house to check the length of the line for standing room tickets, we decided to see the Austrian Treasury. While seeing priceless jewels is fascinating, I must admit that we found it easy to tear ourselves away. I am not the biggest jewelry fan, so I just say “Ooh. Ah. Next.” Now back to the standing room line for a three hour campout.

There is a wonderful way to see a performance at the Vienna opera house. They have performances almost daily with something like 300 in any given year. You could pay about 30 to 75 euros to sit, or you can stand in line for three hours and pay less than 5 euros. This is standing room, but they have rails so you can sort of lean and take the weight off your already tired feet—of course, from the multiple-hour wait in line. Regrettably, we did not see any of the purported old ladies running and throwing elbows to get in the front row. You see, it is like the releasing of the hounds when those doors open. They open the doors, everyone starts moving and you don’t dare fall because those old people will trample you and not think twice. This is life or death, mind you.

The opera was really cool. It was actually the Vienna Philharmonic performing at the Opera House, but it was a special performance. The conductor was this super-crazy haired guy who uses the same hair dresser as Einstein. The singer was a three-foot tall baritone with an absolutely amazing voice. All in all, it was an experience I would repeat.

Thursday was a lazier day. I honestly do not remember what we did for most of the day, but I am certain we visited at least two cafés. There was a theme in Vienna: drink coffee, grab a snack, walk to the next location, take a couple pictures; repeat. It is an altogether lovely way to travel. Ah, I do remember now. We visited a modern art museum. The building was designed by an architect who thinks there are no straight lines in nature, so he built a building with no straight lines. First of all: he is wrong; second: he may not have had parallel lines, but there were definitely straight ones. Despite these disagreements, I enjoyed the place. The art was a bit, OK, a lot risqué, but it was a nice, challenging change from the galleries and galleries of Baroque and Flemish paintings we had been viewing.

The afternoon was spent trying to shop. Our mission was chicken curry and something else, but decisions are hard when you have so little stress in your life. I apologize to all of you out there with responsibilities, but I will be joining you, and then some, in a couple months. After a mad dash to make curry, rice and steamed vegetables, I had to skedaddle. I packed a Tupperware container full of some tasty food and ran to catch the train. Here is a tip: change reservations at least 24 hours in advance for trains in Europe. I would have loved to spend the evening with Dana’s host Marcus and his friends, but it was not to be.

The night train back was uneventful… which, in my book, is an exceptional thing for a night train.