The Ups and Downs of Vienna

On Wednesday I headed to the train station to get a train to Vienna. It was a beautiful morning, and I woke very early, as I have been doing all week. I got to the station just after a train left, so while waiting for the next one I walked around enjoying the neighborhood, and then planted myself in front of the Departures sign to find out my platform. While waiting, I overhead the people next to me speaking a language I thought only I knew - Spangtalian, a mix of Spanish and Italian. So, after pondering this oddity for a moment, I got up to courage to speak to the woman in Italian. This led to us carrying on a conversation entirely in Italian for about 20 minutes, until our train arrived. It was fantastic! I had no idea I could still make any sense when speaking Italian. I can kind of write it, generally, but usually Fraspangtalian comes out when I try to speak (yes, I added French to that mix - why not?).

After saying arrividerci to my new Argentinian acquaintances (ah! the Spangtalian makes sense now, right? I felt that way, too, when I heard). I found a seat near some Spanish speakers, but sadly with Italian filling my brain, the only straight Spanish I could muster was gracias when they explained (in English) that I could sit anywhere. Which I did. For the next 5 hours I say glued in my seat with my eyes firmly facing out the window, trying to take in all of the beauty we passed. There were streams, lakes, rolling hills, and quaint towns with the occasional castle or cathedral differentiating it from the others in a spectacular way.

Oddly, I could tell the moment we switched into Austria. I think it was the roads. By then I also just wanted to arrive, and was happy to get off a little later in a new city - and a new country (Europe is so cool...). I as pretty hungry by then, but had no Euros, so I found my way to the metro I needed and was pleased to discover a mini mart in the metro, where I bought bread, cheese, tomatoes and chocolate which sustained me for the rest of the trip. At my stop, I decided to walk to my hostel, thinking that Google had said it was about 2 km from the station. If that's what Google said then Google lied. While it was easily one of the most stunningly beautiful walks I've taken (think cute mini cottages along tree-lined streets, with gardens and vineyards here and there and people out enjoying the warm fall weather, and a grandma and granddaughter collecting chestnuts at one point...), it was also a steep incline all the way up from the station, and was about 4km, not two. My light bags felt like lead weights by the time I got to the top. And then, as I hit the top, I forgot about my bags.

The view from the top.

In front of me at the top were two buildings - a massive, lovely, fancy white hotel and a cute, neat, inviting hostel. But I barely noticed the buildings because I was too busy looking down the hill, past the vineyard and out upon the whole of Vienna that lay below. The sun was just beginning to set, coloring the sky in pinks and lighting up the city roofs in shades of salmon. I actually stopped in my tracks, dropped my bags, and just stared for a bit before thinking to get my camera out. I checked in, and then headed back out with my food and sat down for a picnic as the sky grew darker and the view more captivating every minute. I almost cried at the beauty of it and at my good fortune to be able to experience such a life-affirming moment in time - and because I couldn't help wishing I had people I loved there to share it with, as I looked around at the families, couples, and friends around me as I sat alone.

I fell asleep at the crazy hour of 8pm, and woke at 5am, but made myself wait til 6 to get ready, grab my camera, and head out again to watch the sun rise again. I was the only person outside for about 30 minutes as the sun began to peek through the grey night clouds and ease its way across the city, slowly illuminating the roofs in an orange glow, as a nearby church bell rang out each quarter hour. Again, I stood, completely mesmerized, until I got goosebumps and stomach rumbles. I headed in for a great breakfast spread provided by the hostel and included in my room charge, and then headed off, this time to catch the bus instead of walking.

Early sunrise over Vienna

I went to Vienna for an appointment with the Czech Embassy there to get my visa process going since I had delays in the USA. I was feeling positive about the trip, and was distracted as I rode the bus...which explains why I got off too early after thinking I'd missed my stop, walked back, found a map, and discovered I had added an extra 20 min walk to my trip...My second accidental workout in Vienna, after the accidental jaunt uphill. I got to the station near the Embassy (again, according to Google) and started walking, but wanted to make sure I was right. A lady told me in German (which I didn't understand) and gestures (which I did) to go back, across a bridge over a river, and walk a while. This seemed wrong but I stupidly did it anyway, only to have a lady on the other side send me back, where I again ran into the first woman. This time she asked a third woman, who clarified that I was looking for the Czech Embassy, not the Turkish Embassy. I have NO IDEA why the first woman was sending me to the Turkish Embassy. So, with the right directions, I began speed walking, because by then I was 15 minutes late thanks to the Turkish confusion, and I arrived stressed, out of breath, nervous, and on the verge of tears 30 minutes late.

I calmed down, and brought my papers up to a mean woman who snapped at me for not speaking German or Czech and told me she didn't speak English. She took my papers and began writing on post-its and tut-tutting me, which was the first bad sign. A bit later, she called a man over and he kindly explained about 8 steps I need to take to change or add to my paperwork in order to have it ready, while I felt tears begin to fall from my eyes despite trying desperately to remain calm. When he finished, I sat, cried, and apologized to another American woman waiting. She said it was okay, that she cried on a weekly basis when she got her Masters at a Czech University. Surprisingly, this did not make me feel better.

Schönbrunn Palace

After washing my face and reapplying makeup to look less awful, I headed outside. Although the palace I'd planned to go to sounded less exciting after the stress of the embassy, I forced myself to be positive and seize the day. Thank goodness for the attitude adjustment, because the Schonbrunn palace was gorgeous, and I got to sit in a lovely garden and eat my picnic leftovers and listen to birds chirp and feel the wind and sun on my face and life seemed almost perfect again.

So I had to fix some visa stuff, so what? I was at a palace!! Wheee! I meandered over to a fountain and as I was snapping a photo I heard, "Hello! Ciao!" from behind. I turned and who should I see but my Argentinian pals from the Prague train station! My day brightened dramatically then, as I felt the rush of serendipity and joy at such a chance encounter, and I was able to hold on to that for the rest of the day and all the way back to Prague and to my new apartment, where new friendly faces were waiting to welcome me home : )

I ran into the Argentinians from the train station!