Here we are

View from the train

Traveling to Vienna was nice. Expansive beautiful snowy landscapes surrounded us, and all we had to do was enjoy. We made sure we were on the right train car this time and had no troubles. However, things took a turn for the worse upon our arrival. Although we needed only to ride two trains one stop each to reach our hostel, it was a nightmare. Super crowded stations plus forgetfulness across the group was a recipe for disaster. The group was not coherent, and often split itself up between the front and back. When we finally reached our hostel, everyone was a little bit angry. And hungry. Me and a few others quickly went out to grab a bite to eat, but only after we ate did we discover that the restaurant only took cash. We'd discover that most places only took cash. I sat in the restaurant while my companions ran around the streets looking for a working ATM. It took a long time, but finally an ATM was found and our bill paid. shortly after returning to the hostel we had an all group meeting to talk about what happened during our travels to the hostel. It provided a sense of ground that in my opinion put a lot of people at ease and made the following group dinner very enjoyable. We dined in the historic winery Beethoven visited to try and heal his hearing loss, and had the pleasure of listening to live accordion music.

Elegance abounds

At Orchestra dell'Accademia

We had a very elegant time going to concerts in Vienna. In Germany all the venues we visited were fairly modern. In Prague, it was very old and elegant, but in Vienna, elegance was abundant. The concert halls and opera house were all very proper and ornate, beautiful statues and art everywhere. We had the pleasure of seeing two extremely good symphony orchestras, and Don Giovanni, an opera. The orchestras were wonderful. The first one was called the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecelia, in which we saw some incredible woodwind technique, as well as a very talented man named Vikingur Olafsson, who performed a really interesting piano concerto and a few encores. The second was the Vienna Symphony, in which we witnessed an extremely talented young lady perform Beethoven's Violin concerto while we were sitting in the second row from the stage. That was a really special and unique experience. Finally, we saw Don Giovanni performed at the Vienna Opera House. Our seats were a lot less close than row 2, but it was still an enjoyable performance. Plus, me and two others got to meet some of the cast afterwards. It was awesome.

Row @ the Vienna Symphony

@ the Opera house

Also at the opera house

Meeting Philip, who played Leporello

Hands shaking

A happy meal to calm down

Vienna Shenanigans

Happy Birthday to Sarah!

We held a very special birthday for our friend Sarah in our hostel. After having an elegant dinner a few blocks away, we returned to our hostel to surprise her with a cake and candles. As a coffee fanatic, she appreciated the coffee cake we got her as well as a box of "pocket coffee" chocolates. Additional Vienna shenanigans included wondering the huge open air market right across from our hostel, enjoying food at a few Asian restaurants, purchasing cheese from said market, enjoying the cheese with crackers and honey, lounging in the bar part of the hostel, touring Schonbrunn Palace, and visiting an exquisite and expansive art museum.

Schonbrunn Palace

Outside the art museum

Inside the art museum

Don Giovanni Viewers

Bird Report

I didn't see many real birds in Vienna (except all the pigeons outside of St. Stephen's cathedral and some crows by Schonbrunn palace), but I saw some cool fake ones. Here they are: