June 28, 2021
Today was full of homework and studying. I had breakfast and lunch food in the hostel so I only made it out for dinner. There’s a Bosnian restaurant around the corner named Pitawerk which I decide to try. I can’t really fairly judge it because I’ve never had it before, but the cheese and spinach pita was pretty good. I think it would have been better fresh.
June 29, 2021
Even though the clock is ticking on midterms, it turns out the end of June is also the end of opera season. The Vienna Opera has some really cool history that I don’t want to miss out on, so I make time for it. The Vienna Opera is a symbol of the people because of its long lasting tradition of providing standing room tickets for people who can’t afford normal seats. When the opera first opened, this differed from other operas at the time because they were reserved for the rich, who wouldn’t even want to see the poorer members of society at their events.
The show tonight is Electra, and I have to arrive early to get the standing room tickets (which is actually sitting room because of COVID) for just 10 Euros. It’s difficult to see the stage from the seats, but at least they have screens with translations in multiple languages.
On the way home I decide to grab trusty old Berliner Doner. I think the workers are starting to recognize me, so this is becoming embarrassing.
June 30, 2021
Today is the day of my algorithms midterm, and afterwards I still need to study for my other exam, so I only get time for a quick dinner break. The weather is rainy so I opt for a pho restaurant. I walk a decent distance form the hostel to Vietnam Bistro, which had decent pho, but I found it to be a bit dirty inside, so I don’t think I would make this place my typical pho stop.
July 1, 2021
I dedicate the day to my other midterm, and when I’m done it’s time for dinner. I’m in the mood for pasta so I decide to try the chain Vapiano’s since it’s nearby. I’ve been thinking that America needs a chain like this for years, and come to find out we actually have (or had?) some of them, but they weren’t very successful. Anyhow, the pasta I got was pretty good but it seemed expensive for a chain restaurant. I’d probably just opt for an actual Italian restaurant rather than a chain.
July 2, 2021
Another Vienna tradition is the coffeehouse. Like I mentioned with the opera, Vienna was always a city that served the middle and lower classes better than others. Lots of middle class people were able to afford decent housing, but they didn’t have the money to afford a large common living space. Out of this the Viennese coffeehouse tradition was born. Traditional coffeehouses feel like a comfortable extension of one’s own living room.
After some research, I decide to head to Café Jelenik to do some work this morning. It’s nearby and has some cool looking green velvet benches. It’s cash only and I only ordered tea, which was overpriced. I also had to wait to get a seat with an outlet and good WiFi, so I’m not sure it would be smart to depend on it as a workspace. It feels really authentic and cozy so I definitely recommend stopping in.
For dinner I stop at Berliner Doner again because I don’t have the energy to research something new, and I need some spiciness.
July 3, 2021
It’s Saturday so I want to head back to the Naschmarkt. After partaking in the Vienna Opera tradition, I had the idea to get myself a cool souvenir to represent the city. I really like that the city feels so geared toward common people, so I want to remember my time here. Luckily I’m able to find a couple options for what I’m looking for: antique opera glasses. I choose the pair I like best and pay $10 Euro.
Rick Steves is brimming with Vienna content so I still have some left. I stop by Karlskirche, and then hop on the Ringstrasse while listening to Rick Steves’ audio guide. They mention all the important sites along the way and tell you when to transfer trains. It’s nice to see everything without having to walk for once!
I’m downtown so I figure I should try some traditional food. I decide on Ilona Stuberl after some research, which is actually Hungarian. It seems like I won’t make it to Hungary on this trip because of rules with the borders at the moment, which is too bad because I really want to go there. I’ll have to make up for it by trying the food. I’ve read the food is the spiciest of Eastern European food, which is good because I actually enjoy the traditional dishes here, I just wish they had a bit more flavor.
Anyway, my goal is to try Goulash, and this place was a great pick. There’s several types of Goulash and the one I chose (with chicken, I believe) was delicious, and so was the side of couscous (I think that’s what it was anyway). This restaurant was a bit pricier than I tend to go to on the regular, but it was totally worth it.
My last stop is Schonbrunn Palace, which I can’t believe I waited all the way until now to see. I’m hoping to time it with sunset for the best pictures.
The Palace is stunning, especially during sunset. This should go high on the list of things to do in Vienna!
I get back to the hostel with just a little bit of time to rest. There’s finally a crowd of young people here and I join them to drink a couple beers. After a while, we head out to a nearby bar named “Travel Shack.” As you can guess, it was full of foreigners.
The music was pretty much tasteless, but we had a great time nonetheless. I drank for free because I caught two people mooching off their bartender friend and somehow joined in. We danced on the stripper pole on the stage and sang karaoke in a little room off to the side, and then stumbled home.
Check Out My Guide to Vienna ⧉
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