Saturday 7th August

07/09/04 - Day 35

'This feeling is gone, only you and I this means nothing to me'...'Oh, Vienna'Now, I have absolutely no idea what that means but I do know that I love Vienna. We had great expectations, which were shaken (but not dislodged) by last night's fiasco, yet my expectations were very unspecific for it was a city I had never read about, seen photos of or come across in any films, books or news bulletins. But somehow the city is exactly what I.... (didn't) expect it to be. It is, in short, 'Vienna'.

We chopped first - trying to coordinate meals of sufficient interest without the use of any kitchen facilities, then breakfasted and then free-trammed into town to meet Jenny at 12.

The tram wound its way down almost London-like streets (complete with nicer weather although (as) before emerging on the ring road in the centre of a sprawling mass of Versailles-style buildings separated by wide, tree lined roads/bikelanes/tram lines/pavements and interspersed with various parks and cafe areas. Already there was an unmistakable feel to the city, which I will never manage to fully articulate, but one way to express it is that the tourist horse-drawn carts that plagued Prague's themepark streets were actually quite appealing and quaint - although undoubtedly manufactured in precisely the same place as their Czech cousins.

So we met Jenny and headed off to the tourist information centre to pick up extra weight and sort our our seer gram to Stoke. The 'man' Street in Vienna was our cue indication that Vienna is not a Prague, Budapest or Istanbul - but a London, Paris or New York. The shops and cafes do not exist in a city with historic tourist attraction these attraction (?) even in reality decorate a city of style, glamour, class and exquisite taste. (And oh what decoration!). It was a city that actually functions as a city, not a theme park, and the tourists feel, as they did in (?) Sunday that they are there because they want to be. I feel like we saw everything we had to see to "see" Vienna, yet we only went inside one building: the Opera house. It was worth it. It's slightly ruined by my bed bug bites from Cesky(If you ever want to know the true meaning of the word torture then come see me...).

Our true cultural experience, though, came partly from the Viennese coffee & cake, and secondly from the night of opera and international foods outside the awe-inspiring town-centre hall (Thanks to the International Film Festival). I kept best with the Austrian spirit and sacrificed my Fish n' Chips for a delicious Austrian meat-dish-thing then we sat amongst the crowds of the locals and tourists (blending as one as only this city can) and sugared over an hour of operatic bobodash.

I think it should be down to Heather to say more on this - I had to be a bit negative.

All in all - wow. My absolutely favourite city so far (and ever), and place number two that I want to return to. 'Oh Vienna' indeed

So our "hostel" being so far away was now quite a huge problem as the 1direkt training tour us straight onto the ring. We walked passed the parliament which unfortunately was being rebuilt and we couldn't go in so that's going on the to-do list. The exteriors to the parliament, the Burgtheater and the Rathaus were quite Stunning. We discovered the Rathauspark, where I discovered one of my favourite water fountains. The walk to Stephansplatz threw up some amazing buildings - the Spanish Riding School and Hofberg palace being the extent and most grand of them. It was hard to watch where you were going as it was tempting to keep staring upwards. There are so many parks in the city which aren't just patches of grass - they have fountains and lakes and statues and palm trees and the most colourful flowers. Without these perhaps the city would be a bit overwhelming but onceyou step inside the gates it is like a world of calm and relaxation. So we had our lunch in one of these parks (Volkspark) and decided upon a trip to the opera. And I would go so far as to say one of my best "tourist attractions". A nice, one - hour long guided tour in English where you could take photos too (?), for only €4.20. We went round the intermission drinks rooms which were a bit grander than your average local theatre - lots of Sparkly chandeliers and on the wall busts of all the famous composers whose works were performed there and then processes of the stories from those works on the walls. The Magic Flute was depicted on large tapestries around the opening room (along with Blablable portable piano). We were shown in the Caesers personal intermission room, which had tea outside, red many and (?) catch you! You can hire it for €1000/2 hours. We got to sit in the auditorium - very comfy seats with a translated system included. The main chandelier was just as it looks on the pictures and the red and lights were... Sumptuous (a very good word for Vienna BTFL really...). It took something like €35 million a year for the upkeep and over half of this is funded by the state (convincers Heiheth cost around €100 thats a hell of a lot of money). But then they do have their own fire brigade! We had a trip back stage where she explained how the sets are changed. It is absolutely huge! Not your usual tapping over every other curtains ad ropes in the dark kind of place. A very informative visit and one Im had I did so, to me, the gasbaus is the most Vienese building in Vienna. I wouldn't intriguing trek for a performance but sometimes I think I'd do in the standing section. Ended up not Inbetweenie informal &the Spanish riding School was also a defining moment in my Viennese experience. Sacher torte is the best chocolate cake in the world ever. Fact. On we wandered back through the buildings, passed a cellist, and in the light summer rain we decided that Vienna is a very romantic city, where nobody, not even the tourists were in a hurry. There were no walking tours of the city and the only tourists were the ones being driven around in the harrias and cars, which I actually now approve of and would certainly take a trip in, me myself but only in Vienna. Probably the second best bit was our trip out to the opera. We had to joust our way through the crowds in the Bothovispark to get some food from over the many international cuisine stalls. The smell was amazing. And people were standing drinking, chatting, eating and listening to the classical sounds of Puccini. We managed to find 2 rather good seats (amongst the 1000 taken ones) and saw the last half of Turandot (we got the bit with Nessun dorma anyway). They had subtitles on the screen and because it all goes so slowly I had time to understand it all which was very satisfying. A word on my German - I feel like I can understand 75% of what I see. The aural understanding is a little weaker but we weren't had any listening classes this year. But in conversation I have been a lot more confident and communicated well (except on the phone). A definite improvement since my last visit two years ago and even since the start of Uni and a definite confidence booster for the year abroad. I think I have a deep thought coming on...Polish Ponderings 2

landscape: boring and flat.

weather: English rain. Forever.

Food: Krakow = a mix of everything: cafe/ patisseries / bagels...

Cities: Krakow: great

Warsaw: not so great.

Tourism: subtle. Except Auswitz (Auschwitz?)

Beer: nothing special.

Czech check list

landscape: good for rivers. Anything's better than Poland.

patcher houses, greener fields.

Food: We cooked some excellent meals!

Goulash - good stuff. Intelligent use of blue cheese.

good pub-grub

Beer: Hell yeah! Pilsen, Eggenburg, BUDVAR

40 pence A pint? Beg it I'll

take it.

Capital: a disgustingly hole of tourist filth. May

it burn.

Tourism: too much.

(but Cesky was very different)

Cesky: cheap, cute houses, one street after another etc...