I woke up from my slumber on the night train at about 7:00. I went in the bathroom and did a quick cleanup, then returned to my bed and put away my stuff. At about 7:45, we were brought little trays with two rolls, butter, jelly, and coffee. Not too bad.
We arrived in Vienna at about 8:30 and began searching for a place to stay. We found Jugendherberge Myrthengasse and checked in for two nights.
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The day in Vienna started out a little slow since we were tired from the night train and all the walking in Venice. We started by walking to the Innere Stadt (inner city) and wandering around the grounds of the Hofburg. It was very impressive!
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Next, we grabbed some coffee and a snack at a café and began walking towards Stephensplate. It quickly became apparent how tired we were, so we did what all good tourists do and took a tour bus. I knew it would happen eventually.
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The tour was actually very enjoyable and informative. We went around the Ringstrausse (grand boulevard surround the inner city where the medieval walls once stood), out to the Riensenrad (large ferris wheel), then over the Danube to Danau City. It is very interesting that Vienna has its old historical city center, but also has a new cosmopolitan city center a few kilometers away.
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By the way, some Vienna cops are very attractive. My picture does not even do justice. Please arrest me!
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This is a very cool city! There is green space everywhere, bike paths/lanes are well integrated (and well used), and the public transportation system is unbelievable. There are cool retro streetcars everywhere, a metro system, and autobuses. This looks like a very livable city filled with a complimentary mix of old an new.
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If I were to compare the public transportation system here to the one in Minneapolis, I would say that Vienna is at least 50 years ahead. Minneapolitans are orgasmic about their one light rail line, while the citizens of Vienna have about 30 tram lines, plus a metro system, and an extensive autobus system. US cities have a lot of catching up to do.
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After the tour, we walked through the city center, then chilled out in Stadpark. It is a beautiful day and people are sprawled out on the grass, soaking up the sun. So, naturally, we did the same.
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Unfortunately, we had to attend to some domestic business (laundry), so we went back to the hostel. We did laundry and had dinner at a small pizza place on our block. The place was tiny. It consisted of one woman working behind the counter and two small tables. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a place like this back in the States. It seems like you have to be some corporation or have some big financial backing to make something like this work. The small guys rarely make it. Oh, and your business has to accommodate our auto-centric culture. Not enough parking or no drive up window… Good luck making it in America.
Tonight, Darcy and I are in separate rooms. She is in a dorm with five other girls and I am in a room with one other guy. When I got to my room, my guy was already sleeping.
Click here to see all our Vienna photos.
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