Thursday 19 May: Travel Day 2/ Day 1 in Vienna

Arrived in Paris.

Arrived in Paris at 6:45 am local time which was around an hour after the breakfast service. The group made it off the plane and through security and boarder patrol. Only three lines were open in the security checkpoint, which made for a long wait, but it was not an issue for me. The standard liquids and electronics were removed from our bags. Shoes stayed on. Once through I had issues with my passport at border patrol, I also had the same issues at TSA in Jackson. The newer self-service scanners would not accept my passport and I had to go through the regular booths instead. I believe it has something to do with my passport getting wet at some point, although I can’t remember when that would have been.

Once through, I went to my gate to charge my devices to prepare for the final leg of the journey. I also decided to look for something a little more to eat that was not a carb. I was unable to find something with a short enough line, so I decided to purchase coffee from a coffee vending machine which took Euro coins. It was a bit confusing, bit I was able to figure out enough French to complete the transaction.

The final leg of the journey is also on Air France. I always find it interesting how the European dress. Most of the men dress in slim fitting pants, while shorts cargo style shorts are seen a little, they are not the most prevalent. Most of the shirts for everyday wear are casual style t-shirts. To be a bit dressier, a cotton style collared shirt might be worn. There is rarely any athleisure clothing, but I am seeing more on this trip than before. This is not always the case, as it can vary from person to person and country to country.

On this last leg, I ended up checking my bag because the plane was so small. Up to this point, I had been able to have my carry-on and backpack with me on the flight Since it was a much smaller plane, I was asked to check it. I find it easier to attempt to pack as light as possible to be mobile as possible.

Arrived in Vienna around 11:00 am local time. From here, I will begin using the 24-hour clock and no longer relying on am and pm to detail the time of day. I received my bad in the airport easily, there were no issues. After every member of the group picked up their luggage, we began to find our way to the exit where our instructors, Dr. Hafer and Professor Johnston were waiting to meet us. From here, we received our passes for the U-Ban that we will need during out time in Vienna, and we began our 30 minute trip to the hostel. I have been relatively apprehensive about staying in hostels because it is often such a mixed bag, but this hostel is just as good as any hotel I have stayed in. Anyone planning a trip to London, Munich, Vienna, or Budapest should check out Wombats. (https://www.wombats-hostels.com)

My room in the hostel.

View from my window in the hostel on the day of arrival.

Our residence for the duration of the course is only a U-Ban ride from the Wiener Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera) which is located on the Ringstraße. The Ringstraß is a road build along the path of the original fortress wall for Vienna which was finally demolished in the nineteenth century during the reign of Emperor Franz Joseph (1830 – 1916) who reigned over the Austrian Empire from 1848 – 1916. Franz Joseph began a series of modernizations which changed the city of Vienna from a medieval fortress city to almost what we see today.

After arriving at the hostel and depositing our luggage, we walk across the street to the Naschmarkt (Roughly translated as “Nibble Market”) for lunch. The Naschmarkt is a series of food stalls and shopping where one could find an inexpensive lunch or dinner. There are two sides, one is more sit-down eateries and coffee shops, while the other hosts street food, vegetable stands an other goodies. We had falafel from Dr. Hafer’s favorite falafel stand. Not only was it good, but it was also a bargain! For one, it would cost around 2 Euros. For the 10 we purchased, it cost around 15 Euros. After our lunch, we took time to regroup and settle into our rooms before beginning an orientation tour to the City Center.

Our orientation to the City Center took place all within the First District, which is within the Ringstraße. The orientation took us from the Staatsoper to St. Stephensdom, to the Hofburg Palace, and a few other sites before our welcome dinner. Many of these sights I will discuss through the rest of the days and will not devote much discussion to them until later.

Spire of Stephansdom.

Dinner was at Zum Zwölf Apostelkeller, a cellar restaurant just a few blocks from Stephendsdom. As we walked through Stephensplatz (St. Stephen's Place) there was a gathering protest for the people of Ukraine. Looking through the protests, you could see traditional clothing of Ukraine worn by people of all ages and a large group gathering to show solidarity for peace.

At Zum Zwölf Apostelkeller, I had Fiakergulasch, which is a goulash with pickles, egg, a hotdog, and sliced dumplings, and a Schneider Wiesse tap no. 7. Schneider Wiesse, a wheat beer from Bavaria, Germany is my absolute favorite beer. My dinner cost around 23 Euros with a tip for the waiter.

Fiakergulasch

After dinner we began a treck back to the hotel stopping by a gelato stand only a block or two away from Stephensdom. Gelato here is very inexpensive, one scoop cost 1,70 Euros. (Notice the use of the comma instead of a decimal. This is how it is written in Europe.) Upon arrival to the hostel, it was time to settle in for the night and get some sleep.

As I am tracking my steps throughout this trip, I will share that as well. 18,440 steps = around 7.5 miles.