I wasn’t supposed to be in Vienna and yet I think I was. A city I only briefly visited in college with a school group, from that first meeting, I knew I wanted more. On my recent trip through Eastern Europe, the plan was to head to Romania. However with sub zero temperatures, national road closures and snow, I decided to forgo being a world news story and find the story instead in Vienna. Vienna is utterly effortless. It is a city so grand, so royal, and at the same time, it is unpretentious and kind. For a big city, Vienna is unhurried, appreciated with ever bite of schnitzel and Sacher Continue Reading
Dessert in Vienna: A Slice of Aristocracy and the Sacher Torte
I step inside what appears to be wall-to-wall red fabric with gold appliqué, large portraiture and dripping crystal. A man in a black suit greets me as he points me in the direction of the coat check. Still frozen from Vienna’s cold outside, I hesitate. Do I have to? I glance around at the opulence bombarding me and realize, yes, I have to. To be an aristocrat for dessert in Vienna you would never wear your coat indoors. Five minutes later, after peeling the various layers of coats, scarves and hats off of my frozen self, I rub my hands together for warmth as I am shown to my table by the Continue Reading
In Search of Schnitzel in Vienna
It is so quiet you could hear my fork drop on the plate ever so lightly, that is, if I ever put it down. My waiter makes certain to place my Erdäpfel-Vogerlsalat, a vinegary potato salad with lamb’s lettuce, down in such a manner that I wouldn’t ever have to give my fork a rest. My dining companion tells me this is customary in Germany and Austria to place your fork in your left hand and your knife in your right at all times. Almost like dinner gloves, you wear these tools until the plate is clean. My plate tonight is a golden dream, a Viennese specialty, Wiener Schnitzel. The traditional Continue Reading
Coffee with Strangers: The Importance of Travel Conversations
I arrived to a train station outside of Graz, Austria, clueless if I would make my connection after a delayed overnight train from Florence. A sleepless night of listening to movies and music on my now dead I-Pod passed the 9 or so hours. Knowing that the delay had pushed back my itinerary, I quickly hopped off the train to view the monitor, scanning frantically to see “Graz” somewhere on the screen. As I gazed at the glowing box covered in funny German words (funny to me for their length and that I can’t pronounce a single one of them), I realized I had about 40 minutes until the next train Continue Reading
Where are you going? Off to find harmony at Schloss Eggenberg in Austria
On the western outskirts of Graz, Austria, Schloss Eggenberg can be heard squawking for attention. Peacocks roam the palace gardens and grounds screeching in loud high-pitched tones. I squawk back to see what these birds will do. I guess I must sound a lot like a peacock as a few of Schloss Eggenberg’s birds respond to my ear covering song. On a partly cloudy day in Austria, I lay down on one of Eggenberg’s many benches scattered throughout the gardens. The grass is unbelievably green, making the sky even bluer. A few sounds of thunder ominously grumble, hinting at rain heading towards the Continue Reading