Post #13- Vienna, Austria
I was only in Austria for 18 hours, including a night’s sleep, so this post will be short.
Quick aside, and I’d like to get your opinion as to how you would handle this. 20 minutes into our ride from Hungary to Vienna, a couple came to the realization that they had forgotten their passports at the hotel. Nice couple, honest mistake, tough decision.
Pro: They are a nice couple on their honeymoon and it was an honest mistake. Additionally, it may be difficult logistically to make sure that the passports arrive at the next hotel without fail….because they clearly need those passports to pass go and collect $200.
Con: If you turn back, 45 people lose 40+ minutes of time from a Vienna stop that was already extremely brief. This time corresponds to 30 hours of total man hours or 10% of our time to tour Vienna. Also it’s another 40 minutes of driving the coach bus, which ain’t cheap. Also, they have strict laws for how many hours a professional driver can work over a certain time period, and additional driving can mess with that.
I’ll withhold my opinion, but if you know me, you probably know what I would do from a management perspective.
Regarding Vienna, it is known for a few things, and I tried to do as much as I could in the little time that I had. The things that I associate Vienna with are (1) those gross looking Vienna Sausages in a can, (2) composers like Mozart and (3) Wienerschnitzel, a breaded, fried veal cutlet. I had no intention of exploring the world of Vienna sausages, so I focused on the other two.
Before arriving to our hotel, our tour guide serendipitously brought the group to explore Schönbrunn Palace. My name was plastered on everything from the street names, to the monuments to the souvenirs. Clearly I had to buy some souvenirs.
Next we were brought to the city center to explore. Knowing that the portions of wienerschnitzel are huge, I knew that I needed to build up an appetite prior to making my pilgrimage to the Mecca of schnitzel that is Puerstner. I went to a modern art museum, checked out some outrageous watches and walked around a ton.
Satisfied that I was sufficiently hungry, I made my way to the restaurant. I don’t really know how to describe this place, other than it looked super German. They had stuffed birds on the wall, painting on wood, odd looking furniture and booths…etc. For an appetizer, I ordered (1) beef broth with sliced pancaked an (2) Camembert, a breaded and fried cheese dish, served with cranberry sauce. Both were delicious.
Then I ordered their staple-dish as a main, the wiener schnitzel, served with a side of boiled potatoes with parsley. The portion size of this magnificent dish was outlandish. In direct contrast to most of the restaurants that I’d been to in Europe, my schnitzel was so large that spilled off of the side of my (large) plate. It’s easily enough to split for two. Luckily I hadn’t eaten all day and I was able to put it away. It was exceptional.
After my schnitzel experience, I was scheduled to go to Wiener Konzerthaus to hear an orchestra play some famous songs by prolific composers like Mozart, Strauss and others. This type of music isn’t really my thing, but I saw a scene in Mission Impossible set in Vienna that made it look cool. I was concerned that it would be a black-tie kind of affair, and while I didn’t bring a suit or tux with me, I wore the most presentable clothes that I’d brought with me.
My first inclination that we were getting the ‘B Team’ of an orchestra was that our 8PM show wasn’t listed on their website. Then we were given little vouchers for a free drink and were ushered into a smaller ancillary theater with only a handful of chairs on the stage for no more than 10 people. It wasn’t what I’d expected and it was clear that this was a ‘special’ performance exclusively for tourists. I guess that I get it because tourists generally suck, but I would have far preferred to pay more and see the show as intended for the locals. I wouldn’t have even minded buying a top hat if required.
Regarding the show itself, I found myself bored in the beginning, but after having a drink during intermission, I began to enjoy the complexity and precision of the music and the musicians. We were forbidden from taking photos, but they disdainfully stuck me with the tourists in the small room, so I didn’t mind surreptitiously taking one – after all, all of the other tourists were doing it too.
I had intended to go to the Ritz Carlton for desert and coffee, but some of my tour mates invited me to go to a cafe, and I decided to be social and accept. Ultimately, they ended up going to McDonalds, but hey, they are 20-something college kids from Australia and McCafe is a thing. Oh well.
My general feeling about Vienna is positive. It’s a smidge too formal for me, but I have an appreciation for the cold logic that dictates the way that the Viennese people conduct themselves. This type of mindset is abundantly clear with the interactions that I’ve had with all of the people that I’ve met in Vienna. While I appreciate it, I almost wanted to ask them to smile for me, pussycat. Oh well.
Off to Prague!