Did you miss me? Of course you did.
I am back from Vienna, safe and sound, and I come bearing gifts of stories and lots (and lots!) of photos! Instead of subjecting you to one mega-post, I've decided to break up our Vienna adventure into multiple parts.
So why Vienna in the first place?
We all really wanted to go to Berlin. But the tickets for plane and train (and automobile...Just kidding) were obscenely expensive. Yes, it is true that Germany has an amazing public transportation system. What they never tell you is that it costs an arm and a leg (and maybe a kidney) to get where you want to go.
So we cheaped out. Majorly. We daringly decided to do 60 Euro blind booking with German Wings. For 60 Euros, we would receive a round trip flight to one of six cities - Rome, Vienna, Berlin, Barcelona, Lisbon, or London. The week we booked was a cold one in Tübingen and we prayed for a warm city.
Instead we got Vienna.
Which actually turned out to be amazing! After a scant four days in Vienna, I can honestly say I loved Vienna, despite the fact it was so cold. And I think we managed to hit every touristy attraction there. To be sure after the flight, the hostel, the food, the museum entrance fees, and souvenirs, I may be 250 Euros the lesser, but it was a wonderful experience.
Our journey began by taking the bus to the Stuttgart airport. (Actually, it began with me hastily packing and then realizing I had no mini-toothpaste and then running to DM to get some, but I digress) We checked in, got our seat assignments, and sauntered our way through security. European security checks must be what American security checks were before 9/11. We just put our bags on the belt, stuff in the box, and walked through the metal detectors. With our shoes on.
No long lines filled with surly TSA workers barking at you as you basically strip off all your clothes. No standing sheepishly in the metal detector and then being wanded and patted down because oh-crap-I-should-have-worn-those-yoga-pants-instead-of-these-jeans-with-little-metal-studs-on- the-pockets. No rushing to grab all your stuff off the Xray belt as hordes of people rush forward to do the same - please don't take my shoes, guy in the tweed jacket! I need those! Hey! That's my bag! Don't touch my passport, lady or I'll bite you.
Yes, German airline security was wonderfully easy and relaxing compared to the usual fiasco of American security.
Then we found our terminal and gate and waited.
 |
| Fear of flying? Not Zach and Emily! |
 |
| See, all happy! |
 |
| Jake with his obscenely expensive Apfelschorle |
 |
| Aww hey there Rachel! |
We boarded. But we were sans plane.
Then a giant bus pulled up and took us to our plane. All 1960s like. It was classy.
 |
| Zach and Rachel take a nap on the plane ride. |
After a turbulent flight - hurray for flying through thunderstorms! - we landed in a drizzly Vienna (or Wien, as the Germans call it). We shuffled through the U-Bahn system and found our way to a restaurant that Jake knew about from his visit to Vienna earlier in the summer.
It was deliciously amazing. I had the best Wiener schnitzel I've ever had there. It was deliciously flattened and served with a lemon and potato salad. (Although it wasn't real Weiner schnitzel - I'm not eating a baby cow for 15 Euros!)
 |
| Yours truly with her menu. I like the festive fall/Halloween decorations! |
 |
| All of us with our schnizels! From left to right: Emily, Helina, Jake, Rachel, Me, and Zach |
 |
| And for dessert: Sissi Torte Named after the last Empress of Austria-Hungary More info on her coming soon! |
Zach was able to find us an amazing hostel thanks to recommendation from twitter (thank you internet gods!). Our hostel had both free breakfast and free internet, although sometimes the water in the showers was less than hot. We arrived in the rain, expecting to find bunk beds in a large 20 person room and instead we all got a room with bunk beds for 6 people! Happy day!
 |
| Picture taken on a not rainy day |
 |
| The task of unpacking! |
 |
| Bunk buddies! |
 |
| Emily and Helina's bunk! |
No comments:
Post a Comment