Coffee, Austria style

I'm currently indulging in a Viennese coffee tradition in which you essentially pay for a cup of coffee  at a fancy café and a little something to eat and you don't have to move from your spot all day if you wish.

Bring a book, bring some work, or borrow one of the many newspapers these cafes have on hand and you're set for the day. When you're trying to kill nine hours of time before you catch your train  to Zurich tonight at 10 p.m. this can be very convenient.

I  told you about the coffee tradition because that really defines Austria for me. It's a country with a much slower pace than Prague, which is beneficial, especially if you get sick while you're here. Thankfully it wasn't anything serious, so this won't be an entry about what it's like going to the doctor in Vienna.

Otherwise, this week has been really great. It's been very relaxing and wonderful to experience this lovely city. Over the past few days I've been to The Prater fun fair,  Waidhofen an der Ybbs to see my cousin Kenzie, and The Vienna State Opera House and those are just the highlights.

The Prater

The Prater Fun Fair is a vintage amusement park that's really cool to go to and take photographs at. There is a huge Ferris Wheel that you can pay 9 Euros to go all the way to the top and see a great view of the city. Of course my camera hadn't been charged so I wasn't able to get that shot for you but there's tons of other fun photos that I took. Ferris Wheels are my new favorite things to photograph. All kinds of rides, games and activities are at your disposal and you can also pass some time taking in the people-watching opportunities.

Waidhofen an Der Ybbs

Waidhofen an der Ybbs (Photo by Avery Cropp)

I took a train Tuesday to visit my cousin Kenzie in this little town in the country.  It's about an hour-and-a-half outside of Vienna by train, and you can tell, the air is fresher.

It's a beautiful little town that's been around for quite some time, since 1400 at least. It was wonderful to catch up with Kenzie and see the place she's called home for the past year while she's been teaching. Honestly I can't remember a lot about the town because we had so much stuff to chat about that we talked through most of the sightseeing.

But the pictures are gorgeous. It's on a river called Ybbs, and  has tons of medieval architecture. The people are really friendly and there are nice little cafes all over the place to eat and spend time at.

The Vienna State Opera



Inside the Vienna Opera House (Photo by Avery Cropp)

The one thing I knew I wanted to do here in Vienna was go to a classical concert of some sort. It just so happened that there was an opera showing here that sounded interesting. It was called Nabucco, which is the story of Nebuchadnezzer.

Power struggles, convoluted relationships and tragedy, everything you'd expect in an opera. Plus Placido Domingo, who is a legend in the opera circuit for those who don't know who he is, was performing the lead role which was pretty awesome.

I had never been to an opera before but it's been on my bucket list. I don't think I'll make attending the Opera a habit when I get home, but it was a great experience. Plus the building is gorgeous.


Other Things that are fun to do: The Schonbrunn Palace Gardens and The National History and Art Museums, the inside of the buildings alone are worth the Euro.

That's it for now, until next time!

 

Avery Cropp