Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Paris 18
Hi guys. I came back from Vienna on Monday night. When I was on the plane there I was quite shocked initially to see that the land was covered with white. Saw snow too. Not exactly snow flakes, but more of crystallized rain. It was like ‘ice-dust’. To me, the Vienna people are nice, warm and helpful, in comparison with the French. Haha just some honest comments. Chloe too have been a good traveling companion, and she is also one of the most independent girls I have ever seen.
Chloe and I
On the first day, we arrived and checked in at our hostel. Good location and clean. Only bad thing that happened was on the first night there was this fat Japanese middle aged guy who slept near me and snored like a 5-tonner. Next, we visited the Vienna Parliament House, Town Hall and the Vienna Opera House. I liked the Town Hall the most. There were many push carts around it, all preparing for the imminent Christmas. People were selling all kinds of Christmas stuff, and many people were drinking this piping hot alcoholic fruit punch. I tried it too but couldn’t appreciate it. Watched a play at Vienna Opera House for 3.50 Euros but left halfway as I did not understand their language. The Viennese ticketing system is such that the seats are very expensive, but the standing ones were either free or very cheap, but very squeezy too. I had bad encounters with some Vienna people because of this. And it was funny halfway through the concert I remembered the TJC choir performance we watched together and we kept laughing at the ‘Hai Dao’ face.
My hostel
The Parliament
The Town Hall
The Christmas feel
At the flea market around the Town Hall
The Town Hall at night
Chocolate pastry
Inside the Opera House from the standing gallery
On the 2nd day, we visited the Hofburg Palace, saw the Vienna Boys Choir at the Royal Chapel (Xin, the Marists Boys Choir are better really haha) and learnt about King Franz Joseph and Princess Elizabeth, also known as Princess Sissy, who was an incredible beauty of her time. She is one of Vienna’s national icons and her story made me a little angry as I thought she was someone who did not appreciate everything she had and only complained incessantly about her loss of freedom. Her waist was only 51cm as she was obsessed with sports and dieting. Oh well. Went for lunch and tried Viennese veal which was fried and tasted ordinary, really like chicken cutlet. Next, we went to visit the St Stephan Cathedral which had a very gothic design. In the evening, we went to the ‘Torture Museum’ as it was the only museum opened at that time. Not very worth it and it also brought back memories of ‘The Hostel’. In fact I did not even want to go in except that Chloe seemed rather gung-ho and I decided not to appear wussy. At night, we walked around Stephanplatz and the Museum Quarters.
The Boys Choir. As we bought the cheapest tickets we could only see the projector and hear them 'live'. Quite pointless.
Lunch. Viennese style Veal. Look like chicken cutlet? haha.
Hofsburg Palace
St Stephan Cathedral
St Stephan Cathedral at night
Torture Museum. Yikes.
Mozart Garden
Museum Quarter
The Vienna attraction places are concentrated around a big ring connected by train. Talking about trains, I did not spend a single cent on transport, except for paying when I met a train conductor on the way to the airport. The train system was based on an ‘honest-policy’ system, where there are no barriers in and out of the platforms. Many locals did not pay and I think it is only a matter of time when they switch to another system. But if I were Viennice though, I would have paid as I would have wanted to uphold this hassle free honest policy system.
My favourite ticketing system
On the last day, we went to visit Schonbrunn Palace. Hofburg Palace is the Winter Palace, and Schonbrunn Palace is the Summer Palace. It has a big garden, like Varseilles Chateau. Actually people always complain that when they go China all they do is visit temples. But in Europe it is the same too as we see churches and cathedral as well. China still remains as one of my favourite places to visit. And actually I think that so long that as place has a rich history it is definitely worth visiting. We went to have lunch. This time I had Coachman’s- something, which was a Vienna cuisine as well. It is a beef stew and tasted good. Had Melanche, Vienna coffee, which was good too. Finally, we visited Mozart’s house but did not enter due to a constraint of time. Walked around some shops and this marked the end of the Vienna journey.
Garden of Schonbrunn Palace
Castle and garden
Greenery and ice
The snowman and the cafe on top
Bird's eye view
The frozen lake
Lunch
Haha nothing impressive, but this was the place where Mozart lived when he was Vienna. Dom Platz. Now it is a museum.
Vienna is a good place to visit. Like Paris, it has a rich history and has many places of attractions to visit as well.
Chloe and I
On the first day, we arrived and checked in at our hostel. Good location and clean. Only bad thing that happened was on the first night there was this fat Japanese middle aged guy who slept near me and snored like a 5-tonner. Next, we visited the Vienna Parliament House, Town Hall and the Vienna Opera House. I liked the Town Hall the most. There were many push carts around it, all preparing for the imminent Christmas. People were selling all kinds of Christmas stuff, and many people were drinking this piping hot alcoholic fruit punch. I tried it too but couldn’t appreciate it. Watched a play at Vienna Opera House for 3.50 Euros but left halfway as I did not understand their language. The Viennese ticketing system is such that the seats are very expensive, but the standing ones were either free or very cheap, but very squeezy too. I had bad encounters with some Vienna people because of this. And it was funny halfway through the concert I remembered the TJC choir performance we watched together and we kept laughing at the ‘Hai Dao’ face.
My hostel
The Parliament
The Town Hall
The Christmas feel
At the flea market around the Town Hall
The Town Hall at night
Chocolate pastry
Inside the Opera House from the standing gallery
On the 2nd day, we visited the Hofburg Palace, saw the Vienna Boys Choir at the Royal Chapel (Xin, the Marists Boys Choir are better really haha) and learnt about King Franz Joseph and Princess Elizabeth, also known as Princess Sissy, who was an incredible beauty of her time. She is one of Vienna’s national icons and her story made me a little angry as I thought she was someone who did not appreciate everything she had and only complained incessantly about her loss of freedom. Her waist was only 51cm as she was obsessed with sports and dieting. Oh well. Went for lunch and tried Viennese veal which was fried and tasted ordinary, really like chicken cutlet. Next, we went to visit the St Stephan Cathedral which had a very gothic design. In the evening, we went to the ‘Torture Museum’ as it was the only museum opened at that time. Not very worth it and it also brought back memories of ‘The Hostel’. In fact I did not even want to go in except that Chloe seemed rather gung-ho and I decided not to appear wussy. At night, we walked around Stephanplatz and the Museum Quarters.
The Boys Choir. As we bought the cheapest tickets we could only see the projector and hear them 'live'. Quite pointless.
Lunch. Viennese style Veal. Look like chicken cutlet? haha.
Hofsburg Palace
St Stephan Cathedral
St Stephan Cathedral at night
Torture Museum. Yikes.
Mozart Garden
Museum Quarter
The Vienna attraction places are concentrated around a big ring connected by train. Talking about trains, I did not spend a single cent on transport, except for paying when I met a train conductor on the way to the airport. The train system was based on an ‘honest-policy’ system, where there are no barriers in and out of the platforms. Many locals did not pay and I think it is only a matter of time when they switch to another system. But if I were Viennice though, I would have paid as I would have wanted to uphold this hassle free honest policy system.
My favourite ticketing system
On the last day, we went to visit Schonbrunn Palace. Hofburg Palace is the Winter Palace, and Schonbrunn Palace is the Summer Palace. It has a big garden, like Varseilles Chateau. Actually people always complain that when they go China all they do is visit temples. But in Europe it is the same too as we see churches and cathedral as well. China still remains as one of my favourite places to visit. And actually I think that so long that as place has a rich history it is definitely worth visiting. We went to have lunch. This time I had Coachman’s- something, which was a Vienna cuisine as well. It is a beef stew and tasted good. Had Melanche, Vienna coffee, which was good too. Finally, we visited Mozart’s house but did not enter due to a constraint of time. Walked around some shops and this marked the end of the Vienna journey.
Garden of Schonbrunn Palace
Castle and garden
Greenery and ice
The snowman and the cafe on top
Bird's eye view
The frozen lake
Lunch
Haha nothing impressive, but this was the place where Mozart lived when he was Vienna. Dom Platz. Now it is a museum.
Vienna is a good place to visit. Like Paris, it has a rich history and has many places of attractions to visit as well.
# posted by eastsidebackstreet : 1:03 am
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