There were a number of highlights in Vienna, the first being that I found the Euro version of Cinnamon Toast Crunch in the supermarket and proceeded to eat nearly the whole box in one day. I also came across tons of traditional Viennese coffeehouses that first day, so you know, to be cultural and all, I had to stop and try some gooey cake and coffee (and hot chocolate.. and apple strudel-- not all in one sitting, though). I also went to Schloss Schonbrunn, on the edge of the city, and was truly amazed by the immensity of the palace and the beauty of the grounds. That second picture is the view from the Gloriette, at the top of the grounds.
The best stories from Vienna are these, though: the first involved the pharmacist at the drugstore. I haven't been sleeping through the night for the last month or so because I have this weird old lady back pain (I blame my ginormous backpack), and I ran out of Aleve, and apparently in Europe you can't even buy Advil equivalent in a regular store but have to go through someone in a white coat. So I was explaining the situation to this sweet white-haired (and white-coated!) man who spoke passable English, and he kept asking me if I had someone who could give me a message... I'm thinking.. does he need to consult with someone and get back to me? Turns out he meant 'massage,' because he had some cream to give me to rub into the hurting area. So cute! Then he gave me some real drugs, too, so I'm happy.
The second experience involved another Viennese man. I was walking around the museum district and this guy my age, wearing brocade pantaloons and a long jacket (and yes... I said pantaloons) came up to me trying to sell me tickets to the ballet. (It's a costume, he wasn't a lunatic). I tried to get rid of him by saying I had plans with some people at my hostel, and he asked me if I would invite him along to 'show him my moves,' at which point he did a faint bump and grind. In his pantaloons. I nearly died laughing. I think the funniest part of that story is that the exact same guy tried to get my friend Jen to buy tickets just days before (Jen and I were in Prague together, and she went straight to Vienna from there).
So now I am in Salzburg, where I am possibly one of 10 people roaming the streets who is not qualified for AARP membership. That may be an exaggeration, but it seems like perhaps there is an age requirement to visit Salzburg that I was not aware of. Regardless, I've been getting my music history on with visits to Mozart's childhood homes (I roamed the rooms where he was born! and composed operas! and I saw the clavichord on which he composed The Magic Flute!). My childhood piano and voice lessons have come to haunt me, stealing any ounce of coolness I brought with me to this town. =) 
Also, today I watched 'The Sound of Music' and then wandered the palace grounds (in the rain, of course) where Fraulein Maria and the von Trapp kids frolicked around singing the 'doh a deer' song. This picture was taken from the steps where they jump around singing 'doh me me, me so so...' Yeah I know, you guys are all green with envy. =) The next photo is me honing my self-portait skills in the archway where they do more running around and singing. 
Last night I went to a string quartet performance of works by Mozart and others in the castle on these grounds, which was really nice. Again-- I was the only one under 50 in the room, but the music was really beautiful and the musicians were these cute white-haired guys who all seemed like good friends.
Tomorrow I'll leave Austria and go a whopping 25 km north to Berchtesgaden, which is a little town in south Germany that's meant to be really quiet and beautiful. I've decided to finally join the 21st century and read the latest Harry Potter, so I went to the bookstore, and 20 euros later, I am well-equipped for 2 straight days of reading. I'm looking forward to it!
No comments:
Post a Comment