2015 VIENNA

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While I am exploring Budapest I decide to take a bus to Vienna and spend a few days there as well.

I get on the bus at Budapest in the morning and the few hours up to Vienna could be more pleasure to my eyes. Actually to the eyes of anyone around. I mean, have a look:

Yep, that's a pair of feet in socks with the thumb toe sticking out through a hole, making the whole scene a cross between Monty Python and Woody Allen. Fortunately I am far enough to miss the smell.

I arrive at Vienna and my effort to contact my AirBnB host doesn't bring any fruits. Turns out that she decided last minute to be away from the apartment taking a chance for a weekend trip and her message that followed my attempts to contact her has some poor instructions of where the apartment keys are. Here's another cross between Monty Python and Woody Allen: she left the keys in a pot INSIDE the building. Yep, as if I have the keys to the building in the first place. I'll skip you what I told her and will transfer you straight to the scene where I wait outside the building to grab the chance of someone coming out so I go in before the door closes, wearing the innocent face of someone who has the keys but is glad someone else has just spared me from using them. Fortunately this happens before I run out of patience and start ringing irrelevant people. We exchange smiles with the guy coming out, I do find the keys in that pot and I finally make it to the place I booked. It's a room in a big apartment and lucky me everyone is out for the weekend so I have it all at my disposal.

And my room is aptly tagged:

No one had the bright idea to dump the trash before leaving for the weekend though and the kitchen smells like a trash truck. However, it's still cleaner than my room which has a thick layer of dust to every single surface untouched accidentally. Including an acoustic guitar that I undusted - I can't leave a guitar unplayed. Nice apartment though.

As a first exploration I start with the nearby park of Augarten:

I love how this way full of trees lead you to the Porcelain museum:

Of course the museum itself is lovely too:

Ex Royal garden, now still well taken care off and open to the public:

Enough for today as it's getting late, back to my AirBnB to short my files and get ready for a full walking day tomorrow.

I can't convince myself that what I slept on overnight was a mattress and not just a pile of textile and other unidentified material but I am sure that I am more than ready and willing to explore Vienna's center. The first view of the buildings from Augartenbrucke looks promising:

Especially the Rossau barracks "Bernardis-Schmid":

The impressive buildings become more frequent:

Among the most emblematic ones is the University of Vienna:

But also the Burgtheater as well:

As I arrive at Vienna's City Hall I realise the local open air film festival is on. Quite a venue!:

The center of Vienna is full of buildings hard to ignore:

The impressive thing though is the myriads of ancient Greek elements around:

There's also another thing connecting Greece with Austria: The Austrian architect Chiller has built in Athens numerous emblematic buildings during the 19th century (Library, Academy etc) and had an intense constructive activity around Greece. Most of them express his influence and appreciation to the ancient Greek heritage.

You know Volkswagen but you might not be aware of Volksgarten. Well, you should:

Besides, it leads you to the outstanding local museum of History:

You can leave this place behind via Äußeres Burgtor for a nice final touch to this wonderful walk:

The superb Hofburg Palace:

The center of Vienna is oniric. I am not that impressed by the contemporary part but the center is exceptional and maybe it's one reason as the rest of the city (or any city) has a super tough job trying to compete this anyway:

There, at a toy store I find some of the cutest pieces ever. See this antique kid car and yes... "Make friends not war":

I so love horses and Vienna has lots of them. I captured a bunch while sitting in a corner:

Greece is in Vienna with its present as well not just the past:

After a top ice cream I make it back to my room.

Be sure that at night Vienna never ceases to impress. Look at the Opera House:

Next day I decide to walk Kaiserwiese park. Betcha I don't regret it:

And how could I since Riesenrad is located there - have a look at this heaven for kids of all ages:

After some time spent there I leave it behind and later Rotundenbrucke gives me a chance for a couple of shots over the river:

I later get a chance to meet my good friend Greg with his wife Viki. Long time since I hosted both in Athens. Greg is a biker mate who owns Wheels of Morocco and also the guy who recorded one of the closest calls of my riding career while we were riding the Athens riviera together:

Greg and Viki being from Budapest obviously know Vienna much more than I do and they take me to Hundertwasserhaus. It's not actually a hidden gem (are there any left in the internet world anyway?) but this unique residential colourful artistic thing really surprises me with its gardens and uneven (!) pavement to resemble a walk in pure unspoiled nature:

Really interesting and pleasant urban parenthesis. Kinda reminded me of Gaudi's creations in Barcelona (like Casa Batllo for example). A nice way to end my walks around this city with the magical center. Thank you Vienna, don't be surprised if you see me again anytime soon ;)

See you on the next one!