Felt in Love
Just 4,5 days to feel in love is what I have needed. I have felt in love with Vienna. I had huge expectations on it and they have gratefully exceeded.
I travelled last Friday to Vienna due to meet one of my best friends there. We did not see each other since 2 years ago.
My flight was the first one in arriving, so I had to wait for her. As soon as we met, we were "like always". Those 2 years did not exist anymore.
We got to manage everything well till we arrived the flat. Marta booked a flat via "Airbnb" that had everything what we needed: bed + bathroom. So, living room, kitchen, stereo, TV, etc. were an extra. The flat was in a perfect location (we just realized next day of our arrival after being about 1 hour lost in the city asking to different people). Then we realized that previous night we were just less than 10 min from our appartment! Yes, Marta does not have a great orientation either. But at the end, she was the guide and she made it quite well (except when she got upset with me because: 1) I never opened my map (which I lost the first day... it should be the only time that I used it); or 2) when I checked something on my phone and I forgot it after tell her the street names). That´s me.
In my favour, I have to say that:
1) I was the one in charge of the camera
2) I was the one who remembered the name of the streets/tram/train stops (even if I did not know where they were exactly)
3) I was able to get to a known and easy point for Marta the last night that we went out (Hi1 10 for me!)
We bought the "Vienna Pass" for 3 days and we wanted to amortize it. Then you can imagine: up - down - right - left - down - right - up - left - up. At the end of the day, we were dead!!! Literally dead!
We visited what we had planned:
1) Parlament
2) Rathaus
3) Universität
4) Votivkirche
5) Burgtheater
6) Natur - und Kunst- historisches Museum
7) Staatsoper
8) Albertina
9) Hofburg
10) Börse
11) Nationalbibliothek
12) Stephansdom
13) Karlskirche
14) Hochstrahlbrunnen
15) Kunst Haus
16) Hundertwasserhaus
17) Unteres und Oberes Belvedere
18) Praterstern (sooooo funny!!!)
19) Riesenrad
20) Donauturm
21) Schloss Schönbrunn
22) Tiergarten Schönbrunn
23) UNO-City
24) Naschmarkt
25) Cruise
26) Spanische Hofreitschule
PLUS spontaneous things:
1) Go twice to the Zoo in Schönbrunn (first time was closed when we arrived. We spent some time playing to be monkeys on the way to there)
(Right, I fell down from the tree)
2) Go twice to the Hundertwasserhaus because the first time that we went was at night and we wanted to repeat to check the nice colours of those houses during the day
3) Madame Tussauds (Marta's wish) - we had some dates with some nice gentlemen and even, we played some concerts with Mercury, had a therapy with Freud and sing a little bit with Julie Andrews in "The Sound of Music" (Spanish title: "Sonrisas y Lágrimas" = "Smiles and Tears", nothing similar with the original one, hehe)
4) As it was the weekend previous to Halloween (on Monday), "Pratter......." was already dressed for the occasion. And of course, we had to participate! We bought a counter for the "crash cars" and another one for the "Passage of terror". It was sooooo much fun! I still laugh when I think in the moment where Marta, the one who is super brave and she is not afraid of those stuffs (opposite to me) fell down and the "assasin clown" had to stop when he saw that suddenly we had stopped screaming, I was laughing and we were stopped (since Marta was on the floor). He asked if we were OK, hahahahahahaha!!! What people should make in maybe 5 minutes, we needed ca. 15min (so much that the second couple joined us almost in one point of the path).
5) We visited some hotels: Le Méridien Vienna, Imperial, Hilton. Very nice toilettes.
6) We took a train by mistake when we found the zoo was closed. We thought that it was going to the exit and we were so tired that needed to be sat. But the train went to the "Tirolergarten" and we got a very nice view of the Schönbrunn...... (obviously, we missed the train back doing some pictures). It was the "Gloriette".
7) Buy a ticket for a concert ........ Original price: 54€/each; Special price for us: 21€/each. The view from our seats were quite OK but chairs were the death!!!!!
8) Having dinner in one of the most popular restaurants in Vienna (just by surprise).
9) Museums Quartier
10) Franz von Assisi Kirche
11) MAK
12) Buy "breakfast" in "Aida" (very known and cute place)
After the "busy day" that we had, it was normal that our jackets were the last ones to be picked (even the sofa with the broken wires in the lobby was comfortable for us!)
We made some "friends":
1) Zakarias (phone nr. 0043 681 202 55 381): the guy who helped us to pick the tickets that we had for the Opera and the one who got the tickets for the concert (Mozart & Strauss) for 21€/each
2) Eddi (one of the "Hop-on-Hop-off" busses in Vienna). We met him like 3 times the same day. The last time was after we visiter the .... tower and we saw the "yellow" bus by coincidence when we were trying to find the public transport following 3 italian guys. As soon as Eddi saw us running to him, he started to say "no-no-no with his head" and thinking: "it cannot be true again" :):):):) He asked us: "Where are you going now? It´s the last bus today"; Our answer: "We do not know. Just let´s see where there is a train stop and we will off". He was quite nice. We chatted with him during all trip.
3) The "guy from the Bermuda Bräu". He was a little bit old but very friendly. He offered his stool to us and he told us some clubs where we could go later. The second (and last) night that we went out, we met him again in the same bar. Before he left, he told us: "after knowing you, I like now a little bit Spain" (can you belive it?!?! First person that didn´t like Spain!!!!!! but now, he is on the good way).
4) Andreas & Cía - Nice guy who invited us to a second pub after the Bermuda Bräu was closed. He gave us his Business card just in case we come back there.
5) The "(un-)friendly waiter" - it was like a "yes but not" and a "no but yes". At the end, he invited to a drink to let us test something that I even do not know what it is today. Charming guy!. So, if you go there, give him "greetings" from me ;)
6) Johannes, one of the guys who organize the "best pubs crawls in Europe". He gave us the "yellow bracelet" to go with him and the group to a club without paying anything. But it was because I found a mobile (+ bank card + ID) in the bar toilette from a girl (Deborah) who forgot it there. And by coincidence, Deborah lives in Zürich and close to me.
7) Colin, "the American guy from NY". Very polite and a good dancer.
8) The "private detective" who came to us, invited to a drink and then left. Only at the end of the night, he came to talk for a while. Very nice.
9) And of course, the owner of our flat, Alexander. He was nice and patience since the flat of Marta had a delay of sth else than 1 hour and we met him around 2 hours later as planned.
10) Living "Halloween" there!!
We walked a lot, we talked without limit, we were infinite tired:
Our body hurt everywhere (specially feet and back) and eyes cried after so much laugh.
This has been one of the best trips that I have ever done in my life. Honestly. So muuucccchhh fun that when I remember anything from it, I still laugh and my belly hurt because of the still stiffness that I have.
Martis, thank you very much for this unforgettable experience. It will be difficult to be beaten but for sure, that we will try as we always do :)
Love you!!!!!!
