I spent a few days in Vienna and I have to admit I didn't have a real plan for this city. It's a 7 hour train ride from Aalen to Vienna and once you get off that train, you really care about little else.
It's such an easy city to navigate and get around that it isn't difficult to see many of the beautiful sites just by hopping on the U-Bahn and then hopping off at any given stop.
I typically don't go to any city blind. I usually research and type into Google the top 10 sites to see anywhere, but that wasn't the feeling I was getting for this trip. It reminded me (on a slightly softer level) of an excerpt from the book "Eat, Pray, Love," where the author is in Italy just lounging on the floor eating to her heart's desire rather than going out and seeing the sights. Of course the voice of her ex-husband pops into her head asking "this is why you went to Italy and ruined our marriage? To sit on the floor and eat food all day?" And the author simply replies back with no shame,"yes, yes it is."
Now I am not getting divorced, but one would still expect that if you're in a new city you're going to break your back to see every nook and cranny. Normally I do, but all I wanted to do was leisurely walk around, drink coffee all day and perhaps take pictures of the magnificent buildings and gardens from time to time. And I really don't feel any shame about it at all!
Vienna takes their theater very seriously apparently. This is just one of many theaters I came across.
City Hall where a huge festival honoring Austrian culture was being held.
As I was just meandering I came across this gorgeous garden. It was a very lucky find.
I am guessing in order to raise funds to maintain the garden you can buy bushes or plants in honor of a loved one. This particular flower had a quote on it that says
"Once in a while, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale."
It was written by anonymous. I wonder if that is the same Anonymous with a statue in Budapest;) Nonetheless it was a very sweet sentiment.
The garden kind of reminded me of the scene in the movie Notting Hill where Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant fall in love. That quote was perfect to set the scene!
My lack of motivation to be a die-hard tourist may not show it, but Ireland may have been my favorite country, but Vienna is my favorite city. It was so clean and beautiful. The buildings were gorgeous and I ate some of the best food I have had this entire trip in this city.
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