Vienna is a city of contradictions – of old buildings sitting side-by-side with the ultra-modern; of young artsy creative people who all look the same; and of a winter town who does summer right! The first thing you notice upon your arrival in Vienna is its architectural beauty. Enormous Viennese castles with golden icing painted upon its details, gothic-style churches reaching up to the sky, and monuments of glorious war-heroes sat upon horses charging into battle. Theses symbols of past glory litter the streets of Vienna at every turn. In between theses national symbols lie “regular” buildings – only, they aren’t so regular, at least from my North American eye. Even these buildings show-off their pomposity with painstakingly detailed trimmings and gorgeous shuttered windows; as though to say, “hey, look at me too!”. Well, I looked, and I was dazzled. But those of you who read my blog avidly know that buildings and monuments are never my focus during travel. For me, a city is all about its people, and so this is what I sought this past weekend in Vienna. Vienna is a fabulous place to people-watch, and so I did so on several occasions – from the MuseumsQuartiers to Voltzpark, from the cafes lining the main shopping street downtown to the squares around the churches, and from the many benches providing sanctuary for my aching feet. From these benches and chairs, I was able to look into the lives of the people of Vienna. They seem a proud people, speaking their German with pride and looking inward for many of their cultural satisfactions. They are also a people who enjoy the richer things in life – from their beautiful cars and clothing to their high-quality espressos with rich dark chocolate (called sachartorte), the Viennese do everything in style. This perception of the Viennese was only augmented by my first couch surfing experience. I had the opportunity to stay in my boss’ flat, but chose a stranger’s couch instead, in order to meet some young people and see their city through their eyes. With my 3 couch surfing hosts, I ate lunch in a cool square, devoured endless sweets with an Austrian family, and was taken to several bars over the course of two nights, where I met more young Austrians. Without exception, these people were uber-artsy – graphic designers, musicians, architects, and actors. With very little exception, however, they were all clones of one another. They all sported the same semi-shaved haircut with big wide-framed glasses, cool old-looking clothing with designer labels, awesome retro cameras, beautifully funky fixed-fear bikes, and grand ideas of their own uniqueness. In this way, they seemed typically Viennese – driving gorgeous wheels that they are obsessed with and sporting stylish clothing as they enjoy their high tech luxurious hobbies. I found them all pleasant and nice, but the irony didn’t escape me. (The one exception to this stereotype (which I bow realize I perpetuated – ironic, yet again) is a musician called Pablo J. A fine gentleman with a kind, soft interior, unique ideas, and a creative and quirky spirit. Check out his website at www.pablojmusic.com) Despite this assessment of the young of Vienna, I do certainly believe that the Viennese have mastered the art of welcoming in spring. With the outdoor cafes lining the streets, the masses of people bike-riding along the masses of bike paths, and the cool bars and restaurants along the banks of the Danube, it is safe to say that Vienna is not a bad place to ring in the new season. A few springtime highlights – flea markets, naps in parks, riding the giant swing at the amusement park, watching the Life Ball parade, and a sunset riverside electronic music party! It’s little wonder the Viennese do spring so well from the way they describe their long, harsh winters! I spent a fantastic weekend discovering Vienna. It was a neat experience not having old friends to visit or see the place with. I think because of that, I was more sensitive to the nuances of the place, and I really tried to get a feel for what Vienna is and how it sees itself.
