This entry started in Prague and then off to Vienna. It was another short visit here as well, just a day and a half, but here is how it goes.
Day 60 (Sat. June 20)
Ok, today I get woken up to one roommate coming and going, and then suddenly 3 new girls come in with all their luggage, and it is a bit odd since all the beds are filled. I was a bit annoyed, maybe I was just in a mood but not comfortable knowing that 3 more people had keys to this room. I finally got out of bed, got dressed and took the sheets downstairs and while there I inquired with reception why some new girls were coming into the room with their luggage at 7 am, when the room was already full. She said that they were checking into that room later, and so I said is that not why you have a luggage room. She responded asking if they made too much noise, and I said no, and explained my point of the whole security part of it and the fact that I saw 4-5 people yesterday who had to wait to check in and leave their things in the luggage room until 2pm, but these girls were some exception to that rule. Anyways, they just looked blankly at me and that was the end of that, bad review for that hostel. It is unfortunate that I didn’t get to see Prague for what everyone else raved about, I wasn’t that impressed with the people, it is a beautiful city and there were a few good people but otherwise, not that impressed.
I grabbed my things and raced to the train station, I checked in at the information desk and apparently the 10:57am train I wanted to get on was at a different station. Crap….so I jumped back on the metro and had a couple stops to get to the correct station, made it just in time, thankfully. Most of the seats were reserved, and they I grabbed one in a four seat spot and once again fine, no one else came on. I again worked on some blog, (and I know if I am working on it so much why am I so behind, not sure…..lol). The train was delayed due to some detour on the tracks so we arrived a little late. I went into the station to inquire about further tickets to either Croatia or to Budapest, got some information, some what friendlier then Prague but not much, terrible. Then went to the ATM, using euro’s again, cool. I bought a tram ticket and got the information to which tram to take and while I was at the stop, I noticed something about the one I was getting on, so I asked a woman to reassure that I was at the correct stop and it will get me to where I wanted to go. I really don’t like the buses or trams, the metro or undergrounds are so much easier, you get a map and just find the stop and easy transferring, anyways. I got on the tram and there was actually a detour for the stop I needed to due to the music festival here as well, so a lady on the tram offered to show where I needed to go, and it turned out she was a tour guide for one of the walking tours. I got off with her and we walked along to get to the metro station, she mentioned what a few of the buildings were to me and then off she went and I caught the metro. I had to get off at the last stop, so was a bit of a ride, not too long though. I get off and walk through the station and outside, the directions that I was got stated that the hostel was just 5-10min from the station, so I assume I should be able to maybe see it from the station not luck. I had to pull out my puter and get the phone # and call them to get the proper directions. Well, I had to walk up to the over past and down on the other side and follow the hostel signs, it isn’t far, she said. Ok, but she also did not mention the hill I had to climb with my big pack, and how it was a bit further then 5-10min away. I tell you some of these hostels really need to correct their directions on the sight, I have had many other travellers agree with me. So annoying! So I finally arrive, and the woman at the desk obviously doesn’t understand my bit of a disposition at that moment, but all good. Got my room and thankfully since I was on the 6th floor there was a lift, otherwise I would have blown my top……lol.
Hostel Huddledorf
3 bunk beds, we had our own little cupboards on our beds and there were lots of plugs, a table and chairs, but no sink or bath, both were just down the hall.
This was the view from my room
There were 2 other girls in the room when I got there both from Mexico, just said hello. I take a quick walk around the hostel to see where everything was and ended up chatting with a girl in the lounge from Vancouver who was studying in France and was now doing some travelling before going home (seems to be a popular thing to do) then I returned to the room, made my bed and took a nap. I woke up to some other girls arriving, so I went downstairs to log online and find out about trains and possibly a walking tour. I met Clare from South Korea, she was doing some travelling around alone also, we chatted for awhile and found out that we are in the same room. I continued to research online. Got some information and chatted with friends at home and then off to bed late….this time change is still killing me.
Day 61 (Sun. June 21)
Got up just in time for the early breakfast, and again the same standard, only now you have to pay .50 for orange juice, so strange how things change from place to place. I ate quickly and then back to the room, it was an overcast day, so I laid back down for awhile while all the other girls got ready. Clare that I met last night told me that a gentlemen she spoke to from Austria told her the 3 things you must do while here are go to the Palace, the Opera and try Wiener Schnitzel, good to know. I ended up sleeping for another few hours and then decided to get up and go exploring and buy a ticket to my next destination. I went to the train station and bought a ticket for Budapest, and checked out the lockers so I could put my things in it tomorrow to be able to do some more exploring without going back to the hostel. Then I took the metro into town to go to the tourist information to find out about the walking tours or how to see things on my own. The walking tours were 14 euro, and I missed them, so I opted to walk around on my own and take some pics. Some are things that are on the map and others are just shots I took, just because… :)
This is the State Opera House
a close up of the statues on that building
These were some statues in the square behind the Opera House and they are suppose to have some meaning of the past that Vienna has gone through as they were also affected by the Wars, and like Prague alot of the buildings survived.
Just some random pics
The two pics below are the statues on either end of the building which is The Hofburg Imperial Palace, below them
These are some of the statues at the entrance
In front of this building are the ruins of that were preserved to reveal a view into the history of Michaelerplatz from the time of the Romans until the nineteenth century. They are the structure remains of the settlement outside the Roman fortress, the Renaissance-period walls encasing the ‘Paradeisgartel’ belonging to the Hofburg and also the foundations of the Hofburg Theatre built in 1776. ( got all this info from a write up they had there also)
As you will see in the next few pics, the buildings are very tall and the streets are quite narrow, you feel really small walking along the streets here
Below is St. Stephen’s Cathedral and under renovations (seems that alot of Europe is under renos, kinda sucks for pics)
These guys are kinda funny, they are all over the streets trying to sell tickets for the opera, as you can see they are dressed appropriately for it.
I continued to walk along following the map the best I could, I wanted to find this house that was on alot of the postcards and was apparently a tourist attraction of which I thought was pretty neat. The Hundertwasserhaus, it was done by Friedensreich Hunderwasser, who is not an architect. It is a social housing project and it is Vienna’s most popular modern sight, and people do actually live there. There is alot of different colours and some mosaic work.
There was a museum of some of that same guys art work and there were some shops and a bathroom all in the same architectural work. So, after that long walk a distance away from the center of town, I finally walked back to the metro station and jumped on to head back to the hostel. I got in and grabbed my puter to book a hostel for Budapest and chatted with Clare a bit more. Then off to bed.
Day 62 Mon. June 22
Today starts in Vienna and ends in Budapest. I woke up to a rainy, crappy day, that just ruined my plan to try and do the walking tour today and learn a little something about Vienna but not in this weather. I went down for the boring brkfast (but is was free, so can’t complain), then back to my room and Clare was there also, she was getting her things ready to go, she was leaving today also. There was another new girl, another Clare from Georgia, she mentioned that she was going to go see the Schonbrunn Palace today and so we decided to go together, best to be indoors on such a crappy day. I got all my things ready and we headed out to the train station first so I could lock my things in a locker and then jumped back on the metro to go to the Palace.
Once there, we had to pay 9.50 euro for the Imperial tour, which just got us in to the state rooms and private apartments of the imperial couple Franz Joseph and Elisabeth with an audio guide. It was really rather disappointing, the second room we entered focused on a particular painting in the room and well there was scaffolding right in front of it, nice! So we went through all the rooms we were allowed to and there were more areas that were under construction, so not good. Apparently the outside of the building with its beautiful gardens and labyrinth is much more exciting but with the rain out, we did not venture out there at all, although I did get some pics through the windows. As for inside, there was no pics allowed, didn’t miss much.
entrance to the labyrinth
We left there in search of some Weiner Schnitzel to try, got back on the metro and headed for town. We walked along and there was a particular museum that Clare wanted to see and we happened to come across it but it was closed, due to renovations. We came across a small market place with lots of different restaurants and again the waiters or hostesses stand outside and try to pull you in to eat at their establishment, craziness again. We picked one that had Weiner Schnitzel at a good price, we order the veal Schnitzel and a sausage dish, and we shared so we could both try each dish. Both were very good, the Schnitzel is basically veal/pork or chicken and it is breaded. It is quite tasty, but apparently as we found out when we got the bill, the veal is more expensive then the other two, oh well was good. After that I decided I had enough of the rain and I was going to catch the 3:50 train to Budapest. Got to the train station and to the platform and the train just arrived, so I got on and found a good seat. I was going to do some blogging but I feel asleep. The continuation will be the next blog entry of Budapest……..and just a heads up it was raining there too. Crap!
I wish I had more to tell you about Vienna, I do know that Mozart was born in Austria and he was buried there as well as Beethoven. The Vienna Boys Choir is real and they get up early every Sunday morning for mass. Vienna is known as ‘The city of Music’, there is of course the opera and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. There are underground passages, cellars and crypts throughout Vienna, some were badly damaged or destroyed in WW2 or post –war re-developments. A Jewish community with Gestapo memorial, the Documentation Archive and the New Holocaust Memorial, of which I did not get to any of these things. So, I am sure I missed out on a very informative walking tour so if you’re ever in Vienna, take the tour and tell me all about it.
K, so I am going to finish Budapest now so you don’t have to wait to read the continuation from this entry….lol
Until then…….hope everyone is well……send me some updates about yourselves :)
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