Sightseeing Vienna

Sunday, July 2, 2017

On July 2, 2017, I flew out from San Francisco Airport (SFO) to London's Heathrow (LHR) airport aboard a Virgin Airlines VS20 Airbus jet. Although the flight was delayed by 30 minutes (from 5:30pm to 6:00pm), I still arrived in London at 11:50 am BST (on schedule). I got a little sleep on the plane and started listening to a new Audible audiobook, "Forgotten Soldiers" by Guy Sajer. Virgin Airlines provided free dinner and breakfast, so I was not very hungry on my arrival in London, but my stomach felt a bit queasy (perhaps some of the breakfast did not agree with me).

I read a bit later that eating on the plane is not recommended as the stomach cannot digest food well at lower air pressure.

Monday, July 3, 2017

When in London's Heathrow, I mainly rested in Terminal 3 and tried to relax, waiting for the British Airways BA0706 to Vienna. This Heathrow terminal had a lot of construction, which did not help my minor migraine headache. I purchased a large bottle of water that helped me somewhat from getting dehydrated.

I boarded the British Airways flight at 7:15 pm and landed in Vienna, Austria, at 10:20 pm. I ordered an UberX car in Vienna for 30 euros and arrived at our Vienna apartment around 11:05 pm, where Inna met me outside. Alex was already sleeping in his room, so we did not bother to wake him. She made me hot tea and offered me a few delicious Viennese pastries.

Tuesday, July 4, 2017

We woke up early in the morning and decided to get breakfast at the famous Café Central. Inna recently discovered this café and really enjoyed the desserts and ambiance there.

Alex had already eaten a small breakfast of milk and cereal, but we hoped he still had space for more. On arriving at Café Central, Inna and Alex ordered the standard Viennese breakfast (coffee, croissant, apricot jam, soft-boiled egg) while I tried the Salmon breakfast, which was also delicious. The apricot jam on the croissants was incredibly delicious. We also tried a slice of freshly baked strawberry cake at the end, which was delicious!

Since there was an excellent exhibition of Monet and Picasso paintings at the Albertina Museum, we decided to head there next.

We enjoyed the painting exhibition, especially the Renoir, Monet, and Picasso paintings. There were also sketches from Leonardo da Vinci and other famous Renaissance painters. All of the rooms were exquisitely furnished and decorated.

After finishing the exhibit, we took the underground subway (Ubahn) to the Prater Amusement Park (as Alex was excited to tell me about the awesome rides there).

Alex and I did some crazy rides (which would be illegal in the US). In addition, Alex and I raced bumper cars and then Indy-type cars (gas-powered). Inna and I also went on a tall carousel ride, where we could see the city from way up high.

After enjoying the Prater amusement park, we returned to Vienna downtown and had a delicious lunch at our favorite Café Demel. We had to sit on the second floor, as Demel was very busy. We all enjoyed our famously delicious pastries and cakes!

After lunch, we briefly returned to our Airbnb home, tired and rested. Alex was exhausted from the morning's activities and decided to relax further.

Eventually, Inn and I decided to explore more of Vienna's beautiful city parks, stopping at Volksgarten and Stadtpark. We wandered through Stadtpark and noticed the many people and couples there. Some were resting, some street performers were singing, and some were just making out. There was even someone doing Yoga.

We got a bit hungry and decided to have our last dinner at our favorite Plachutta restaurant, where we enjoyed our Viennese favorite Viennese tafelspitz. Inna also ordered a dish of chanterelles mushrooms (our favorite), and we enjoyed it all. There was so much food that we took half of it home and ate it on Friday, July 7.

Wednesday, July 5

In the morning, I got up at 6:30 to pack and pick up my Avis Car Rental for our forthcoming road trip through Austria and Germany. I reserved a Seat Leon economy car but wanted to know what vehicle I would pick up. I never recall renting a car I pre-selected while in Europe. In England, I pre-selected a Saab and got a Mercedes; in France, I got a VW Golf and a Peugeot.

After taking the subway (Ubahn) from Westbahnhof to Volkstheater, I changed to the U2 line, getting off at Schottentor/University. I found the Avis Car Rental booths above ground, which seemed locked. I eventually found one that was open and could take the elevator underground to the Avis Terminal.

After reviewing the paperwork, I finally picked up my car 20 minutes later. It was not the Seat Leon I expected but a Nissan Qashqai! I had never heard of this car, but I tried it out. At first, I could not understand how to shift it into reverse. A unique ring on the gearshift needs to be raised (unlike a Peugeot with a button or most American cars that require neither). Finally, I could drive back to our rented Airbnb flat and pick up Inna and Alex. Driving the Nissan through Vienna downtown was difficult and stressful due to the many bicycles, pedestrians, cars, and narrow lanes.

I learned later that the Nissan Qashqai is known in the US as the Nissan Rogue compact SUV.