What a great day yesterday! I can now say that I’ve traveled the underground trains, the fast trains, the trams and the buses.  I’m glad to report that I have successfully used and followed the instructions on the public transport’s Internet trip planner, even if it’s in German. My quest – nature!  Yesterday marked 1 month since I left Newfoundland and Labrador, and although Ottawa has its own unique charm and plenty of green spaces, it didn’t feed my soul as much as the wilderness and energy of The Rock.  I know peace is an internal state, but there’s something very grounding, connecting, peaceful, uplifting, serene about being in certain natural spaces and that’s what I was looking for.

University Botanical Garden
This morning I went back to the Belvedere area to explore the Botanical Garden that is attached to it.  I had cut through it for 2 minutes on my way to a get-together on Saturday.  It was nice, but just like the Stadtpark, I don’t think I’ll feel the need to return to it.  If you’re into studying zillions of species of plants, it’s great.  It simply didn’t satisfy me energetically (I know, I’m hard to please at times).

Since I was there, however, I returned to the Belvedere Palace and its gardens.  I do enjoy this space very much!

Schönbrunn Palace Botanical GardensAfter lunch at my place, I headed back out and made my way to Empress Sisi’s former summer residence, where I did a brief photo shoot last week for Kaliyana’s travelogue. This time, I walked around the grounds for more than 2 hours and only covered part of half (the free parts).  There’s also a zoo, labyrinth, palm house, and more.   I’ll definitely be back!  This will definitely be a go-to place for me.  As I walked into one of the side gates into the grounds, I instantly felt that connection to Mother Earth, that sense of relief, that being one and at peace – I felt home (OK, so I’ve been called a princess before, but I’m not talking about the palace or palatial gardens  – although these were great too!).  There are a lot of old growth trees here and countless tree-lined walkways, some of which feel like a hug.  Each part of the garden is big enough to create a mood as you walk around or sit in the multitude of secluded corners, and unique enough that when you exit, you immediately enter into a whole new world – not better or worse, just different.  I’ve tried to give you an idea through photos (I let go of weight and perfectionism today and chose to only bring my iPhone as my main goal was to walk).  I can only imagine this place in the spring.  Not sure what winter will be like with all the leaves gone, but I’ll try that too.  One thing that was really nice is that the park is big enough not to hear the cars outside (instead, I enjoyed the sounds of nature, even the surprising call of a monkey before I remembered there was a zoo here).  In addition, although there were lots of tourists around, they were dispersed enough, especially once outside the main garden alley with the palace at one end and the Gloriette at the other.  Notice the photo of the guard with lions  – its face is actually a tree trunk… interesting.  To congratulate myself for walking up there and to give me energy to continue my explorations before finding my way home, I treated myself to a famous Sacher torte … I can now say I’ve had some, but I don’t think I’ll order it again unless I become curious to know if there are different qualities – this one almost tasted stale, but I’m sure it wasn’t with the traffic that café has.  It’s a heavy and dry chocolate cake with apricot jam. Next on my must-try list is the equally famous apple strudel with warm vanilla sauce and whipped cream.

Oh, I’d like to thank the considerate patron who put toilet paper in between the door jam to stop it from locking – I’m not fond of the idea of paying the equivalent to 75 cents to use a public toilet. I’m not much for breaking the rules, but this is one I’ll have a hard time adjusting to.  For a few dollars more, you can use a toilet for free and eat a large pizza too.  They just didn’t have a pizza restaurant in the middle of the palatial gardens, and I couldn’t hold it in any longer (is that too much information? 🙂  )

I found my way back home on the bus and underground (along with the newly married couple I saw up at the Gloriette – they looked just as exhausted) and successfully cooked another meal.  We were 3 today doing the kitchen dance – Ellen from Belgium has just joined us.

Today, I had to continuously remind myself that happiness is a choice and that anger wouldn’t serve anyone, myself included.  It was just one of those days.  I’m glad to say, however, that I didn’t actually get angry (although it did bubble up a few times) and chose peace and happiness at every turn (OK, almost…).  Parts of my day were actually awesome, so in my heart I’m only focusing on those, but in this blog I’ll share the full story because it makes for better storytelling 🙂

I woke up at my normal 5am after almost 8 hours of sleep and my body begged for a restorative yoga session, which I was glad to oblige.  By 7:50am, I had done my yoga, had half my breakfast, showered, dressed, and was out the door for a very short drizzly walk to the corner where I waited until they opened the doors to Denn’s organic supermarket.  I needed fresh fruit for my breakfasts, but I also needed to stock cupboards.  After a week playing tourist and eating out, it was time to learn to cook without my steamer.  It took me about 45 minutes to go through the store to select various fruits & vegetables, goat milk cheeses, hummus spreads, pesto, quinoa, brown rice, lentils, seeds, and a whole variety of gluten free breads, pasta, and tamari.  I’ve kept my receipt so I can learn the German names – it came out to 95.84, which was perfect as I had only brought 100.  I’m thrilled with the variety of healthy organic foods available here. Yay!  I put everything away while eating my raspberries and then headed out for my day of exploring the public transportation system.

That had been my goal from the start, so in a way I should be grateful for what happened next.  Do you remember the 3-hour walk I took to the Magistrat last week only to find out that they were closed on Wednesdays?  Well, after successfully buying my 1-week pass from a machine with a 20 Euro bill and getting change (yay again!), I asked a few people which tram to take to the Rathaus (City Hall). Being a major landmark, I figured most people would know, but the group I asked couldn’t agree. I kept walking a little and another man suggested I take the #6 tram for 1 stop to the Westbanhoff (train station) where there was an information kiosk with staff that speak English.  I’m glad I already had my pass as the information office was 3 levels underground beside one of the subway lines (for which you need a ticket to get to).  They had sold out of maps for the bus / tram lines (I wanted to do it above ground to see the city), but it was very simple and quick underground. I easily found the Magistrat’s office. If you’ll recall, it was the clerk at the government agency I went to last week to register my residency address who told me that this is where I needed to go to ask questions about extending my visa.  Before going to office #44 (which is where the helpful man at the front counter told me I should go), he escorted me to the elevator to show me how to get to the washroom (as per my request – this is not a Viennese courtesy offered without asking).  That’s where I got my first omen (forgive the graphic details if you’re sensitive to such things – again, it makes for better storytelling).  As I was crouched over the toilet, I heard the distinct sound of metal hitting ceramics and cringed.  As I looked down into the bowl that I had just urinated into, I saw my precious Our Lady of the Miraculous medal that my father had given me last Christmas.  What to do?!  I just couldn’t bear the symbolism of flushing it down the sewers, and so I had no alternative but to pull my sleeve up and fish it out.  I’m relieved to say, however, that this was a single washroom equipped for the handicapped and so there was actually a sink right beside the toilet, which I immediately used.  Both Mary and my hands got a good wash before I proceeded to the royal bureaucratic run-around that was to follow.

I went to #44 and figured out that I had to enter the office and ask the assistant for a ticket to see a clerk (many places have a ticket dispensing machine outside). I then sat down at her desk and explained to her that I had a question about extending my visa.  She did just as the clerk at Hermangasse had done last Wednesday. She told me I was at the wrong office and handed me a paper with an address and map. Having limited German (and she had very limited English), I simply forwent the complaining, smiled, breathed, and said “Danke, Auf Wiedersehen” (Thank you, goodbye).  Before venturing through the underground system to get there, however, I decided to walk the 4 blocks back to the Bank of Austria where I had put money on my Quick Card (for laundry) last Friday. Last week’s simple request had taken quite a bit of time while the clerk seemed to have trouble with the machine and was called away to help her colleague).  That had given me the time to really observe my surroundings, something I naturally do as a visual person.  I had observed how my 2 blue 20 Euro bills looked angled and superimposed on the counter versus the single red 10 Euro bill on the counter behind (which had me curious – I don’t usually see money lying around on back counters at banks).  I also took the time to count in my head how many loads of laundry 40 Euros would cover, hoping it would bring me to Christmas so I wouldn’t have to return here. When she explained that there would be a 1 Euro commission, I wrote on my expenses sheet in my wallet 39+1, thinking she would deduct it, but was surprised when she asked for an extra Euro.  No problem. When I got home and ventured to do the laundry, the card reader said I had 20 Euros on the card.  When I got upstairs and checked my bank receipt (not checking it there was my mistake), it said 20 Euros.  So I went back to the bank this morning to explain and to ask if their cash balanced out on Friday and if they were by chance 20 Euros over.  My banker wasn’t there today.  Today’s banker asked her colleague and checked through some papers, but informed me that the cash balance was clear at the end of Friday.  I asked if there was any way to check the TV cameras above as the time was stamped on my receipt.  She took my email address and said she’d do some checking through the Quick Card system, but it’s the end of the business day now and I haven’t heard back.  I’m 100% sure I gave 40 – the idea of the bank shortchanging me did get the anger bubbles rising a few times, but I kept reminding myself that these are all lessons learned and that I should have checked my receipt.  It’s hard to think of such basic things when so much is going on in a new country – all the visual, auditory, sensory stimulus can put a person like me in a state of overwhelm.  I had been so happy to find this bank after trying about 6 others last week, that I thought it was a done deal and that they knew what they were doing because they do it all day every day.  Who knows, however…. she could have had a really bad day and she’s also human. Mistakes happen.  I’m still hoping.  $27 of laundry makes a difference.

From the bank, I ventured back underground and found my way via 2 lines to St. Stephen’s Cathedral station and then up through the streets to the office where I was told to go.  The fact that there were 2 doors with the same address on the same block was a bit confusing, but I managed to find my way. There were many foreigners there of various countries and various odorous states.  When it was my turn, I explained what I wanted and the receptionist went to get someone for me in a back office. Great! no line up!  Unfortunately, this woman explained to me that this was a counseling office to help immigrants, but not the one that specializes in students.  Also, they have no official power – they are an NGO that simply help with advice.  So she gave me 3 other addresses I could go to.  Supposedly, the office that actually gives the permits will no longer answer questions – you simply go there to apply. Again, I thanked her and said goodbye.
As I stood outside in the beautiful square with a statue in the middle, I was at a loss as to what to do next.  Do I try these other addresses?  No, I’d had enough of that for one day.  Instead, I turned 360 degrees to feel where I should go next and my eye caught that Godsend of a sign – Pizza!  I’m glad to report that I haven’t had potato chips in a few weekw (pretty good for a chipaholic) – but I’ve had pizza almost every day, at my hosts or on the street.  So much for all that gluten-free shopping I did this morning…  This one was cheap – 5 EUR and made fresh in front of me in a little hole it the wall with 3 tables and bar stools. Oh was it good!… that is until the 2 gals beside me finished theirs and lit up.  So it’s not only on terraces! Again, I chose to be happy and enjoy this treat while looking at my map and deciding my next step.  I needed greenspace.

The nearest park of any size was the Stadpark, which was on my wish list of places to experience.  It took me about 20 minutes to walk there and about 45 minutes to walk through.  There are sidewalks lined with benches through the whole park and statues of musicians everywhere, including the famous one of Johan Strauss.  It’s a nice park, but it didn’t really help me ground or connect to nature. I’m glad I went, but I don’t think I’ll go out of my way to return again.  I will go back to the Botanical Gardens though.
Once I had finished my walk, I hopped on the first tram I found and just sat and watched the city go by until the end of that line and then hopped on another and went to the end of that one.  When I recognized that I was close to home, I got off and found the stop for the #5 that passes on Kaiserstrasses at the corner from where I live, but a block down.  Right at the corner was a store full of rough stones and fossils – really impressive!  I got on the 5 to find out that the last stop was actually the train station where I took the underground this morning, so not far from my place. I stayed on as it turned around and went to the other end of the line (although I missed a few sights as I kept nodding off).  The final stop is the Prater, that park with the ferris wheel.  There’s quite a bit of nature around there too, but I was too tired to explore and stayed on it again as it turned around and took me home.  That’s when I found out that there was another shop diagonal to the first, this time full of polished stones and fossils – some to make jewelry (and they have a club/courses at the back) and others that I would love to stick on paintings.  What a thrill!

When I got home, I noticed my note on the table was at a different angle and heard a “hello!”.  I was greeted by Monica, my new roommate from Spain, who will be studying Economics here. She also studies law in her country.  Interestingly, her courses will also be in English, so we can communicate easily. It won’t help my German though, but that’s OK.  She’s out exploring right now and has friends in town in another residence, but she asked me a few questions about how things worked and it felt very strange being the expert around here.  It’s all relative!

So there you have it – plenty of opportunity for disgust, anger, frustration, disappointment, and more, but I chose otherwise and am quite happy about that. Today was a good day. Tomorrow, I have a meeting at school and we’ll be distributing posters around town, so I’ll get to know the city (and its art stores) some more.

I walked in exactly 12 hours after I left home this morning – a few hours after I shoulda woulda coulda…  It was a terrific day, and we’ll see if I can wake up early tomorrow to take advantage of my last half day on the Hop On Hop Off bus.  What did I do? Let me tell ya…

• 9am – left home and was thrilled to find a dollar store on that big shopping street (actually, a Euro store, so that’s a $1.44 store Cdn) to buy batteries for my camera flash.  Got confused about whether I wanted alkaline or non alkaline and so I ended up buying AAAs instead of AAs
• arrived at the Opera House at 9:45 and got on the first Yellow Line bus to Shonbrunn Palace – arrived at 10:15.  I was wearing my Kaliyana anti-suit and so I decided to make today a fashion-shoot-play-day project to submit shots for the designer’s weekly Travelogue.  Thank goodness I bought a remote for my camera instead of a cable shutter release.  I could dance and pose to my heart’s content and keep on shooting – other tourists smiled, but they’re used to camera shenanigans … just not solo. Again, this is the back of the house – they have really nice backyards around here 🙂
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• took the 11:30 am bus to the Belvedere, where I’m hoping our class will go see Klimt’s work, including The Kiss (I’m a hopeless romantic).  Today, however, I just went around the garden pool and took some pictures.  I’ve never been much of a museum person – I’ll save a lot of time and money in Vienna. 🙂  I like the gardens and park lands.
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• took the 12:30 bus back to the Opera House and switched to the Red Line.  I got off at the University stop to go to the Bank Austria branch I was told would accept cash to put on my QuickCard that I’ll be using for laundry – all other banks use the ATM and that wasn’t practical with my bank in Canada.  To my horror, it didn’t open on Friday afternoons.  To my delight, the central office across the street was open and it’s actually where I was supposed to go (not sure why there are 2 Bank of Austria across the street from each other, but I won’t complain).  On my way back to the bus, I was intrigued by a restaurant called Yamm.  Wow!  It’s the same style as my favourite vegetarian restaurant in Ottawa, The Green Door (but much fancier) – buffet style, but pay by weight.  Dangerous!  My lunch was $26, but oh how healthy and I must have tasted small spoonfuls of about 15 different dishes and salads – many were similar to what many international vegetarian restaurants in Canada might offer, but there was also a stuffed dumpling with sauerkraut that was truly European.  What a treat!  I’m glad it’s not in my neighbourhood though – not at that price (or with my healthy appetite) … and I didn’t even have a drink or desert.
• Got on the 2pm bus to continue the loop.  I tried listening to the German, but only understood a few words and so I thought I’d learn more (especially about Vienna) if I stuck to English.  Lots to see out the windows – today I sat on the left side for a different perspective.  Did you know that traffic lights flash green before going to yellow and red here? As a pedestrian, our little guy flashes green to before going red too, but only for 1 second, so really, run!!!!
• Back at the Opera House, I got on the 2:30pm Blue Line to go to Kunst Haus (where I had another photo shoot) and Hundertwasserhaus. The latter has been my favourite building in the world since I first went there in 1992.  I even made a 3D maquette of it in art history class when I did my Certificate of Art & Design at the University of Saskatchewan.  I’ve seen a lot of buildings all around the world – there’s just something about this one that draws me – and today’s visit confirms it – it’s the energy there.  I just found out that the artist who created it said “This house is my soul”.  Maybe I’m connecting to that.  It’s actually a public housing complex, full of greenery, curves and undulating floors, colours, and yes, tourists.  I sat on one of the cobble stone bumps in the sidewalk and just felt happy.
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• A few streets back, there was a store with long silk scarves that caught my eye – Huntertwasser and Klimt designs.  At 29.99 Euros ($43), I thought I might do better for my chosen Vienna souvenir, but the stores across from the house had the same ones for 59 Euros and downtown they were 69 ($99).  I’ll see if I still want one in a month or so.
• I got on the 5pm bus and hopped off at the Prater Fairgrounds to see the Giant Ferris Wheel, one of Vienna’s landmarks. I imagined some fun anti-suit photo shoot there, but alas, I couldn’t make them happen on my own, not even with my trusted tripod (it’s people walking away with my gear while I use the remote from the swings that just didn’t make sense).  The original that burnt down dated back to 1897 (it was originally meant to be there only for a few months, but was too expensive to dismantle).  It was rebuilt in 1945.  You may have seen it in the world’s best English movie in a hundred years (voted in 1999), The Third Man with Orson Welles.  I’ll have to see it while I’m here.
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• Got on the 6:30pm bus to head back to the Opera House.
• Got there at 7pm and the setting sun on St. Stephan’s Cathedral down the busiest pedestrian mall in Vienna called me.  It looked like it was just a block away, but it wasn’t… still it was a great walk with lots to see.
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• Once there, I decided to trust my usually great sense of direction to head home through the tiny cobble stone alleys with palaces and shops.  I had considered not paying into a cell phone plan while I was here since I’ve got Internet and a passive phone (I can receive calls, but will need to buy a phone card to call out) at home and those who are most likely to call me will be in class with me all day.  But I may just get one to access Google Maps.   My sense of direction doesn’t work in all the twists and turns here.  Once again, I ended up way off track… by miles! I was back at the University, close to the Rathaus (city hall).  I knew where to go from here, but it would be another hour’s walk at least, especially since there were more pictures along the way.
• Each time I put my camera away saying to myself “I’m tired – go home”, I’d turn the corner or round the bend and see another spectacular sight, all lit up (this city is gorgeous at night too!).  So I’d set up my tripod again and have fun shooting with cars and tramways running through my long exposures.  I had thought about doing a night photo shoot of the anti-suit, but just didn’t have it in me anymore.
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  Burgtheater, Vienna

  

  Rathaus (Vienna City Hall)

  

  Austrian Parliament Building

  

  Austrian Parliament Building

  

  Austrian Parliament Building
• By 8:30pm, I knew I was close to home, but the bustling life in all the cafes and restaurants made me hungry (not the clouds of smoke I walked through at every terrace though).  Knowing I hadn’t really done groceries yet, I decided to stop for a snack/meal. I truly hadn’t thought I’d eat again after my big lunch at 1:30pm, but then again, it was now hours later and my body seems to be on a European schedule. I wonder when the next time will be that I’ll be in bed by 9pm and up at 5am…  At one point during my meal, I looked up to see the waiter lighting a cigarette behind the bar and a young lady walk through the restaurant to the bar with her big dog to place a take-out order….  I’m not in Canada anymore!  Being a very dog-friendly person, I certainly didn’t mind – it just surprised me.
• Got home at 9pm.

Now it’s 1am – just had to go through my photos … goodnight!