Finally in Vienna it was my last planned friend excursion. I first met Linda in my Patagonian hostel before we took the same cruise to Antarctica. We later met up again in both Baraloche and Cuzco. In Vienna she showed me life as a local.
On day one after lunch, we biked to the area of the vineyards (only about 20 minutes) and then hiked up the mountain road to the wineries (also about 20 minutes). We drank the local Weisser Strum that had just been released, at a few different wineries. The wine is only produced, sold, and consumable in the fall so helped by the beautiful weather, the crowds flock to the wineries. Everyone stands in line to purchase the wine and then grabs a chair amongst the vineyards, overlooking the city of Vienna, a great view. That night was traditional Austrian food (which happens to be the same as traditional German food).
The next morning we rode her bikes on an island next to the city in the middle of the Danube river. The island has a path that runs about 12 miles long and has trees all around so it’s a great escape for those looking for nature close by. We then walked around historical Vienna and she told me all she knew about the buildings and statues (it wasn’t much). We stopped on a rooftop in the Museum Quarter for drinks and had great views of the city. Later we stopped at a rooftop bar on the other side of town for drinks and had great views of the city. We had a great couple days, with great views of the city, and seemed to be laughing together the whole time.
I decided to stay an extra day in Vienna to explore a little more and soak it all in. I did a walking tour in the morning and just wandered in the afternoon. Every step I took made me appreciate Vienna more.
Life is good.
A few footnotes:
Prior to being in Vienna I heard many great things about it from people not named Linda that lived there. I can remember a girl in Guatape Colombia describing it and the image has been burned in my mind. Rarely does a classic city’s reality match the expectations you create but in this case reality met expectation.
Also everyone talked about how safe it is. Every woman has always said they feel completely comfortable walking alone anywhere in the city at any time. After being there I see why.
Lastly, legend has it the wine is named sturm, the German word for storm, due to what it potentially does to your digestive system. Similar to White Castles and the name sliders. Luckily, we did not encounter any problems.