Been there (Vienna)

Done that (applied for my visa)! And now I can say "Oh yes, I spent the day in Vienna. Just a quick trip down and back." Another never-to-be-forgotten experience.

It began with a bit of a shock -- my colleague and I had purchased our tickets for the overnight train together, hoping we would be in the same coach. We asked lots of questions, received what we thought were all the right answers, and felt comfortable that at least a known part of the trip was in order. Wrong! The first time we were told, in very limited English, that we didn't have reservations, we couldn't understand, or perhaps couldn't believe what was being said. The second time we were told that, we understood -- it was the conductor speaking and he had excellent English! Turns out that, although we had a handful of expensive tickets (remember, we're crossing a border), we didn't actually have a reservation. Basically we had paid for the trip, paid for the compartment, paid for the bed, and didn't reserve any of it. I still don't understand it or how it happened and that really didn't matter. Solving the problem did matter, and we accomplished that with more Euros. Hooray -- we were in our marvelous three-person sleeping compartment.

The beds were already made up -- three high -- crisp and fresh. The tiny bathroom in the tiny compartment was a design marvel. It even had a shower! There was a bit of stopping and switching. And then it was 6 a.m. and we'd arrived at a great train station. Clean, airy, a variety of places for breakfast, and, best of all, a very helpful information center! We bought our all-day transport pass, went right out the front door, walked across a set of tram tracks, boarded the #18, and we were on our way. Could not have been more simple. One easy change, and we were only a few blocks away from the Czech Permanent Mission, arriving early enough for a neighborhood stroll.

The buildings and colors were so similar that it was almost as if we'd not left Prague. (You can see our destination -- a much better picture than mine -- by "searching" for Czech Embassy Vienna.) And the woman who assisted me in the Visa Section could not have been more helpful. Thanks to Katerina, another colleague, everything was in order, and after multiple examinations of all the papers and more Euros, we were on our way.

When we left the tram we walked straight ahead to the Ministry. I couldn't miss noticing, however, that Schonbrunn, the marvelous Hapsburg home, was just to our left. (That's another good internet search -- great history, wonderful pictures.) And Schonbrunn was Stop 2 in our day.

My impression on the long (cold, windy, rainy) walk to the main entrance was that it could be Versailles. And sure enough, it is very similar. And at the same time very different. Purchase of the grounds (more than a square mile) began in 1596, construction of the middle part of the present palace in 1696, and the first festivities (I'm curious how one would celebrate the opening of such a home) began three years later. It was Maria Theresa, however, who made it the "family homestead" we visited. It's amazing when I realize my "family homestead" was a one-room sod cabin two hundred years later!

What a wonderful place. I am grateful that, in spite of all the world turmoil, all the changes of ideology and government with multiple restitutions, there are places from our collective past which have been preserved or restored. And certainly Schonbrunn has seen many changes. Today it is not only a packed tourist site (and we weren't there on a special or sunny day, certainly not in tourist season), it is also a place where people come to the lovely park to walk the dog, sit under an umbrella of ancient trees, or just stroll around for relaxation.

As could be expected, there were choices of eating places within the grounds. I'm so glad we opted for "top" choice: inside the china-linen-turn-of-the-century-music restaurant. We also selected traditional food (another great choice). Because Kim's only request was eating Sacher torte at Hotel Sacher, we passed on the astounding desserts. During our little train trip around the grounds -- zoo, botanical garden, and Gloriette (Maria Theresa's breakfast "room" high on a hill overlooking the city) -- a furious storm broke, and we spent the remainder of the day very wet and quite cold, which, of course, slowed our explorations. If you're interested, a search for Schonbrunn zoo will bring you a great chronology with pictures of the panda cub, born last year. Both the zoo and the botanical garden are responsible for research and innovations in their respective areas.

Public transport again, this time subway, to one of the central areas. We came to the surface right in front of the Vienna Opera House -- oh for a chance to be inside! -- and only a block from Hotel Sacher, Stop 3. Altho' a relative newcomer (1876), it also is the turn-of-the-century glamor I'd hoped, all the right colors, pictures, seating, and even three tablecloths with signatures, now embroidered for preservation's sake and including Franz Joseph, of famous guests of Anna Sacher, widow of the founder. She is the moving force which made it the 5-star establishment it is today. And yes, the desserts are terrific!

So often during the day I thought of Lotte, my dear Viennese roommate. How I wished she could have been with me. And how I hope I can return. What a mixture of enchantment and reality. I'm certain that, just like Prague, you can be a quick tourist or you can linger and enjoy so many marvelous places -- and desserts!

Nearly 30 hours later I was back in my own bed, safe and satisfied. My passport is now stamped "visa applied for" with four days to spare, and I continue to be legal! So happy to have been there and done that!