note: I wrote this in my journal on the train between Salzburg and Munich, 10 Nov. We're actually in Florence now, but I'm just having a chance to post.
We're just leaving Austria, after two nights in Vienna and two nights in Salzburg. The country definitely had its highlights, but I think 50 years of forced neutrality have affected the national character a bit. Around 1950 or so the occupying American and Soviet forces agreed to withdraw from Austria and let them do their own thing, on the condition that they could never join NATO or the Warsaw pact. Consequently, Austria has been left out of the last half-century of world history, and it's starting to show. Vienna was very elegant, by far the classiest place we've been so far, including London, but even the young people there seemed very stuffy and proper, and it seemed like everybody went to sleep by 10 p.m. Even their most venerated former ruler, Emperor Franz Joseph I, is remembered for his steadfastness, competence, and unwavering work ethic. When we visited the royal apartments at the Hofburg (the Hapsburgs' imperial palace), we were regaled with stories about how the Kaiser woke up every morning at 5 a.m., unless he had been out late at a state function the previous night, in which case he allowed himself to sleep until 6.
Of course, the architecture in Vienna was great and the coffee was excellent. So was the ballet, which we got to see at the beautiful Staatsoper (state opera house) for only 3 Euros. And I don't really even like ballet that much. On the whole, though, I think vienna was just too classy for me. It's really the only big city we've been to so far that I don't think I could live in. I just don't have enough nice clothes and I have a hard time going to sleep before it gets dark out.
Salzburg was different, but not much more energetic. It's basically a small city with two major claims to fame (Mozart and The Sound of Music), that it milks for all they're worth. We paid basically zero attention to either and we used the city mostly for resting and doing laundry. The area was really scenic and we had a great bike ride along the river, but there didn't seem to be much to do there after 8:00 either, so we used the evening to get acquainted with the local beer, called Stiegel. It was quite good, especially the wheat beer, interestingly, served with no citrus wedge.
One last non sequiter about Austria: The thing I think I found hardest to believe about it was that it's the birthplace of Red Bull. It's tough to imagine what Austrians need it for.
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Hello Paul and Karen, I'm going to try posting a comment again. I tried from Ireland but I couldn't remember my password. Great post from Austria but I wish you would post more often. Perhaps it's difficult getting internet access. So you've been gone a month, still like being on the road? We just got back home from Ireland yesterday. After two weeks it was nice to get home. We had a great time, though the weather was cool and rainy (but what do you expect for November). We enjoyed the west coast of the island the most. We also spent a couple of days in Dublin. Drank more Guiness in the last two weeks than I have in all my previous 49 years. It tastes much better at the source. We heard some good music in the pubs, saw more castles and churces than you can shake a stick at.
P.S. Paul I deposited your Acadia Corp bonus check in your account today ($745).
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