[VIDEO] VIEW FROM PRAGUE CASTLE

[TRAVEL LOG] SUNDAY IN VIENNA

How many engineers does it take to split a lunch bill?  Apparently it takes eight.  Ten minutes after receiving our check at a pizzeria in Vienna today, we were able to determine that the unaccounted for 10 Euros was due to a “table charge”.  This was that illusive included tax we had always been told about.  Each table that we took up in the outdoor portion of the café cost 2.50 Euros.  Reassured in our ability to count, we realized we needed to work on reading receipts.  Despite the simple task of splitting a single bill, I don’t think any of us would object in saying that we really appreciate American restaurants which are willing to accommodate individual checks in large groups!

So yes… today was a day trip to the capital of Austria… Vienna!  Or Wien, as recited in its true German form.  Most people would know this as the hometown of Sigmund Freud or the originators of the infamous Wiener Schnitzel (Viennese Veal Cutlet).  It is the largest city in Austria and contains almost 25% of its population at just fewer than 1.75 million people.  Throughout history, this city has been a cultural epicenter in Europe, particularly in academics and music.  Today, concerts and operas take place on a regular basis.  It is also known for its large traditional balls (i.e. balls that take place in ballrooms).  The city is sprawling and contains innumerable historic squares and buildings.  Today, this is considered by many the top city when considering culture, markets, and infrastructure.  Urban planners today use Vienna often in their studies.

Our trip to Vienna began this morning at 8:45am when the Westbahn train line took off from Linz station.  This is a new train line in Austria that connects major cities in a single route between Salzburg and Vienna.  The brilliance of this line is its affordability and accommodations.  We purchased no ticket, but rather paid on the train after it set in motion.  The tickets were under half the price of a regular OEBB ticket and the cabins were much nicer.  The trains even had free wi-fi!  This is unheard of in most of Europe.

Vienna Train Station

Walking to the Inner City Ring

 We arrived in Vienna around 10:30am and we stayed until a train later in the day brought us back to Linz at 5:40pm.  Much of the day was simply spent walking.  We walked all over the city.  It contained numerous museums, but the largest and most affordable museum was simply the city itself.  Each street corner contained a new building, statue, fountain, or courtyard.  Horse drawn carriages brought tourists around the inner city and men in fancy outfits advertised for operas and concerts to be held that evening.

One of our first stops was the St. Stephan Cathedral which was built in the 1300’s.  The cathedral was massive, and its roof was of particular interest.  It bore many colored shingles to form the image of the city’s crest.  Amidst the spires and entrances were ornate carvings and figures.  Again, I was shocked at the level of detail that went into such masterpieces back in those medieval days.  We finished our visit with a trip up the old bell tower.  The view was spectacular.  We also learned that the Vienna fire department used to keep watch over the city from this tower chamber.  …a great use of resources!

St. Stephan Cathedral

Former location of the old 20,130 kg bell destroyed in WWII

We had lunch after this, sharing a few pizzas.  In Europe, when someone orders pizza, it is expected that they eat the entire pizza.  Granted, the pizzas are much thinner, but the amount still seems like a lot.  When we told the waiter we wanted to split them, he looked at us as if we had three heads each.  Some American concepts don’t quite fit into other cultures. 

Dan and I demonstrating a proper "Prost"

 We enjoyed the meal and the weather.  It was in the high 60s for most of the day with bright sunshine.  For this reason, we walked through the park and along the river.  I think the entire town of Vienna was out lounging in the lawns or along the river front.  Beers, ice-cream, and lemonade all seemed to be the popular foods and drinks.  Nobody was in a hurry and most folks were just relaxing or reading books.  One of the guys in our group asked a question which prompted some reflection on culture… “People go at a much different pace here, don’t they?”  I couldn’t agree more with this.  After having been in the German/Austrian states for an extended period of time last year, I noticed this clearly.  Nowhere in any American city would one see so many people lounging, reading, and relaxing.  We saw very few people with headphones, iPods, or electronics.  It was simply them, their company, and the sun.  I’ll have to share more on this in one of my future reflections.

All in all, the day was well spent.  It was nice to return a bit earlier so we could relax after a long day of walking in the sun.  Tomorrow we’re up bright and early for a session downtown and another company visit. 

[TRAVEL LOG] LINZ TOUR AND POESTLINGBERG

Today was a day of Linz history and exploration.  Since it was Saturday, we did not have any class or company visits.  Our program did, however, manage to arrange a guided tour of the city for us in the morning.  This was a great way to get to know the city even better than one could through a simple Wikipedia search.  We began the tour in the Hauptplatz (Main Square) and eventually made our way through the old city hall, the castle, and finally the new cathedral.  The main   city layout is as follows:

Hauptplatz of Linz

Linz is located between the major cities of Budapest, Vienna, and Passau.  These are cities located on the Danube River.  In the north and south directions, Linz lies directly between Venice and Prague.  Because of its strategic position in the Austrian state, it developed into a major trading hub during the Roman Empire.  Other portions of its development could be attributed to both political and Church powers.  Because of a Jesuit college in the city, it saw much growth in the middle ages.  Even before then, a Catholic presence was a part of the city.  In the 700’s, the first records have been found of what is now St. Martin’s Church (Martin’s Kirche).  We visited this church on our tour.  While at the church, our guide touched on just how influential the Church had been on Linz’s, as well as the entire state of Austria’s, development.  Today, many visitors will note that all Catholic holidays are typically observed and that very few businesses are actually open on Sundays.  For a long time, the Church bishops and town/district rulers shared equal power or were the same person.  In Linz, the Maria-Empfängnis Dom (Maria Conception Cathedral) was constructed in order to exhibit the strength of the Church.  It is the largest cathedral in Austria and was built to seat 20,000 people; Linz only had a population of 29,000.  Another interesting fact about this church was that it faced north and south, unlike traditional churches, whose nave ran east and west.  This was so that the entrance of the state political house faced the cathedral entrance.  This was to show that after the bishop led as head of state, he would go immediately to serve the cathedral and God.

Past this older history, we were instructed on some of Linz’s more modern history.  Much of its economic success goes back to involvement with Hitler.  Hitler actually grew up in Austria, not far from Linz.  He lived in Linz for a large portion of his Childhood.  As an adult and ruler, he had planned on making Linz a major part of his Reich.  Fueling the war machine was a steel mill he implemented there.  Voestalpine, the steel mill we will be visiting on Tuesday, was originally built to supply steel for German war supplies.  After the war, Linz was split between the Allies, but eventually allowed to reunite under a new government.  Today, the steel mill supplies much economic success to the city.

As always, I am a huge history buff, so this tour was especially interesting to me.  I find it fascinating just how different lifestyles have been throughout the ages.  After looking at the closed-in, moat-surrounded city of the older days, it is astounding to think that was the hub of world trade.  International trade literally happened in peddler stands in an open air market in a town square.  Today, this would be unheard of!  BUT back in those days, this allowed people to buy and sell.  This allowed people to specialize and have a higher quality of living.  I’ll stop here, for fear of detracting more from the post…

After the tour, seven of us decided to hike the great Pöstlingberg.  This is a rather large hill with a pilgrimage church located at the top.  We decided to reject the 5.60 Euro cost of taking the tram and walked up the hill.  Around 30 minutes later, we found ourselves at the top of the hill with a spectacular view of the city!  See video post below:

In need of rest and some nourishment, we stopped at the café located at the top and sat down for a nice lunch.  I had a Vienna style pork loin and what I might have to claim as my new favorite beer in Austria- Pöstlingberg Schlössl. 

After lunch we visited the Wallfahrtskirche (pilgrimage church) which was named the “Seven Wounds of Mary”.  The church was gorgeous and certainly made the hike worthwhile.  We marched right back down the hill after visiting the church and immediately indulged in some gelato style ice cream once back in the main square.  Afterwards, the guys headed back to the Hotel while I stayed behind to catch evening mass at the Carmelite Church downtown.  Many churches line the downtown area, and all were quite beautiful.  It never ceases to amaze me just how gorgeous European churches can be.  Sometimes their décor and design can throw a person off as well.  In the Carmelite Church (whose patron saint was St. Joseph), there were tombs of religious in the side chapels.  These were glass tombs through which you could see the bodies of the deceased.  For anyone not used to this in a more contemporary American church, this might be a bit shocking.  Nevertheless, the churches were very beautiful, and attending a German mass again was a treat.

The rest of the evening was rather relaxed.  I met back up with the guys at the hotel.  They watched some of the NCAA tournament and I worked on some school work.  We later hit up Chinese for dinner.  Nothing like Americans having Chinese food from German menus in Austria!  Talk about some cultural mixing!  Tomorrow we head for Vienna early in the morning.  I am looking forward to the day trip.  Bis dann!