I love Vienna. I mean, I really only walked around for an hour or so, but I already love it. The history, the architecture, the culture… I can’t wait to explore more in the coming days!
I will admit there was a bit of nervousness mixed with excitement in the days leading up to this trip. I wasn’t really worried, just out of practice with the whole foreign travel experience. I was reminded as I stepped off the plane in Amsterdam that once I left the jet bridge, I would be plunged into a foreign culture where everything is new and different to me and I would be out of my element.
Since I arrived at Logan Airport well in advance of my flight yesterday, I had time to do some “lounge hopping” while I waited. I stopped by both the Delta Express Lounge in Terminal E and the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse. Virgin Atlantic had way more going for it in terms of both food and ambience. Since neither were crowded, they were perfect places to relax before hopping across the pond.
I specifically booked this flight in order to fly Delta One Suites on the A330-900neo. Unfortunately, the plane was swapped out for an A330-300, which still has Delta One, but I will have to wait for the return trip to experience Delta Suites.
The seat may look nice (and it was), but it was also very old and in desperate need of an overhaul. Crumbs in all the crevices, badly worn leather, and buttons that didn’t work. Fortunately, the lie-flat bed did work, and after a three course dinner of cheese/olives/nuts, Chicken Supreme, and an ice cream sundae, I was able to catch a couple of hours of sleep on the way to Amsterdam. The chia, buckwheat, and quinoa granola for breakfast was very tasty and gave me some much-needed energy to tackle the Amsterdam airport.
I struggle with adding The Netherlands to my country list because I didn’t leave the airport, but I did technically set foot on Dutch soil. Can I add half a country for that? 😉 Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is enormous and seemingly connects every corner of the globe. And the place was mobbed when I arrived around 8:30AM. I had about three hours to kill after going through passport control and immigration, so I stopped by the Rijksmuseum. The Rijksmuseum is a highlight of Amsterdam and they have a small outpost at Schiphol Airport. There were probably about a dozen pieces of artwork by Dutch artists to look at and admire, all for free.
After my stop at the museum, I headed to the KLM Crown Lounge to enjoy a mid-morning snack before my flight to Vienna. The lounge was large, uncrowded, and a nice respite from the craziness just outside the door.
My ride to Vienna was a smaller KLM Cityhopper. European business class is typically a blocked middle seat in a row of three, but since this plane only had two seats on each side of the aisle, it appears they just blocked one of them. For some reason, breakfast was being served on my 11:50AM flight (which was delayed until 12:30PM; hardly a breakfast hour), so I picked at the fruit, yogurt, and rolls and skipped the rest. But seriously… how cute are the little salt and pepper shakers?
My first impression of Vienna is that it is a beautiful city and I can’t wait to just wander with my camera tomorrow. I didn’t get to my hotel room until after 4:30PM and I am super tired. I didn’t even bother to change or freshen up, I just grabbed my camera and headed out for a short walk to take a few pictures, find an ATM, and eat some food. I wandered from my hotel past the Hofburg (former imperial palace) and admired the quaint brick streets and white stone buildings.
Knowing I would be tired, I had already planned for tonight’s dinner to be a sausage from one of the many würstel stands dotting the city. I ended up at Bitzinger Würstelstand because I saw it on a YouTube video the other day and it looked like just what I wanted. I ordered a käsekrainer, which is basically a sausage made with pork and cubed cheese and then stuffed into a roll with ketchup and mustard. You can actually watch them spear the bun open and stuff the sausage in! The little pockets of cheese explode when you bite into them and it was absolutely delicious!
I had planned to do a little more walking, but I was pooped and needed to rest. So I headed back to my room at the Hilton Vienna Plaza overlooking the Ringstrasse and enjoyed the treats that housekeeping left for me!
Traveling with Laura 