(Part 3) Vienna the City of Splendor: Houses and Intestines of Famous Austrians

- Dec. 30-31, 2018, Sunday to Monday, New Year's Eve.

- My adventures around Vienna were largely dedicated to rubbing elbows (almost literally) with some of Austria's famous historical people, and my last days in Vienna were no different. Like I said in my previous post (click here for Part 2), being so close to dead historical people, or at the very least things they once owned, gives me the same starstruck feeling as when encountering living celebrity idols.

- On the morning of my last full day in Vienna, I had a brief morning visit to the St. Stephen's Cathedral to attempt a photoshoot, which I finally was able to, before morning on to the Beethoven Pasqualati House (Herrengasse metro station). The Pasqualati House was an apartment building built in the late 1700s by Baron Pasqualati. He was a patron of the composer Ludwig van Beethoven, whom the Baron allowed to stay in the Pasqualati House. During Beethoven's 12-year stay in the house, he composed some of his famous works such as the 5th and 6th Symphonies (my personal favorites.) The 5th Symphony is probable his most famous work ("dan-dan-dan-DANNNNN"). I am sure a lot of people have heard of it, some just probably don't know what it's called. The 6th Symphony, also called the "Pastoral Symphony," is familiar to some, especially the first, third, and fifth movements. Today, the 4th floor of the Pasqualati House houses a small Beethoven museum, with some of his compositions that he made inside the house.

Yay photoshoot!! Notice how my swear matches the cathedral's roof.

The Pasqualati House.

Beethoven.

The 6th Symphony.

His ever popular 5th Symphony.

Beethoven's own handwriting (which I can't read)!!

- A long walk north of the Pasqualati House is another famous Austrian's house tucked in the quiet streets of Vienna. The Sigmund Freud Museum is a few blocks away from the Pasqualati House, and is located inside the very house that Sigmund Freud himself lived in. Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, lived in this house from the late 1800s until he had to flee Austria in 1938 due to Nazi rule; it was especially more dangerous to Freud as he was Jewish. In the small museum, one can find some of his things, a room full of his published books - including "The Ego and the Id" ("Das Ich und Das Es,") and artifacts that he collected from Egypt and other parts of the world.

Can't miss it.

Freud's mirror.

His closet.

Freud's artifact collection.

Well-decorated living room.

His signature chair. Unfortunately the actual chair wasn't in the museum.

"The Ego and the Id."

- It was raining moderately after my visit to the museum, but moderate rains can be hard to tolerate with the dropping winter temperatures. Still, I managed to walk all the way to Museum Judenplatz near the central part of city. The museum is located in the heart of one of the once vibrant Jewish enclaves of Vienna. The museum itself inside the late 17th-century Misrachi-Haus shows the lives of Vienna's Jewish community from antiquity to contemporary history.

On the way to Museum Judenplatz.

Vienna will really blind you with grandeur I swear.

Judenplatz Holocaust Memorial.

Sorry, no photography inside.

Except for this - the remains of an old synagogue that was destroyed in 1421.

What the old synagogue could have looked like.

- Since the entrance ticket to Museum Judenplatz is also valid for the Jewish Museum (yes, it's a sister museum,) I decided to visit the other museum as well. This second museum is located between the Hofburg Palace and St. Stephen's Cathedral. This museum is fairly new, although the museum's origins go way back in the late 1800s. This museum, apart from showing more about Jewish culture, also shows more contemporary takes on Judaism and Jewish culture. It also includes a wax statue of Madonna, who is a Kabbalah follower!

The storage. It had shelves and shelves of Jewish religious paraphenalia.

Oh cool!! Jewish stuff from Bukhara!!

I like these pointers!! They help readers see which line of the Torah they're reading.

Ancient stone marker.

Madonna!!

The museum is inside this building.

- I hurried back to my hostel after my visit to the two Jewish museums as I was drenched from the rain the whole afternoon. I took a rest for the rest of the day, and fixed my things, thanking the heavens that my luggage does not go beyond the weight limit despite all the things I bought during the trip. However, my trip is not quite done - I had one last thing to take care of before I wave "auf widersehen" to Vienna.

- On my last morning in Vienna, I went back to St. Stephen's Cathedral, and saved the best (??) for last. I finally had a proper tour of the church on my third visit for the trip, and not only did I get to go around the main prayer hall, but I also grabbed the opportunity of seeing the third royal crypt - the St. Stephen's Cathedral's Ducal Crypt or Duke's Crypt. As mentioned in Part 2 (here), the royal Habsburgs who ruled over Austria and other surrounding lands from the 1500s until the late 1700s had a rather unusual but not-so-rare death ritual. They were buried in three crypts, the first two being the Imperial Crypt with all the bodies in the Capuchin Church, the Herzgruft (Heart's Crypt) in the Augustine Church where all the hearts are, and the third being inside the Imperial Crypt under the St. Stephen's Cathedral. This is where all the intestines of the Habsburgs were preserved, which is why the intestine roon had a faint scent of alcohol and chemicals. Other than the intestines, there were mass burials as well with bones retrieved from various parts of old Austria. (Unfortunately, no photos can be taken inside the crypt. Also, your only way of accessing the crypt is through a guided tour of the crypt.)

Inside the cathedral.

This was where Mozart's 4th and 5th child were baptized.

The altar where Mozart married Constanze Weber in 1782.

Near the main altar.

Tomb of Emperor Frederick III, first Habsburg Emperor.

The Wiener Neustädter Altar, ordered by King Frederick III in 1447.

Detail of the main pulpit.

Memorial for Mozart.

A last look at the St. Stephen's Cathedral.

Please buy Mozart Balls. They're awesome!!

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Viennese Version.

- Finally, I had a final runway walk around the Old Town before having lunch at Nordsee, a German fastfood chain that specializes in seafood (it reminds me a lot of the seafood at the pier in San Francisco, see here). I wanted to have the lobster and shrimp combo, though I knew it was going to burn a hole in my wallet; it was lobster after all. But in the spirit of the holidays, I had my Christmas miracle. The Filipina staff who served me found out I was Filipino and gave me a generous discount!! Needless to say, it was a memorable (and not as expensive as originally expected) last lunch in Vienna.

A music store!! I resisted buying, but it still is a mystery how I was able to go out of the shop without buying anything.

New Year's Eve concert.

Lost pig. (It belonged to the cafe not shown in the photo.) 

A plate of seafood satisfaction.

- I went back to my hostel after lunch and picked up my things, though I didn't leave the hostel until I had a chance to do a short photoshoot at my hostel's backyard with giant chess pieces and traditional Viennese wooden patio/backyard furniture. I just needed an excuse and a venue to take photos of me wearing my 6-euro authentic-looking-but-not-made-of-leather fabric lederhosen.

Have y'all met my twin?? Hahahaha.

Traditional outdoor furniture.

- Changing back to my street clothes, I walked to the front of the Westbahnhof train station and rode on the airport bus. I rode the plane to Istanbul that night where I celebrated my most unusual new year - in an airport(!!), and even met a friend's family who were also bound to Manila. I arrived in Manila just before dinner time of the 1st of January, and although I refuse to admit, I was quite thankful of Manila's heat after being drenched and frozen for the past 2 weeks (I normally hate the heat.) I know I still have a lot to know, visit, and experience in Germany, Austria, and Slovakia, but my holiday trip gave me an increased interest in Europe and its colorful connectivity in terms of culture and history, in contrast to Asia and its vast diversity. Hopefully, I'll have more chances to visit Europe in the near future!! 

Happy new year!!

My new year "celebration." Hey, it's still cake.

And finally, I was welcomed with a nice-looking NAIA Terminal 3.

I really love how they added some character to the airport. About time!!

- Please don't forget to read about my other adventures in Germany, Austria, and Slovakia here:

GERMANY:

Berlin and Potsdam: Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here, Part 4 here

Munich and Schwangau:  Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here, Part 4 here

AUSTRIA:

Salzburg: Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here

Vienna: Part 1 here, Part 2 here

SLOVAKIA:

Bratislava: Click here

Bratislava - Bet You'll Love'a!!: A Day Trip to Slovakia's Cozy Capital And the Broken Boot

- December 29, 2018, Saturday.

- Surprise, surprise!! I was so happy to include this wildcard side trip to a third country to what was supposed to be a two-country adventure (that is, my original plan was to go to Germany and Austria only). This is the reason why doing some research (asking people, surfing online, etc.) before the trip does wonders. As Vienna is located near the eastern border of Austria, various cities of Eastern Europe are very much accessible from Vienna by train. Most friends and blogs/vlogs would recommend a day trip to Bratislava, the capital city of Slovakia, as it is the closest foreign city to Vienna and can be covered in a day due to the compact nature of the historic part of the city. Slovakia is part of the Schengen Agreement, and therefore one can enter Slovakia with a Schengen visa like Austria and Germany. Since I was already in Austria, going to Slovakia did not require any border checks. By the way, a trip by train between Vienna and Bratislava will normally take an hour only!!

- Going to Bratislava from Vienna is easy. Also, do check if you wish to go to Bratislava Hlavna Stanica (northern station) or Bratislava Petrzalka Station (southern station); I personally recommend booking a train to Hlavna Stanica as it is closer to the historic downtown. I booked a train ticket beforehand via the OBB website (click here), the OBB being Austria's regional rail system. Booking on the day of the trip is also possible, as it is the kind of train trip that "doesn't run out of tickets" (just like how a regular metro train would be;) however, it is always better to be prepared. I booked a direct train from Vienna Hauptbahnhof (main station) to Bratislava Hlavna Stanica. The ticket I got was also a flexible ticket, in such a way that I am allowed to ride any train that goes from Vienna Hauptbahnhof to Bratislava Hlavna Stanica and back, as long as the train I ride was on the given date indicated on my ticket (in this case, December 29, 2018.) Being the responsible me, I checked the status of my train ride the day before, and discovered that my original route was cancelled due to roadworks brought about by the erratic weather. I had time the day before to go to one of OBB's offices close to my hostel (inside the Vienna Westbahnhof's "mall" part) and asked what I could do with my ticket. Fortunately, I was told that I could still use my ticket without any additional payment whatsoever, it's just that I had to ride the metro to Wien Aspen Nord U-Bahn metro station, go to the regional train tracks from the U-Bahn train tracks, and wait for my train going to Bratislava.

- I arrived at Bratislava around 8:30am after my train cut through mountains - at least it seemed that way. Even inside the train station, I could feel the different air of the city, from the rather Slavic-sounding language instead of the usual German that I had been hearing for the past week and a half, to the general attitude of the people around me that I sensed and still cannot seem to perfectly describe in words even until today; I just knew that I was in a different country, but I couldn't explain why since I haven't "sensed" the Slovakian aura enough for me to perfectly describe in words. Happy that I finally made it to Bratislava, I felt that I was ready to see and cover as much of the old town - or so I thought. The moment I stepped out of the train station, my left boot decided to fail on me. The back half of my boot's sole came off.  I walked noisily as the sole of the left boot kept hitting my heel, making a loud "PLACKKKK PLACKKKK" sound. I mostly had to drag my left foot just to make sure that the sole will hopefully not come off completely. No one at the station sold any kind of glue, so I just had to deal with my boot's sole, clinging for its dear life. What was supposed to be a short walk to the bus stop outside the station became a procession of sorts. I bought my bus ticket at the ticket machine at the stop and took Bus 93 to Zochova stop, which was very close to the old town.

WELCOMEEEEEEE.

- As it was quite early and most establishments were still closed, I took a hike up one of the hills of the Little Carpathians near the Danube River to visit the Bratislava Castle (Bratislava Hrad.) The path was mostly cobblestoned, so my broken left boot probably suffered a lot during the climb. The moment I stepped inside the Bratislava Castle grounds, it was then that I thought of finding a rubber band in my bag. As my bag is a vortex of many things, it was not a surprise that I found a rather sturdy rubber band in the sea of unused tissue paper. I put my left foot through the rubber band, and thankfully the rubber band added support to my sole. It made less noise (more like a "plackk plackk" instead of the earlier "PLACKKKK PLACKKKK") and I could manage to walk without worrying much about my left sole.)

- The Bratislava Castle was built as early as the 9th century AD. As it is located on the Carpathian Hills, it not only gives a stunning view of the Danube River below it and the rest of Bratislava, but it is also high enough for people to see parts of Austria and Hungary! It used to be a royal residence of various rulers and a defensive castle. After centuries of change in political rule, today, this majestic castles stands as a museum and function hall. Bratislava Castle is literally a "castle on the hill," which made me think of Ed Sheeran and his song "Castle on the Hill" the whole time I was there. Of course, I do know that Ed Sheeran was referring to a different castle on the hill in his song.   

Hike up.

The UFO Tower. The "UFO" part is a revolving restaurant.

Bratislava Castle.

The Vienna Gate.

Svatopluk I of Moravia, one of the great leaders of early Slavic history. Moravia's territory during Svatopluk's time covered parts today's Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary.

To the residences. (If you look closely at my left foot, you'll see the rubber band which I used to keep my sole more or less intact and forgot to remove for this photo.)

A photo of warmth despite the frigid temperature.

Exhibition hall.

I always adore fancy fans.

Throne.

Over the castle.

- Walking down the hill can be quite confusing as there were different routes. I almost got lost along the way, but eventually found myself near the footpath to the old town. I passed by the 15th-century St. Martin's Cathedral, one of Bratislava's oldest churches, and passed through the late-13th-century St. Michael's Gate, the only city gate preserved in Bratislava. Passing through St. Michael's Gate was like going through a time portal. The buildings were modern outside St. Michael's Gate, but as it was the "gateway" to the Old Town, I was immediately transported to medieval and early-modern Bratislava the moment I passed through the gate!! (By the way, the Old Town is also the best place to buy souvenirs from Slovakia.)

St. Martin's Cathedral.

St. Michael's Gate.

Old Town.

- As I waltzed through the maze-like streets of Bratislava lined with pastel-colored buildings, I stopped in front of a small church called the Franciscan Church (Church of the Annunciation). While the church can easily blend in with the buildings around it, it is the oldest church in Bratislava, dating back to the late 13th century.

Franciscan Church.

Streets lined with pastel-colored buildings.

Inside the Franciscan Church.

- After walking through the street outside the Franciscan Church, I passed by the 17th-century Jesuit Church before arriving at the main town square, called Hlavne Namestie. Apart from being surrounded by embassies, consulates, museums, and shops, this square is also a tourist favorite for its randomly-placed statues such as "Cumil, the Sewage Worker" by artist Viktor Hulik.

Jesuit Church.

Hlavne Namestie.

Old Town Hall, currently a museum.

Soldier.

A statue of Schöner Náci, a 20th-century Bratislavan local who was known to be quite eccentric as he would go around the city with his top hat and coat, greeting women and doing nice gestures for them like kissing their hand (with the women's permission) or singing for them. 

Cumil the sewage worker.

- I had a light lunch at Slovenská Reštaurácia, which was the first Slovak restaurant that I saw along Panská Street. Although reviews of the restaurant aren't too high, it was the most convenient one that I saw, and I think I had good service. I enjoyed my meal of Slovak-style gnocchi (potato dumplings) and traditional bacon, although I know that this probably isn't the "best" restaurant around since it caters mostly to tourists. I guess this is expected in most tourist-catered restaurants in any country.

Gnocchi with bacon.

- After lunch I had a long walk to the eastern part of the city to visit the Church of St. Elizabeth. This church from the early 1900s, though small, adds a pop of color to the city because of its bright hues of baby blue and cobalt blue. Its distinct color was the reason why it was also nicknamed the "Blue Church." Unfortunately, the church was not open when I visited, so I only got to see it from the outside, and through the glass panes of the church's door.

Blue Church.

It's blue all overrrr.

I like how the mosaic contrasts with the blue color.

Managed to find a way to have a photoshoot here. It was a bit difficult to get a photoshoot with the whole church since there wasn't much space to deal with.

- I headed back to the train station after my short trip to Bratislava, passing by the Presidential Palace, also known as Grassalkovich Palace. It was built in the mid-1700s for a noble Croatian, and now serves as the residence of Slovakia's President.

A beer mobile. HMM. Hahahaha.

Primate's Palace.

Michael's Gate at the back.

Trinity Church.

Presidential Palace.

I love the palace' gate.

- I walked to the train station after my brief photo shoot in front of the Presidential Palace, which I realized wasn't a very long walk from the palace. I left Bratislava on the 2:30 train back to Vienna, wa ahead of my originally-planned scheduled departure. While I knew that I could have used the time to see more of Bratislava, I felt that I was able to do much during my brief stay in Bratislava. For those who want to take their time or perhaps see more, I strongly suggest spending maybe two days in the city - and maybe more days to explore the rest of Slovakia.

The Slavin Monument from afar; it is a memorial to the Slovak soldiers who fell during World War II. I wanted to visit this but it was too far away, so it was a pleasant surprise to see this as I was walking back to the train station.

Good by Bratislava!! Dovidenia!!

- By the way, in case you were wondering about my poor left boot which I mentioned above, it survived the whole trip being supported by a rubber band as I wasn't able to find anyone selling any form of glue in the Old Town. I reached my hostel in Vienna and hour an a half later - yes - with my boot still through the rubber band.

- Please don't forget to read about my other adventures in Germany, Austria, and Slovakia here:

GERMANY:

Berlin and Potsdam: Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here, Part 4 here

Munich and Schwangau:  Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here, Part 4 here

AUSTRIA:

Salzburg: Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here

Vienna: Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here