A-salzburg

The train to Salzburg was as punctual and painless as you would expect. We arrived at our hostel, were not upgraded to a private apartment, and headed out to witness the Krampus stampede. From the end of November, horned beasts awaken from their slumber to taunt and terrorise the residents of alpine towns. We followed the sound of clanging bells and piercing squeals to Linzer Gasse, where we witnessed a herd of Krampus assaulting their victims, whipping their legs with bundles of dry twigs. After four lashings, we decided that being flagellated isn’t fun, so we went to drink some beer. The alcohol soothed the sting of our lacerations and sent us to sleep.

The next day we rose early to board a bus emblazoned with Julie Andrews’ face. Annie could barely contain her excitement, wiggling in her seat and singing The Sound of Music under her breath. We gathered jewels of trivia about the making of the film and the lives of the actors on set, as we were driven through rolling hills and past glimmering lakes. We were deposited on the famous Do Re Mi steps of Mirabell place, when the wispy clouds coagulated into something more sinister. We sheltered in the hostel to escape the rain before concluding our trip with some organic pizza.

Salzburg is beautiful, and we unanimously wished that we had had more time to frolick in the hills. The cobbled streets and panoramic vistas give the impression of a bucolic ideal far removed from the impersonal mechanism of modernity. And while I’m sure this impression is naive and and underdeveloped, it’s an impression I’m willing to take home. Despite the whipping.

.

Viennese girls

At 22:00 on Tuesday night I hadn’t packed. At 04:30 on Wednesday morning, Annie and I began our voyage to Luton (which as avid followers of this blog will remember, is one of my favourite airports). By some serendipitous accident, Annie and I were sat next to each other on the plane (enabling us to share the guilty pleasures of a 90’s playlist). After a smooth flight the dusky silhouette of the Alps edged across the window, and we touched down under the pale blue canvas of the Viennese sky. 

We dumped our bags at the hostel, where it transpired that we had been upgraded to a private apartment. Positively gleeful, we waltzed out to grab some lunch. Having been told that Vienna is quite a meaty city. I was slightly apprehensive about food options, but we found a tiny veggie restaurant not far from the hostel where we shared hearty pumpkin and mushroom stews. Satisfied, we made our way to the centre of town along wide boulevards lined with ornate cream facades. We had a wander through the museum quarter, oggling at crumbling fossils and taxidermied sloths at the regal Natural History museum before visiting the Sacher hotel to try the eponymous chocolate cake for which it is celebrated. It turned out to be as delicious as its reputation (the cake, not the hotel). 

As dusk fell we wandered ever further, past the gothic spires of St Stephen’s Cathedral to Karlsplatz Christmas market. We sipped aromatic glühwein as we browsed the unique handicrafts, before turning our weary feet towards our apartment.

The next morning a film of mist coated the dome of the church outside our window. We swaddled ourselves in coats and scarves and braced ourselves for an adventure. We grabbed a pastry and coffee on our walk  to Schönbrunn Castle on the outskirts of the city, warming our hands on our cardboard cups. We soon arrived at the grand palace, which assumed a ghostly aspect as it emerged from the fog. We did a circuit of the Christmas market which was organised around a large drooping fir, where Annie purchased a kitsch felt Santa for her tree. We then had a wander through the expansive grounds, where the skeletal trees were hopelessly clinging on to their last few leaves. We then returned to the palace in time for the strudel show, where a disconcertingly enthusiastic youth skilfully stretched dough in to an elastic membrane before adding the spiced apple filling.

Feeling peckish, we grabbed some pretzels from a supermarket and had a quick rest at the hostel, before taking the U-bahn to the city centre. We visited Mozart’s House, timing our visit perfectly to coincide with the descent of a swarm of desultory schoolchildren. The museum was somewhat sparse, however compensated for this with rambling audio descriptions about noble figures who were peripheral to Mozart’s life in Vienna. 

Deciding that we needed to get our musical fix through alternative means, we made our way to the State Opera, where we managed to get standing tickets for that evening’s performance. At a mere €3, we were unfazed by our ignorance of Ariadne aux Naxos, and rectified this with a quick google of the plot. Despite the ridiculous storyline and improbable characters, the voices of the singers pierced into my heart with a tangible pureness and clarity as they somersaulted above the soft support of the orchestra. We emerged a couple of hours later with sore feet and grumbling stomachs. After a late dinner at Naschmarkt we staggered back to our apartment and crashed.

After the intensity of the previous day’s touristing, Annie (rather sensibly) decided to have a chilled morning. My restlessness prompted me to visit Belvedere Palace, to see ‘the most famous kiss in the world’. Klimt’s work hung alone against a stark black backdrop. The sensuous realism of the woman’s expression radiated both satisfaction and longing as she melted into the incandescent gold detail. I was captivated. I spent a few hours floating from room to room, before meeting Annie for lunch in advance of our train. 

Vienna is like a lot of European cities. It has grand palaces, manicured parks and hipster cafés. It would be easy to dismiss the  Austrian capital for its lack of personality. But its identity comes from its art; a historical and innate, but innovative and breathing dedication to creativity and human spirit. A couple of days was enough to begin to appreciate this vitality, and for us to satisfy our artistic thirst. But for those with a larger appetite, the city is an infinite banquet.