Discovering Vienna (Wien)

After being here for close to one week, I feel so comfortable and at ease navigtaing through this city. Everything feels so safe and it is very walkable. The underground train (Ubahn) is so easy and gets you across the city fast. I have a small German-English dictionary that is proving to be very useful. I find that most people speak English in stores and restaurants, but menus are almost always in German. Learning some basic words has been good, but when you want to get into any details, it helps to have a dictionary.  

Khang arrived on Friday night for a 9 day visit. It feels almost surreal to have a friend from home here after having been on my own for the past month. We have had a full last few days, trying to make the most everything. We of course found a local Vietnamese restaurant and had Pho! Over the weekend, we went to watch Die Fledermaus (an opera) which was really entertaining. We also made it to a concert with an ensemble of Strauss, Mozart, and Beethoven. Hearing classic tunes live, really made me  appreciate the talent behind the music. I love hearing the violin carry the melody in an orchestra.

Yesterday we were invited to a lake house for a swim. It was a great way to spend Sunday as in the city it was really hot, and as well, most stores/restaurants/museums are closed. The lake used to be an open-pit coal mine in the early 1900s. The water was cool and was a great change from the salty sea water. We went for a long swim, and then a paddle sitting on a surf board. Had lunch together and chatted…

 Off to Bratislava, Slovakia in the next few days!

Elaborate Elevator cage at the apartment

View from the apartment terrace

Frühstück (breakfast)

Museum Quartier

Stephansdom

Outdoor free concert

Architectural details

Natural History Museum

Kunsthistoriches Museum entrance

Inside the Kunsthistoriches Museum (main art museum)

Operette theatre

Pho!

Lake half an hour outside of Vienna

Fresh fish for lunch!