Due to the high demand for adventure in my blog, before catching up on Italy and Styria, which I will eventually transfer over from my travel journals, I promise, I figure I will write about my chapter by chapter reading of "Arts Marketing Insights: The Dynamic Building and Retaining of Arts Audiences" by Joanne Bernstein. As unexciting as that seems, I can turn anything into an adventure.
It all began at the Kettbrückengasse U4 station, where I hopped onto the U-Bahn heading toward the Prater, so I could go read at the site of the former Habsburg hunting grounds, which is now a lovely park. When I reached Schwedenplatz, I got off to go and check the Eissalon to see, what happens to a gelato place in Vienna when the season is over? Abe kept asking what takes its place, and well, nothing does and now I know.
Rather than get back on the U-Bahn and head to the Prater, I decided to walk up the Donau River, along the way running into a British couple who needed directions and were happily surprised when they heard I was American. I kept on my way until I saw one of the old Strassen Bahns headed my way, which I jumped on, not knowing where it was heading cause I was getting a bit chilly and the old Straßen Bahn cars are my favorite with their wooden nostalgic charm!
I read the Foreword then hopped off. To my surprise, I was at the main Uni Wien building! I headed up the front steps to my new campus for the first time and into an absolutely gorgeous building with tall ceilings and impressive staircases. I meandered through the halls, getting lost, until I found an exit, or so I thought. In reality, it was an adorable courtyard, with Viennese hipsters lounging on beach chairs and park benches.
I read the Introduction and then headed out. I did eventually find a real exit out of the building and wandered down the Ring until I hit the Rathaus or City Hall building. An epic gothic style building with a lovely little park out in front. I found a bench underneath a giant Sycamore tree in front of a fountain with a view of the Rathaus, where I sat as the sun set and the streets lights turned on.
I read Chapter One and then jumped on the next old Strassen Bahn that came along. That took me to the Belvedere, which at this point was closed, but I wandered around the palace walls, looking at the stunningly lit palace, until I got chilly again. It was also getting close to 8pm, which meant it was about time for me to head back for Sushi Monday.
I read the beginning of Chapter Two at the stop. Then when the next old Straßen Bahn came, the second car's front seat was open, which is my favorite seat. So rather than finishing Chapter Two, I spent the whole trip to Praterstern staring out the windows at Vienna by night. There were a few stops along the way, where I could've gotten off and hopped on the U-Bahn, but since the Prater was my original goal, I felt it right to take the Straßen Bahn all the way there and complete my spontaneous Straßen Bahn tour of Vienna!
