Vienna: The City Of Music

Vienna… A city so good Billy Joel wrote a song about you. ‘So much to do and only so many hours.’ Yeah Mozart, Beethoven, none of their song have lyrics so Billy's will have to do. But even solely in the company of the first two, no wonder it's called the city of music.

However like Billy said, 'only so many hours', and that's exactly how I felt in Vienna. Only a couple of days. Depending who you ask, two days is either enough or you need a week. And there lies the stumper. Is two days enough to really understand Vienna. To get to know her like a future misses. Let's find out.

Vienna may not get the love as a Paris or a London but trust me when I say it’s not a city of torpor or timidity. It has the elegance and sophistication of any of those cities and more. While having the safety net where you don’t feel the need to have to check your back pocket for your wallet every two seconds.

Sir Stephen’s does get around as he host an architectural monument with the St. Stephens Cathedral. Right outside is the Christmas Market where you can spike your warm wine with Lillet Blanc and take a gander through the tents of custom chocolates, ornaments or if you need to keep your hands and feet warm, alpaca threads.

Here's the thing, for me anyway, the main drag through which I'll call Vienna Square even though that's wrong. The flair of Time Square, bougie, posh, engulfed in European nationalism. It's not often where you have gorgeous statues surrounded by Louie Vuitton, Omega and a Five Guys.

Truffles. So many truffles. I never understood the facination with truffles. Is it the pigs, the hunt, the mushrooms? But once you start putting it on tiramisu we got a problem. Although at Buxbaum had a fantastic Tomahawk Steak of Veal. I never had a Tomahawk Steak before and I definitely never had a Tomahawk Steak of Veal before. I don't know if it's how they prep it or the ragout, but mmm momma mia.

Goes without question, the Wiener Schnitzel is as perfect as perfect can get. Is that a grammatical blunder? Maybe; but hopefully you can look pass the kitschness of the editing and absorb the feeling I'm trying to express. And yes, you can get a Grey Goose Martini but the Austrian Vodka is just as good. Less of a punch but still just as good.

Randomly finding a hotel with my Grandpops' last name, minus a letter. Where either way I bet they serve a mean screwy. As in a screwdriver, Vodka and orange juice awaits. I bet Grandpop would be proud. I wonder or have to question if Koenig is an Americanized version of the Austrian Konig?

Vienna raised more in me than answers. I understand cities need face lifts from time to time. But why do I feel places that have had horrible and heinous events happen get the big box treatment? Viennese style with international retail, it's a diligent balancing act. Tipped one way it's nostalgic, the other away it's tactless. As beautiful as it is, it does make you forget what transpired here. How thousands of Jews were murdered and or shipped via trains to concentration camps. The sound was music to the ears of some terrible, terrible people .

Vienna is as none in your face as you can get. Whether that's a good thing or bad thing is up to the patron. Where they've taken heavy - morbid events and made you forget they've almost never happened. Yet it's a city that's got love fussed into it bones. Where the locals say other cities are their fav but locals from other cities, say Vienna is the favorite.

‘You’ve got your passion, you’ve got your pride

But don’t you know that only fools are satisfied?

Dream on, but don’t imagine they’ll all come true, ooh

When will you realize Vienna waits for you’ - Billy Joel