A Week in the Life: Vienna Edition
Anna Whitehead
Far from the techno scene of Berghain, the Parisian rooftops, and definitely miles away from the balmy Spanish weather, Vienna seems to be the dark horse of Year Abroad destinations. After six months in this elegant capital at the heart of Central Europe, I’m convinced that Vienna remains hugely underestimated. Hopefully the following assortment of photos from the past week will only prove my point, and if not, then I’ll buy you a slice of delicious Imperial Torte – as soon as the traditional Kaffeehäuser decide to open, that is.
Saturday
The year at the University of Vienna is split into two semesters which run from October to January, and then March to June – meaning I’ve just started up again after a month-long break. On Saturday I went on a walk organised by the Catholic Student Community to mark the start of this Sommer Semester, which was more of a vertiginous hike than a leisurely stroll, but nevertheless provided stunning views over the Danube basin and the city.
The Blue Danube (Image Credit: Anna Whitehead)
Sunday
The weather here has been pretty bracing lately, but on Sunday the sun was peeping out enough for me to even consider heading out for a takeout Eis (ice-cream. It in fact turned out that my flatmates had a rather different Eis in mind for the afternoon; Eisbaden – an icy open-water plunge in the Donau.) Luckily I was meeting up with friends afterwards and had a good excuse, but I did enjoy watching them from the riverbank as they squealed and thought that maybe an ice-cream would have been a good choice after all.
A dip in the Donau, anyone?
Image Credit: Anna Whitehead
Monday to Thursday
With university classes all online, weekdays can become quite repetitive and monotonous, so I try to spruce them up with walks around the neighbourhood, dropping by at different churches, and going to the shops. I have to admit that the extensive selection of cheese and flavours of Milka bars make a European supermarket trip highly enjoyable, although nothing can beat the Caramelised Onion Hummus and inevitable social run-ins of Mainsbury’s.
The rather unmissable Hofburg Palace complex with a horse-drawn carriage waiting outside. Am yet to try this mode of transport but perhaps one for the next piece – sorry to disappoint. (Image Credit: Anna Whitehead)
A dramatic sky over the Hauptgebäude (Main building) of the Universität Wien on the grandiose Ringstraße.
Image Credit: Anna Whitehead
A selection of suitably aesthetic postcards to send back to friends and family at home – giving the ongoing lack of direct flights between the UK and Austria, I think it’s the closest they’ll be getting to sharing in my adventures for a while!
Image Credit: Anna Whitehead
No MML Year Abroad photo compilation would be complete without the respective European cathedral; here’s Stephansdom with its distinctive roof tiles on a particularly dreamy morning this week. (Image Credit: Anna Whitehead)
Main Altar at Stephansdom – statues in churches are traditionally covered with a purple cloth during the Lenten period. This contemporary interpretation does however look like it should belong on the Sidgwick Site, rightful home of all colourful and oversized artsy jumpers.
Image Credit: Anna Whitehead
I might not have the Parisian balcony, but Türkenschanz Park in the 18th District does provide a little oasis of calm to escape to when I want a snatch of peace and quiet to read!
Image Credit: Anna Whitehead
View from my student accommodation, which lies directly on Währinger Gürtel – the four lanes of traffic, tramlines and trainlines aren’t particularly conducive to contemplation, but at least the sunsets and the glimpse of the hills in the distance is quite pleasant. (Image Credit: Anna Whitehead)
Friday
… was a lecture-free day (anniversary of the founding of the University!) so I went for a rather spontaneous trip up Kahlenberg with a couple of the other Year Abroad students lurking about in the city. Vienna has several walking routes around the city’s surroundings, and it’s easy to see why this walk around the vineyards up to the viewing platform at Kahlenberg is by far the most popular.
Up and around Kahlenberg
Image Credit: Anna Whitehead
Saturday
Today also involved a long walk, beautiful views, and a fellow MMLer who has just arrived – this time in Linz! I find it somewhat ironic that I never made it to her college, always claiming Homerton was just too far to meet at, yet happily travelled across Austria to visit her for a day… Linz is Austria’s third largest city and an up-and-coming contemporary hub, but with its pastel hues, quaint cobbled streets and riverside promenade, feels very much like a sleepy fairy-tale village.
Looking out over the Altstadt of Linz from the Schlossmuseum balcony (Image Credit: Anna Whitehead)
Enjoying a slice of the famous Linzer Torte on the main square – made to a 17th Century recipe with hazelnuts, spices, and tangy redcurrant jam, a trip to Linz is worth it for this legendary cake alone.
Image Credit: Anna Whitehead
On one side of the Danube is the rather steep but idyllic Pöstlingberg, which very much makes you want to swirl around singing ‘The hills are alive with the Sound of Music’…
Image Credit: Anna Whitehead
A colourful street leading down from the Schlossmuseum towards the banks of the Danube (Image Credit: Anna Whitehead)
So there we have it - the past seven days have not only seen me discover new corners of Vienna and even Austria, but also enjoy delightful slices of cake, finally reunite with MML friends, and gain a record step-count (28 000 in Linz alone!). The weather has also been exceptionally fair and the sky outrageously blue. So much so that I’m beginning to think I should make this Austrian edition of a ‘Week in the Life of a Year Abroad Student’ a regular feature…
