No need to wait anymore, Vienna. I’m here! 17/08/22

I am currently sitting in a coffee house (although more of a restaurant in my opinion) that a lovely man called Hannes recommended. It’s nice, but not fantastic; the coffee is too sweet for someone like me who never has sugar in their caffeinated drinks, and despite knowing this after many encounters with it, I ordered an Apple strudel even though I never enjoy them. I like my apples firm and juicy, not cooked and sweet.

Apparently, the coffee house culture in Vienna is notorious. Intellectuals, musicians, artists and just general legends used to meet in them and discuss. So, I thought, I’d cement my name as one of said legends by writing in my notes app for my incredibly famous and successful blog that is only accessible to about 60 people. If I ever write a book, you can say you were there from the very start, although I really wouldn’t get your hopes up about being able to say “oh Eleni Leventis! I am/was (lol) mates with her!”

Vienna, like Prague, is absolutely gorgeous. I’m going to try and go to the Museum of the Anatomical Pathology in the so-called “Fool’s Tower” but it’s while away, both from where I am now, and my shared-room in the dregs of Vienna. Not the actual dregs, I’m sure it’s a lovely place to live. But, very inconveniently situated for a short-term touristic endeavour. But, I guess that’s what you get when you try to find something two hours in advance on a budget of less than €20 a night. And, if I’m not back by 6:30pm the lovely Daviti who’s house I’m staying in will kick my bags out. He said this as a joke, but I’m certain he means it: he’s a bad bitch. So, I think I will go to the Museum of Art Fakes to satisfy my “weird museum” curiosities instead.

It is nice to have some time alone. Super peaceful, and like Warsaw, I definitely see more of the city when I’m on my own. Yet, I do wonder if I made the right decision travelling here. Is plateaued peace better than having incredible fun and talking to people with more substance than “so how long have you been here?”, and “where are you going next?”? I’m not sure quite yet but I hope so for now. I also really enjoy just having myself to fend for. I can make myself have the best time I can in the situation without worrying if everyone’s enjoying the things I want to do, which stresses me out ridiculous amounts for some reason.

I love Vienna though, this was the right place to come. The history of this city, specifically it’s relationship with the Nazis and, of course, the Hapsburg family (of whom I have always had an intense interest in, specifically of their incest) is so rich and gorgeous. And as Hannes also said, the population of Vienna (2 million, give or take) is much, much larger than the second biggest city in Austria which only has a population of 300,000 and 1/4 of Austrians live in the capital. I’m not quite sure why but this is so fascinating to me, because obviously whilst London does have a huge population, England also has other major cities in which the population gap is not so large.

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I am now on the bus back from the Museum of Art Fakes. I do think that despite trying, I’m just never going to be a fan of art museums. My mum used to work for one so I was just dragged around them as a kid, which whilst I know this is super lucky, just made me really hate them. Therefore, I much preferred the “art forger profiles” that the museum handed out when you bought a ticket than actually looking at the art. That being said I decided, after seeing it in EVERY SINGLE tourist shop plastered on every single tourism merchandise you can imagine, that I would go and visit the Belvedere Gallery. Which, unfortunately, is not home to ridiculously expensive vodka, but Gustav Klimt’s works (specifically the Kiss), among other things. I enjoyed this, but much preferred reading about what was going on in history at the time and then scanning the paintings to get the gist. However, I liked the realism section of “True Life”, especially their workers portrait section, which (not to suggest that my work should be displayed in a National Museum) reminded me almost too much of my Art GCSE concept, where I drew portraits of various types of worker. If only I knew this art gallery existed and then I would have been able to make reference pages for days!

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What drew me to Vienna, despite it being on the way to Italy, was the fact that my favourite song of all time is written about this city. Or so I thought. To be honest, before I came I thought that the reason he specified Vienna was because it was a specifically fantastic city. Don’t get me wrong, it is, but it’s not particularly unique in any one thing that I would assume Billy Joel (like me not from Austria) to know about. It’s got a beautiful Gothic church, lovely courtyards, lovely medieval buildings and a Roman history, but so do many other cities. He used Vienna, as I googled on the bus, as it symbolises a crossroads— historically between the Holy Roman Empire and the Ottoman Empire and NATO and the Eastern Bloc. Also, that it treats Elderly people well and with use unlike in America. Anyway what I’m trying to say is both that Billy Joel is an excellent songwriter, and that Vienna is thus the perfect place for me to be right now, if I’m taking this tiny trip with any metaphorical sense.

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I’ve just finished packing out of the man that I’m staying with’s house and am waiting for my phone to charge whilst finishing writing this. I was supposed to write my final thoughts but I’m not quite sure how many thoughts I have, or if I even have anything to say. Maybe to chat to strangers even if it makes you feel shy. And to not be scared to work hard at making yourself a better and kinder person to others and yourself, even if this means to make a drama or remove yourself from a situation. I’m now going to lug my ever increasing number of bags around to Hero Square where I’m going to have dinner and sit down for hours, waiting for a movie to play (which it does, it’s not some sort of premonition that they may if I wait long enough).