Vienna, or "Weena," the Quintessential Euro City

Hubs and I planned one last Euro vacation in July, since there was a chance he would be away for work all of August (turns out, the chance was pretty high! He's outta here.). There were so many cities we still wanted to see, so we crafted The Busiest Week ever, booked some hotels, and we're off.

Vienna was our first stop. A quick flight away, about 100 degrees later, and we were in the Hapsburg's city of ornate buildings and coffeehouses. Below are the Rules of the subway, which I feel is pretty illustrative of the city. Well-organized, clean, orderly. For example: "It goes without saying that litter is to be placed in bins accordingly." Of course!

The Parliament Building, above, was one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever seen. The columns out front were decorated with a giant red ribbon in honor of the AIDS conference that was held the following week. We walked from the waterfront, where we had Carribbean food and watched beach volleyball players, to our hotel and saw the old Rathaus, Parliament, and Opera. It was lovely to walk at night when the weather had cooled just enough to be tolerable, and the crowds had left.

I convinced N to join me at the modern art museum (MUMOK), where my favorite exhibit was by Brigitte Kowanz. Her light work was fun and, combined with the mirrors, made for a great photo op.

In the MuseumQuartier, we watched the opening night of ImPulsTanz, a modern art performance with lights, music, and lots of people. Very avant garde and whatnot. I love being in the middle of things, with so many different kinds of people. The air was hot and sticky and alive. That is what I love about cities- the possibility of so many experiences.

Next up: Bratislava.