Travel, 50+, Austria

Ah, Austria! The country famous for successful composers, failed painters and for selling balls of Mozart for the tourists to gobble on the way home (Mozartkugel, in case you want to have a go). We might also slip a Freud in, although, technically, he was born in Czech Republic and died in England as contemporary borders go. Besides all this, Austria is a fairly decent tourism destination and it is close to my heart. Not only for geographical reasons, either.

For the very first self organized non-work or -family related travel, I chose Austria. More specifically Vienna. The idea was that it's somewhere safe, affordable, easy to travel to and interesting. And it was. For years, Vienna was my favorite city and I returned a few times. Something that I almost never do. The city can offer culture (yes, internet geeks, in all respects), partying, shopping, food and even beaches (on riverside cement slabs, to simplify) plus that royal flair.

Talking about food, Austrian offerings are for pretty much all of the buds. Titillating the epithelium of even the most demanding glutton. On my first trip, I started with the basics. I was traveling with one of those people who just have to eat something if it's "in the name" (eg Hamburger in Hamburg, Pasta Bolognese in Bologna etc). While I never held a Wiener in my mouth, I did go for the schnitzel. It was good and filling at the time. Then I graduated from there and went deep into "space cuisine".

Whence you've gorged yourself fat, you probably want to burn some of those calories. Coincidentally, Austria is an ideal place for this. While the public transportation is from good to very good in most Austrian cities, almost everywhere is walkable. The nature and small towns provide their own options to boot. It's not for everyone, though.

One of the trips I did included a very specific sight the travel buddy had to go to. He had seen it in the slightly older (1970s) erotic horror films from Hammer Studios and he wanted to "live in the movie before he dies". We are talking about Hochosterwitz Castle. The castle seemed to be close to the train station, so we opted to walk. As you do. The beginning was easy, just flat land in an agrarian setting. The castle loomed in the distance, the sun was shining and the birds were singing. Then came the climb to the castle. At this point, I should address the fact that the travel buddy was obese. The climb went on and on, uphill and more steeply uphill. The temperature was above +30C/+85F/+300K. The buddy was panting and sweating waterfalls. At one point, so desperate he tried to hitchhike a ride from a postal car. It was damn close he died before he lived in the movie.

The second time I witnessed someone hand on chest for non-patriotic reasons was in Graz. I like to utilize my feet as long as I still can and, so, the several flights of stairs up the hill and to the clock tower frightened me not. On the way up, there was an older man, who had followed the same train of thought. He was leaning against the stone, clinching at his chest and panting like a hound dog at Hooters. I granted him a quizzical nod. He flashed a resemblance of a smile as he nodded back. He's fine. I ascended on. Yes, the climb is worth it for the views. Yes, there is an easier way.

Now, I don't know whether it's the Uhrturm and the concept of time so deeply ingrained in the Grazer spirit (after all, they paid a notable ransom so that the Napoleonic forces would let it stand while everything else in town was being demolished), but I have never met so anal check in treatment anywhere else. The check in time was at a certain time o'clock and I arrived a couple of minutes early (actually factually only 2-3 minutes early). The reception said it is not possible to check in before the exact time. I suggested it's only one-two minutes and we might as well begin, for the process would be over after the exact time. The receptionist, as you do, whipped out a watch and started staring at it. Yes, staring. The receptionist was actually observing the time by the second and doing a murmured countdown for the last few seconds. Only then, the check in could begin.

One might expect that someone this precise would be the same with everything, alas no. Me and the travel buddy had barely made it to the room and inspected the general condition as a stranger opened the door. With their own key. Well, at least they weren't racist like in Klagenfurt. Case Klagenfurt being that some of the locals in their establishments treated me and the travel buddy (both white as an Austrian) really poorly for as long as they thought we came from Slovenia. Apparently it's a big no-no over yonder, or was at the time. Speaking English (my travel buddy did not speak a word of German) was the "giveaway". I never got to the bottom of it, but perhaps the Slavic people were stealing the jerbs and wrrmen of the supreme Germanic folks. If someone knows, feel free to drop a comment below.

The judgment:
Austria is clean, safe and price-wise in the medium range when it comes to Europe (the trains tend to be on the expensive end, though). It's easy to tackle, even if you are a bit of a greenhorn on the road. Close to everything works smoothly and there is something for nearly everyone. Only the most famous places feel touristy, while there are plenty of places where you can be among but a few. The country being slim and small, you can easily combine it with Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and other places. In case you have wheels, there are multiple magnificent drives you will want to try. Why not pop into Liechtenstein and Switzerland while you're at it? The country works well with children. If you're looking for that famous German efficiency, you will rather find it in Austria. Unfortunately, some people take it to extremes and you cannot expect leeway in certain things which elsewhere would be flexible per situation. Some people find the place a tad too "clinical". The country is great for solo travel and introverts will quite likely love it to bits.

Would I go again? Vienna is still on my list of favorite cities, although it's been sliding down, in ranking, over the years. Might be interesting to see how the place is doing (to note: haven't visited it in a decade). There are still places to see in Austria. So... Yes.