Viennese Postcard

I have managed to fall completely, one hundred percent in love with Vienna. I love it even more than I loved Paris (which was a lot when I was 15 and not so much when I was 25). The sights! The food! The people! Vienna has an atmosphere of culture and history that Berlin lost in the last days of WW2. Oh, and it has everything-except Versailles-that I studied in college. For those who don't know, I specialized in the 18th century, with a focus on the Habsburg and Bourbon dynasties. And I'm a massive music nerd. So, you know, everything is there, all in one gorgeous package.

Because I am a Hopeless Romantic at heart, I succumbed to the tourist trap that is the Sacher Cafe, home of the Original Sacher Torte (they're very particular about being the Original: they took everyone else to court about it forty years ago). Sacher torte is a decadent chocolate cake with apricot jam between the layers, smothered in dark chocolate immediately after it comes out of the over. Not chocolate frosting. Pure chocolate. Oh, and that's a chococcino beside it. :-)

The nice thing about Sacher Cafe (aside from the excellent cake and the sumptuous decor) is that it's right across the street from the Staatsoper (so I could have my cake and eat it, too...). The group I was with was none too thrilled to have to go see a "boring old opera house", so we parted ways and I spent a good half hour tooling around taking pictures and trying not to buy everything in the gift shop. I, uh, didn't succeed.

Yes, that is totally a Mozart Christmas tree ornament you see there. And "Faust" starred Jonas Kaufmann the night of the poster I bought (for 50 cents-what a steal!)

This is the kind of thing you see when walking down the street in the Innere Stadt.

I found the Augustinerkirche, where the hearts of 54 Habsburg emperors live. You can't tell from the picture, but there was a man absolutely rocking out to a Bach fugue up on this organ. The whole church was shaking; it was wonderful! I love old churches and cathedrals, and how they smell of old stone and dust and the wax of a thousand candles. Love it.

Finish off the day with some yummy goulasch and a basket of bread from a tiny out-of-the-way beisl. Perfection!