The Vienna Diaries~ My First Day

I haven't written anything about my move to Vienna, apart from the odd scribble in my diary and now I find myself sat in bed at 3am wondering why...

I moved here on the 1st February and it's now the 5th March. Sheesh. Over a month and here I am, sat reflecting and writing down my thoughts.

My First Day 1/02/2018

I caught the westbound central line train bright and early from Loughton to Stratford. I remember thinking about how this is my last time in such a familiar and almost routine location for at least the next 5 months. I waited for Vinny to arrive as I had got there quite early (for once) and when we met each other he grabbed my hand luggage and one of my suitcases and off we walked to the platform. I had previously struggled with my 2 overweight suitcases and 10kg backpack so was therefore reminded of how much I will miss this ever so important man in my life.

Once I was checked in and past security and was able to sit and watch the planes taking off. I was completely alone now and I felt a little odd. I still didn't feel like I was moving countries. I had packed, said my goodbyes and I was then waiting for my flight to be called in this tiny duty-free airport, yet I still did not understand why I felt so calm. Possibly I was just exhausted as I only had around 2 hours sleep but even still. The reason I mention this slightly confusing feeling is because I still somehow feel it. I am so at home in Vienna, however, I feel like I haven't moved countries at all, but rather taken a nice, long break that keeps going on and getting better. 

I eventually boarded the plane and slept for the whole journey. I arrived in Vienna at around 3pm and decided to catch the train as I knew that a taxi would be the easy and expensive way out. I dragged my 2 suitcases down to the station and spent about 10 minutes trying to figure out which ticket was correct for where I was heading as well as why on earth google maps was telling me to leave in an hour rather than straight away. Despite the fact that I had changed the language to English on the machine it turned out to still be a struggle for my tired brain and after jabbing at the touch screen overs and overs, a ticket was spat out and I headed for the platform. I looked at the monitor and could not figure out which train was heading to my stop. Google maps was telling me to leave in an hour and it hadn't clicked that I had just forgotten to change the time on my phone (as I had taken it off automatic whilst in Morocco). I decided to take a chance and go to the platform most people were getting on- the 1st platform. It was a smart choice too as I made it safely to Traissengasse Station and was then able to complete the final leg of the journey, the 7 minute walk from the station to my new home... The Fizz. Unfortunately, it was raining fairly heavily and I arrived looking like a washed-up Londoner. 

My room was (and is still) so so beautiful. I am staying in a student dorm that is quite literally kitted out with everything. It has a music room, 2 study rooms, a cinema room, a rooftop terrace, large common area (with hammocks!), shared kitchen and dining area for everyone downstairs, kitchens and living rooms on every 2nd floor and not to mention my own room that has a private kitchenette and bathroom. We can use the amenities downstairs by popping to reception, that includes pool tables, Fussball tables, Playstations, extra beds, BBQ's and everything else you may want or require to live comfortably. Ok, so I'm done showing off and I am so happy to be here, even if it did mean I pay a little more than other students in Vienna. I am still paying less rent than I was in London for something a 20x the quality and comfort. 

I was shown to my room and after sorting out the legal bits was left to relax... or not. There was, of course, no bed linen, food, pots or pans, toilet paper or anything. My suitcase had been stuffed to the brim with clothes and shoes and so a trip to the nearest supermarket was required, but I was beginning to realise how exhausted I was. The linen-less bed looked so inviting and I didn't care too much about my hunger. I was wet, cold and tired! I eventually decided that I should just do what needs to be done now- or as much of it as I could in order to avoid more stress tomorrow. I headed to Wien Mitte, Landstrasse, a shopping centre 7 minutes away by train, in order to buy a duvet, pillow and some bed sheets. I ended up spending hours in Interspar trying to work out the measurements and find some decent food to take back. Everything felt like such an ordeal, especially when I didn't understand a word of German. I really was the ignorant foreigner that did not speak the native tongue and couldn't communicate even to ask where I could find the bread. Most people do speak English in Austria or at least Vienna so in all truthfulness it was not a huge issue, but what I struggled with was the slight embarrassment I felt when trying to be respectful and at least attempting to use my limited knowledge of German to communicate. As it was I walked around Interspar with my phone in hand and google translate bright on the screen. Such a simple and usually enjoyable process for me had turned into stress. I had to get a taxi home as my trolly was filled to the brim with shopping bags and there was no way I was catching the train again, especially in case it started to rain. I called an Uber and within 5 minutes I was picked up. The driver was super friendly and basically the third or fourth person I had had direct contact with since arriving in the new city. He did not speak a word of English and found it hilarious when I attempted to be polite and converse with him. I remember being asked questions in an Austrian German accent to which my reply would be, 'errmmm ja- Entschuldigung, I don't understand, meine Deutsch ist schlect'. The driver would throw his head back with laughter and then proceed on to asking me more Deutsch questions. When I would ask some English questions he would simply shake his head showing that he hadn't the faintest idea what I had said. The slightly strange and painful experience was eventually over and I had never been so happy to rest my head. My new bed, my new room, my new city- Vienna was my new home and all I could think about was sleep.

Peace&Love,
Willow

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BERLIN - DAY 1/3

To kick things off, I begin with the account of BERLIN, GERMANY.

This particular adventure began months before the actual trip, when I came across very cheap return flights to Berlin for various weekends in January. Of course, it made sense as Germany would be exiting its peak time, after the excitement of the Christmas Markets. £30 return, flying with Ryanair. 

DAY 1

We departed on the morning of Saturday, 23rd January 2016 from London Stansted Airport, UK. I, as usual missed my bus to the train station that would then take me to Stratford, East London where we would meet and take the coach to the airport. (Unfortunately that weekend the Stansted Express train service was not running, making our journey take a little longer by coach). Thankfully, I did plan ahead to ensure that we had plenty of time to get to the airport. I caught the next bus and then once at Stratford, the National Express coach inspector allowed us to hop on a later coach! 50 minutes later, we arrived at Stansted.

Whilst exchanging my £'s to €'s at Stansted (I know, major rip off!) we bumped into a fellow nature lover Liam! Shout out to you Liam, what was the chance of seeing you at the airport?! Plus he was also travelling to Germany, but rather Munich. After briefly discussing how random this was we wished each other a safe flight and went to catch our plane.
 1 hour and 50 minutes after departure we landed in Berlin, which may I add was covered in SNOW! How exciting...  Now, I am not one for snow in the UK, but when you're abroad and it snows, for some reason it feels magical. In front of us were west coast Americans that had never actually seen snow in their lives! They were certainly overjoyed.

Karl-Marx-Allee

We booked the NH Alexanderplatz hotel, a tram ride away from the city center and although navigating our way there in the beginning proved tricky, locals were friendly and guided us in the correct direction. The staff were super helpful and seemed to have a better knowledge of the English language than we did, after my handbag was described as a 'transcendental dimension' . Pardon?!

Once settled in our room I breezed through the city guide we were given when purchasing our Berlin Welcome Card (3 day travel card- I advise you to buy once in Germany rather than online as the sites offering it rip you off!). Immediately, the Berlin Story Bunker caught my eye.

Gosh, where do I start with this one...
Hands down, it was one of the most frightening experiences I have ever been through in my 18 years of living... and I would do it again (maybe, eeep).

Without giving too much away, the Bunker consists of three floors; The museum on the basement level, which submerges you into life in Berlin during the Cold War, emphasising the key differences in living within the high concrete walls of east Berlin, better known back then as the GDR (German Democratic Republic), and of course West Berlin. The middle floor, that gives you an insight into the ghastly practises of the medical world during the Medieval Age as well as a taster of what's to come on the top floor. Finally this well anticipated top floor is in complete darkness. I assure you that you will scream, run and jump in fear and the hairs on your arms, back and legs will stand on end, with no mercy!  Arriving an hour before closing time, in the height of winter meant it was very dark outside, which along with the enthusiastic staff, all contributed to the eerie, spine-chilling atmosphere. Entry to this attraction was half price when presenting the Welcome Card, which meant for the both of us, we paid just 9€.
Once departing from our first official adventure in Berlin, food was on the brain. We made our way back, the both of us could not help notice the high energy, hustle and bustle of the city. In comparison to the day time Berlin had really come alive! Multiple bodies swarmed Alexanderplatz as well as U-Bahn and S-Bahn stations. Throughout this, buskers played lively upbeat tempos creating a soundtrack against the hip backdrop of Berlin.

Begging for BMW money?
At least you know where your donations are going!

On arrival at Erdton, we realised that we were the only customers. This did raise some caution though now having built up an appetite, we decided to stay and thank goodness we did! The food was fantastic!
If you happen to be in Berlin and you get a chance to venture slightly further out of town... take a chance and dine in Erdton (Friedenstrasse 39) just opposite Lidl, which is actually where we headed to next. I know, I know, the food couldn't have been that great if we headed directly to Lidl afterwards, but the both of us had forgotten to bring along toothpaste! We did contemplate simply not brushing our teeth for the night, as that way we may have been able to re-taste the flavoursome meal one more time. 
Finally, after a long day it was back to the hotel for some well-deserved sleep.

Peace&Love 
Willow

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