August 7, 2024, 5:15 pm Detroit time.
So it's been forever since I blogged. Where to begin? SO much has happened. My Dad is doing better. Such a blessing. Brooklyn left on a mission to Spain. Also a blessing, but we miss her! We celebrated my Grandpa John Wells' life in New York. We miss him too.
But now, the big news is that Talia and I left Salt Lake to fly to Munich. Our primary motivation? Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Vienna. But we just found out that the concerts have been cancelled because of ISIS terrorist threats. At the moment we are still processing. It feels unreal. Granted, ours was a very last minute excursion when we discovered that tickets in Vienna cost so much less than in the United States ($300 versus $3000). We even rushed Talia’s passport to make this happen. Still, it's disappointing that our world is so full of hatred. We are grateful to be safe and grateful that the threat was so uncovered. We are even more grateful that we still have a delightful itinerary that includes seeing my host families in Salzburg. But gosh, my heart hurts for my Swiftie.
Here are some photos we took in the Salt Lake airport before we knew that the concerts had been cancelled.
Talia working on her Swiftie outfit from the airplane. The disappointment was real.
***
Thursday, August 8th
We arrived in Munich, Germany around 10am and picked up a rental car. The entire process was pretty seamless, except for the fact that I rented a manual and hadn't driven a stick shift for nearly three decades. Getting out of the parking garage was pretty dicey, but we made it. Our teeny tiny Kia Mini was perfect for Talia and me--great gas mileage and easy to park, even if it didn't have much "get up and go" on an incline. The trunk was so tiny that we could only fit one of our carry-ons in it, but the backseat worked fine for the other.
It took us nearly six hours to drive the 500 kilometers out of Germany, across Austria, and into Slovakia where we were staying in an AirBnb in the heart of Bratislava. We had to stop to buy "Vignettes" (toll stickers) for each country that allow you to drive on the motorways. Other than that, the trip went quite smoothly, especially considering how little sleep I had. I think the adrenaline from driving a stick shift in an unfamiliar environment kept me going. But really, driving on the "Autobahn" is nothing compared to the horrors of I-15.
Arriving in Bratislava, we parked our car in a small lot organized by our host, then grabbed a bite to eat before hopping a bus to our flat, located at the top of the blue building.
We were delighted to discover a myriad of delicious bakeries in the area, plus the apartment was within walking distance of Bratislava's historic city center.
A bed, a bathroom, and a small kitchenette--everything Talia and I needed for our stay.
As much as we wanted to crash, we knew that we would get over jet lag more easily if we stayed awake, so we headed out to explore the town. On the way we discovered this free hot air balloon exhibit. This was the first time either of us had ever had the chance to walk around balloons from the inside. So roomy!
Bratislava itself was a gem. I'd booked our room there without knowing much about the city because it's only an hour train ride from Vienna and I didn't want to pay for a Viennese hotel during the touristy summer season, especially with the Eras Tour crowding the city. Even if prices were the same, I would absolutely stay in Bratislava again. Such a charming city, relatively undiscovered by tourists from the West.
Talia greets the resident sculptures.
When I first saw this guy, I thought he was a clever street performer.
St. Martin's cathedral, where we popped in to see an evening performance several days later.
More sculptures on our way to Bratislava Castle.
Peter, James, and John, marking the site of an early Christian church.
Bratislava Castle itself is situated atop a hill with a lovely view of the city and Danube river below.
The military sculptures adorning the castle all happen to be headless.
Checking out the manicured gardens. The trees looked like they could come straight out of Dr. Seuss.
We thought of Brooklyn as we passed the Spanish Embassy.
Rounding off our evening with a Bratislavan meal, complete with some of the tastiest chicken we've ever had. As for me, I had a traditional dish of potato dumplings and sheep cheese, served with grilled onions. Yum.
Friday, August 9th. Having decided against setting an alarm, it was nearly 10 am when we woke, delightfully refreshed.
We decided to make the most of our day by setting off on an eight mile run to Devin Castle. But first pastries, because, priorities! The cranberry loaf was so delicious that we went back a different morning to buy another.
The run to Devin Castle was lovely, skirting the Danube river for most of the journey. It was also pretty darn hot, although I suppose that's not surprising for a mid-day run in the middle of August.
Nearly there, thank heavens.
At last, the castle is in sight.
Some views from inside the gate. I don't know what excited us more--the castle or the water bottle filling station.
Looking out at the Danube River.
This telescope was so good that you could see the expressions of the people rafting by.
Apparently Devin Castle was flattened by Napoleon and his armies in 1806, even though the garrison wasn't being used and had no military value. There's evidence that the site itself has been settled since the neolithic stone age, about 6000 BC.
Somebody left this lovely rock. Yes, Devin Castle captured our hearts too.
Celebrating our run with ice cream. If one cone is good, two cones are better!
Getting back to our flat that afternoon, Talia confessed that she was still thinking about the Eras Tour. Taylor would be performing in London during the time we originally planned to be in Salzburg. I got online and found out that we could get direct flights from Salzburg to London and back for $200/person. The performances were definitely more expensive in London, but they were still *far* less pricey than anything in North America. With Jason's encouragement, Talia started looking again. Twice she found tickets that would work, but logging into Stubhub was a nightmare. By the time we got in, the tickets were gone. Frustrated and disappointed, I chucked my hairbrush onto the bed. Always more mature, Talia suggested that we let it be and go for a walk instead.
We bought some candy from a pirate shop, then walked across the river to watch the sunset.
Even though we'd missed out on our tickets, Talia must have been feeling slightly hopeful because that night she pulled out the Sharpies to add more details to my Swiftie shirt.
Meanwhile, I cooked tortellini with an electric kettle. Here we are sitting down to a meal, just the two of us.
Saturday, August 10th (the original date of our Eras Tour)
The next morning Talia woke me up at the crack of dawn. She'd been looking online and found better concert tickets for less money on a different site, even after factoring in the exorbitant fees. With so much hope in her eyes, I told her to go for it while I worked like crazy to purchase plane tickets. Next it was a scramble to find an AirBnb in London with decent access to both Wembley Stadium and the faraway Luton airport. Plus, we had to let my Austrian host family know about our change of plans. But things worked out and before we knew it, we were scheduled to see Taylor after all.
Here's how Talia felt about the whole affair.
Thanks to my Austrian host family's suggestion, we took a ferry from Bratislava into Vienna. Because who doesn't want to cruise along the Danube?
Talia putting on her Swiftie bracelets to trade.
This girl was SOOO happy!
A different view of Devin Castle. Much easier to get there this time!
Pulling into Vienna.
After passing through a few passageways in Vienna (Wien), we suddenly found ourselves right in front of the Stephansdom. Memories flooded back of being here with my parents and host families in years past. Plus, I was delighted to be able to communicate in the host language. Everyone in Bratislava was super kind and willing to speak to us in English, but it bothered me that I couldn't speak any Slovak in return. Coming to Vienna and understanding "Hochdeutsch" was brilliant!
The cathedral itself is even more magnificent than I remembered.
We stepped inside along with the hoards of tourists and discovered that mass was underway. It's always more special to experience these stunning structures as houses of worship.
Plus, Grandma Susie was there! (Not really, but it sure did look like her.)
Afterward, we decided to climb 343 spiral steps up the South Tower. It's a workout, especially on a hot, summer day! Plus, the steps become continually more narrow as you get closer to the top.
Views of Vienna from the platform windows.
It's hard to see, but there's a rooster on this weather vane. I love this nod to the bucolic amid all the grandiose statues of Saints.
We were pretty hungry after the Stephansdom so we looked for some food for a picnic. I think it says a lot about us that we paraded around the city with a quarter watermelon that we ate with bamboo cutlery.
Plus, Almdudler! I had to introduce Talia to my favorite Austrian beverage. We added some Edam cheese, salchichon Spanish sausage, and Manner Schnitten to call it a meal.
After fueling up, we continued on to Schloss Belvedere where we had hoped to see "The Kiss" by Klimt. Tickets were all sold out for the day, but the palace grounds were still amazing.
Plus, Talia met all sorts of awesome people to swap bracelets with! Whether from Greece, Romania, Macedonia, or nearby Linz, the Swifties were so friendly and eager to share both mementos and stories.
In her Swiftie Splendor.
Talia accompanied me to a Viennese coffee house where we dined on Sachertorte (a regional chocolate delicacy), Marillenkuchen (a seasonal apricot specialty), and a delicious breakfast spread.
Then we headed back into the center of Vienna to visit the Manner store, beloved by all in cult-like fashion.
Wandering around, we suddenly encountered a line of people headed into a museum we hadn't noticed, the Albertina. It turns out that this museum, along with many others, was offering free admission to Swifties. Vienna really went above and beyond to welcome all those disappointed travelers who weren't able to see the show. The city had a special, generous feeling about it, with so many people offering well-wishes and condolences--reaching out to one another in a way that doesn't often happen in a big city. No one wishes for trials, but they often bring out the best in humanity.
Normally I wouldn't pay for museum admission with just an hour left before closing, but since we could take a peek for free, Talia and I gladly went in. The Albertina is excellent! The main galleries featured words from Monet, Degas, Van Gogh, Dali, Picasso, Signac, and even our long-awaited Klimt.
However, I was just as interested intrigued by this playful and colorful exhibition by Eva Beresin, bringing together themes of motherhood and self-expression with all of the accompanying chaos.
Before long it was time to catch our train back to Vienna. Wind turbines dotted the fields, even as the crops turned gold in the evening light.
As we walked back by St. Martin's Cathedral in Bratislava, we heard music and slipped inside for a wonderful choral performance.
As much as we would have loved to stay in Bratislava, our time was coming to a close. On Sunday morning, we found an LDS church service literally around the block from our apartment. The branch was tiny, populated with as many missionaries as Slovakian citizens. Still, it was lovely to gather together from all over the world to worship.
Bratislava, our visit to your beautiful, culturally-resplendent city was delightful. To say thank you in Slovak, Ďakujem!
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