Train 764 to Salzburg

We were able to get a good night’s rest last night so we didn’t wake up as sore as we went to bed. Today was museum day. We were able to go to The Belvedere which is Vienna’s premier museum and saw several Gustav Klimt’s paintings most famous of which is The Kiss. We also went to the modern Leopold museum, the lobby and gift shop of the Mumok and the Architecture Museum. Yes, they have a whole museum dedicated to architecture! Brandon was very happy. Vienna also has a Schnapps museum and a coffee museum, so we see where the Viennese priorities lie. The Architecture museum just so happened to have an exhibit of Australian architect Glenn Murcutt  who is one of Brandon’s favorite architects.

After we had our fill of museums for the day, we returned to yesterdays Café Hawkela for coffee since we enjoyed it so much before. The café was opened in 1911 and run by Leonard and Josephine Hawkela  who ran the café from 1936 up until just a few years ago. It is a legend in Vienna and is known as a local hangout for artist. The owners would even take artwork in payment for food. As a result, the walls are covered in art and still today some of Vienna’s more creative characters are regulars in the cafe. The owners ran the café even into their 90’s until finally Josephine passed away at 91 and the Grandson has taken over. We were able to meet the grandson who couldn’t believe we heard of the cafe from a television show in Texas. We also met a Viennese couple who just moved back to Vienna from Arlington, Texas where they had lived for six years.

Brandon said that the café was his favorite part of Vienna. Mine too!The café culture is a great example of Viennese culture. People from all backgrounds seem to stop their hectic every day life for thirty minutes to sit down and be served really good coffee in a proper cup and saucer on a silver tray, maybe even with a small dessert by a server in jacket and tie, just to visit with a friend or read for a short time before returning to their day. The waiters seem to know the regulars and will even reserve a table around the time they typically arrive just by chance they come in for the day. It is at once formal and relaxed in nature without one ever feeling as they need to be rushed out the door. Combined with the rich tradition that most of the cafes have been open for decades, it is the perfect stage to watch and participate in the Viennese culture.

Train 764 left Vienna at 7:15 p.m. and we were able to just make it onboard right after grabbing a delicious sandwich from a local baker Struck. We are on our way back to Salzburg as we type this entry. It seems like we have been gone a month from Salzburg and six months from Texas. We have a couple of days that we are looking forward to in Salzburg, especially New Year’s eve.