Vienna Staycation

For the first time since our German midterms, I stayed in Vienna this past weekend. After seeing all the new things I discovered this past weekend, I feel like there is still so much to see and try in Vienna. This was one of my favorite weekends because so many of my friends were also staying in town. By then, and certainly by now, most people had finished traveling for the semester. We had reached that two week stretch when our time in Vienna is limited, valuable time.

On Friday, it was Cinco de Mayo, and although this is not a holiday that is ever celebrated in Vienna (and probably shouldn’t even be celebrated in the States) my friends and I indulged in the day’s full festivities by making a reservation at Santos Mexican Restaurant. With a happy hour that lasts from 4pm -8pm, we ordered rounds of Margaritas to accompany our fajitas, tacos, and enchiladas. This weekend, there was also the Kraft Beer Festival at Marx Halle. Marx Halle is an old airplane hangar in the 3^rd district. This is a popular concert venue and I got to see one of my favorite bands, The xx, perform here. For 10 euros, you got a free commemorative glass cup, access to great beer at highly discounted prices, live music, and incredible food stands. Even if you don’t like beer (Me), this was still a fun event to spend your early Friday evening at.

On Saturday, I finally rented a bike to ride on the Danube. Vienna has this amazing city bike network, where for a one euro registration fee, you can rent these bikes from their docking stations all around the city and return it to any of the stations within an hour, for FREE. We picked up our bikes and biked along the river and canal for about 45 minutes. The restaurant and “beach” bars along the canal were lively and inviting, with the sun shining and the temperature at a comfortable 72 (about 22 for you Celsius folks). Eventually, we made it to our end point, Das Campus, a quirky, chic restaurant in the University of Vienna’s economics campus. PSA: this place has a “pulled pork” vegan burger. It may sound enticing but I assure you—it is not. Don’t get it. Believe me.

Having Sunday to relax, rather than coming back late at night or even early Monday from a trip, was a great change of pace. It really made it feel like Vienna was my home rather than a place I would just come to take a 3-4 day rest before I was on my way to the next trip. I was able to catch up on much needed Z’s and perch at Vollpension Café to catch up on all the work I hadn’t done yet. If every weekend were like this one, I wouldn’t mind not ever leaving Vienna.