Europe, Fall 2016: Birthday ratiocination in Vienna

Every year I feel entitled to post a birthday entry, if only to list all the things I’ve learned; some lessons are recurring so it looks like  I’m not as quick as I thought in some areas *cough* pag-ibig *cough*. Over time, the self-conscious posts have evolved into stories of how the day went, because I’ve developed a habit of spending them away from my hometown.

This year was no exception. On the first of October 2016, I:

Woke up late. We’d treated ourselves to a sparkling performance of the chilly fairytale Die Schneekonigen (The Snow Queen) at the Volksoper the night before and the bed in the large flat along Apostelgasse was sublime. Waking up only when you want to on a Saturday morning is a genuine luxury, isn’t it?

Got lost. Took the train and emerged in Minoritenplatz, which was a short stroll to the Hofburg and the Spanish Riding School, but we spent some time going round and round before Google Maps pointed us back in the correct direction. Typical me and my faulty navigation! But what a gorgeously crisp, sun-washed autumn day to wander.

Had pastry for brunch… It’s my birthday and I’ll binge on sugar if I want to.

…in the courtyard of a palace… complete with horse-drawn carriages clip-clopping along cobblestone paths. Indulging my inner princess, of course.

…and shared it with pigeons. Indulging my inner Disney princess, that is. (None of us burst into bright-eyed song, though.)

Met the enchanting boys from Lipizza, including the resident bay, a talisman for good luck and so distinct in a stable full of gray and cream.  The soaring silver and ivory riding school was glorious and the tack room (with its thousand-euro saddles) smelled like heaven.

We weren’t allowed to take photos inside the stable, and we certainly weren’t allowed to reach through and pat the stallions on the nose, tempting though it was.

Had sacher torte at the Hotel Sacher.  Yes, this was a quintessential tourist thing to do, but as birthday cakes go, the famous original is quite memorable, and when enjoyed in late afternoon with a bottle of bitter lemon, watching the sun burnish the magnificent Wiener Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera) right in front of you, it becomes a transcendent experience.

Went for a nice stroll. Vienna is always beautiful, and she wears her imperial grandeur lightly. So do the Viennese themselves; they are lovely, cosmopolitan, multicultural, and you feel quite welcome.

Spent time with family over a traditional dinner. Cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudel… doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles….

Found my way home. Faulty sense of direction notwithstanding.

So yes, I turned a year older and am well and truly in the Tita/Treinta decade but hey, I was in Europe, cocooned in the warmth of family and love of faraway friends, and there were palaces and pretty horses and a rather tasty piece of cake. Can’t really ask for much more than that. 🙂