Wagner

So last night I did not get to sleep until 6:30 a.m. I think maybe my coffee was too strong at Cafe Sacher. Then there was some sort of animal fight outside. Then the sun came up.

So when I finally did get to sleep, I slept in.

The day finally begins...

1:00 p.m. I wake up. Kim has been up for a while, but didn't want to wake me. We missed lunch with Bridget at her friend's restaurant.

2:30 p.m. We head out, planning to get some groceries. When we arrive at the Penny Mart, its closed. Everything is closed on Sunday's here. So we decide to go towards the Stadtoper, and look for food at a restaurant.

3:00 p.m. We wander around the side streets near Stephansplatz until we find a restaurant with a table free outside. The menu is classic Austrian cuisine. Time to try some stuff out!

I order the Wienerschnitzel! with potato salad! It is the classic dish of Vienna. Basically a thin cut of veal, that is breaded and fried. It was served with lemon, that you squeeze over the Wienerschnitzel. The potato salad was tangy, and bright yellow, but delicious.

Kim got beef steaks with sauteed mushrooms, and  crispy potato wedges. Everything was amazing. Then to top it off we ate Apfelstrudel! There wasn't enough time to take a picture before it was eaten up. It was really that good. 

We asked for tap water, and the waiter/owner served us each a glass. We were still thirsty after drinking the glass, so I pulled out my water bottle, to sip from that because the waiter was inside. After a few minutes he came back out, and was surprised to see the water bottle. He told me that in a restaurant one should never do that. He seemed a little offended, so I apologized and put it away. I felt a little embarrassed, but confused. Water from the tap is free, and in America no one would think twice about something like this, especially since most restaurants diligently refill your water glass.

When the time came for the bill, we asked for it "zusammen" which means together. We had ordered two 15 Euro dishes and desert which was probably around 7 Euros. He handed me a bill for 18 Euros. "18 Euros?" I asked. "Yes," he said. I asked again, just to make sure, and he responded again with a "yes." I paid, told him to keep a tip, and he sent us off by saying, "I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay in Vienna!" He gave us free food! :) Perhaps he felt bad about the water bottle incident, who knows. It was a nice treat!

4:20 p.m. We stop in a Starbucks! We wanted to see how different it was here in Europe. They have SO much more selection of pastries and foods. The drinks are, ready?, more expensive. Also their idea of an american pancake is a coaster-sized cake thing. Its pretty pathetic.

4:45 p.m. We go to get our seats, this time in the balcony section. Waiting before the show we explored the upstairs of the opera house. Which is beautifully ornate, with frescos and all. Pictures to come. I got some attitude from the ushers. Probably because I was one of the stander's. 

Tannhäuser was wonderful.

I enjoyed it much more than last night's opera. The singer's were so wonderful, the acting was wonderful, the concept was intriguing, and the music was so inspiring. One of my favorite parts of the opera was actually the overture.

10:00 p.m. We get out of the opera, and crave gelatto. We go searching. Everything is closed :(. We really miss American late-night food. We ended up getting some chocolates and devouring them on the way home on the U-Bahn. 

11:00 p.m. Home, lots of skyping and facebooking! Then blogging.

1:00 a.m. Goodnight!

E