The world over the air is filled with anticipation in December, for some it may be the expectation of snowy days, for others the prospect of a brand-new, hopefully more prosperous year around the corner, for children, the magic of Santa Claus and gifts, for me: Europe’s Christmas revel.
Every year, the old continent becomes a replica of the North Pole in most towns, from Lisbon to Istanbul, they transform into Christmas villages that combine the local traditions with the magic of the season for memorable experiences. Last year, I had one such experience while visiting Vienna, renowned for apparently discovering how to make its citizens the happiest in the world, it also seems to know how to create that Christmas’ Zsa Zsa Zsu.
Come December, and I think most of us are found longing for something, perhaps someone, however, becoming nostalgic in Europe comes at a discount; be it a place or a person that you are longing for, you can always count on Ryanair and the likes to fly you over for a good deal. Despite all the of the lights and hot wine, even for a solo traveler like me, this is a time to share with family and friends.
Over the years, I have been lucky to make great friends while traveling, some of whom reside in Europe, like Quentin, whom I met in Puglia a year before and had been wanting to see again. At this time, he was living with his partner in Vienna and invited me over knowing that I was just around the corner in Genoa.
Vienna for Christmas
This first trip to Vienna was short-notice, thus when I went online to book the one-hour flight ticket, prices for the dates I could come were nearly 300 euros, which was out of my budget for the quick escapade du week-end that I had in mind. Luckily, Quentin knew his way around, he suggested flying through Bratislava then take the one-hour bus ride to Vienna which was a lot cheaper.
For those of you struggling with your geography, Vienna is the capital of Austria, a major city center of culture and history that blends the best of East and West Europe. Although my visit was short, three nights to be more precise, I did manage to see some stuff, and more importantly, spend time with my friend starting on night one when my hosts prepared dinner for the three of us followed by The Sound of Music suggested by Drako, a musical movie that shows some of Austria’s rich history.
Vienna is grand, a fascinating city with many eye-catching sights like my favorite the Belvedere Palace with its beautiful gardens where Quentin and I took a stroll to catch up on what we have been doing. Other amazing sites to visit are the majestic St. Stephen’s Cathedral at night and if like me, you have an appreciation for bizarre things, then a must-see is the Hundertwasser House with its interesting architecture and a nice place to have breakfast too.
The star of this visit, of course, it was the Christkindlmark, or in other words the picturesque Christmas Market at the City Hall. The lighten-up entrance to this season venue sits right in front of the Clock Tower making for a nice postcard picture. The magic begins right there, where the eye meets the carousel and wooden stalls selling all sort of gorgeous handcrafts start to appear.
On the trees and lamp posts the lighting game is strong, just look at this tree full of hearts…
Only to be eclipsed by the glühwein or hot wine, a first-time for me. This is the eggnog to Nordic Europe, a beverage that like the former it tastes better when drank in good company. We looked around for the best place to grab one each, and we found it right next to the giant Christmas tree, costing us less than five euros return-mug discount included.
As it got closer to midnight and the winter crispy air got even crispier, it started to feel a lot like Christmas; I was fully infatuated by the smell of pine and cinnamon, the rhythmic come-and-go of people passing by, and the sound of music…
Arash Bernal Ponce Aguilera
For Avenue B
Leave a Reply