Vienna has always  been on my wish list, especially since I have so many karmic connections with Austria. Plus, of course the Sound of Music, where the Captain returns from Vienna with Max and the Baroness. Vienna, the city of international diplomacy and intrigue in every Georgette Heyer novel. In history, World War I was triggered by the assassination of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Gabriel Allon, my favourite fiction spy hero grew up here. Viennese coffee houses, and Sacher torte ( one excruciating attempt to make it years ago…..all that jam and chocolate, ugh, never again), coffee culture began HERE. Lipizzaner horses ( love at first sight when I saw a photo age 10) and the Spanish Riding School, the grand Schonbrunn Palace and zoo- places I heard so many stories of and have long wanted to visit.

I finally made it to Vienna, a few summers ago and it was everything  I imagined, and so much more. I reached there to find that my beloved, beloved Vienna-Dani ( the other one is Innsbruck- Dani!) had planned so many wonderful surprises for me. I was overwhelmed by her thoughtfulness, her quirkiness, the utter originality in planning my visit. Every day was a revelation, a surprise, a discovery, and best of all, Dani shared her  own Vienna, her home, with me.

Dani is a Vienna native with Parsi roots in Pune, and we meet every year in India. After 30 years of knowing one another as close friends, I finally made it to her city, to both our delight and joy.

Surprise, surprise, Dani arranged for me to stay alone in her aunt’s apartment. Very new experience for me, to be absolutely without company, human or canine, after several decades of my life! It was a hugely novel and  liberating experience. I didn’t sleep a wink the first night, listening to faint sounds of traffic and the kastanien / chestnut trees rustling in the spring night. I fell in love with the apartment with it’s  delicate old China pieces in the kitchen, using them diligently for my coffee each morning.

Living alone was magical for me at a vulnerable time in my life. I rediscovered myself and realised I like who I am. I like my  morning Java, I like flowers in a glass, I am entranced by quirky teal and green bedspreads. I like shelves of books. I don’t need a television or a laptop. I am open windows and trees outside, a glass sun room with potted plants and a comfortable chair. I am all hot showers and local food, with chocolate and a good book at bedtime.

The best thing that could have happened was being with Dani because I saw Vienna like a local, not a tourist. She did make sure I did some of the main tourist things like Schonbrunn and Demels and Stefansdom.

We did quirky, absolutely magical Dani things like a butterfly hothouse. The schmetterlinge, or butterflies, were beautiful and magical: such a genuinely colourful experience.

Dani took me to the oldest library in Vienna the Grand National Bibliothek,  which was founded in the 13th century. WOW! Literally thousands of the oldest books in history reside here. Dani knows my love for books and surprised me with this place. Only she would know that a visit to a library would mean so much to me.  ( note to self: add libraries to list of must do places like gardens and bookshops).

It was marvellous and wonderful, filled with beautiful old tomes till the ceiling. This was no film set from Harry Potter, this was a real library, one of the oldest ever built. We managed to get permission to see the off limits interiors, unchanged with their beautiful desks, lamps and rows of bookshelves. 

I was in bibliophile heaven.

We also did fun things by the Danube, floating down this legendary  river with her family, dining on its banks and watching swans glide by at sunset.  The Danube was so blue on a warm spring day as we rented a boat and paddled down the river.  I daydreamed of swans and Strauss, and lay on my back, fingers trailing in the water as Dani sunbathed, and her husband and son gamely kept paddling. Teenagers in boats dotted the river and water games were the norm. It was idyllic and very, very local. No tourist boats around.

Dani and I used the trams, the metros and the buses to explore small vineyards with home cooked meals, her favourite parks- so many parks everywhere. We lazed among the rose bushes in  Empress Maria Theresia’s Rose garden, bees buzzing around the most fragrant  first blossoms.

Dani took me to see the iconic Stefansdom, with its stunning catholic interiors.  We explored local shops and found beautiful wooden carvings made in Italy.

The city of Vienna is grand and magnificent at its centre with the imposing and hitorical Staats Oper, where I scored a last minute ticket to La Nozze di Figaro.

The centre is ringed by the expansive palace and grounds, many gardens, wide avenues and old buildings. Sculpted fountains and narrow streets make up a pedestrian zone, covered archways and surprise alleys dotting this old quarter. Horse drawn carriages clip clop about bringing romance in the air. Queen Sisi is ridiculously popular with tourists here and long lines snake out side her museum.

Legendary cafes are housed in impressive old buildings, people are polite and statuary is prolific. I visited several unique cafes, one oozing vintage boho charm, another very retro with red leather sofas, the classic and gilted Demel’s and Dani’s favourite, the elegant Cafe Central.

My week in Vienna was a dream come true, a mix of modern and old charm, great local food experiences and so much conversation, exploring and discovering this classic royal city. I have so much more to share, soon soon!