Eight years, three states and one wedding. Big milestones that have a since past marking the lapse of time since Lauren and I were in Europe. My faithful and most dedicated readers (who are also super attractive and smart…you know who you are) will recall the last time we entered the continent was for our study abroad trip to Italy as part of our grad school program…in 2014. *shudders*.

We find ourselves returning, not for academic purposes but for companionship with our closest of friends to experience the time honored tradition of celebrating the harvest season in the most German of ways: Oktoberfest.

Vienna

Oktoberfest and camaraderie with may be the original purpose for this particular trip, however with the time we had we decided we may as well hit a few more stops while we’re in the area. So with that I write to you from our hotel in Vienna, situated smack dab in the city center within a stones throw from The Hofburg (including the Presidential Chancellery), Karlskirche and the Vienna Museum of Natural History.

Our time in Vienna is unfortunately extremely short. We arrived shortly after two in the afternoon and upon reaching the city center and arriving at the hotel, it was well after three. That did not deter us from packing in as much as we could in the form of a long afternoon walking tour where we strolled through Stadtpark, a 19th century calm green space in the middle of the city. We reveled in the ornate facades of The Hofburg, a 13th century palace built originally for the Hapsburg dynasty but which now acts as the office and residence of the Austrian president. We rounded out the afternoon with a short tour of St Stephan’s Cathedral, a 12th century gothic church with its near 450ft jutting imposingly into Vienna’s skyline.

We realized shortly after landing, that our packing preparation wasn’t quite up to snuff as it has been with recent trips. I realized walking out of the Vienna airport that I forgot a belt. Lauren found out that we brought the wrong pants and that the weather would warrant a sweatshirt. Thankfully these cities feature plenty of shopping opportunities where I was able to score an H&M special €10 belt after visiting St Stephen’s, unfortunately, Lauren search for a sweater is still ongoing.

Upon heading back to the hotel to turn in for the evening, we very appropriately stopped at a wiener stall to dive headfirst into the Austrian cultural where we grabbed a frankfurter and bratwurst (in a carved out hoagy(?) bun, genius!) and ate while we meandered home for the night.

Featured Image: The imposing entrance of The Hofburg

Accommodation: K+K Hotel Maria Theresia