Travelogue: Vienna 2023 Pt 4 – Imperial Apartments, Tirolerhof Cafe, St. Stephens, and an Imbiss

Real Viennese Coffee

Now, we both really enjoyed the Albertina Museums and the Imperial Apartments – the latter being what the Firecracker was most looking forward to.

Do you see that big with ceramic thingy to the right of the secretary desk in the pic below?

Well, that’s a wood-fired ceramic stove for heat in the winter months.

Note that there’s no door for the wood. And that’s because it was fed from the wall side – essentially, servants were in the walls of the palace, tending to things like heat, hidden from the royal family.

You can see the outline of a hidden door above.

Pretty wild how the other half lived back then.

As for me, beside the Michelangelo exhibit, I enjoyed when we stumbled on this really cool modern art display in the lower levels of one of the museums.

After finishing up at the Albertina, we searched for more legal stimulants.

Her: We have got to have some real Viennese coffee, Lo.
Me: What about over there?

So, we finally got a chance to a proper sit-down meal at the Tirolerhof Cafe, which started in 1885, with a nice but brusque waiter.

We ordered a pot of coffee, a sammie, and a salad.

Fully charged up with caffeine and food, we set out back to explore the city.

She had to use the bathroom so we ducked into a hotel.

Me: I think this is the actual Sacher Hotel, where they invented the Sacher Torte. (here’s the official recipe)
Her: This is too nice a place for me to try and use their facilities.

She ended up walking into another cafe and just pretended like she belonged.

It worked out well.

Afterward, we walked to St. Stephen’s Cathedral and stepped inside.

It was packed but worth the hustle and bustle.

We spent a good amount of time inside, marveling at everything, before heading back out to continue exploring everything.

Being New Yorkers, we decided to hop the subway there and explore other areas.

But I got hungry.

Me: I wanna go to an imbiss.
Her: What is that?
Me: (thinking) It’s kinda like a food truck, except without wheels.

She enjoyed her meal there.

We wrapped up the night by drinking alcohol on the streets…

…and going to underground public art noveau bathrooms.

I’m serious.

Afterward, we headed back to our home base when we came across a restaurant called Das Campus and decided to slip in and get some more food and drink.

We walked by an Aldi and decided to step in to buy stuff for brekkie the next day.

While there, I helped some Chinese tourists buy some yoghurt since the Firecracker wanted some as well.

Tourist: (in Chinese to friend) Does this look like yoghurt to you?
Me: (in Chinese) It’s yoghurt.
Her: Oh – thank you.
Me: Anytime!

All-in-all, it was a good second day in Vienna.

Location: wrote this sitting at Viennese cafe with the Firecracker
Mood: sleepy
Music: Lemme wake you up; you wanna come along? (Spotify)
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