So I really should give Vienna a better introduction than the last two blog entries. My schedule is just so jumbled up in my thoughts and sensory overload this trip that my writing has been just as out of sequence. But anyway, I arrive in Vienna by train from Bratislava,

which I will blog about later. It’s been extremely warm so I’m nodding off and on (you know, the head rolling thing that’s just both unattractive and irresistible when other passengers are also doing it) during the hour-long ride. When I snap back to consciousness, these are some sights I catch from outside my window:

Look at that last photo again. I’ll tell you what it is later when I discover what it really is.

I’m pretty muddled on this particular train ride and am kicking myself for not taking at least a couple semesters of German when I had the chance. I’m not 100% sure which station in Vienna I should take actually, so I do what I usually do when in doubt: I wait to see where all the Japanese tourists get off and follow them like a sheep:

Turns out they are right on the money and I go to get my 72-hour public transportation pass from the machine. This pass, which costs around 13euros, should be required for anyone visiting this city during that amount of time (there’s also one for 24- or 48-hours). I’d get this over the Vienna Card since the card gives you the 72-hr transit but only slight discounts to the main sights. The museums and main attractions are quite expensive in Vienna so one is better off choosing specific ones instead of trying to hit all of them just to make use out of the Vienna Card.

As I leave the train station, I see this museum out of the corner of my eye…

and tons of construction. I’m actually not sure how I feel about this city yet at this point, but I rush to find the bus to my hotel. As it makes it way into the city center, I relax and pull out my camera. The first shots taken on the way into any new town are always my favorite because first impressions are rarely recorded, and after a trip, when I’m home and reminiscing, I love to look at these first photos and reassess whether my initial thoughts were right or wrong.

So these are just 3 of about a zillion incredible buildings I spot and shoot from the bus. Just when I tell myself it’s not possible to see so many works of great architecture at every turn, I am surprised by more. My bus drops me off about 100 meters from my hotel and I cannot wait to dump my bags and run back outside. I have a feeling my first impression of Vienna can’t possibly be as good as my last impression. It already looks like a heck of a town in my first 30 minutes here.

Let’s get some fashion into the mix tomorrow, shall we?