jeremy in wien!

 hallo from, wien (vienna), austria! hello reader and welcome to country #2 of my 2015 summer euro tour! after an 8 hour train ride from zurich, i stepped onto the platform in a brand new station with fresh feet, ready to tackle another european teasure…

on the danube river, running through the heart of wien         photo:  jeanny prüger

as i start my first full day in a new city, my mission is usually pretty simple: take my camera, find the architecture, and go… but the 3 days i spent in wien didn’t fit that typical adventuring format… to me, i can at times, operate my life quite independently of others; isolation and crippling shyness define my personality well.  but not in vienna…architecture and the patient hunt for aesthetically sound photographs gave way to drinks, food, laughter and dancing!

my host jeanny and i at empress sisi’s castle schönbrunn palace  (photo: inga mau)      

a dear friend from vienna, jeanny, was my incredible host in the heart of the city. i gave a small tour of los angeles to her and a few other au pairs working in berkeley, california over a year ago…and now, the time had come for me to see her city! also an avid photographer, jeanny has given me a rare gift during my visit here…photos of myself! photos of me drinking, eating, laughing, dancing, and all in all just having a damn good time in vienna :)

so, foregoing the usual cityscapes and history that can dominate these pages, lets indulge in something a little lighter this time!

enjoy!

ok, so just a little bit of architecture above, 
but even that was blocked by fun and entertainment
(see the giant movie screen blocking the structure on the bottom?!)  

jeanny took us on a walking tour of the city center after finishing work. we stopped by the parlament building (spelled correctly), city hall and the gardens of city hall. we also made our way to hofburg castle, a tourist staple, and a super relaxing river beach bar along the historic danube river!

food isn’t usually a top priority for me while traveling.
but jeanny insisted on a hearty austrian made breakfast each morning

breakfast #1 (not pictured, eaten too fast) european style pancakes (crepes) with honey, raspberry, blueberry, yogurt, and nutella. breakfast #2, pictured top left: austrian kaiserschmarren, similar to american french toast, but the dough is made from scratch, hmmmmmm! i also hunted down some peanut butter, which is not a common european food piece and snacked on it as the american delicacy that it is…pinky’s up!!

additionally, pictured above (bottom right) is the single most disgusting dish austrians equate to a meal…some type of diced ham, hardened in fat with an egg topping…(name: i didn’t want to know)

we also treated ourselves to austrian beer made by a local brewery, ottakringer, just steps from jeanny’s flat. and a tasty traditional austrian sandwhich: leberkäse semmel (thickly cut ham between a sliced roll)

jeanny jordan!

how austrians take out the trash!

another former au pair in berkeley, inga, from germany was visiting jeanny as well.
 it’s such an incredible feeling to see friends i’ve met in the u.s.
 and explore another city with them on the other side of the world :)

prater amusement park!

a night spent roaming around vienna’s prater amusement park: http://www.prater.at

another end of the day spent on the danube river, before heading out 
for a night on the town!  have you ever danced so hard, and for so long, 
that you can wring out your shirt on the train ride home?
(top right!)

my 3 days in vienna were documented so well in the smiles and laughs above. thank you for these memories jeanny (and inga!), it will be impossible to forget how much fun and adventure can be squeezed into 72 hours :) 

despite the vienna city capers, the step count and mile totals continue to rise: 

totals:     14 days     9 cities     2 countries     257,000 steps     136 miles

my next adventure, country #3, will be in prague, czech republic. i’m anxious to discover the rich history of this uber central european city, and to once again, dive into the beautiful architecture of the past!

quf wiedersehen wien! ahoj prague!


thanks for reading!


- j

***************  bonus material  ***************

jeremy in europe 2!

231...this is roughly the number of days worked since mid-september of 2014.  it's now august, 2015 and 4 days separate me from a much anticipated second tour of europe!

august 10 - sept. 7  europe, summer 2015

the alluring history & rich culture of these countries themselves is enough to seduce anyone into a second go around.  but the potentially surprising detail that brought me back is...curiosity.

                                                         source:  swisswatchwire.com

as a child my mother used to mention every so often that her side of the family is swiss.  i knew from a young age that with my darker complexion, a trip pursuing long lost family might end in some awkwardness, but nonetheless, i always took great pride in my half-swiss roots.  to me, the swiss have always meant unparalleled craftsmanship and resolute neutrality.  two things i would be more than happy to have etched into my tombstone (joking, joking...please cremate me!).

i don't have a grand plan to quest after my relatives in the mother country, but i am adamantly curious about the land & culture of switzerland.  and so, it's switzerland where i begin...

i fear this may be your last big adventure old friend...

with my trusty backpack and sidekick adventure bag, i'm packing up a weeks supply of clothes to last for 30 days.  this bag has seen me through moments of paralyzing adrenaline and days of pure elation.  i've had her for 6 solid years, and i couldn't have asked for a better companion.  you're the reason i never have to check a bag, you fit my back like a glove, and you even double as a pillow when i'm desperate...but sadly, with holes in your meshes, and all but busted zipper cords, this may be our last great tour together dear backpack.  lets make it count!

while switzerland is the main attraction, i'm not taking a 19 hour flight with a 5 hour layover in moscow for a one stop tour...

- venice, italy
- vienna, austria
- berlin/hamburg, germany  (and)
- stockholm, sweden

these cities tentatively round off the remaining weeks. and with a eurail pass, my typically well-planned itinerary is not set in it's tracks.  i bought the rail pass for $800, and it allows for 10 full-day train rides, i.e. anywhere i can go (even switching multiple trains) within a 24 hour period counts as 1 day of riding!  28 european countries participate in the eurail pass, and with various packages for purchase, you're bound to find something in your budget.  my only stipulation is that i must use my 10 trips within 2 months...psshhh, done!

representing home with the red, white & blue  :)

as my closet continues to swell with adventure ridden pf flyers, yet another pair joins the collection as this summer's designated euro-tour kicks.  a new pair is vital to my ambitions of exploring 5 brand new cities on foot.  lets see how they hold up to the many miles we have in store together...

my brand new 24-70 f2.8 lense joins me this summer
to slay down europe's architecture once more!

and what would a euro tour be to a photographer without a camera!  sweeping architecture and breathtaking landscapes top my desires, but who knows whats to come...

i invite you to join me on my adventures as i document the beautiful aspects of human civilization and culture in central europe.  with well planned free time (and some luck), i'll be posting  my happenings in each destination along the way.  check-in mid-august for my first stop, switzerland!

to my friends, family and dear sasha for your love and support during this last season of work...

thank you!

i'm inexplicably blessed to once again passionately explore the world around me...

*jeremy in Europe 1!*

as always,

thanks for reading!

- j