Out on the Town: Partying All Day...And All of the Night

Nearly all of our attempts to really see the first district of Vienna up to this point had been duds. So, we stubbornly set out at a fairly decent hour on Thursday to show off a bit more of the innards of our beloved city.  A short tram ride dropped us back in Heldenplatz, but this time our path led us through the grounds of the Hofburg Palace.  Again, this was interesting with so many people in tow.  We really are too used to having only four of us around—two of whom are relatively easy to drag along.  But grown-ups who get distracted by cool things and wander off? (I’m talking about my impressionable husband here…) It’s a horse of a different color.  

The Bear zoning in on Mama's quiche

We made our wandering way through the Hofburg and even stopped to check on the Lipizzaners in their stables before heading over to St. Michael’s Church and (finally!) to The Demel where our huge party was seated in a separate room and given a set of small tables that butted up to a squishy sofa. As far as trips to The Demel go, it was pretty grand.  Mom and Emily took the girls to look at cakes and pastries while John and I wisely stayed behind to order something containing protein to have with our cocoa and coffee.  We had one of my favorite waitresses (trust me, these are few and far between) and really just had a lovely time swapping cakes, tortes, drinks and even quiches around our little tea tables.

By the time we left The Demel a drizzling rain had started pitter pattering down, but it didn’t keep us from rounding the corner to see the plague column on Graben …which meant that Bailey realized we were near one of her favorite spots downtown.  While Mom, Audrey, Emily and I wandered into a book shop, Bailey was busy dragging John down the street to her favorite toy shop which happens to have a nearly life-sized plush brown bear out front.  And while mom and I were busy searching the shelves at the book store for a novel worthy of jump-starting our two-person German book club, Bailey had convinced John that she needed a miniature Merida doll to add to her and Audrey’s character collection.  The Bear marched into the book store and surprised Audrey with their new little treasure just about the same time Mom and I found the book Naschmarkt Mord (a criminal romance set in Vienna and written by a local author).  It was a slam-bang outing in any book.  We did take the opportunity to pop into St. Peter’s Church before the girls turned into pumpkins—something I would never regret.  Everyone took their time taking in the intricate details before deciding it was time to give the kiddos a break.  Sightseeing with kids can be both a blessing and a hardship…but since it means more downtime or napping, I most often consider it a blessing. 

Today, though, I had an errand to run while the girls were taking a break.  We’ve been falling down the bureaucratic rabbit hole for months now in an attempt to have a number assigned to Audrey so she can receive the state’s schooling subsidy.  After a ridiculous number of emails and phone calls, it was apparent that I HAD to physically bring a form out to Audrey’s preschool and it had to be done ASAP…which, when she’s not there for me to pick up and John has no reason to go in to work, is kind of a pain in the butt.  Especially when I’d rather be drooling on my couch. 

Luckily though, my mom suggested John and I take the opportunity to spend some time together and it turned out to be a pretty fantastic idea.  We dropped off our forms and after a really nice chat with Audrey’s fantastic teacher, John and I decided to pop into one of the museums that is included in our year membership to the Art History Museum: The Museum of Voelkerkunde...which translates to "Ethnology" and just doesn't seem right in a former Nazi-occupied country...but regardless, it has always kind of intrigued us.  For John, because he is a great lover of history and foreign cultures…and me, because I have a wandering interest in just about anything (hence, the dodo bird spirit animal).  The museum appeared deserted when we entered and was silent as a tomb as we crossed the main hall.  It was apparent that this place doesn’t necessarily get a lot of foot traffic (perhaps because of the aforementioned unfortunate translation).  But that didn’t mean it’s contents were unworthy.  We walked through a really intriguing exhibit called 'Beyond Brazil' and another upstairs that canvased South and Southeast Asian Religions.  It was fascinating and a bit overwhelming to be honest.  But I’m glad we went.  The two of us were fairly exhausted after an hour or so and decided to head home.  See what I mean about the babies?  They never would have let us stay out so long. 

When we got home, though, we only had a little time to rest before gearing up to go out again.  Weeks before everyone’s arrival, John and I had jumped at the opportunity to get tickets for the two of us and my siblings to something called Wiener Wiesn; Vienna’s version of Oktoberfest.  This is also the reason we found it necessary to shop for traditional garb the week before.  Joe and John donned their festive jackets while Emily and I squeezed ourselves into the odd waistlines of our hodge-podge dirndls.  With a few more preparations for the girls and a passing prayer that at least Bailey would behave herself, we headed out into the night. 

Wiener Wiesn is held on the corner of the Wurstelprater (where the giant ferris wheel is).  Every year, enormous tents are raised here and a huge variety of bands play three times a day.  We had opted for the full-on drunken Oktoberfest experience instead of what I’m sure would be a more family-friendly oompah experience at mid-day.  After entering our tent and finding our table, it was evident that we were in for a good time.  We got there half an hour or so before the band was supposed to start playing and the tent was already packed with people making merry.  After giving several waiters the stink eye for ignoring us, we finally managed to order some enormous beers and food…which all arrived with absolutely shocking speed.  Soon after the food arrived, the band started and the party was officially on.  About ten minutes later I was dragged up onto the bench of our table by a merry-making neighbor to dance.  And that’s pretty much how our night went.  The band was fantastic—in that they played everything from polka to John Denver .  I doubt I’ve ever sung along to Country Roads, Take Me Home at such blaring decibel levels.  They even played Achy Breaky Heart at some point and most of the people around us knew the words to it.  I could’ve died I laughed so hard.  Mostly, because the most poignant memory attached to the song was when I was written up in 2^nd grade PE for changing the words to “Achy Breaky Fart”.  Hallmark can’t even touch those kind of memories. 

That's Willian with a Liter O'Beer, Folks

I’m not going to lie.  Our night at Oktoberfest was out-of-control...off the charts, especially for a couple of fuddy-duddy homebodies like John and me.  But it was an absolutely priceless experience to have with my brother and sister.  I have no idea what time we got home, but there were no lights on and no babies awake to wrestle back into bed.  A good night all around. 

Best Self Portrait. Ever.