Getting lost in a Viennese garden

Here I am by Castle Schönbrunn in warm, wealthy, wonderful Vienna. I'm actually on my way to Bratislava, but as it turns out, Bratislava's kinda hard to access directly. So I pitstopped in Vienna for a coupla nights. And, the enduring July heat and humidity notwithstanding, this place is breathtaking.

To my best recollection, I have never seen such a wealth of grandiose architecture. This place is buzzing with high culture. When walking around downtown, be prepared for one magnificent building to follow the other – church, castle, museum, concert hall, parliament, whatnot.

If you've been around Northwestern Europe a lot like me, the local food scene is nothing special. The local beers are solid, but also uninteresting. However, what Vienna might lack in any other area, it more than compensates for in and by its pure opulence.

Also, it turned out Vienna's oldest metal bar was just around the corner from my hotel. If you go here, which you should, don't forget to visit Amananth's Place. The owner is an absolutely wonderful guy; he plays all kinds of metal and hard rock, but none of that jocky plastic shit from this accursed century.