After 1.5 weeks in Switzerland, it was already time to pack again. This time just very minimal and a small backpack. I prepared to travel without checking luggage for the next 3 months.
Night train to Vienna
A good nomad friend of mine was just going around Europe for a couple of weeks with his Malaysian girlfriend. He sent me the itinerary beforehand, and I selected Vienna as the best location to catch up since it’s just a night train away from my hometown. So on a Tuesday evening, I left for the train station where I booked a sleeper compartment. The next morning I woke up just before Vienna, then I got breakfast and arrived. Very smooth and convenient. I already did this a couple of times. Once just for a birthday party weekend trip, this time for a week.
I booked the same hotel as my friend did, so we were very close and had no trouble meeting. We could easily go out for food, meet to work out together at the hotel, and leave together for sightseeing tours.
Prater attraction park
On the first day, I worked a bit on some coffee before heading to the hotel for the check-in. When I arrived in the lobby, my friend was just there since their room had been cleaned. Meeting without even texting, perfect. We talked a bit, gave quick updates, and made some plans to leave later in the evening for the amusement park. Another friend of mine from Peru has been living in Austria for a while and was just in Vienna for two days. So that was perfect, and I invited her to join us. Everything worked out well, and we had a walk through the park and tried some attractions. It was a nice and warm summer evening, perfect conditions. Afterwards, we went to grab Austrian food. So many things I love so much, so it was a feast.
Daily routine in Vienna
The next day, I focused on work during the day. I usually go to a cafe and grab some breakfast and work, then move to my room. In the afternoon, I joined my friend for a workout session. I usually don’t work out, but since he wanted to do it every day, I decided to join him. Together, it’s more motivating, and he already had his workout planned in an app, so I just tagged along. It was also great to simply get instructed. The gym of the hotel was always empty, and we had the place for ourselves. The facility also included a sauna, which we could use. We did that one evening as well. Need to use the facility to its max if it’s already provided.
Free walking tour
One evening, we booked a free walking tour to discover some areas of the centre. We joined a group and went around to see some sights and hear about the history and interesting facts. It was a great two-hour tour in perfect weather conditions.
My friend also had a friend in the city, with whom we went for a drink and dinner. Nice to meet new interesting people. Even better if they’re local. An amazing time spent in the city with great people.
Schönbrunn Palace
The weekend was approaching already, and my two friends were about to leave for France. But before, we wanted to check out some more sights. So we headed to a palace with a huge garden on a Saturday morning for a walk and to see the place. Vienna is famous for its royal gardens and huge palaces in a specific style. First, we went a little out of the city to the “vacation residence”. The garden is huge, with a big fountain in front, a viewpoint up the hill with a small lake, and a ballhouse. Just immense. The view from up there was nice, down towards the main building and the garden.
After visiting Schönbrunn Palace, we headed back to the centre to visit the city’s main residence. The building styling was very similar, a massive house and a garden as well. In the centre, we didn’t spend too much time, just had a quick look and a walk. Then we headed to a nearby museum to learn some history. Afterwards, the time was over for my friends. They had to pick up their luggage at the hotel and head to the airport. I spent some more time in the centre having a coffee and working.
Meeting a local friend
I have some friends living in Vienna. Since I was busy during the week with work, and my nomad friends I came to visit, I didn’t have time for others. After they left, I reached out to my local friends to see if they had time to meet up. Since it was the weekend, that was also a better time. And yes, that worked perfectly. I met a friend I hadn’t seen in years and had a local dessert called Apfelstrudel.
She invited me to hang out at a running event the next day, where friends and her husband with the kid were joining too. So I stopped by there the next day and hung out with them. Some local vibes. Afterwards, I headed back to focus on some more personal projects on my laptop. I went to the gym and had a nice dinner close by. I got a “Wiener Schnitzel”. A good weekend for me. Social, sporty, productive and with good food.
I had one more day of work at the hotel, and then on Tuesday, it was time to head to the airport and fly to Madrid. I didn’t take a day off. It prepared my work so I can do it while travelling, with everything ready offline and tasks set up accordingly. Airports within Europe are usually very smooth. Since I only had hand luggage, I could basically just show up an hour before the flight at the airport, walk through security, and not need any paperwork. My boarding pass was sent digitally to my phone, so I can walk directly onto the aeroplane. It’s almost like taking a bus with extra security.