Today’s post is 1850 words, 26 photos, a 9 minute read. Enjoy!

Hi everyone,

This week begins a series of articles on a trip to Austria and Germany with my friend Wayne in September 2025. We were two old farm boys traveling by plane, train, boat, and car around these countries for three weeks.

Wayne was on a mission to learn more about the origins of his family that emigrated to the United States in the 1850s. I was along for the ride. As I take you through the German countryside, you’ll see plenty of churches, cemeteries, and small villages where his family originated. We took in a lot of the local sites, tasted some fine wines and consumed some of the best beer in the world. The food was good too, lots of meat, sausages, potatoes, and cabbage. Just like back on the farm! Plus we tried some wonderful ethnic restaurants for a change of pace. We mostly stayed in Airbnbs and met some wonderful hosts along the way. Stay tuned for lots of photos and stories from this old farm boy.

This week, I’ll take you from Madison through Atlanta to Paris to Vienna, Austria where we started our adventure. You’ll see some of the iconic sites in Vienna and learn more about the long history and culture of the Viennese peoples. Let’s get started.

If you missed my last series of posts from Birmingham, Selma, and Montgomery Alabama, click here, here, here, here, here, and here.

The Trail to Vienna

It was a Tuesday morning when Wayne and I were dropped off at the Madison airport for our three-week adventure to Austria and Germany. Our check-in was quick and smooth as was our trip through security. We had plenty of time to prepare for the long day of flying internationally. Wayne hasn’t traveled for a while so some of the procedures and processes were new to him. 

The two hour flight to Atlanta went by quickly as we chatted excitedly about the weeks ahead. We had a short layover in Atlanta before boarding our flight to Paris. Wayne hadn’t been to the Atlanta airport before so the tram ride to our departure terminal was a new adventure. Atlanta is one of the busiest airports in the world serving over 100 million passengers a year.

We arrived at our gate with enough time for a visit to the restroom and a walk around to limber up for the long sit to Paris.

Neither of us slept much on the flight. I watched a series that I downloaded to my iPad. Wayne watched a couple of movies on the inflight entertainment system. When the lights came on as we began our long descent into Paris, I snapped a photo of the lights of a city, maybe it was the outskirts of Paris.

Our time in the Paris airport was a sh*tshow. I’ve never been at a more unorganized airport. There were few directions or signs, no one was pleasant or helpful. Hundreds of sleep-deprived passengers were herded into a security line by a couple of airport  personnel that yelled in French and somewhat understandable English. There were people from all over the world just trying to catch their next flight. This was the security line for the onward flights. The line moved slow, passengers that had tight schedules were trying to push their way to the front of the line. It was chaos. Fortunately, we survived and easily made our flight to Vienna.

In contrast to Paris, the Vienna airport was orderly and easy to find our way. At the recommendation of Wayne’s friend David, we reserved a car service to take us to our hotel. It was a cool, overcast day as the driver skillfully maneuvered the car into the city. On the way, we passed residential areas as well as some industrial complexes such as one of the largest oil refineries in Europe. We noticed that the city was clean, orderly, and modern. Road signs were in German and English. We felt comfortable being here.

Vienna

Our lodging was at the Motel One close to all the sites in the city center. While the rooms were small and modest, they fit the bill after the many hours of flying. Besides that we were old farm boys. This was luxury for us!

After a shower and a rest, we met Wayne’s friend David. They went to high school together. Daniel has lived in Vienna for many years and was anxious to show us the ropes of getting around. He took us to a kiosk where we could buy tickets for the tram system that primarily operates along the Ringstrasse, the ring road in the old town. The nearest stop was less than a block from our hotel.

Light rain was falling in the late afternoon when David took us to the Café Museum near our hotel. I had a very tasty beer and a noodle/ham salad dish that was filling and delicious. I should mention that Vienna is well known for its coffee houses, all 850 of them including 150 that are considered traditional, historic or classic. As someone who likes coffee this was the place to be.

After dinner, we went to a nearby grocery store where we found it to be well stocked with fruits, vegetables, coffee, tea, and fine wines.

On the way to the grocery, I snapped this photo of a fellow riding down the street. We quickly learned that bikes have a designated lane on most well-traveled streets. Step into that lane at your peril.  Be prepared to be yelled at in German or even run into especially at crosswalks.

Vienna (Wien in Austrian German) is a city of about 2 million people, another 800,000 live in the greater metro area. It is Austria’s largest city in a country with a population of 9.1 million. Vienna is also the capital as well as the cultural and financial center of the country. The city straddles the Danube River, the second longest in Europe that begins in the Black Forest of Germany and ends at the Black Sea in Ukraine. My ancestors made their way from Germany to Bessarabia on the Danube River in the late 1700s. I wonder if their ship stopped in Vienna for a sausage or other supplies.

My knowledge of world and European history expands every time I travel to a new place. It expands because I know so little and desire to know more. Vienna was founded in the 1st century AD as a Roman military camp. The city grew in importance during the Middle Ages as a center of trade and imperial power. From the 13th century onward, Vienna became the seat of the Habsburg dynasty, which ruled much of Europe for centuries and transformed the city into a political, cultural, and artistic hub. Vienna flourished during the Baroque era, leaving behind grand architecture and institutions. In the 19th century, it emerged as a center of music, science, and intellectual life. Although the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War I reduced its political power, Vienna remains a city deeply defined by its rich imperial legacy and cultural influence.

Vienna was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938 and integrated into the Third Reich. The city saw the persecution of its Jewish population with deportations to death camps and confiscation of property. Vienna suffered heavily by Allied bombing with thousands of homes, businesses, and public infrastructure (water, sewer, gas, electricity, and transportation) destroyed. In 1945, the city was captured by Soviet forces after fierce fighting. After the war Vienna was divided into Allied occupation zones until Austria regained full sovereignty in 1955, marking a new chapter in the city’s history.

The Hofburg

After being awake for more than 24 hours, I was ready to hit the sack. I slept over 10 hours! For breakfast, Wayne and I went to a nearby coffee shop for some coffee and a roll then started exploring the city.

The rain had passed, the sky was a bright blue, the air fresh and brisk. We walked over to the Hofburg Palace complex where we admired the architecture of the stately buildings that housed the Habsburg dynasty who reigned much of Europe for nearly six centuries. Vienna was the power center where the rulers lived and ruled. They supported the Catholic Church especially during the Reformation and were leaders in European politics. Their rule ended in 1918 with the defeat of Germany, Austria, and Hungary in World War I.

Today the Hofburg Palace houses the offices of the Austrian President, the Spanish Riding School, the Austrian National Library, and several museums.

We were gawking at the huge complex when we saw these flags and several well-dressed people standing around. I was curious what was going on and found out there was an international meeting being held. Vienna is an important city for United Nations (UN) agencies and European Union (EU) organizations.

This building now houses the National Library.

While we were waiting for our timed entry into the Sisi Museum, a part of the Hofburg Palace, these horses came through the archway of the palace. I like both these photos. Which one do you like?

The Sisi Museum

Sisi was Empress Elisabeth of Austria, known for her beauty, intelligence, and strong independent spirit. Though admired by the public, she felt constrained by the rigid rules of the Habsburg court and often sought freedom through travel. Her life was marked by personal tragedy and restlessness, making her one of the most fascinating and complex figures in Austrian history.

Her husband was Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, whom she married in 1854 when she was just sixteen. He ruled the Austrian Empire for nearly 68 years and deeply loved Sisi, even as she struggled with court life and spent long periods away from Vienna.

The Sisi Museum is an intimate look into the life of the Empress, revealing the contrast between her public image and private struggles. Located in the Hofburg Palace, the museum displays personal items, portraits, and writings that highlight her independence, beauty rituals, and unease with court life. Upon entering the museum, visitors are offered a free audio guide. This was helpful in looking at and understanding the many displays. We spent about an hour and a half walking through the rooms and listening to the narrator at the numbered exhibits.

This is a hologram of Sisi that provided some photographic fun.

The table setting in the dining room was interesting. There’s a lot of silverware! First, I wouldn’t know what to do with it all and second, I’m glad I don’t have to wash and polish it after the meal.

A corner with a painting and sculpture of Franz Joseph.

I’m past my self imposed word limit for these posts. Join me next week when I’ll take you to the Albertini and other sites in Vienna.

THE FIVE SENSES PLUS ONE

Saw – bikes and bikers, tram, Paris airport, lots of people, long lines confusion

Heard – traffic, jet engine, people talking many languages, clinking of cups and glasses

Touch – button on door to open tram, shook hands

Smell – jet fuel, food cooking

Taste – airline food (I gave it a C, Wayne a B-), good food in the cafe, good beer

Learned – don’t like Paris airport, Vienna is a beautiful city with great architecture, well organized, and civil

Until next week, happy travels!

Tom

PS: Click here for a link to the post about my book “Farm Boy.” Contact me if you are interested in purchasing a copy. Thanks to all have plunked down your hard earned dollars and read the book. TM