Nat, Alone.

The adventures of an Australian who finds herself elsewhere.

[nataliealone]

Like almost everyday else in Europe, Prague still bears the scars of a past impacted by war. I hadn’t realised that the city was still communist up until 1989; it’s such a vibrant, cosmopolitan place that it’s hard to imagine it wasn’t always a place travellers from across the world could easily flock to.

The Memorial to the Victims of Communism shows seven bronze figures descending a flight of stairs. The statues appear more ‘decayed’ the further away they are from you - losing limbs and their bodies breaking open. It symbolises how political prisoners were affected by Communism.

The memorial is located near the foot of the castle, easily accessible before you head up to visit. It really resonated with me - only everyone under 30 would have grown up out of the shadow of communism, which kind of puts it in perspective.

[nataliealone]

I love this photo.

The little girl had broken free of her brother and was on the run; meanwhile I was just trying to take a good shot of one of Prague’s iconic trams.

Somehow it just works.

[nataliealone]

Just a few people walking over the Charles Bridge.

[nataliealone]

Because this is how we view things now.

Can I say though, this fucking clock. It’s the astrological clock and got rated as one of the highlights of Prague. Well, it does nothing. All these people stood there watching it and it did SFA.

[nataliealone]

Been on the bucket list for a long time, very happy to have finally made it to Prague.

[nataliealone]

“You steal the air out of my lungs, you make me feel it / I pray for everything we lost, buy back the secrets...”

Vienna

[nataliealone]

Sunset on the Danube.

[nataliealone]

Street food at its night time best.

[nataliealone]

Two of my favourite things: art museums and grand architecture. The Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna has both and might possibly be the single most beautiful museum interior I have ever seen.

The art collection is excellent but not overwhelming, so you can knock it over in under two hours. There’s also a heap of other museums close by so you’re well positioned to keep exploring the city’s culture.

I really loved Vienna and wish I had of added an extra day here for those museums alone.

[nataliealone]

Burgers are an easy win for me overseas - they’re generous palatable regardless of what country you in, as well as being filling and cheap.

Le Burger was around the corner from my hotel (the truly excellent Ruby Marie) and it was so good I went two nights in a row. The burgers are fantastic and there’s a wide choice, heaps of sides and drinks.

I mean, it’s not traditional Austrian but for a great meal without thinking then I definitely recommend it.

[nataliealone]

One of the great surprises of Vienna is that it has a regularly open fairground/carnival, equipped with rides, junk food and a giant Ferris wheel tailor made for photo opportunities. It’s called Prater and it’s super easy to get to either on public transport or on one of the tour buses that regularly stop there.

Of course I went up, of course I was petrified, of course I took photos.

For such a beautiful city, Vienna doesn’t really reflect that in the air. It’s glamour is all at ground level. That said, it’s a fun wander around Prater with plenty especially to keep younger visitors entertained. It’s all free entry so if all you want it your Ferris wheel photo then you just need to buy a ticket and head on up.

[nataliealone]

New city, new food, same preferences.

An arvo stroll through Vienna’s Naschmarkt ended with me eating a hot dog.

Zero complaints here.

There’s a lot of the usual market crap here but also a lot of food vendors selling meats, cheeses and other tapas style pieces so it would be easy to put together a picnic feast and wander this incredible city.

[nataliealone]

“I keep the volume down on what I believe...”

Salzburg

[nataliealone]

Next schnitzel stop - Alter Fuchs. Came recommended by a friend and lived up to its promise.

Except I didn’t have schnitzel, I had goulash and it was incredible.

The name means ‘old fox’ in German and there are fox heads and other paraphernalia in the underground restaurant.

It’s well priced but fills up quick so consider an early dinner or a reservation.

[nataliealone]

When you come down from the fortress, don’t overlook going into Petersfriedhof - it’s a tiny cemetery and the prettitive ever seen.

[nataliealone]

I’m no great lover of heights but I do love an aerial photo and so I persist.

You can’t avoid Hohensalzburg Fortress in the city - it looks larger than life from every vantage point. You catch a funicular up and then there’s plenty to explore up the top and some incredible views.

I think there were a couple of museums and maybe a church; I went through the main museum part and thought it was fairly good. There’s also cafes and a nice area for a stroll so pencil in a couple of hours and make the most of it.

[nataliealone]

Salzburg is much smaller than I expected - only about 150,000 - and Sound of Music tourism is still the biggest drawcard to the city, even though it’s almost 45 years since the movie was released. It’s an absolutely gorgeous little city though, with the backdrop of some of the most incredible countryside you’d ever hope to see.

Everyone who had been there recommended a SoM tour and while I could say I was the biggest ever fan of the movie, I knew it well enough to play along. And you know, it was surprisingly good and just as cheesy as you’d imagine.

For about $70 we sang the songs on the bus, visited some of the key locations (like the terrace used in the movie as the family’s and Maria’s rotunda, both above) and generally just had a lovely day out. No one acted too cool for school and everyone just accepted we were there to have fun.

Then I had “I am sixteen going on seventeen” stuck in my head for about 10 hours and I could have easily retracted my position.