Fri 03.Aug.2012
Bratislava, Slovakia
The Reason Rod
Some cities have landmarks that identify them instantly. Paris has the Eiffel Tower,
Berlin the Brandenburg Gate, Rome the Colosseum.
Does anybody know an identifying
landmark for Vienna? Thanks to Orson Welles you do: the Riesenrad
("REE-zen rahd", Giant Wheel).
We'll get back to it in a bit. I just had to open a three-page set from Wien
with this zoom on it's most recognizable icon.
Vienna's abundant parks are always home to sitters, picnicers and sunbathers.
Alma, titled after a Viennese society girl of the early twentieth century.
Vienna has named (and numbered) districts, somewhat like the arrondissments of Paris.
On this occasion I decided to explore a district new to me called
Landstrasse, which, confusingly means "country road" which it definitely is not.
Landstrasse
Compounding the misnomenclature, the central shopping axis of the district is
Landstrasser Hauptstrasse - "Country Road Main Street"!
'Twas on this street that I had a mission for the afternoon: locate a diabetic
supply shop that I had sought out on the net, and buy test strips for my blood sugar
meter.
You heard me; Croatia this ain't. This item that any Croatian (and some
German) pharmacy would sell me without batting an eyelash... I've yet to find
them without a prescription in Bratislava, and even in Vienna they come from
a specialty store, not plain a ole pharmacy.
What the hey - it was a chance to explore a new part of a city that I am coming
to like ever better as I get to know it.
To tie up the name games in Landstrasse, there is an actual street of the same
name as the district. A minor city street (though still far from a country road),
Landstrasse crosses Landstrasser Haupstrasse not far from the diabetic store.
You couldn't make this stuff up.
The Prater
Shopping accomplished, I went to explore the Prater, a famous park in
another new district, Leopoldstadt.
Several bus, and tram lines, as well as local and regional
metro (U-bahn and S-bahn) converge at this plaza called
Praterstern ("Prater Star") outside the park entrance.
Leopoldstadt ("Leopoldville"), is close enough to
Landstrasse that I rode a tram - slow but scenic, much more interesting than the S-bahn
(S for schnell) tunnels that I would see that evening on my ride across the city
to the bus station to return to Bratislava.
One corner of the Prater is developed as an amusement park, and the name often
refers just to that part.
Only in jest would a snack stand like this be called a Restaurant.
At least in Vienna.
Contents Copyright 2012 Jeff Bulf