The adventure in Vienna continued with an opportunity to tour the prestigious Vienna City Hall and learn about their two parliaments which occupy the same building. During the tour, we were able to ride in a “Paternoster Elevator” which is an antique elevator with no doors that continuously revolves. Considering, these antiquated elevators have been outlawed due to safety issues this presented another once in a lifetime experience. After City Hall, we toured the Hofburg which is the temporary seat of the Austrian Parliament. Our tour guide was hilarious and entertaining with lots of knowledge to share allowing us to focus our attention during the tour as he explained the conventions of parliamentary procedure. Another interesting point mentioned by the tour guide was that only 33-percent of the current parliament consists of female representatives, commenting that perhaps this level could be increased moving forward.

Our day concluded with a tour of the Weingut Wieniner where we had an opportunity to question the owner about his sustainable business model and ethically produced wine products. During the wine tasting, his passion for the business was evident and truly inspiring and motivational with respect to our future career path’s. Moving on to today, we attended an official and electronically guided tour of the Schonbrunn Palace where the historical décor was quite unique. The palace was enormous making it difficult to imagine living there without getting lost numerous times throughout the day. However, our favorite part of the palace was walking through the gardens. The gardens were tranquil and relaxing, and witnessing the beautiful greenery in combination with the view of the palace and the city in the background was truly breathtaking. Tonight we get to experience the Italian Opera, Rigoletto, at the Vienna State Opera. 

Since the beginning of the trip, we have witnessed several cultural differences between Canadian and Viennese customs. During our orientation, we were warned about how to behave although the differences were increasingly noticeable on the public transportation system in Vienna. Displaying politeness and talking quietly on public transportation is typically considered good etiquette; however, sometimes we would get excited and the locals would express disapproval. Another cultural difference that we have noticed relates to time orientation. Generally speaking, Edmontonians seem to function at a fast pace, while the Viennese people take their time and enjoy their surroundings. Considering the abundance of beautiful architecture and scenic landscapes in Vienna when compared to those in Edmonton you can easily relate. What other cultural differences or nuances have you noticed during your travels?

Tomorrow we will be attending presentations at OPEC and the Canadian Embassy then only two more days in Vienna and still so much to see. 

John and Cassidy