In Vienna, Then and Now

My impression of Vienna the first time around was one of vagueness. Er, judging by the bottom left pics (circa Christmas 1993), one can't be blamed for walking around aimless and lacking appreciation for the city's abundant historical sites and monuments. A foggy (and chilly) Vienna for a backpacker, it was.

Along came September 2007. What would Vienna look like 14 years on, I wondered. More than that, what would it actually look like, say, on a clear day? The pics on the right speak a thousand words. The sky did spurt tiny droplets of rain throughout, threatening to keep one indoors, but it did not stop me from finally being able to take in the scenes. Nolstalgia and novelty hit me at the same time.

I had planned earlier to retake the photos at the same spots the second time around. It did take some moments to confirm that those indeed were the spots I had my photos shot the last time. After that, there was no stopping me! I only had a couple of precious hours on my own in between work obligations and so had to act like a desperate solo tourist, tossing my camera at passersby, cajoling them to take a snap of me. Or four.

Above pic: Couldn't find a pair of fine ponies towing a carriage to re-enact the scene, but hey, wasn't donning some awful sweater get-up this time either.

There, mission accomplished. I can now juxtapose the images and walk down the memory lanes, both sweet and momorable. Twas a satisfying trip in this respect.