Even though Vienna is a very large city, I have discovered that you don't necessarily need to travel very far to take care of everyday things. Especially when I am feeling tired or sick, I can get almost everything I need from places near my apartment. Grocery stores, pharmacies, bakeries, clothing shops and doctors' offices are scattered throughout the neighborhoods. You don't have to drive to a large shopping mall just to buy a pair of socks! Most everyday errands can be done after a 10- or 15-minute walk.
I think this is one of the nicest things about living in Vienna: even though it is a big city, everyday life can happen within a surprisingly small neighborhood!
Before I tell you about my travels, I should mention that I have been a little under the weather! I have been sick on and off for some time and am currently recovering from a case of walking pneumonia. Because I haven't been feeling well enough to travel recently, I thought I would tell you about some of the trips I took in the previous weeks instead in between my bouts of illness!
The furthest I have travelled within Austria so far is to Graz, Austria's second-largest city, where I visited a friend for their birthday! Graz is about a 2.5-hour train ride south of Vienna, in the province of Styria. Although it is a fairly large city, Graz feels quite different from Vienna. It is smaller, a little quieter, and has a more relaxed atmosphere. Its historic Old Town is full of beautiful Renaissance and Baroque buildings, narrow streets and charming cafés. One of its most famous landmarks is the Uhrturm, or Clock Tower, which sits on a hill overlooking the city.
