Sitting on a park bench in the city center, the sun glaring, I hear an accordion in the distance. In front of me is a statue of Johann Strauss. I observe tourists taking pictures with the statue and continuing their stroll through the park, many with an ice cream cone in hand. The benches are full of people, like me, quietly contemplating the beauty that surrounds them. Behind me people are resting on the lawn, some having picnics.
The accordion stops. A few minutes later, a famous Russian artist’s music starts playing somewhere near me, but I can’t pinpoint its source. People on bicycles, sagueways, and skateboards pass me by. Many others are walking their dogs. I listen to all the different languages being spoken. A passerby enthusiastically yells out that Russian singer’s name I had forgotten, “Visotsky!”. I realize that the man sitting two benches down is playing the music from a boombox. As the sun starts setting, I look around and am reminded of the architecture of this city – majestic. The man sitting to my right occasionally chuckles with contentment, and I understand why, as he answers his phone in Russian. I haven’t been conscious of the time – I could well have been sitting on this bench for hours. This morning an episode of doubt took me over, but all I feel now is peace.
This… is Vienna.
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