Day 23: The Grand Ferdinand — Matt Goes Exploring

I am going to stay here as long as I can before they inevitably discover that I am not welcome in so lavish an establishment, and kick me to the curb.

Today I awoke in Prague, but I will now fall asleep in Vienna. The train was not that long compared to my other travel times, but it felt long. The car was very crowded and I had the misfortune of sitting next to several upset babies. I even thought to myself as I sat down, "should I find another seat, it's not too late." But before I could decide, the aisle was full of other passengers and I was resigned to my fate.

I had good entertainment on the train though. Before I left my wonderful room in Prague I took advantage of their wifi to download a Mike Birbiglia album as well as a Demetri Martin album. Those two albums took up about half the trip together, which was fantastic.

The rest of the time I spent reading. Lately I've been taking a break from The Stand and from its sadness to further my studies into the Lord of the Rings history. I downloaded Tolkien's The Silmarillion onto my Kindle in Ireland, and I found myself picking it back up on the way to Vienna. I don't want to arrive in New Zealand and discover that everyone knows more about the world of The Lord of the Rings than I do. That would be embarrassing.

Finally I arrived in Vienna. I had booked a hostel that I had showed off many times before leaving for my trip. It was no more expensive than any other hostel I had stayed at, but it was far more extravagant. It is called, The Grand Ferdinand.

Being preoccupied with my travels, thoughts of the Grand Ferdinand often slipped my mind. As opposed to when I was comfortable at home when I would brag about it almost immediately. I reminded myself of it over the last few days, but nothing could have prepared me to walk into this hostel. The world "hostel" doesn't even seem to fit it correctly. It's almost like a luxury hotel in which I share a room with strangers.

The splendor only continued as I was led to my room. The walls are shiny smooth red wood, the metal a glittery gold. The room even has a chandelier. A CHANDELIER I TELL YOU! There are two bathrooms and two showers, as well as two safes for each person. The room is made for eight people but so far there are only three of us staying here.

The beds are lined with the fluffiest, softest blankets and pillows made of pure cloud. After lying in pure bliss for a few moments, I quickly prepared myself for a shower, with complimentary towels.

To those of you at home with your own towels, this may not seem like much, but a towel is not to be taken lightly. Most hostels would require you to rent a towel at the front desk, but at the Grand Ferdinand, you get two. And they're complimentary.

The shower was as you would expect, fantastic.

I should just copy and past this into my review after I leave.

After my shower I went out and found some dinner. Nothing too spectacular there, but I am looking forward to a good night's sleep in the Grand Ferdinand tonight.

I do not know what tomorrow will bring, but I look forward to it. Vienna is full of adventures waiting to be discovered. So for now, thank you for reading, and here's to the Grand Ferdinand. I mean here's to tomorrow.

Here's some photos of the Grand Ferdinand: