REMEMBERING VIENNA AND DUBROVNIK

Vienna and Dubrovnik, while only 600 kilometers apart, both offer magnificent yet widely contrasting experiences of central Europe. Vienna, the city of music, consistently boasts of luxury and paradise in either inconspicuously quaint streets or pompous royal palaces. Meanwhile, the hidden gem that is Dubrovnik appears to be a rustic and bustling city on the coast of the Adriatic sea with eye-catching red, terracotta rooftops all over its charming Old Town.

SURROUNDED BY SPLENDOR

Grandeur, affluence, gold, and music are the first thoughts that come to mind when I recall the first stop of my Europe trip, Vienna. Whether I was having an apple strudel inside the local Gernst cafe or getting lost in the Schoenbrunn Palace, I was constantly given the impression that Vienna is an isolated utopian city that is disconnected from reality.

However, let me make it clear that the said grandeur and fantasy aren’t at