Vienna dreaming

Prater is a large public park in Vienna, and it is one of the locals' favorite leisure places. [Photo by Wang Shanshan/China Daily]

The Austrian capital is famed for its rich artistic culture and beautiful city streets. But Wang Shanshan will always associate Vienna with a certain, hearty cuisine

Whenever Vienna is mentioned in China, the first thing that jumps to most people's mind is the Golden Hall.

Chinese artists consider performing in the Vienna Musikverein concert hall a great achievement, and so many of them have enjoyed the honor the Chinese public is almost sick of hearing about it.

But when I think of Vienna the image that comes to my mind is a giant roasted pork shank. It was so big that I and my two travel companions needed three days to finish it.

We ordered the Viennese specialty for dinner at the popular restaurant Salm Brau Klosterbrauerei, together with roasted pork ribs. We cut the leftover shank into pieces and used the meat to make sandwiches for breakfast and lunch the next day.

After eating pork-shank sandwiches for breakfast on the third day, we had a serious discussion and decided to throw the rest away in spite of our tight budget. The shank was delicious, and it was always there, even in our dreams.

Restaurants, cafes, flea markets, and parks were the highlights of our two-day trip to Vienna. The city is known for art and history, but it also has a dynamic urban life.