I was in Vienna this past weekend and had a wonderful time. 🙂
As you could have read on Olfactoria’s Travels, Birgit’s recap of our meeting, let me tell you what it looked like from my perspective.
Firstly, the reason I decided to run the Vienna City race is because it would enable me to finally meet Birgit in real life. As reasons to choose a race to run go, I think mine was rather good. 😉
I was actually almost late registering for it, I was on the waiting list as I wasn’t aware of the fact that so many people want to run it and you shouldn’t leave your registration to 3 months prior to the race.
The first thing to do on my arrival to Vienna was to pick-up my starting number so I could proceed to meet Birgit and Sandra without any worries.
One thing I learned so far is that when you meet with perfumistas, no time in the world is enough to talk about everything that’s on your mind. Which is exactly what happened. And I always get sidetracked by many things and forget to say half of the stuff I wanted to.
So, after sitting down for drinks, the girls took me to the most lovely little perfume shop you could imagine – Le Dix-Neuf. Which I would also recommend if you are a guy and want to take a look at beautiful Austrian women. 😉 The SA there was everything you could imagine, and quite pretty I should add.
She took me through one Viennese line of perfumes and one from Berlin, but unfortunately, I don’t know the names of the lines (Birgit might though).
In the end, I tried on my arms the Opus VI which I found would fit me great in winter and Byredo’s Inflorescence which smells absolutely lovely and springlike but only in theory. I wouldn’t want to smell like that personally.
Spring garden
Here is also where I parted ways with Birgit and Sandra, after getting extremely good instructions on how to get to Pure Day Spa in order to try the new Malle (people are rarely this good in giving instructions on how to get someplace in my experience).
I limited my curiosity to just the Malle line (forgoing all the beckoning cosmetics on display) and realized I really like the French lover too.
But my main reason for going there was to try Dries Van Noten. Even before trying it, I was pretty sure the chances were high of me taking it home with me. It seems I was correct. 🙂
I just can’t tell you what exactly it smells like. I was sure it smelled floral when trying it in Planet Spa, then when I came home and applied it for work, I smelled the sandalwood that’s in there but I still have no idea in my mind of what exactly am I smelling, I just know it is incredibly lovely and likeable.
Start of the race
On Sunday, I ran in the VCM, my half of the marathon. The weather was gorgeous and the race was an incredible experience. Running with so many people, always in a crowd, I never experienced anything similar. And the atmosphere was so enthusiastic and supportive.
Which is why my heart broke yesterday when I learned of the bombing in Boston. My heart goes out to everyone affected by this terrible tragedy.
Runners are like perfumistas in so many ways but the most important being – they radiate positive energy. We shouldn’t have that forcefully taken from us (the humankind).
Photos taken from: http://cuabroad.cua.edu/programs/austria/vienna-european.cfm and http://www.vienna-marathon.com
Tagged: Le Dix-Neuf, perfume thoughts, perfumista friends, Vienna
All I am - a redhead 
Congrats on your 4th half marathon Ines, your achievement is really spectacular. It sounds like you all had so much fun, and what gorgeous weather. Terrible about Boston, and I have another friend running the London Marathon this weekend…
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Thank you Asali!
Honestly, this weekend did wonders for my stress levels – situations at work that would make me crazy no longer affect me at all. I just hope it lasts.
I’m sure everything will be in perfect order for the London Marathon.
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Dear Ines,
The lines you smelled were J.F. Schwarzlose and Wiener Blut.
The shop that sells Malle is called Pure Day Spa. 🙂
The news about Boston left me shocked and speechless, I totally agree with what you said so beautifully in your last sentence.
Big hug.
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Ooopsie. When I say I’m bad with names, I don’t think people realize the extent.:) Now it’s rather obvious. I’ll change the name of the spa immediately.
And thank you for the names of the lines. I’ll check their sites to get to know their lines a bit better.
As for Boston, it came on the heels of my own race and I find it even more shocking when I think about how I felt on Sunday and how (I don’t have a strong enough word) life-alteringly awful those people must feel.
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Glad you had a chance to meet Birgit and congrats on running the half marathon, Ines! I have a sample of Dries Van Noten that I am looking forward to smelling.
Along with so many, my heart goes out to those affected by the bombings in Boston.
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Thank you James. 🙂
I hope you will like Dries, or if you don’t, I wonder why. 🙂 I find so easily likeable.
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Ines, your post is both beautiful and thoughtful. My heart felt like it dropped to the ground when I heard about the Boston Marathon bombing,
Congrats on your 4th half-marathon — how amazing! I wish I could have been in Vienna running with you, especially seeing that bottom photo. (The top photo is great too, but it makes me feel like shopping rather than running!) 😉
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Suzanne, Vienna is great for both (shopping and running). 😉
And I wish you could have been there too – although the chances of us finding each other in that crowd would be minimal.
My boyfriend decided to film the start (standing on that bridge), thinking it would take a couple of minutes. 😀
In the end, he decided to film everything when he realized it would be more than a couple of minutes.
So now, the movie is 25 minutes long. That’s how long it took for everyone to start running.
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Well done both for your fantastic running, Ines, and for so clearly encapsulating the awfulness of the Boston Marathon bombing.
It is great that you had good experiences in Vienna, and now your lovely Dries van Noten perfume will be a reminder of the happy and exhilarating time you spent there.
cheerio, Anna in Edinburgh
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Good point Anna! 🙂
And I keep wearing Dries this week – makes me feel very good.
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Ines, you’re amazing! Probably the US isn’t the most popular marathon destination now but if you even decide to run Bay to Breakers or SF Marathon, I’ll give you the best directions to wherever you want 🙂
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Undina, if I ever decide to race there, first instructions you will have to give will be to the place I will be meeting you. 🙂
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Directions. 😉
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Hi Ines! I loved your writeup about Vienna. I am so pleased that you enjoyed the city so much. Congratulations again on your run. It was lovely meeting you in person.
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Sandra, thank you – and thanks for de-lurking. 😉
I look forward to another chance of visiting Vienna and having a drink with you and Birgit.
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Thanks for sharing this from your perspective, and congratulations on your run! I’m confident that every runner in the Boston marathon feels honored by all the runners who are thinking of them, holding runs with them in mind, and generally sending positive thoughts.
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Thank you Natalie. 🙂
I agree with you, I don’t think there is a runner in the world who wasn’t/isn’t thinking of Boston and sending positive thoughts their way.
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Congrats on your run….I think I would have passed out!
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Thanks Brie! 🙂
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Late with my congratulations, though I have caught up with Birgit’s account of your meeting and heard about your great running feat! I have been to Pure Day Spa but the Le Dix-Neuf has opened since my own meet up with B, giving me a compelling reason to go back to Vienna. Happy for your FM purchase – I have yet to try this latest scent, but my curiosity is mounting!
Yes, runners must keep running and not be put off by this terrible tragedy in Boston. I am sure the victims will be remembered at every race now, the world over.
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Thank you Vanessa. 🙂
Yes, now that Le Dix-Neuf has opened you have no choice but to go there and visit Birgit again, I agree. 😉
I think Dries might be one of the perfumes where our tastes will overlap. Please let me know once you get the chance to smell it. 🙂
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[…] of my year have been the trips to Vienna and Rome. In Vienna I finally got to meet the lovely Birgit and her boys, with an additional surprise of meeting Sandra and her son as […]
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