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14th February 2023
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Vienna: Emily Goodwin
Travel and Lifestyle Senior Writer
Tucked near the borders of Czechia, Slovakia, and Hungary rests Vienna, Austria. The Danube River slips through, a blue ribbon across the map of the country. Many people pass through Austria’s capital, en route to a winter skiing holiday in the northern mountains or briefly stopping for a river cruise on a summer’s afternoon. A lucky few properly witness the majesty of this central European city. Recently, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) released their rankings of the best cities to live in. They analyse economic and political developments globally, identifying trends, opportunities, and risks on a global and national scale. This is a scientific approach to defining the best cities in the world to live in, comparing financial stability with healthcare, culture, education, the environment, and infrastructure. Vienna scored 100% in all categories, bar one, easily cementing the firstplace ranking. The city is known as the ‘City of Music,’ owing to its classical legacy (Beethoven and Mozart both lived here) and the ‘City of Dreams,’ as psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud called it home. It is the land of imperial palaces, gilded cafes that make the Ritz look squalid, pink Manner wafers, and horse-drawn carriages. The city is probably most famous for
City
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its Christmas markets, which flood every square and street during the winter months; the regal neutrality of the white buildings reflecting the kaleidoscope of colourful polyester stalls. It is easy to fall in love with this city.
when you’re in that situation. Every visit I made was jam-packed with wandering around the grounds of the Schönbrunn Palace, or ice skating in the shadow of the Rathaus, or watching the dancing horses at the Hofburg’s riding school.
However, Vienna means more than this to me. Early on in our relationship my fiancé moved to Vienna for a year to work. Neither of us had been there before. It is only a two-and-a-half-hour flight to Austria’s capital, but the gulf that opened between us felt vaster than the 1,000-mile distance.
If I hadn’t gone to Vienna, perhaps I would have begun to hate the city and see it as the place that stole my boyfriend from me; somewhere cold, far away, and expensive to visit. I think that when you associate a place with a person that you love then you view everything in a rosier hue. It became impossible to hate this city. Like palaces and history? There are the Hofburg, Belvedere, and Schönbrunn Palaces. Museums and art? Hit the MuseumsQuartier, the district of the city named for the number of galleries and museums. Music? The Musikverein sells £5 standing tickets. Coffee and cake? Viennese culture centres around traditional cafes. Shopping? Mariahilfer Straße is a 1.6km long shopping street in the centre of the city. There were always new places to go, cultural differences to experience, cakes to eat … and my boyfriend was there, too.
"Every second with each other matters when you're in that situation" Long distance relationships are really difficult. There is no tiptoeing around that fact. But there is also no denying how much stronger our relationship is now – not because of the long time we spent apart, but because of the fleeting time we spent together. Eight weeks after our (quite frankly) traumatic farewell at Stansted airport, I landed in the ‘City of Dreams’ for the first time. I didn’t realise then how it would become the city of my dreams. Every second with each other matters
So that was the pattern we fell into; eight weeks apart, a few days together, in an amazing city. It was the first place we travelled to when the lockdown restrictions were lifted, and a city we will visit and cherish for the rest of our lives. Photo: Concrete
The Perks and Paranoia of Open Relationships Joseph Collins Concrete Writer
I think to most people, the pros and cons of an open relationship are obvious. There are several reasons as to why people enjoy open relationships, such as freedom from external influences or just the joy of getting to know new people. Still, the main reason people opt for open relationships is simple: sex with new people is very fun. Likewise, the cons of an open relationship are self-explanatory. Most people are probably far too jealous to let their partner sleep around. A close friend once suggested that you cannot love someone if you want to sleep with someone else. In truth, I believed this, at least a little, before being in an open relationship. Wanting to sleep around suggests a lot of possible things about someone, but it does not necessarily mean they don’t love their partner. The experience of learning what it means to love someone, that sex and
love are not always the same thing, is a useful and emotionally maturing aspect of open relationships. Some people could not imagine wanting to sleep with someone else besides their partner. But, for those who choose to opt for a more open framework, there is, in fact, a difference between loving someone, and sleeping with someone.
"That sex and love are not always the same thing, is a useful and emotionally maturing aspect of open relationships" We go to a fairly open-minded university, but I can imagine previous work colleagues or old school friends jeering at the idea of an open relationship; “you let her sleep with other men?” they might say. Not everyone will accept your personal choices, and so, certain people might be put off being in an
my experience, these people seem to have rather a lot to say. Such an experience may be slightly jarring at best, and seriously uncomfortable at worst; it’s not always pleasant for people to make broad assumptions about your life choices. Jealousy is a normal part of the human condition. open relationship, due to wanting to avoid social stigma.
Are you in a relationship?
I think people in open relationships are probably less jealous than the average person, but all the same, I have known issues of jealousy arise in open relationships.
Yes- 53% No- 37% A friend once said to me: “she was quite jealous of who I’d been It's complicated- 10% sleeping with, so I asked her if she wanted to be exclusive.” The Surve2023 Se I asked – “well, what did y said x she say?” They replied – Would you describe yourself as ... “that she’d prefer to stay might monogomous? open, and try and work choose to
Additionally, critics, sometimes close friends, sometimes mere acquaintances, have been quick to suggest as to why I
Yes- 77% No- 11% Maybe- 12%
be in an open relationship. And while they are of course, free to make their own judgement, from
through such feelings”.
That’s a perspective many people could learn from.
