May 22, 2005 - DAY 12: Vienna

We started the morning slowly, getting ready to head towards the Spanish Riding School to view a performance by the Lippizan stallions. The show started at 11, but we had to be there by 10 since we had standing room tickets. Quite a bit different than regular standing tickets, the majority of all the seating is standing, and is a free for all once the gates open. We were able to secure very good spots near the centre of the ring. The building they perform in is magnificent. Nearly 500 years they have performed for the Austrian court and...

May 21, 2005 - DAY 11: Vienna

Today, we started out with a small problem. We tried to take out some Euro, but the machines kept denying our requests. After travelling back to the hostel and checking our account online, we realized the first transaction went through, but didn't provide any cash! It used up our daily limit, so we had to start making phone calls. Jen was successful in contacting CIBC in Canada and getting her daily limit raised. She also started a claim for not receiving cash from the machine. After contacting Austria Bank, it looks like it will all get...

May 20, 2005 - DAY 10: Vienna, Austria

We were told by a few people that Vienna is gem to see, so naturally we had grandiose expectations. We were pleasantly surprised to find that Vienna is all of that and more. The city centre is nearly circular, but quite different from many other major cities in that it is predominantly on only one side of the river. That is to say that the majority of attractions are all on the same side of the river, as the city sprawls for miles in all directions. We caught another early train out of Sopron so we were booked in at the hostel and on the...

May 19, 2005 - Emergency Landing

So, today starts off like any other Russian day...various shades of grey overlaid with an acceptably annoying rain. And of course, whenever it rains, those are the days when I get lost or at least delayed due to communication misdirections. No big deal, finally find my way to the airport and onto the lounge where I continue my dichotomous ways, being the only backpacker traveling business classe, I pilfer food and stuff it into my pack. Can't help it...feel like Ivana Trump stealing Sweet n Low, but so what? So, flight takes off, a lovely...

May 19, 2005 - Campbell's Birthday

Hi all, No pictures today as we can't put them on this computer. Had a great time in Vienna (Wein). The people were great, particularly after the Italians. Campbell had a greatbirthday. We started with the aquarium, that also had monkeys that climbed around everyone. Then we went to the local fair and then to the new Star Wars film. He loved his presents. We are off to Budapest in Hungary tommorrow and then Prague. The Vienna hostel was tthe best one so far, but their happy hour is starting to get on top of us. Still meeting some really nce...

May 15, 2005 - Vienna

Even form my first glimpse of the Austrian forrest, driving to my Godparents' house from the airport with my Godmother Geta, I could see that the forrests I rememberd from my childhood were not just "European" as I had assumed, but unique to Austria. I instantly felt that feeling of familiarity and belonging which was so conspicuously missing from my time in Kolozsvar. My Godparents (who I was staying with) lived just outside of Vienna and right on the edge of the woods, where my Godfather Jozsi and I went for many glorious walks around...

May 15, 2005 - A Craptacular Day

Lauren and I go to Vienna. We traveled yesterday and went to the Residenz today and just looked around. Then we went to the River, where we got some bad news and we decided to go back home to Spittal instead of staying another night. We couldn't leave until the next morning, so we went to a bad kebab restaurant.

May 6, 2005 - The Austria Entry from Prague

I hear the weather finally broke at home and, well, I guess I am getting mine because it is chilly and cloudy and rainy here in Prague. Something like 45 degrees yesterday and my delicate tanned skin is even beginning to fade!!! Ahhhh! SO I have had wonderful travels and smooth sailing ever since the Nov Plank train station incident in Yugoslavia. Verena (pictures of her from India!), food and nutrition extraordinairess of St. Polten, Austria/New Jersy fame met me at the Vienna train station and treated me to a 2 hour tour and...

Apr 30, 2005 - Wow, an update!

Hello all, I know it has been a long time, it has just been hard to figure out what to say. That does not mean life has been boring, it hasn't at all, maybe just too much and I have been overwhelmed. First of all, Vienna. Vienna is probably my favorite city (other than Salzburg) to have visited. The city had everything. Great museums, Churches, Libraries, and my company was great. It was wonderful to be traveling with everyone again and have us actually know what are doing. It was so opposite my first night in Europe, in Trier. We simply...

Apr 14, 2005 - Vienna and the Hapsburgs

Lance has suggested that we don't need to tell you guys whose writing which bit, so lets see how we go. We flew from Delhi to Vienna with Austrian Airlines. The flight had everything except enough room. We weren't standing, but the seats were so upright it was the next thing to it. State of the art entertainment, with screens in the back of the seat, but they didn't hand out the headsets until 15min into the movie. Oh well. Dawn slept most of the way anyway so I ended up with both the chicken and the veal. Food was excellent! Some people...

Mar 30, 2005 - Vienna

Just a one day stop-over here in Vienna on my way to Prague. First, I have to say that it actually feels good to be in a place where there's order and discipline in the streets after spending the last 11 days in chaotic Italy (I loved it anyway though). The night train from Venice to Vienna was awesome! If they were all like this, I'd schedule more of them in. Every night train you take essentially gives you an extra day of sightseeing, so from that standpoint, they make a lot of sense. I'm finding though that they can and do vary in...

Mar 25, 2005 - Vienna, Austria

Vienna is quite a beautiful city. The subway system is efficient and cheap... which was helpful because my hostel was quite a ways out of the city center. Speaking of the hostel, it was terrible. On the internet they claim to have free internet, a DVD library, a TV, and foosball. No internet, not even to pay for, no TV, no DVD's, and foosball cost one euro to play! It was unbelievable. Vienna is famous for classical music. It was home to greats such as Mozart and Beethoven. My last night in Vienna I went with an Australian I met at the...