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Published: March 19th 2006
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The scenery has changed a lot since crossing into Austria. Reminds me of the west coast of Canada somewhat, with the massive hills and blue water.
The service stop we went to was regarded as the best service stop in Europe and damn was it good!!!! Pork with crackle, creamy potatoes and veggies - all just like your Grandma made it!!! Had the drink they suggested which just tastes like fizzy apple juice. It’s called Armadoodela or something equally as dodgy…I’m happy to be here where it’s the home of the schnitzel and meat and potatoes!!
We arrived at our hotel resort in finally, so nice inside, wish they were all like this! This is how I’m supposed to live!! The rooms are spacious and there are chandeliers throughout the hotel and trees outside the windows!! Very nice indeed!
We got ready and headed out for a tonight’s optional of Mozart and Strauss Concert, from the Residenz Orchestra in one of Vienna’s most famous concert halls. There were Opera singers and Ballerinas too. Some people didn’t go, saying they wouldn’t like it, but you can’t say you don’t like any of these things unless you’ve seen them live,
the convert hall was beautiful, all painted and sculptured inside with chandeliers. The performance was faultless…
After the concert was over we headed off for a traditional Austrian dinner in a place that was amazing, this is the best night ever! Full of class!! The dinner was in the Rathouse in the cellar of the Town Hall, it’s a domed building which was completely paint decorated inside with chandeliers and even a harpist!! This is definitely the life I want to become accustomed to!! The food was excellent.
On the way on our bus back to the hotel, there ended up being a bit of bus karaoke, boy did we would bad!! But it was heaps of fun.
The following day we did a city tour where we saw the Town Hall in the daylight, Royal Palace, Twin Museums and the Spanish Riding School.
Then we walked to the main shopping street where we met at the Sacher Hotel and had their famous Sacher Tort which is famous all over the world and was designed in this very hotel… Can’t say I was that amazed!! Think I’ll stick to a good old chockie mud cake!!! Hehe!!
I decided that I wanted to spend the day alone, but my damn stalker room mate wasn’t listening… She chased after me and said ‘I was thinking I would spend the day with you’ and I was like ‘no really honey, I want to be alone today’ to which she took no notice and continued to follow me around for the day - me without saying a word….
There are about 2 million people living in Vienna. The Habsburg Family was the most powerful family for many years, they took over Europe by sending the family members out to marry into royal families throughout Europe. All of their family members who ruled are responsible for the advancement of Vienna.
Maria Teresa was one of the final to rule and she had 16 kids! Talk about busy!
Mozart performed for the Royal Family at the age of 4. There is a monument for him even though he wasn’t’ born in Vienna, he moved here to study, as did other famous composers.
The spier on the Town Hall is 100m tall. We went and saw the Hofburg Palace which is the centrepiece of Vienna and of the
Habsburg Empire. The first parts of the Palace were built in the 13th century and have been added to ever since.
I also visited the Saint Stephen Cathedral which is in gothic style and casts a shadow over the Stephensplatz Square and Kartherstrasse shopping street (which was far too expensive for us to shop on!) Mariahilferstrasse was more in our price range!
When we headed to the cheaper shopping street I bought a couple of lovely necklaces and bumped into the others, looks like we all liked the same jewellery place!
Went to the Schnapps factory which was excellent, got to try some of the strongest drinks I’ve ever had in my life!!! One was over 100 proof and was more like rocket fuel - a sip nearly made me wanna be sick! He told us that the butterscotch schnapps that Australians like so much wouldn’t be classed as schnapps over there, but he says it did inspire him to create a schnapps that is similar since he said that’s what Australian ask for every time they are there!! There was even one that had real gold in it!! They said people use it for dinner parties
for effect, stir it up before guests get there and it sparkles when the light hits it!! It’s one thing to wear gold but I felt weird drinking gold!!!
Went back to the bus and we all headed over to Prater, which was originally an imperial hunting ground, but this huge area of woods and meadows is now a massive fun park featuring Europe’s oldest ferris wheel and now since London built the London eye, the 2nd largest!
Elisa went bungy jumping and in the ‘sling shot’, but I’m afraid that was all a bit much for me, so I had dinner and half a litre of beer instead! I felt good when I got on the bus which is more than I can ay for the others!!! Can’t believe they pay to feel like that, and all in the name of fun!!
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Elisa
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Thanks heaps Bi-at-ch!!