Blogs from Vienna, Austria, Europe - page 15

The Vienna trip started with overnight train from Zurich. The train ride was comfortable and uneventful. I had a packet of mozzarella that was going to spoil, so I was carrying it with me to use for breakfast. It survived the train journey. Once at Vienna train station, we were a bit lost. We were at the other end of train station, and the main station building was somewhere in the middle. At the main building we bought a 48hr unlimited ticket to make it easy to travel around. Our hotel was one station away, and still it was complicated figure out which train gets there. Vienna has 4 different (maybe 5) train systems. At the main station there are multiple levels and different trains go from different levels, and no proper map. After making couple ... read more

Clearly the power-house of Europe, Vienna has greeted us with its' mind-blowing grandeur. At every twist and turn of its narrow cobbled streets there's another breath-taking palace, monument, cathedral. And the city heaves with people; tourists in their thousands as well as hospitable and friendly locals. And it was warm and sunny, thankfully, after a very chilly start to our trip. We spent yesterday just wandering, and orientating ourselves. And came across a few gems, such as the oldest church in Vienna, RC of course, (Saint Ruperts), where the choir was practising. Magical! And on our way home we chanced upon a wee market full of locals enjoying wine, beer and cheese. So that's what we enjoyed for dinner. Must say I am getting a taste for their beer! And the cheese was almost as good ... read more

The driver screams around another corner of the Austrian motorway that connects the airport to the Viennese city center. The tail lights of the car in front of us become closer and brighter at an alarming rate of speed. The driver casually glances over his shoulder and moves into the next lane to bypass what he deems a slow-moving vehicle in front of us. Placido Domingo’s soaring tenor fills the backseat and I enjoy some of Austria's finest compositions as the seemingly insatiable need for speed of Austria's midday drivers encourages greater and greater rates of speed until everything outside the window is a blur. I lean my head against the headrest and marvel at the fact that I am in Vienna, Austria. Earlier this month, I traveled to Europe for a work trip on behalf ... read more

We arose at 3am and got ready. Our taxi was waiting as planned, and it took about 20 minutes or so the get to Vienna airport. We were able to check in quickly, and then went to the gate to wait. The flight was very lightly booked, so we did not have a problem as stand by passengers. They gave us our seat assignments right away. We were flying Lufthansa flight 1247, from Vienna to Frankfurt. It was an Airbus 321 aircraft and I was in seat 30C. Once at Frankfurt, we went to check in for our flight to Detroit. This flight was also very lightly booked, with maybe only 50 or so people on it total. We cleared easily for business class, and soon were off to Detroit. It was Delta flight 87, and ... read more

It was supposed to rain this day, so we planned indoor things. Well, the good news is that it never did rain! We arose early and went for the free breakfast at the hotel. It was the same stuff everyday, but did not get old. I had the meats, cheeses, croissant, and coffee daily while we were there. We went to see the Haus des Meeres, which is a WWII Flak Tower, turned aquarium. Now for me, this was a triple crown winner! 1. It has historical significance. 2. The views from the top terrace are wonderful! 3. It is a very well done aquarium that recycled existing facilities. We really liked this place all around. I will say that it can get crowded and stuffy in there, but it was easy to let the crowds ... read more