Noisy Italians

I must be a magnet for talkers.

This summer, we were in Vienna and took an organized tour around the Baden, just outside the city.  Between the two of us, we know some French, German, Spanish, and, of course, English.  No Italian!  It’s not like I am a recluse or antisocial, well, a little, and I am always friendly when I travel abroad.  I’m an unofficial “Ambassador” for my country.

So, on with the story …

I notice that the person sitting across from me is looking at me, so I look back and speak.  If I recall, he asks me where I’m from.  His English was about what my French is … not good.  So I say, we are from the United States.  Where in the United States?  Kentucky.  Where’s that?  West of Washington, D.C.

A few minutes pass, are you here for business or holiday?  Both.  What is your business here?  Conference.  So now, I am becoming a little annoyed and turn quickly and start fumbling with my camera.  I have a few minutes of no talking.

But that did not last.  What kind of camera is that?  Nikon.  It is nice, do you like it?  Yes.  Is it digital?  Yes.  How much did it cost?  A lot.

Thank goodness, we arrived at our destination.

Visiting the Vienna Woods

While in Vienna, we took a tour operated by Vienna Sightseeing Tours that’s called Vienna Woods.  This was a most interesting tour just outside of Vienna.  So on this tour, we visit an old hunting lodge, an abbey, and the largest subterranean lake in Europe.

In route to the old Mayerling hunting lodge, which is now a chapel, we passed through the picturesque and culturally rich Baden.  The hunting lodge is dedicated to the Crown Prince Rudolph and Baronesse Vetsera.  There’s a lot of history about these two … like how did they die.  Was it suicide or murder.

The Cistercian Abbey of Heiligenkreuz was absolutely incredible and well worth the visit.  The abbey dates back to 1133.  If history appeals to you, you want to visit the abbey.  Like so much of the historical sites of Austria, the abbey helps connect the history between Austria and Hungary.

After the abbey, we make our way to the Seegrotte, the largest subterranean lake in Europe.  This subterranean lake is like a massive air conditioner and it too has a rich history, particularly, it’s use by the Germans, during World War II, to build machinery for the war effort.

The Seegrotte ends our tour and on our way back to Vienna, we get a treat and drive by an old Hapsburg castle.

Fortunately, for this tour we had an excellent tour guide.

Best Dining Experience in Vienna

Whenever we travel, we always eat local food.  We even do this when we travel within the United States.  So, no restaurant chains for us … except Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but that’s a story for another day.

While in Vienna the the summer of 2008, as usual we eat at a variety of places, “mom and pop” owned restaurants to 4 star gourmet.  One may think that the 4 star restaurants are always the best food, but this has not always been our experience; however, they tend to have the best service though.

As for Vienna, this is a must “eat at” restaurant — Mörwald im Ambassador.  This restaurant is definitely one of the high end restaurants and is located in the Hotel Ambassador.  Not only is the food to die for, but the service is excellent … even by pampered American standards.  You have a captain and co-captain ensuring that your dining experience is excellent.  The food is Viennese, but not necessarily traditional.  You can either order the 3 or 5 course dinner or order a la carte.  My foie gras was excellent … and grilled.  I have never had foie gras grilled.

While not inexpensive, the meal and the experience will be worth it.  As an aside, don’t forget to make reservations.  We were smart enough to do this, but also wear a business coat/jacket if you are a gent.  I was not smart enough to do this.  I felt a little under-dressed.

Enjoy your dinner …

Vienna night life … street performers

One of the things that we like most about most European cities is that they are walking friendly … not necessarily pedestrian friendly.  Some drivers are totally nuts, i.e., crazy!

Typically after dinner, we like to walk around.  Vienna was perfect for this … I still wonder how European women are able to walk on those cobblestone streets, especially in high heel shoes.

Not only is Vienna ideal for walking, but like many other European cities, the street performers come out at night to perform.  Lets just say that not all street performers are created equal.  Some are good and some are really bad … too bad for street and free performing.

What’s funny, while we were in Vienna this past July 2008, there was a Canadian performer from Montreal … he was in the not so good category.  Even when the street performers are not even good, it is still entertaining to watch.

I don’t mind to tip, if you are working to try to entertain me.