Monday, September 9, 2013

The resort we are staying at just outside Salzburg is simply stunning. Schloss Fuschl sits on a small peninsula on the beautiful lake Fuschl. The hotel has a long (and somewhat chequered) history. Built originally as a hunting lodge in the 15th century for the archbishop of Salzburg, it was seized by Hitler's Foreign Minister, Joachim Von Ribbentrop, for his use as a summer residence during WW II and where he entertained many heads of states (allies of Germany only, of course). It's a beautiful resort with amazing amenities and excellent food.




(View from the hotel dining room)








Lots of hiking trails in the area all perfectly maintained. We set off this morning to hike around the lake - 12 kms but ended up hiking over 20kms! We hiked up a mountain for a over 1,000 feet to see the ruins of an old castle. The views were amazing from there - see photos below. With our legs aching, we headed back to the hotel where we had a long soak in the outdoor hot tub/jacuzzi. They have a Finnish sauna here - that's definitely on our agenda.







(Can you believe the colour of these lakes!)


It's at this point I have to sing the praises of hiking poles. At first I was doubtful of the value in buying them for this trip but what a difference poles make when you're hiking uphill! They take alot of pressure off your legs so you can hike further without the level of pain you would normally have after 20 kms. We can't wait to try out other hiking trails.

When we arrived here we were told the weather forecast was 5 days of rain. Other than a brief shower this afternoon, it's been dry and cool which is perfect for hiking. If it does end up raining tomorrow, we will spend the day in Salzburg.

Auf wiedersehen!

Fiona & Carl

Location:Fuschl, Austria

Sun afternoon

The view from our room.





Fiona & Carl

Location:Schloss Fuschl, Hof bei Salzburg

September 6 & 7, 2013

I have been lax in writing this blog over the past couple of days due to lack of downtime in Budapest. We have been very busy touring the city. We've visited the Royal Palace, high up across the river in Buda (we are staying on the Pest side) and enjoyed the spectacular views from there. Visited the Jewish synagogue- the largest in the world outside of New York City...over 3,000 can be seated.




(Exterior of the synagogue)


(Unusual Holocaust memorial - the Tree of Life whose leaves bear the names of Holocaust victims)











Visited the National History Museum where we learned much about the history of Hungary, and what a tortuous history it is. Sandwiched between the Hapsburg and Ottoman Turkish empires, Hungary has been subjected to endless wars and occupations over the centuries - including the disasters of WW I and II followed by 45 years of communism. They say the Hungarians are a melancholy people, and given their history you can understand why.

There is a lively nightlife here - to say the least..several bars and cafes per city block..and they are all full at night. Groups of young people flock here from all over Europe. Streets are strewn with bottles and party debris each morning. Then teams of street cleaners are deployed to clean it all up.



(This stunning looking cafe is where we stopped for cake and coffee)

Have taken every opportunity to sample Hungarian food. It is heavy..lots of meat (pork) and starchy side dishes but very tasty. Bakeries everywhere...and the baked goodies are delicious! Haven't been too impressed with the wines though...whites are better than the reds.

Our highlight yesterday was a visit to the Szechenyi thermal baths.
Budapest lies on a geological fault which has resulted in hot mineral water gushing forth daily from over 100 thermal springs - hence Budapest's fame as a spa city. We chose the large outdoor thermal bath modelled in style after the great Roman baths(there are 10 baths and pools within the complex) ..donned our swimsuits...and soaked in the 37 degree mineral water with dozens of locals. The mineral rich water is supposed to help with joint and muscle pain...the water makes you very buoyant and you paddle about effortlessly. I understand now why "taking the waters" is so popular with Europeans - it is extremely relaxing!

We met up with cousin Niall who has been great at showing us around the city and giving us the local perspective. The main market is impressive if something of a tourist mecca.


I writing this blog on the train from Budapest to Salzburg - 6.5 hour trip. The Salzburg leg of our trip will be a change of pace from the hectic urban life to the calm of the Austrian Alps. We will rent a car in Salzburg and head to the resort we will be staying at for 5 nights which is about 20 kilometres outside Salzburg.

Fiona & Carl

Location:Budapest, Hungary

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Arrived in Budapest after a fast and very comfortable train ride. Then two unfortunate incidents - the tax driver who drove us to our hotel charged us 10,000 korints (approx $50) for a ride that shouldn't have cost more than 3,000 korints. He seemed like such a nice, friendly person. Lesson learned - know your currency before arriving. Then while checking in, the manager tells us that a bomb threat has been called in and everyone must evacuate the hotel! No one knew how long the evacuation would last since apparently sniffer dogs have to go into all 217 rooms.
So off we go for a walk along the Danube toward the Parliament buildings. Some impressions of Budapest: very similar to Venice in architectural style but with a more neglected appearance likely due to 45 years of communist rule; streets are very crowded, people everywhere in the cafes, on the street; Hungarian seems like it would be a very difficult language to learn; people in the service industries speak English very well










As we walked along the Danube, we came across a very heart wrenching memorial. At the edge of the river there are 30 pairs of bronzed shoes lying in disarray. In 1944/1945 many Jews were rounded up, brought to the river and shot, and their bodies thrown into the river. Standing at this memorial is a very moving experience.We took a couple of photos there.







Tomorrow we will do more tours of the city. Plans are afoot to meet up with young Niall on Sat.

Fiona & Carl

Location:Budapest, Hungary

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

For our final day in Vienna, we headed to Belvedere, a beautiful palace built for Prince Eugene of Savoy who helped to successfully fight off the Turkish invasion of Vienna in 1683. The palace is now an art museum focused on late 19th and early 20th century German artists. It is notable for its Gustav Klimt collection, including his famous "The Kiss" which was quite mesmerizing to see. The range of styles used by Klimt was impressive and the exhibit displayed them all. A special exhibit on the Decadent school was a treat. Here are some photos of the palace and grounds (apologies for the crooked photos). (Fiona made Carl buy the Tilly hat.













Since arriving in Vienna we have kept saying we have to try the famous Sachertorte . Today was the day and we headed to the Hotel Sacher. The torte was delicious - you can understand why it has remained so popular for the last 180 years. See photos below. Carl swore this was the first and last time he would be caught photographing food!






Finished the afternoon at the Hofburg palace with a tour of the museum.






Dinner tonight was at Zum Finsteren Stern, a small out of the way spot filled with locals and a German only menu - always a good sign! Had excellent seafood at an outdoor table - nice warm night tonight. We have a 10am train to Budapest tomorrow. Sad to leave Vienna.

Fiona & Carl

Location:Vienna, Austria

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

A more leisurely day today. Headed back to the Kunsthistoriches art museum in the morning for Part 2. Saw quite a bit on Sunday but needed to get a look at their Renaissance collection. It is an excellent collection thanks to the Hapsburgs who were very discerning art collectors. Some shots of the interior of the Kunsthistoriches - just stunning.













(My favourite Brueghel - Hunters in the Snow)




(A gory shot courtesy of Caravaggio)

We then headed out for lunch and what a lunch! We spent 3 hours at
Steirereck having a very leisurely 4 course lunch. Steirereck, located in the middle of the city park, does very inventive and modern takes on classic Austrian cuisine. Considered one of the best restaurants in the world with 2 Michelin stars, it was an amazing meal one of the best we have ever had. After that we had to walk so we made our way back to the hotel stopping to buy our train tickets for Thursday's trip to Budapest. Tonight we went to the Staatsoper (state opera house) for a production of La Traviata. Beautiful opera house in the classic European style. It was a sold out show and the first show of the season so everyone was in a high state of anticipation. The female lead was excellent and was subjected to many curtain calls. Opera is a much more social event here than in Canada. Everyone leaves their seats at intermission (which is much longer here )and head for the lobbies where they drink champagne and eat beautiful looking canapés. We are really enoying our stay here. Vienna is a lovely city....lots of parks...beautiful buildings and everyone we've encountered has been so friendly.

Did you know that Frank Stronach of Magna is running for President here? His face is everywhere on posters. His platform appears to be all about saving workers' pensions. It will be interesting to see how he does in the election.
Tomorrow is our last day in Vienna :-(

Fiona & Carl

Location:Vienna, Austria

Monday, September 2, 2013

Despite still fighting the effects of jet lag (and Carl recovering from a nasty head cold) we managed to rise early and headed to Schloss Schonbrunn. Built in the late 18th century, this massive palace was the summer home to generations of Hapsburgs along with their 1,500 staff (!!). We toured the state and family apartments - highly decorated in the over the top Rococo style which you either love or hate. Then we walked the gardens and hiked up to the Glorietta for amazing views of the city.




(Yes, that's Carl.. he's on the trip too!)


The Glorietta above.




Jumped on the U-Bahn which is a very efficient and fast subway system, and headed back downtown to the Treasury. The Treasury is the equivalent of the Tower of London's Crown Jewels collection - room after room of Hapsburg family jewels, crowns, coronation robes - an incredible collection. See various magnificent crowns below. The last one is 900 years old.









We also visited St Michael's, the church of the royal court. The altar is very unusual with its sculpted depiction of the archangel Gabriel and the expulsion of rebel angels - all in full blown Rococo.




We had an excellent dinner at Walter Bauer restaurant in the old town...if you come to Vienna don't miss this place! We have been very impressed with the Austrian wines..far better than what you get at the LCBO. Once again, a cool day. Everyone here is dressed for winter which is depressing when I review my collection of shorts and thin t-shirts.

'Til tomorrow,


Fiona & Carl

Sunday Sep 1, 2013

Gruss Gott! (the standard Austrian greeting here), after a turbulent flight (dinner wasn't served until after midnight!) we landed in Frankfurt and quickly transferred to our flight to Vienna. Our hotel Le Meridien is in a perfect location in the centre of the city right by the Opera house and museums. We can walk everywhere. Beautiful city, beautiful architecture and outdoor cafes everywhere. We headed to the top of St Stephen's cathedral to see the amazing city view and then walked around for a couple of hours.









Today we spent the morning at the Kunsthistoriches (art museum) where we saw the most beautiful collection of sculpture and objects d'art collected by the Hapsburgs over the centuries- the craftmanship is stunning. The gold salt cellar La Saliere, (see below) the most famous piece from the collection and priceless It was stolen from the museum a few years ago...thief confessed a year or so later and it was dug from an Austrian farmer's backyard where it had been buried!





We then headed for a tour of the Vienna sewers. If you have seen the movie The Third Man you will understand the attraction. Twenty of us donned helmets and descended stone steps (below) the same ones Orson Welles raced down as he was chased by the police through the sewer system- for a really interesting tour of the underground.




















Bit smelly and very dark, it was interspersed with clips of the movies and explanations of how the sewer system works - all quite fascinating. Continuing on the Third Man theme, we headed to the Prater, a large amusement park whose Ferris wheel played a role in the movie. We then rode the wheel to see the views of Vienna. Back to hotel and then out for a comfort food Sunday night dinner at Cafe Landtmann-one of the original Viennese cafes - the goulash and apple strudel were delicious! Weather a bit cool here. Good thing I brought layers. Getting tired now...jet lag...eyes closing. Gute Nacht!


Fiona & Carl

Location:Vienna