You know how sometimes you wake up and go, eh, where did this potbelly come from? And what’s up with the junk in my trunk? May I submit the evidence…or should I say the crumb trail leading to these self-revelations when the jeans are a bit snug…
But this girl can’t help it. Vienna is full of sweet temptations. Every café that I enter, including the fan favorite Café Central which was once a hangout for the Viennese intellectual/literary crowd in the late 1800s, begs me to order something evil:
I just can’t say no. In fact, on my final day in Vienna, as I take in the last sights of the city…
even till the last second before I get on the train back to Bratislava, I make a pit stop just meters from my platform…
to say a proper goodbye to Anker, my favorite pastry chain in Vienna:
I can’t bear to show you what that last pastry was. Just thinking about it makes me go up one jean size. But anyway, thanks for visiting Vienna with me. On to another capital tomorrow…
And no, I was not drunk in the above photo. Just on a sugar high.
Tags: Anker, Café Central, Vienna
Can anyone please kindly tell me what that means in German? I’m sure it’s not funny at all in German, but string all those words together in English and, well…let’s just say it’s one of the goofier things I spy while walking down the biggest shopping street in Austria, Mariahilferstrasse:
It is also around here that I find one of the most elegant McDonald’s franchises in the world…
as well as a tourist and local favorite joint, Maschu Maschu, touted to have the best falafel in town. And I have to agree since I eat here twice on this trip:
Fueled by chickpeas and hummus, I make my way to Karlskirche, one of the most beautiful churches I’ve ever seen anywhere…
For some reason it makes me think of the Taj Mahal. But anyway, on this day I also get in some major sightseeing around the Hofburg area, which once served as the imperial residence. Today the wings are used as museums, tourist attractions (including the famous Spanish Riding School), libraries, and conference halls:
And no, your eyes do not deceive you–that is a humongous ad on the building with George Clooney. Hollywood is never too far from anywhere…
Tags: George Clooney, Hofburg, Karlskirche, Mariahilferstrasse, Maschu Maschu, McDonald's, Taj Mahal, Vienna
In this very photogenic city of Vienna, all you really have to do is point and shoot because no matter where you go, there is wonderful architecture to enjoy, including these gorgeous museums:
In fact, you just have to look up…
and up…
at the famous, colorful tiled roof of St. Stephen’s Cathedral:
The interior isn’t too shabby either:
No wonder it’s full of tourists:
Tomorrow I’ll show you another beautiful place and perhaps a little more food.
Tags: St. Stephan's Cathedral, Vienna
As I mentioned earlier, the best companion in Vienna is the multi-day transportation pass. Because with it, you can pop up in a zillion places via subway, train, bus, or tram relatively efficiently (and I love how varied each stop is)…
and save lots of transit time and energy so that you could do the real walking upon reaching your destination. Today, our destination is Schönbrunn (which means beautiful spring if I’m not mistaken) Palace, a former summer residence for the Habsburgs. It is an understatement to say that the palace grounds are enormous.
The next set of photos marks the order in which I tour the grounds, which is in no particular order because it is impossible to follow any guide map when there are so many lovely gardens, fountains, mazes (and even a zoo!) and buildings to see:
Did I just lose you in all those photos? Anyway, one of the best stops is here, on top of this hill, at the Gloriette…
which now houses a café and provides one of the best panoramic views to the city below:
Here’s another shot of the Gloriette from the opposite end of the grounds:
Remember when I said this place is enormous? It’s actually colossal. You can tell how big everything is just from the perspective of this photo taken at one of its fabulous fountains. I want to say Vegas the whole time I’m here, but wow, there’s no casino in sight and this was not built in a year by someone named Steve Wynn!
Speaking of fountains, one of the most beloved tourist spots is right here, behind the fountain where you can get a fantastic framed shot with water running down from the fall:
Yes, it takes a while to jockey for position with so many tourists angling for their own shots, but keep waiting for your moment because this is your reward:
Anyway, it’s a good long walk to cover most of the grounds, and I have to confess I really, really wish I had been able to do it on horseback. The sloping landscape and endless stretches of shaded trees make me yearn for a leisurely ride…
But the only horses I see today are those chained to the plethora of carriages all around the palace…
Here they are again at the front gate as I make my exit…sure am glad I’m not still in line waiting to get in. It’s a mile long under a bright sunny sky. I think this is the very day I finally get my tan.
Tags: Habsburg, Schönbrunn Palace, Steve Wynn, Vegas, Vienna
To be honest the whole sweet tooth is a relatively late development for me. We weren’t allowed to eat a lot of candy and sweet stuff when my sisters and I were kids, so it wasn’t until high school, when we had to sell chocolate bars as a fundraiser for our various clubs, did I begin to understand the evil power of sugar. Whenever I got tired of selling the Snickers or M&Ms to my classmates, I’d indulge in one or two for myself, telling myself all along that it was for a good cause, and happily go off to my next class on a sugar high. White chocolate covered raisins then became a loyal companion for the long hours of prepping for the bar exam some years later. Speed ahead another decade or so and suddenly I’ve got a full-blown addiction to dark chocolate. The darker, the better. I don’t eat milk chocolate (at all) or desserts (much), but put a decadent dark choco cake in front of me and, well…it’s not pretty.
Besides all the wonderful coffees you can get in Vienna, one of the most fun things to taste here is the famous Sacher Torte, which was created for Demel (the store I wrote about yesterday) by the Sacher family way back in the 1800s. The picture of all the chocolate cakes lined up in Demel’s kitchen from yesterday’s blog tells you how wildly popular it still is today.
Later it was offered at the Sacher Hotel; yes, a legal battle of sorts ensued over who had rights to the “original” sachertorte, but for now, it is readily offered all around Vienna. BTW, the Sacher Hotel is this lovely establishment not too far from the Demel location:
I took that picture on a breezy afternoon while watching people stroll by the hotel sidewalks only to pause and find a seat to enjoy the famous cake. I was full from lunch but even from the rooftop where I stood, I wanted that slice of heaven. Such is the evil power of sugar that I was referencing earlier.
The sachertorte consists of two layers of dense, spongy cake that’s actually not too sweet. There’s a thin spread of apricot jam between the layers and the cake is covered in a dark chocolate icing on the top and sides. So much for the cake not being too sweet. It is served with whipped cream. Various restaurants, cafes, and bakeries will offer a slight spin on this theme…
and I’m happy to report I like all of the variations. If it is possible to eat a slice at every meal I probably would. That’d be my ode to the sachertorte. Well, let’s say if my metabolism were still like in my 20s then I probably could. Fine, you got me, metabolism schmetabolism. I ate more than I should have, but who knows when or where I might run into another slice back in the US?
Did you notice from my pictures that when you order a coffee in Vienna, it will come with a small glass of water? Tap water in Vienna is quite good and it makes perfect sense to follow a hot espresso with some cool water on a warm summer day.
Tags: Demel, Sacher Hotel, Sachertorte, Vienna
