Three Days in Vienna

And more trip recap...the next three days were spent in Vienna, Austria.  Unfortunately, I didn't bond to well with Vienna.  The city was nice, but it just didn't capture me the way I thought it would.  It is much larger than Munich and less walk-able.  Though we did walk a great deal, we mostly used the hop-on, hop-off feature of the Big Bus Tour to get around. I am sure there is much more to the city than what I saw.  Perhaps in a future visit I'll get to explore more.

Pics...

These pictures were taken from the train en route to Vienna from Munich. 

Salzburg was one of our train stops.  From the platform, the area looked very nice.  Maybe on a return trip I'll visit here.

Along the banks of the inner canal, there is tons of graffiti - a lot of it political commentary.  

K and I took a 2-hour river cruise along the inner canal and Danube.  It was very peaceful and scenic.

I've settled on climbing to the top of some tall structure as one of my things to do when I travel.  The Eiffel Tower, the Sydney Harbor Bridge, church bell towers - you name it.  If it's got stairs, I am there.  Of course, I 100% second-guess the decision as soon as I start.  Hah!

This is St. Stephen's Cathedral.  The tallest tower, accessed by 343 steps, stands 136 meters (around 400 feet) above ground.  From there, a nice view of the city can be seen.

Vienna has an area known as MuseumsQuartier.  This area houses several attractions including the Leopold Museum and the Museum of Modern Art.  Timing wouldn't allow us to visit much, though we did go to the Butterfly Museum.  I mean come on...butterflies!

 

Near the end of the last day in Vienna, we went out to Schönbrunn Palace.  Again, timing did not allow us to tour the palace since we arrived to the site rather late.  Still, it was a nice walk around the grounds.

That's all for Vienna.  Out of the five cities I visited, this was my least favorite.  I don't think I had enough time to see all that it had to offer.  Next time...

***

Sewing news:  Sewing the coat tired me out, so my sewjo took a little break.  I got back into it yesterday and am almost finished with my second trench skirt.  I also cut out another skirt and a jacket.  Deets later.  Until next time, peace!

L

Three Days in Munich

Continuing with the trip recap...our next three days were spent in Munich. 

Munich by far was one of my two favorite cities. The scenery is simply beautiful and the people were very friendly. Though we didn't visit any museums, we walked around the city A LOT, took two bike tours and visited Neuschwanstein Castle using Mike's Bike Tours - a definite must-do if you're ever in the area.   We also took a trip to Dachau, the first Nazi concentration camp to open in Germany.  I have no words and many words.

On with the pictures...

We found a pizza joint that sells gluten-free pizza.  Though it was jam-packed with people, the food was worth the wait.  Oh yeah, gluten now gives me problems. I really miss donuts!

 

On our second day, we took a bus out to Neuschwanstein castle.  The trip included a 2-hour bike ride, lunch at a local restaurant, and a tour of the castle.  To get to the castle, you can either take the bus or hike.   I chose to hike and man, let me tell you, that hike was NO JOKE.  The first few hundred feet were nothing.  But once you turn this "corner," it all goes downhill (or uphill?) from there.   We did this after lunch too!  Had I known what I was getting myself into, I would have had ALL the ice cream.

When we set out on the bike ride, I was cold and decked out in a hat and scarf.  I dropped that nonsense halfway up as the sweat was pouring down my face.  

More pictures from the top.

We couldn't take pictures inside the castle.  In fact, time inside the castle was strictly limited to 30 minutes.  Get in, admire, get out.  

After returning to Munich, we had dinner at Hofbräuhaus.  Hofbräuhaus is one of Munich's oldest brew halls and is owned by the government.  I can't speak on the beer quality because (a) I never liked beer and (b) wheat issues, but there were plenty of liters going around so I assume it is pretty good!  

 Translation:  "Work sets you free."

Main entry gate at Dachau concentration camp.

 Left:  one of the few remaining barracks preserved

Right:  crematorium

There were many other buildings and placards describing their purpose.  I chose not to photograph much more than what is seen here.  It didn't feel right.  The one thing I can say is that Germany does not hide from its past.  Our tour guide said that it is mandatory for every child to learn the country's history - unabridged and with acute honesty - so as to not  repeat history.

Our tour guide (from the second bike tour) said that government buildings are often constructed with glass façades as a show of transparency.  On this building, bullet holes are still visible on the columns.

On the second bike tour...

 New Town Hall at Marienplatz.
I missed getting pictures of the Glockenspiel.  D'oh.

 Left to right:  Bavarian flag, German flag, Eurozone flag.

At the garden, people can go 'river surfing.'

Very cool to watch.  I'd be terrified out of my mind!

That's it for Munich.  I would love to go back and visit more of the city.  It is really unique and rich with culture.

Up next in the trip recap:  Vienna, Austria.

***

On the sewing front, I finished one of my three works in progress:  the denim skirt.  I will take pictures today and write the blog post tomorrow.

Until next time, peace!

2016 Travels: Germany, Austria, & the Czech Republic (Part 1)

Y'all know I like to get my travel on.  So this year, my friend and I put together a trip to Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic.  Initially, we were thinking of doing a bike and barge tour similar to the one I did in The Netherlands in 2011.  This tour would have started in Passau, Germany and taken us along the Danube River to Vienna, Austria.  We attempted to contact the company to ask questions about booking and to clarify prices, but were unsuccessful.  So we decided to just go anyway and bike in each city.  Flexibility is awesome!

Our trip started in Frankfurt, Germany and continued by train to Munich, Vienna, Prague, and Berlin.  I'll spread these posts over each city and share some of my favorite photos/highlights.

Frankfurt (17 May - 19 May)

We left Detroit late Monday evening and arrived on Tuesday, 17 May at around 9a.  Our hotel was conveniently located directly across the street from the main train station as well as a city tram stop.  Getting around Frankfurt was very easy; it is very walkable with lots to see and do near the city center.  We only had two days here - one of which included an jet lag and no sleep.  Needless to say, we didn't do much. =)

Hauptbahnhof - main train station

 The international bird.  Pigeons are everywhere.  EVERYWHERE.

 Interesting trees.  They looked like life-size Bonsai trees.

 Classic-styled buildings at the center square.

 

 Pictures of the city skyline from our river cruise on the Main River.

 

Edited to add humble thanks to Rory Fanklin who explained the meaning of this mural.

While I read stories of the Syrian child who washed ashore, I was not aware that this was a painting of him.  As expressed by Rory, the red eyes and horns are likely political commentary against Germany's welcoming of many refugees.  Thank you Rory for correcting me.  Here is a link to the story shared in the comments by Rory:  http://www.elephantjournal.com/2015/09/im-sure-this-little-boy-brought-only-joy-look-at-how-the-world-repaid-him-warning-distressing-image/

I am sorry for any hurt I may have caused.

 I have an irrational fear of heights, but I like climbing tall structures.

On short flights, I also always get a window seat.  Weird, right?

Don't look down.

 

 Views of the city from atop the cathedral.

 Frankfurt's Love Lock bridge.

That's all I have for Frankfurt.  We didn't visit any museums or special sites.  We were all tired from the flight and mostly wanted to get settled in.

Up next:  3 days in Munich.  

Until next time, peace!

L

Good Reason for Bad Blogging - ¡Hola! (Part 2)

Our next five days were spent in the beautiful city of Barcelona.  Though we flew into Paris, we decided to take the TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse or high-speed train) to Barcelona.  I remember learning about this train in my high school French class and was excited to be able to experience it.  Including several stops, the trip took a total of six hours.

My simple point-and-click takes terrible night photos.  But its motion shots are crisp and clear.  Weird right?  These photos of the French countryside were taken on a train that was traveling at around 200mph!

In the background is the beautiful Pyrenees mountain range.

We stayed at Hotel Nouvel in the Gothic Quarter - an historic part of the old city.  The hotel is a less than 5-minute walk to the Plaça de Catalunya and is situated on a small street between two major streets:  La Rambla and Via Laietana.  The location was perfect with lots of shops and food options.  We walked everywhere and only took the subway when needed.

Day 1: After checking in at the hotel, food was a must!  We walked around the area and found an organic market a short distance away.  The food was so good, we went back three more times.  If you ever visit Barcelona, add this place to your list.  I don't know the street name, but it's near the Plaça de Catalunya a few doors down from KFC and called Woki Organic Market.

After dinner, we walked around some more to get a feel for the neighborhood.  We stumbled upon the University of Barcelona where an outdoor market was going on.  We met this baker who was into making really big bread.  Do you see that thing?  It was pretty tasty, but would not leave any room in my checked bag for fabric.

Day 2: On Sundays, most museums are free after 3p.  So this was our day to hit up as many museums as possible.  Not wanting to wait until 3 to begin the day, we set out to see Barcelona's Arc de Triomf.

Breakdancers!

I was interested in seeing the Textile Museum, however it was closed until February.  So we went to a couple of famous churches in the Gothic Quarter:  The Santa Maria del Mar and the Cathedral of Barcelona.  

Inside Basilica de Santa Maria del Mar.

The international bird.

Before going to the Picasso Museum, we stopped at a local eatery and had some good paella.

Unfortunately, no photos were allowed inside the museum.  The exhibits showed Picasso's range of works from the time he was is in school up to his death in the 70s.  It was very interesting to learn how his style changed upon visiting Paris and meeting various individuals.

 
Day 3:  While walking around the city on the second day, we ran into a bike tour (Fat Tire Bike Tours) and asked about their schedule and tours.  We were basically told to show up at 11a at their office and wait for the guide.  So for our third day, that's exactly what we did!  We took a 2.5-hour bike tour around the city.  Most of the sites we had already visited by walking the first couple of days, but it was still nice to do a mini slow roll and see some new things.

Unnamed "Fountain at the Park" (near the Barcelona Zoo)

The beach!  Oh to be here during summer...

The meeting location for the bike tour was at a public square between the President's and Mayor's office buildings.  In the center of the square was a very large nativity scene.  It was beautifully crafted with a lot of thought put into the detail.

 

 

 

Alas, no nativity scene is complete without...wait for it...waaaaait for it...

...a man taking a dump!  Thank you Barcelona. Seriously.

(I did a little Googling and found that "El Caganer" (the shitter) is a Catalan Christmas tradition and is supposed to bring good luck.  Awesome.)

After the tour and lunch, we headed out for some fabric shopping.  My new intention is to only buy fabric during travel since the stash has far exceeded epic levels.  I exercised some restraint by visiting only one fabric store in Barcelona:  Ribes & Casals.  Granted I went there twice, but at least it was only one store.  That has to count for something, right?

 

 

All fabrics are very reasonably priced and comparable to what we pay in the States.  I could have easily spent a couple of hours here just browsing.  In total, I walked away with four pieces.

 left: navy blue quilted nylon outerwear fabric

right:  dark purple polyester knit

 grey herringbone suiting with black velour design

 army green quilted lining fabric 

I thought this was coating fabric.  Oops.

Day 4: We started bright and early with a tour of Antoni Gaudi's most famous design:  Basilica de la Sagrada Familia or the Sacred Family Church.  Started in 1882, the church is still under construction and isn't scheduled to be finished until 2026.  I'll just let the pictures describe its majestic beauty!

 

 

I loved this church so much not only because it was beautiful, but because of all of the mathematics Gaudi used in its design.  So many parabolas, ellipses, and hyperboloids...be still my nerdy heart!

La Sagrada Familia is definitely worth a visit.  Inside the church is a museum and active workshop of the current construction and design.  If you're ever in the area, definitely check it out!

Next, we went to Montjuic or Jewish Mountain.  On this mountain is a castle that was part of an old military installation as well as the 1992 Olympic Stadium.  This was a fantastic place to get a great panoramic view of the city.

This is definitely not a statue!  When I asked if he was ticklish, he started smiling.  Hah!

 

 

Next we went to Park Güell where some of Gaudi's mosaic monuments and designs reside.  The "monument zone" is accessible by fee, but the rest of the park is free.  This is truly a beautiful and peaceful space.

 

 

 

 

 

Day 5:  Our last day in the city was spent visiting the Historic Museum of Barcelona, walking the waterfront, and taking in the sites on La Rambla (street known for outdoor markets and vendors).  Barcelona began as a Roman settlement named Barcino; the ruins of the settlement are preserved 5 meters under the square known as the Plaça del Rei.  This, and surrounding areas, is a part of the historical museum.

 It was very interesting to read about the history of the city and to see some of the actual ruins.  Since flash photography wasn't allowed, some of my photos aren't very clear.

  

 

 

 

Finally we headed back to the hotel by walking along La Rambla.  In addition to shopping and food tents, there were quite a few performance artists.  These were my favorites:

John Lennon Music Box

The Predator

The Mad Hatter

In all I had a wonderful time.  My friend and I travel well together and enjoyed all of the sites.  It was certainly nice to get away after a stressful summer/fall.

It's time to get back to sewing and talking about sewing. I hope to post my long-overdue sewing 2014 year in review next. 

Until next time, peace and blessings.  

L