Austria – mmm-yoso

Salzburg – Dinner at Gablerbrau, The Views from Kapuzinerberg, Mirabell Gardens, And Some Last Minute Wanderings

May 9, 2020 mmm-yoso Austria, Austrian Cuisine/Restaurants, Travel

Since we had only planned on one full night in Salzburg, the Missus really wanted to make the most of our time; we'd started with the Old Town, then "hiked" up to Hohensalzburg Fortress. We decided to head on back to the room to freshen up and then grab some dinner. We took a fairly "scenic" route, walking thru Kapitelplatz.

And grabbing another look at Stephan Balkenhol's "Sphaera".

"Everyman" was still standing on his golden orb, looking off into the distance at “Frau im Fels”, his female counterpart. We tried to get a photo from here, but it was basically impossible.

We crossed thru Residenzplatz, you can tell what a beautiful day it was…..

We crossed over the Salzach River and headed to the Seminary where we were spending the night….the Missus suddenly realized that She needed some balls……ahem, Mozart Balls that is, for some folks back home. Luckily there was a location of Cafe Konditorei Fürst nearby; Mozart Balls or more properly Mozartkugel was created in Salzburg in 1890 by Paul Fürst, so it was only right that we would get some for the Missus's friends.

It was just up the street from the Seminary, so we stopped by and the Missus got Her gifts.

Cafe Konditorei Fürst
Mirabellplatz 5A
Salzburg, Austria

We headed back to Gästehaus im Priesterseminar.

Freshened up; no time for nap on this day and went through options for dinner.

We decided on something fairly close to our accommodations in the "New Town" and after looking thru my list decided on Gablerbrau, which seemed to have a nice selection of beer and some good dishes.

The folks here are very friendly and the place did actually "look the part"……

We placed our orders and of course, I got some beer…..which was quite good.

The bread was fragrant, adequately moist, and decent overall.

We ordered one starter, the "Tafelspitzsulze" jellied beef….since we enjoy jellied meat dishes. This however, was fairly uninspired; the jellied meat overly hard instead of chewy.

The produce was good; though the dressing not to our taste.

Right about this time groups of customers started coming in.

And the staff handled things quite well. Service was very good.

The Missus wasn't too hungry, so She ordered the special for that day; the Duck Salad.

That tomato was delicious, as were the crisp and pleasantly bitter greens. The duck was over-cooked and tough though.

I ordered the Oxtail Braised in Red Wine.

Which was served with Parsley Potatoes. The oxtail didn't look very appetizing as it was almost totally black. It was tender, though strangely bland, except for being on the bitter-greasy side. The potatoes were nicely seasoned, but undercooked; the centers still being too hard and crisp.

A fairly inauspicious meal; though, like I mentioned earlier, we enjoyed the service and I liked the beer.

Gablerbräu
Linzer Gasse 9
Salzburg, Austria

I was ready to call it a day; perhaps grab a beer or two…..but of course, the Missus had other plans. After a bit of discussion, we (She) decided we should head up Kapuzinerberg the hill which is on the opposite side of the Salzach from the Old Town and Hohensalzburg Fortress.

There are several viewpoints ("Aussicht") along the way and the views are wonderful.

There are ancient walls along the way……this was used to enclose a Capuchin Monastery that was built on this hill during the 16th and 17th century.

Looking down, the Missus and I were quite envious of the folks having drinks and meals on the makeshift rooftop "terraces" below. I'm thinking we'll try to find one of these places to stay at when we're back in Salzburg.

We took in a bit more of the views before finding some stairs and heading back down to Steingasse. There are a bunch of bars and brewpubs on the street, but I was kinda pooped and we decided to head back to Gästehaus im Priesterseminar; the seminary we were staying at.

There's a reason so many love Salzburg……not the least of which is how picturesque the city is.

The Missus asked me if I wanted to stop at a shop to pick up a beer on the way back to the room…..but I had noticed something when we had left the seminary in the morning.

Near the elevators on the bottom floor of the seminary were several vending machines….and one of them had beer…..in a vending machine…..in Salzburg…..in a Seminary Guesthouse!

It was a pretty warm evening; there's no A/C in the rooms, so we left the windows open. Turns out the street right behind the seminary is lined with bars and things were pretty noisy….which kept me up for a while, until the Radler kicked in and sailed off to never-never land.

We got up fairly early the next morning; breakfast was provided with the room……

Since out train didn't leave until 1pm, and the train station was a fairly short walk away, we checked out, left our bags at reception and headed out. There was one site which was almost across the street that I wanted to see.

Mirabell Gardens. Part of the Mirabell Palace complex; yes, the gardens are beautiful, bright, green, wonderful statues…..designed in in the late 17th century, it is quite wonderful. But there's another reason tourists flock here.

And it's not only to dress up "in character"…..

Mozart is one big draw for Salzburg….the other being The Sound of Music, which was not only filmed in Salzburg, the Von Trapp family actually did live in Salzburg.

It's really hard for kid raised in the 60's and 70's to not have seen The Sound of Music and one of the most memorable scenes was filmed in Mirabell Gardens. Who can forget this one….try NOT to hum along….

So you might recognize this fella…..

And this is a view from the steps…..

I couldn't help but smile…….

And I'm sure many folks were enjoying, if not actually trying to act out (it was more fun watching some of the folks) their Do-Re-Mi moment.

From here we decided to head back to the Old Town for one last stroll…..plus there was one last thing I wanted to see….so we walked past the Salzburg Christ Church.

And crossed over the Makartsteg Footbridge, lined with "Love Locks".

Back to the Old Town.

To the area around Residenplatz and came upon what I wanted to see; the "Wetterstation" a weather station that dates back to 1888.

Not sure why; but stuff like Astronomical Clocks and the like always fascinated me. This actually measures the barometric pressure, temperature, and humidity.

Having fulfilled my geekiness we wandered around a bit more.

It was a lovely day and Cafe Tomaselli was doing some major business.

And all the carriages were ready to go in front of the cathedral.

And "Everyman" was still staring off to his love somewhere in the hills above.

So all was well in Salzburg……

We did some last minute shopping…..

Then went to pick up our bags and headed off to the train station.

I think we'll be back someday….I need to get a good meal here after all.

But for now…..

We were off to Munich.

Thanks for stopping by!

Salzburg – Hohensalzburg Fortress and a Stop at Stiegl-Keller

March 6, 2020 mmm-yoso Austria, Beer, Pubs and Pub Grub, Travel

*** Not much food in this one; just a couple of "cold ones"

Revived by our coffee at Cafe Tomaselli, the Missus had one more item to check off our "list". On the cliffs above the Old Town is a pretty imposing castle.

This is Hohensalzburg Fortress; first constructed in 1077 by Archbishop Gebhard during a power struggle between the Holy Roman Emperors and the Roman Catholic Church called the Investiture Controversy. The Archbishop first built a fortress on Festungsberg as a symbol of the power of the Catholic Church, directed at Henry IV.

There's a funicular that can take you quickly to the top off the hill….but you know the Missus….we walked up. The walk isn't super long; but it's pretty steep. I was somewhat glad to see, that there were other folks, most much younger than me, huffing and puffing their way up the hill as well.

And I gotta admit, the views on the walk up weren't half bad.

And while there are a bunch of various room, tours, and such, we had really come here for the views; which were wonderful on a beautiful day like this one.

We wandered along the perimeter of the courtyard, making time to take in the fantastic view. I'll say it again; it was a beautiful day.

We then took some time to visit some of the rooms and also St George's Chapel; a little church that dates back to 1500, with marble reliefs of the Apostles that date back to 1501.

From what I read; the Chapel is named after St George, who is the Patron Saint of Horses.

The small domed ceiling and bright white colors really made the chapel come alive.

There's even an interesting sundial on the outside wall of the Chapel that you can see in this photo.

Still, for us, it was about the view.

You understand what I mean; right?

Walking across the courtyard we were rewarded with another wonderful view.

Looking off to the Berchtesgaden Alps in the distance….I got it. All together now, "The hills are alive with the sound of music ……"

Then it was time to head back down.

I had noticed a place on the way up.

The Missus doesn't drink much beer these days (though She did on this trip); but Stiegl's Grapefruit Radler is a favorite of Hers. Stiegl's Headquarters and Brewery is located in Salzburg and we just happened to be passing their "Gastgarten"……how convenient wouldn't you say?

There was some outdoor seating available; but we weren't going to be eating anything and decided to just head into the bar area. Where we both got Grapefruit Radlers.

The clean, bright citrusy grapefruit, with a hint of sweet, low ABV at 2%, it was so refreshing on a rather warm day.

And the Missus got Her Stiegl Grapefruit Radler in Salzburg.

Stiegl-Keller
Festungsgasse 10
5020 Salzburg, Austria

It was time to head back to the room; freshen up and find a place for dinner.

Thanks for stopping by!

Salzburg – Walking the Old Town and a Caffiene Break at Cafe Tomaselli

March 1, 2020 mmm-yoso Austria, Caffeine Fix, Desserts, Travel

**** Not much food in this one. You might want to drop by for something more substantial to eat tomorrow

Our train was set to leave Vienna at 0930am, so we got up bright and early, checked out and headed off to the Vienna Train Station.

As I've mentioned several time before; I really enjoy train travel. It's much more relaxed and comfortable. A mere 2 1/2 hours later we were arriving at Salzburg Hbf. From here it was a nice walk to the "hotel" we were staying at. I use quotes, because we were staying at Gästehaus im Priesterseminar Salzburg. We really didn't want to stay in the old town, but wanted a place within walking distance to everything and I thought the New Town area would work out fine. In case you do recognize the name; this guesthouse is located in Salzburg Seminary….yep, that's right. No television, but you do get a Bible and a cross over your bed.

The beds were comfortable and we weren't going to be spending too much time in our room anyway.

Though I kept on looking up in the air and over my shoulder….the Missus asked me why and I told Her, "I'm waiting for lightening to strike us down….."

It was a beautiful day as we headed down along the Salzach River. Since we had basically one day in Salzburg, we went with the walk in Rick Steve's Guidebook for this first walk.

And crossed over to the Old Town on the Mozartsteg.

From here we walked over to Mozartplatz.

So, have you noticed the name??? Yes, Mozart was born in Salzburg and spent his younger years there, before moving permanently to Vienna when he was 25. Thus you'll "see" Mozart everywhere, along with being the setting of a famous movie.

Without these two subjects….well, I don't think all these tourists would be here…..

There was quite a bit of work occurring on the Residenzplatz, where the Salzburg Residenz, the Archbishops of Salzburg resided (thus "Residenz"), so we skipped on over to the Cathedral.

This wonderful Baroque church was built in just 14 years, replacing the original church which was damaged by fire in 1598.

We found the stark white interior to be quite striking as all the murals seemed to "pop' and come to life. It just seemed so aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

Hard to believe that in 1944, a bomb damaged the dome which wasn't repaired until 1959.

Both Mozart and Joseph Mohr, whom you might know from a little song he wrote titled Silent Night were baptized in this Cathedral.

Though, like I mentioned, it was the murals, especially those on the domes that really caught our attention.

Right around the corner is the Kapitelplatz, a spacious square dominated by this…..

A work by Stephan Balkenhol named Sphaera, a male figure standing on a golden ball…..looking off toward a female figure in a crevice up above.

As grand as this figure was; the one that made the biggest impact on us, was this ominous, scary sculpture named Die Pietà; which I was told meant "Coat of Peace"……it just looked really spooky to us.

On the far end of the square is the "Neptune Fountain" which is quite impressive, considering that it was actually built to be a horse bath….man, horses bathing here must've been something to see….

Right down the street is St Peter's Cemetery.

If you're a Sound of Music fan; this is where the Von Trapp family hid as they made their escape from the Nazis.

It was a beautiful sunny day when we visited.

There are three churches surrounding the cemetery.

We took a peek in Saint Mary's Chapel.

Which was a tiny, but quaint little Gothic chapel right in the cemetery.

We felt a strange kind of eeriness, walking thru the cemetery, even though it was a bright and sunny day.

At the rear of the cemetery, you'll notice structures carved into the mountainside.

These are the "catacombs"….I know, we usually think of catacombs being underground, but in this case they reside in Mönchsberg mountain.

We paid the small fee to climb up some steep steps and were rewarded with some pretty amazing views.

And as an amazing bonus; there was this young lady playing the piano in one of the caves.

She was amazing! When she finished, both the Missus and I gave her an ovation….which surprised her. She didn't even know we were there and sheepishly told us "I'm sorry, I'm practicing for a performance tonight…."

It definitely added to the atmosphere!

From here we walked thru Universitatsplatz (Univesity Square) and ended up facing Mönchsberg Cliff and what might be the most fancy horse trough I've ever seen before.

From here it was a quick turn at St. Blasius Church and you end up on busy Getreidegasse, a busy shopping street.

It was quite interesting walking down the street; you'd see folks dropping by places like Zara and Tommy Hilfiger….then you'd pass a place like Mozart's birthplace.

It was quite busy wo we decided to pass on this one.

We enjoyed wandering thru the passages….and at #3 Getreidegasse, there was a whale rib hanging from the roof. you can read more about that here.

By the time we passed Louis Vuitton and Hermes we needed a break. The Missus had enjoyed the Cafes in Vienna. so, when I told Her that Cafe Tomaselli is the oldest cafe in Salzburg, if not Austria was block away; well, we just had to drop by for some coffee and a snack for the Missus.

Everyone wanted to sit outside, but we enjoyed the peace and quiet of the interior.

Service was quite nice and professional and the Missus enjoyed Her torte and I my coffee.

Café Tomaselli was established in 1703; it is said that Mozart was a regular here……I guess if it's good enough for Mozart…..

Café Tomaselli
Alter Markt 9
Salzburg, Austria

It was nice little stop. And I'd be needing that caffeine…..

Stay tuned!

Vienna – The Albertina, Vis a Vis Weinbar, and Plachutta Wollzeile

February 25, 2020 mmm-yoso Austria, Austrian Cuisine/Restaurants, Wine Bars/Wineries

We finished up our exploring for the day at the Albertina.

Once the home of Maria Christina, whose husband Albert of Saxony was a collector of fine art. Built on the one of the remaining fortress walls of Vienna, this former palace, now museum not only houses a collection of art, but you also walk through grand and colorful staterooms. Like the Hall of Muses.

And the Audience Room among others…..

And there were some very familiar works; like Albrecht Dürer's Young Hare.

I cracked the Missus up when I told Her the reason I recognized this was because a friend of mine had a lawn ornament that looked exactly like this watercolor….and he probably had no idea it was based on this.

I found "Rubens's Son Nicolaas Wearing a Red Felt Cap" to be quite striking as well.

And from one of my favorite artists; Joan Miro; "Birds and Insects".

Still, it was the staterooms that really caught our attention. This is the Study of Archduke Carl.

After the visit; we headed back to our apartment and had a nice nap.

Upon awakening, we headed up Wollziele. It was still too early for our dinner reservations, so we headed to the wine bar that had been unexpectedly closed the night before. We made a couple of stops along the way to do a bit of shopping and passed this interesting mural.

I found it somewhat funny and whimsical. Upon returning home, I did a bit of research and according to Atlas Obscura, the mural named "Wolf and Cow Playing Backgammon" dates back to 1509! Funny what you run into….

The wine bar I had on my list was in a little alleyway, between some busy shopping streets in the same area as the very popular Wiener Schnitzel restaurant Figlmüller and is named Vis-à-vis. It's a cozy little shop; just 2 booth and a couple of seats. It was quite empty when we arrived, but filled up quickly.

The Missus had a nice white and when I couldn't figure out what to have; one of what seemed to be a regular customer came up and made some recommendations. He recommended an Austrian Grüner Veltliner, a very nice, dry, crisp, wine…..he even told us the name and where the winery was located; but I'm sorry to say, we can't remember.

The woman who ran the place was very kind and friendly, and that gentleman who spoke perfect English was so hospitable. Plus, we couldn't complain about the prices at €5,5 a glass.

Vis a Vis
Wollzeile 5
1010 Vienna, Austria

We really hadn't wanted schnitzel for our last dinner and I was fascinated with Viennese Tafelspitz, a restaurant named Plachutta Wollzeile seemed to be quite popular, so I had made reservations.

The restaurant is quite large and as the evening progressed got really full….both tourists and quite a few Austrian families as well.

The Servers were quite professional even though the place got super slammed as the evening went by. I'm glad we got there early.

We ordered our Tafelspitz; I figured one order to share would be enough. We also got two appetizers….and I got a "cold one" and the Missus a glass of wine to start.

The first item to arrive was the "Starter Trilogy"; Jellied Beef, Goose Liver, and Steak Tartare.

The "jellied beef" was basically an aspic, very clear and beefy. The goose liver was quite nice; not overly strong in terms of funky-offal flavors; decent on the bread provided. The beef tartare was a bit too mushy for my taste; though it had a nice, clean finish, with no off flavors.

Since it was white asparagus season, we ordered the White Asparagus with the Herb and Tomato Vinaigrette and Chopped Egg. This was by far our favorite dish of the night.

The asparagus was so lovely; sweet, with just a hint of bitter, nice and crisp, the tomato relish was no biggie, but for some reason, that savory chopped boiled egg really added to the overall flavor.

The Tafelspitz….you can order different cuts, but we went with the traditional, which is boiled beef rump. Is quite a production as it is served in a pan full of very clear consommé like beef stock. And served with potatoes rosti, creamed spinach, horseradish with applesauce, bone marrow, a chive cream sauce, and bread. Whew…..

We weren't big fans of the creamed spinach, which was pretty bland……it reminded me of really bad 1960's type dishes. The applesauce with horseradish really lacked "oomph"; which might be the objective, but it was just too sweet for us.

The chive sauce was ok; it needed more pungency for my taste, but it was the best of the bunch.

I had always thought that Potatoes Rosti was kind of like a shredded potato formed into a cake, ten browned. What we had was all in pieces making it more like American hash browns. It was nicely seasoned, with a good combination of crisp and tender potato shreds.

The beef broth was nice, with a definite bovine goodness, though a bit on the salty side, it had a nice and clean finish. The Tafelspitz was perfect in texture, it held form, but was easily cut with a fork….it really didn't seem to have as much beefiness as I anticipated though. For me, the best item was the bone marrow, which looked like it wasn't going to be soft enough; but was so buttery in texture and so beefy. It was perfect on the almost rye like Viennese bread.

We left quiet full, but not stuffed. All-in-all we were glad to have tried Tafelspitz; though it's not something we'll crave. That white asparagus though……

Plachutta Wollzeile
Wollzeile 38
1010 Vienna, Austria

After dinner, we strolled around for a bit. checking out some of the shops and just digesting and burning off our meal.

We stopped by a convenience store and I bought a Gösser, an Austrian label owned by Heineken.

We'd done quite a bit during a couple of days in the city and we were pooped. After the beer, to quote Ringo Starr it was "all da da down to Goodnight Vienna!"

And tomorrow we'd be headed to Salzburg.

Thanks for stopping by!

More of Vienna and a Caffeine Break at Cafe Central

January 11, 2020 mmm-yoso Austria, Caffeine Fix, Croissants, Travel

**** Not much food in this one……lots of churches and monuments though.

On our second day in Vienna, we set out to explore what we had missed on the previous day. We just walked through Stadtpark onto the Ringstrasse, the road the circles Innere Stadt, Vienna's "Old Town" where many of the city's sights are located.

Like the Opera House, which we passed the previous day.

Right past the Opera House is a Statue of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the famous German writer.

We had to crack up when we walked past the statue….there was an empty wine bottle on the statue's lap……..I guess Goethe might have had a pretty tough night?

Right past the statue is a nice little green space; this is the Burggarten; which is famous for the statue of Mozart that resides there, as well as the Butterfly House.

Just a few steps further up the Ring, you'll pass the Museum Quarter. The impressive Maria Theresa Monument sits between the Natural History and Art museum.

Maria Theresa was the only female ruler of the House of Habsburg, the Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of Hungary and Bohemia. Though she was married to Francis I, the holy Roman Emperor, Maria Theresa reigned over the House of Habsburg due to the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713, which her father, Charles VI put into place during his reign.

On the monument, Maria Theresa sits on a throne; the four horsemen represent her four top military commanders. Her four top advisors stand a the ready between the horsemen. Behind and above the left shoulder of the statue of Gerard van Swieten, Maria Theresa's person physician, you'll see a young boy, on the boy's right shoulder rests a hand. The boy is none other than Mozart. The gentleman whose hand is resting on Mozart's shoulder is that of Joseph Haydn. Haydn and Mozart were close friends; it is thought that Haydn, thoguh a quarter century older than Mozart, taught him quite a bit and was a mentor to the child prodigy.

Even though the museums weren't open and it was a windy and damp day; it was fun wandering around the area.

We especially enjoyed the cute elephant statue in front of the Natural History Museum.

From here we crossed the street and took a look around Hofburg Palace, where we had ended things the previous day, before having lunch then heading to Belvedere Palace.

There are actually some Roman Ruins on display on Michaelerplatz right in front of the Palace. And right across the street is Saint Michael's Church. Since it started to drizzle a bit, we decided to head on into the church to take a look around.

The Altar is quite impressive.

St Michael's is also well known for the Pipe Organ that Joseph Hadyn once played. This is also the church where Mozart's Requiem, unfinished at the time of his death on December 5, 1791 was first played. You can see the date along with a death mask of Mozart on the wall as you enter the church.

At this point we needed a break. The drizzle had ceased and the Missus wanted to visit another Viennese Café. Café Central was just a few blocks up Herrengasse, so we headed on up the street for something light to eat and a caffeine fix. According to what I read, the café was opened in 1876. Among the noted regulars at the café were some pretty (in)famous names. As a matter of fact; during early 1913 it is said Hitler, Trotsky, Tito, and Freud were said to have visited the café. Crazy….

And so we had our coffees and a fairly mediocre "homemade" croissant with paintings of royalty gazing at us.

The coffee was good, the service professional, though not quite a elegant as Cafe Imperial according to the Missus….at least it was less than half the $30 that I doled out at Café Imperial.

And then there was that rather lifelike Peter Altenberg statue……

Cafe Central
Herrengasse 14
Vienna 1010, Austria

We headed out, and decided to take a peek at the Schottenkirche ("Our Lady of the Scots") at the top of the block. The interior was quite impressive.

We headed back down Herrengasse, then across Michaelerplatz and down a passageway to our next destination…….and to our surprise saw some horses walking across the way.

I'd forgotten about the famous Spanish Riding School in Vienna.

Apparently, these are the rather posh stables.

Where I saw an interesting sign…..

We headed to our last destination; but decided to make one more stop along the way. To visit the Augustinian Church, where many of the Habsburgs were wed and where the hearts of 54 Habsburgs are interred in urns in one of the Chapels, and their bodies are in the Crypt below.

The Missus was kind of "Churched out" by this time……

So, we mainly spent time checking out the very interesting Monument to Maria Christina.

And then we were off…..to our next destination…..

Thanks for stopping by!

Vienna – Wien and Co and Würstelstand Zum Scharfen René

October 26, 2019 mmm-yoso Austria, Austrian Cuisine/Restaurants, Wine Bars/Wineries

We'd put in some decent mileage during our first day in Vienna. After resting up a bit, we decided to walk to a wine bar I had on my "list". Unfortunately, they were unexpectedly closed for the evening. So what to do? Well, we didn't want anything substantial, so we headed off to just stretch our legs as it were. Initially, we thought we'd just drop by Julius Meinl and do some self-catering.

But after wandering thru the aisles of this very upscale grocery, we decided to just grab a glass of wine. Fairly close by was a location of Wein & Co, an Austrian chain of a combo bar and wine shop. It was quite convenient, so we just walked in and found seats at the bar of this busy little café.

The place was hoppin' at this time of the day….what we'd call happy hour here in the states. We both had glasses of Veltliner, which was very pleasant, dry, slightly acidic, quite refreshing.

The service was very professional…….I kinda think of this place as an slightly upscale happy hour joint…..

Wein & Co Wien Stephansplatz
Jasomirgottstraße 3-5
1010 Wien, Austria

Fortified by a couple of glasses of wine, the Missus asked me what I wanted for dinner. I told Her that I'd heard about a sausage, called Käsekrainer that I just wanted to try. And heck, what would a visit to Vienna be without a stop at a Wurstelstand. We were kind of headed back in the direction of the apartment and decided to stop by a stand on Schwarzenbergplatz, named Zum Scharfen René.

The stand was fairly busy, so I decided not to take any photos of it.

When I walked up to order, two of what I only assume were "regulars" were really funny….I think they were pretty well "lubricated" and were really helpful.

Anyway, I told them I really waned to try a Käsekrainer and they told me to get the Currywurst with the "special sauce" as well.

As so, we had dinner at a sausage stand in Vienna.

I loved the texture of the sausages, the skin had a wonderful "snap". The flavors came thru really well….not a big fan of the ketchupy "special sauce" on the currywurst as it was a bit too sweet and sour for me. The dark bread, almost rye like was moist and actually tasted really good.

I really enjoyed the Käsekrainer, basically a sausage stuffed with Emmenthal cheese.

Think of a sausage injected with milky "Swiss cheese". Again the casing had a nice snap, the sausage was delicious……porky, smokey, with soft, creamy, milky, deliciousness in every bite. The nice slightly pungent mustard helped to cut the richness. This was really good…..

I truly understand how good this would be after an evening of imbibing "refreshment".

Zum Scharfen Rene
Schwarzenbergplatz 15
Vienna, Austria
Hours:
Monday 11am – 7pm
Tues – Wed 11am – 4am
Thurs – Fri 11am – 5am
Saturday 9pm – Midnight

After getting our share of encased meats in tubular form, we were ready to call it a night……

Because tomorrow was going to be another full day……

Thanks for stopping by!

Vienna – Cafe Imperial and Belvedere Palace

October 19, 2019 mmm-yoso Austria, Caffeine Fix, Desserts, Travel

After getting some "comfort food" at Tofu & Chili, the Missus was back in "mission mode". She really wanted to have the "Vienna Café" experience. So, we headed off to the café at the Hotel Imperial.

Man, talk about posh.

With prices to match. The Missus wanted to try the Imperial Torte, which She had read was created here for Emperor Franz Josef I when the Imperial Hotel opened in 1873.

The Missus really enjoyed the service and the atmosphere…….

Though for me….thirty bucks for coffee, tea, and dessert is a bit on the high side. Still, we were on vacation, right? And the Missus enjoyed herself.

Plus, Imperial Café has some of the most elegant bathrooms I've ever been to…..

Imperial indeed…..

Cafe Imperial
Kaerntner Ring 16
Vienna 1010, Austria

After getting our sugar and caffeine fix; we headed off to visit the last spot the Missus had on "Her list" for the day; the Belvedere Palace.

We headed down Schwarzenbergplatz; which, like the Wikipedia page says is more of a street than a square; with the regal, Equestrian Statue of Karl Philipp, the Prince of Schwarzenberg, his mighty steed with one hoof raised, ready to lead the way.

While the drizzle had stopped; it was still quite overcast and blustery at times. Still, there's something quite regal about Vienna.

Did you know that Vienna has a Soviet War Memorial? I didn't know what this was when we walked through it on the way to the Belvedere.

So, I was a bit surprised to find out it was the Heroes' Monument of the Red Army (Heldendenkmal der Roten Armee). It has been the subject of controversy and has been vandalized several times.

Belvedere Palace was built as the summer palace for Eugene of Savoy; who in spite of being rejected for military service by the French, made his way to Austria and pledged loyalty to the Habsburgs. He became one of the most successful military officers in European History and was instrumental in defeating the Ottomans. The Lower Palace was Eugene's home and the Upper Palace, which was completed in 1723 contains one of the best collections of Austrian art and there was one particular work that the Missus wanted to see.

The upper palace looks quite grand, built in the Baroque style.

The gardens aren't shabby either…..

Nor the grand décor….I'm sure Prince Eugene had some major parties here.

But the Missus was on a mission……

And when we found Gustav Klimpt's "The Kiss", it was mission accomplished.

We wandered about a bit more; then headed out and strolled the gardens……which must be quite stunning on a sunny day.

After wandering about for a while; we decided to take our leave. It was time to head back to the apartment…..you could say we were "imperialed out".

It was time for nap!

Thanks for stopping by!

A Walk Around Vienna and Lunch at Tofu and Chili

October 17, 2019 mmm-yoso Austria, Chinese Restaurants, Travel

We awoke after a good night of sleep in our apartment right outside the Ringstrasse nice and refreshed. We had a pretty jam-packed day planned out. It was windy with scattered drizzles….you know, the one's that are just bad enough to be irritating. Though it was the wind that bothered the Missus the most. Everyone we asked around the city told us it's "always windy in Wien"! Though no one could tell us why.

We crossed the street and walked through the Stadtpark, then along Kärntner Ring, until we came upon the first place we wanted to see; the Opera House.

Many people consider Vienna to be the "capital of classical music" and the Vienna State Opera (Wiener Staatsoper) is the royal palace. Since its completion in 1869 a who's who of classical music and opera have performed here. Just looking at the names on the "stars" lining the walkways gives you pause…..

One block away you'll notice a very impressive wall and statue. This is the Albertina, that impressive wall was once part of the ramparts of the city. It later became the home of Empress Mary Theresa's daughter Maria Christina the Duchess of Teschen and her husband Prince Albert of Saxony.

We headed up the stairway to the large porch/balcony where we could watch the horse drawn carriages trot on by.

In spite of the drizzle and wind, it made for a very nice view.

The buildings in the area really do catch your attention.

We'd end up visiting the Albertina; which is now a museum the following day.

While taking in the view, we noticed the striking Monument Against War and Fascism (Mahnmal gegen Krieg und Faschismus) right across the street.

Rick Steves goes into great detail about this monument in his post. Built in 1988, each of the four structures details a different aspect and story of the consequences of fascism. It is a grim and haunting memorial.

That large split white statue is called the "Gates of Violence", the carvings are grave and striking. The bases of the statues were quarried at Mauthausen Concentration Camp.

The statue that really gripped me is this one.

It is a statue of a Jew forced to scrub anti-Nazi graffiti off the streets. After the Annexation of Austria to the Germans in 1938 (the Anschluss), in an act meant to humiliate and degrade them, Jews were forced to clean the streets of Pro-Austrian and Anti-Nazi slogan and graffiti. This, of course was the tip of the iceberg as it is estimated that over 65,000 Jewish citizens of Vienna were sent to concentration camps of which 2000 survived.

It started drizzling a bit harder as we took in the memorial.

We headed off in the direction of Saint Stephen's Cathedral, which we had briefly visited the night before.

The Missus wanted to explore the Cathedral in daylight and it would give us a respite from the drizzle.

Most consider this impressive Gothic church to be the heart of Vienna.

And we took a brief break here to first explore the interior a bit, then head back out to get a look at the amazing stone and art work on the exterior of the church

From the Cathedral we headed down the pedestrian street known as Graben. Back when the city was a Roman city known as Vindobona, a wall extended the length of the street. A trench was dug outside the wall, a graben. Which is how the street got its name.

There are several fountains on this street. That's Leopoldsbrunnen (Leopold's Fountain), above.

But what I really came to see was just a few steps away; the Plague Column. Like various Astronomical Clocks, Plague Columns have an odd attraction to me.

In 1679, Vienna was hit by the plague epidemic. It is said that one-third of Vienna's population succumbed to the disease. Emperor Leopold I was forced to flee the city. A wooden column of mercy was erected, later to be replaced by this Pestsäule.

There's a lot going on this plague column.

You see "Faith" with the help of a pretty vicious looking Cherub tossing an decrepit old woman (the plague) into the abyss.

You see Leopold himself, sporting quite an underbite which is caused by inbreeding and has been called "Habsburg Jaw".

Right across the way is the Peterskirche ("St. Peter's Church").

Taking a left on Kohlmarkt, you hit the ultra high rent district, with the Michaelerplatz and Hofburg Palace in view.

We walked into Demel; thinking of getting a snack and some coffee at this famous pastry and chocolate shop. But could not find a table to save our soul.

So we just ogled the pastries and headed on back out.

We thought about checking out Hofburg Palace…..

But we were getting a bit hungry and wanted something warm in our bellies. We'd had our share of hearty meals in Budapest and I had reservations for another the night before we left Vienna. So, I thought perhaps some Chinese food might do the trick.

We headed on down to the Naschmarkt, Vienna's food and produce market.

And a place that I'd read about. Named Tofu and Chili.

There are two menus at this shop; the one with Panda Express looking food and one that has Shanxi and Pseudo Sichuan type dishes. I think the Missus was happy to get some Asian food because She quickly ordered…..

Pidan (Century Egg) with Tofu.

Which actually wasn't too bad; a bit of spice from the chili oil, decent tofu, good saltiness from the soy sauce…it's hard to mess up this dish.

And a very awful Suan Cai dish…..which was pickled mustard greens with bean thread drenched in vinegar…..good lord, this was terrible!

I had done a bit of research and ordered the Beef Noodle Soup with Hand Pulled Noodles.

The beef, while being fairly lean had good flavor. The broth was super hot; perfect for a day like this one and not overly salty. And while not being particularly rich, had a decent beefiness and a decent dose of white pepper.

But the best thing about the dish were the hand pulled noodles; which had a decent chew, stretch, and doughy-heft.

It was just what we needed on a windy and damp day in Vienna.

Tofu & Chili
Linke Wienzeile 18
Vienna 1060, Austria

We were careful not too eat too much. Even though we'd seen quite a bit, the day was only half over.

We needed to get to our final destination.

But first, the Missus wanted to visit a classic Viennese Café .

Thanks for stopping by!

Vienna – Paul Restaurant and a Quick Visit to Saint Stephen’s Cathedral

September 12, 2019 mmm-yoso Austria, Austrian Cuisine/Restaurants, European Restaurants, Travel

When planning our last trip to Europe, we decided to fly into Budapest and end our vacation in Paris (of course). Instead of flying to Paris, I talked the Missus into doing the trip by rail….I love train travel. The Missus decided to humor me; with the only condition being no trip over four hours long. Which would make a slight difference a bit later on. I plotted out our course from Budapest and decided our next stop would be Vienna (2 hours 45 minutes by train). The Missus had always wanted to visit Vienna….the history, art, music….and of course, the coffee culture.

We walked the mile and a half from the Vienna Central Station to the Parkview Residences where we were staying. Since we travel light, we try to alternate hotels and apartments. It was a bit of a blustery walk….in fact, it always seemed windy in Vienna. It was also a bit drizzly, but thankfully not pouring.

I really liked our location, while not in the center of Vienna, it was just outside the Ringstrasse, the ring road that circles the inner city. It was also right across the street from the Stadtpark, the large and lush city park.

Since it was already late in the afternoon when we arrived; I decided on something fairly close to the apartment, though right inside the ring road. Right past the park is Paul Restaurant, serving smaller plates in the bar area, in the style of a modern brasserie of sorts.

And while the Missus really never took to Vienna; She enjoyed the Austrian wines, and Paul was a good start.

We ordered five dishes off the menu, which turned out to be a perfect dinner. Remember, all we hadn't had much during the day.

Things started with a very nice Grilled Lettuce Hearts with Langostines.

The Langostines were perfectly cooked, sweet, and tender. The grilled lettuce had some nice varying textures and the grilling brought out some smoky-sweetness as well. The bacon bits added another layer of flavor and those confit tomatoes were delicious.

Next up; the Porcini Soup. While very comforting, the Missus said this didn't measure up to what I make at home (I'll get to the recipe one of these days). The fact that I use 1 ounce of porcini, porcini cream (when I can get it), truffle oil, two types of mushrooms, etc…..makes it a fairly pricey proposition.

This was smooth and creamy, with a mild porcini flavor.

I really enjoyed the Beef Tartare.

Rich and yet refreshing; the texture was smooth and decadent. Wonderful with the toasts provided.

The only clunker of the evening were the fried dumplings, which we probably shouldn't have ordered. The wrappers were like cardboard and the filling lacked flavor.

The jus was too salty and really made this an odd dish.

The cheese plate was a nice dessert, but nothing really stood out.

This was a nice, not too fancy, solid meal. Not overly rich and quite satisfying. The service was relaxed and the folks were friendly. And the Missus enjoyed the wine. Check out the sitting area outside the restrooms downstairs!

It was just what we needed. We were saving our heftier meal for days when we'd be doing more walking.

Paul Restaurant
Johannesgasse 16
Vienna 1010, Austria

Speaking of walking, after dinner the Missus wanted to check out St Stephen's Cathedral.

Like many Cathedral's and Churches it's really difficult to get a complete and clear photo. It's just so impressive. There was quite a bit of work going on so we weren't able to see some things like the Turkish cannonball still stuck in a buttress dating back to the second Ottoman siege of Vienna in 1683.

I was later told that there's always preservation and restoration work going on at the Cathedral.

The doors were open when we arrived so we walked in. There was choir practice commencing when we entered. The darkness of the place gave it quite and eerie feel.

We noticed what seemed to be stones in netting above the center of the Cathedral. I later learned that this was a work by Austrian artist Peter Baldinger, named "Sky Full of Stones", you can read more about it here. We lingered for a few more moments, then headed out, taking one last "lap" around the exterior of the Cathedral.

We headed back to the apartment, walking through the park. There's quite a bit to see in the park, a wonderfully grand Historicist Music Hall, a children's playground, we'd use the U-Bahn Station when leaving Vienna, and of course, many monuments. On this evening, the Johann Strauss Monument shined brightly, piercing the darkness.

We got back to the apartment, did a load of laundry, checked emails and such, then headed off to sleep. According to our plans; the next day would be a full one.

Thanks for stopping by!