Meierei im Stadtpark

To celebrate the end of a lovely Christmas holiday my suggestion was to go for a stroll downtown and have a glass of Sekt and a little something. Hasi picked this idea up, thought for a little while, made a secret phone call and got very mysterious.

Then we set off to the City centre for our little stroll, discovering that Vienna still is a tiny bit christmassy.

And I suddenly found myself in the "Meierei im Stadtpark". What a nice surprise! This restaurant is a branch of Vienna´s famous "Steirereck am Stadtpark", an extremely expensive top-restaurant which has absolutely overwhelming food, but also overwhelming prices. For a 4 course menue with wine you pay around Euro 200,- per person which is really breathtaking and might be something for a special SPECIAL celebration - but not for something you do on the fly and just because you feel like a glass of Sekt! The Meierei is different, it is in the same house as its "Big Brother", the prices are rather decent, they serve typical Viennese cooking (in "Steirereck"-style) and they specialize in cheese. If you are interested you may want to check  http://www.steirereck.at/.

I finally got my glass of Sekt! Followed by Cray soup for starter and Gulasch as main course.

To finish our pampering we made the terrible, terrible mistake to order the small cheese plate twice. When we asked if it would be big, because we felt quite full already, he said, "Oh no!" and we believed him. Bad, bad.... When he came with our order I first thought this would be the cheese from which to chose, but then he said, "I gave you a bit more, so you can have a nice taste." And this is what he came with...

While we were quiet in shock he told us how to proceed: Start at six o´clock and work your way up clockwise, then make a right into the center and end with the "Kracher" right in the middle. Let me just say we only made it up to 12 o´clock.

Anyway, the lovely relaxed staff allowed us a doggy bag, and we staggered out with the last few kilos of cheese which our inspired waiter called "a nice dinner tonight". Yes, for the next month or so....

Summary: Great place, great service. And lessons learned! If you like cheese then forget the main course and let the starter be followed by one of the hillarious cheese platters. We will go again and I recommend you to hit the place when you are in the area! But book a table in advance!

New Year´s Eve 2012/2013

This New Year´s Eve we did not escape to Switzerland, this year we stood our ground at home. We usually don´t go out on the 31st of December, we don´t go to parties or to restaurants, and the "Silvesterpfad" in downtown Vienna is also a no-go. To many weirdos out there who throw fireworks or empty bottles into the crowds.

I guess you can say we refuse to celebrate when everybody else is celebrating. And by doing so we usually have a Raclette or a Fondue, drink champagne and organize a little firework at midnight. (Glad to have founded a tradition in Finnland as well! When we went there for New Year´s Eve a couple of years ago Stefan insisted on a firework at midnight. Everybody went "oh nooo" and "we don´t want that" - and today they organize their own firework at the Summer house, even when we are not there. He, he.)



Eating, chatting and watching TV amused us until midnight, then it was time for some rock´n´roll outside.

 

 

And afterwards some more champagne, chatting and eating all the things you need to eat to have lots and lots of luck in the New Year.

 

 

Hope you all had a great one too! HAPPY 2013!!

Merry Christmas and Happy 2013!

Dear friends and readers,

Another year has flashed by, and boy what a ride it was! So many ups and downs, so many things happening... I feel a bit tired now, cannot wait for some relaxing times and I am not sad to see the old year go. May the new year be a bit slower and a bit less action-packed. The weather has changed over here shortly before Christmas, last night we had icy rain, and all the trees were wrapped in ice, today everything is melting. Maybe a sign for a change of attitude in the New Year?

I wish you all a very warm, comfy, cozy and happy MERRY CHRISTMAS and for 2013 lots and lots of good health and good times! And now it is time for the kiddos to take over. They are in real party mood and cannot wait to wish you all the best for the festive season themselves!

Longfield Gospel and Christmas market at the Belvedere

Vienna has so many Christmas markets that we did not have a clue about the Christmas market in front of the Belvedere. Tourists probably prefer the markets downtown and Austrians do not know - but I guess this will change soon because it is beautiful!

Yesterday Longfield Gospel hosted a Christmas concert there, and it was the perfect surrounding and the perfect atmosphere.

The stage was right in front of the Upper Belvedere, but there were so many people there that I did not see anything at all!! Grrr, old friend Sigi and new friend Riki are members of the choir (and rumor has it I might be too soon) and I would have loved to see them in action, but even though I am so terribly tall it was impossible.

So we sneaked behind the market booths and got glimpses from there. The Longfield project basically started as a choir of amateurs who simply wanted to have fun with singing, but meanwhile they have accomplished a very high level of expertise and perform in many concerts each year. The music yesterday was a mixture of thriving African rythms and well-know Christmas songs, and everybody loved it. Come see them yourself nexttime!

And afterwards it is a good opportunity to do a little bit of Christmas shopping. The booths offer traditional goods, and the atmosphere is more christmassy than you find it e.g. at the Market before Schönbrunn Castle.

 And the setting, no doubt, is wonderful. They even have lights on the lake.....

It was quite cold yesterday, so we all came with lots of layers. And I was wearing my conelike arctic coat, in which I need to be helped back up to my feet again when dropping to the side like a bowling pin. But it is cosy and warm. Sigi obviously was freezing when she got home, but due to Doctor´s orders she is fine today, her voice has not suffered and she will continue to be one of the stars of Longfield!

What a great evening just before Christmas! Thank you, Longfield, and thank you, friends! See you at the next concert - or hopefully much earlier!

Copenhagen - Canal Tour and Tivoli

We are back in Copenhagen, and this time I want to tell you more about the place itself.

If you want to do your decent share of sightseeing you need to go into Copenhagen downtown. The metro station you want to get off is "Kongens Nytorv", being one of only two metro stations in the actual city. As much as I loved everything else, the public transport system is not very good, they do not have a lot of stations, and the maior tourist sights are not well or not at all connected. Like a Finnish friend of mine said, "Well, guess why they all ride their bikes??" So if you travel to Copenhagen just reckon with a lot of walking (and a lot of looking for directions and signs that are not there). The good news: They build a metro station at the Townhall at the moment, to connect this area to the public transport system.

When we got off one of the first things we saw was a flower market. We had minus degrees and it was a lovely sight! Nowhere in the more Southern countries I have seen anything like that in the Winter months....

On Gammel Strand (yes, this is its real name) you find one of two Cannel Tour stations (the other one is at Nyhavn, check www.canaltours.dk, you can easily book online, which is what we did). I always find roundtrips very useful to give you a first orientation in a city and also a first look at it. In Copenhagen of course you get the hop-on-hop-off-busses as well, but if there are waterways I always prefer those.

From Gammel Strand station you have a view on the island of Slotsholmen, most prominently on this picture you find the Stock exchange which is most famous for its Dragon Steeple, representing four dragons, their tails intwining and forming it. It is actually just next to Christiansborg Slot, where you can find the Houses of Parliament. In Summer time the boats go almost nonstop from this station, in Winter there are about 5 tours a day, and you will find a marker here telling you when the next boat is going, which is about each 1.15 hrs. But with such a fine view waiting is easy - and we only had to wait for half an hour or so. (You do not find the times in the internet, so don´t bother.)

The boats are fabulous! They are extremely flat because they have to be able to pass underneath
the sometimes extremely low and narrow bridges. The guide on board will tell you like a zillion times to be extremely cautious and watch your head - in Summer time, when the boats are open, I am sure this is absolutely necessary! Even now I saw people hopping up and down outside and almost missing the low bridges coming up. But it is not the guide´s fault, she really tries to keep you alive!

The boat takes you on a tour of the most important parts of Copenhagen. Like for example Nyhavn - "Newhaun" as it is actually pronounced - a dead end with historical boats anchoring, in Winter time they have a Christmas market there and in Summer many restaurants attract lots of customers.

They also take you out into the Harbour area, where part of it is military area and therefore closed to public. (The Cormoran did not seem to bother though.) The Denish people claim that their Navy is the oldest in the world.

This is the Danish Opera House. It is located opposite Amalienborg Slot (which is where Queen Margarethe is residing, but  I will show Amalienborg to you some other time) on the island of Holmen. Building it was extremely expensive, but, I don´t know.... for me an opera house as to be old-fashioned, not stylish..... But this is just personal taste!

On this tour you also get to see the Little Mermaid looking out into the harbour, but you see her only from the back, so I will also tell you more about here some other time. Instead I want to show you how narrow and low the bridges are when they take you back into the city, this time into the Christianshavn area.

And as you can see the weather had improved dramatically! So when we got off at Gammel Strand again we could explore the Christmas market there.

Here you are extremely close to the Stroget, the main shopping street of Copenhagen, it is a pedestrian zone, so walking is very comfortable, and the shops (e.g. the Illum) you find there are really nice. The Stroget takes you down to the Townhall and the Tivoli, which is exactly why we followed it.

Don´t ask me what these poor people did here, just clad in colours instead of a warm coat. They did some movie shooting there and I dare say that the Denish film is just as akward as the Austrian one....

Behind the Townhall you will find the H.C. Andersen Boulevard (yip! yip! yip!), and after crossing it you are at the Tivoli! It is Copenhagen´s amusement park with the same rustic flair as for example Coney Island, and each year before Christmas they set up their famous Christas market there. For us a new experience, because the roller coasters and caroussels are still working, but you also find litte booths for Christmas shopping, Christmas gloegg.... We paid 200 crowns just to get in (just to get in, mind!), so food and if you want to go on any of the rides is extra) but believe me it is worth it. Just remember to go there by night, and you will be overwhelmed. It is just sparkles and lights and wonders.....

I leave you here now with a few images of the Christmas market at Tivoli by night, it is phantastic. See you really soon and enjoy!

Copenhagen - Hotel and some recommendations

I definately wanted to go to Denmark for quite a while with actually two main reasons behind.

1) I was in London businesswise in July 2005 when terrorists targeted the public transport system and several bombs exploded in the tubes and on busses in the morning rush hour. The only reason why I was not in one of the tubes on fire was my kind collegue from Denmark, coming up to me in the lobby of the hotel, smiling and saying, "I am so old, they pay me a taxi to go to the conference venue. Do you want to join me? There is room in the car!" So I went with her and was lucky not to get blown up. (Other collegues went by tube this morning and definately had stories to tell, many of them about fire and explosion.) This warmed me up for Denmark and its very kind people enormously.

2) For my thesis I had to do a lot of research on Hans Christian Andersen, and while reading his diaries I learned a lot about Denmark, its rough sea and its long, cold Winters at warm fireplaces. So this wish built up inside me to go and see it all for myself.

It was a very early flight but the cool thing is: From Vienna you are in Copenhagen at 8.30 a.m. and have a full day ahead.

Our hotel was the BELLA SKY COMWELL, a very stylish hotel, only recently built, and we learned that it won "Best Architecture in Europe” at the International Hotel Awards, which is actually no surprise if you see it for yourself. http://www.bellaskycomwell.dk/hotelsite2011/frontpage/?gclid=CN2YnNbRlLQCFcq9zAoduEsAhw

The Nordic people definately have a feeling for design - just think of Finnland´s Iittala or Marimekko, or IKEA from Sweden - and just the same is found in Denmark. The difference to the often stylish but cold design I found in many other places of the world like e.g. Miami Beach with its loads of glass and coolness: The design in the Nordic countries is mostly very practical and still comfy at the same time.

Everywhere were lights and green - real green by the way, no plastic stuff - and the staff of the hotel was extremely friendly. And if you sat on one of the design chair it was always comfy.

Our room of course was the same. Stylish but so very comfortable! The best shower in the world, and the bed was heaven.

I need not say anything more about the skybar. Comfy seats, wonderful view, lovely staff, nice drinks.

The hotel is situated in an area outside Copenhagen which they probably want to build up. The station (bus and metro) is called Bella Center, but actually we did not see much of a center except our hotel. Still it only takes you 15 minutes to the very center of Copenhagen, which is fabulous of course! But still you can take photos like this just by stepping outside....

 

 

I definately would recommend this hotel any time, we really, really loved it.

 

Food is ridiculously expensive in Denmark, I was told that it is the high taxes, and I guess the people living there cope with it and have an income that is adapted. But if you come from a non-nordic country (except Switzerland or Japan) it really is ridiculous. A nice sandwich and a coke easily can come up to 100 Denish Crowns, which would be around € 14,-. So you better make sure that you book your hotel with breakfast, and I assure you you won´t be disappointed. Nowhere in Scandinavia I ever got a breakfast buffet that was not ample and with everything you could think of and wish for.

 

 

And there is something else I recommend in Denmark: The Yam-yam chain! It is basically an Asian food chain that offers a certain number of dishes, you simply chose if you want noodles or rice and which of the dishes on top, you will find Chicken Tikka Masala, Yellow Thai Curry, aso. And believe me: Outside Asia I have never had better Asian food! You smell the fresh ingredients, taste the Coconut milk... and it is actually a bargain compaired to a "real" restaurant. It is to go, but you can also sit down and enjoy it right there.

 

 

Yes, shopping is an issue in Denmark! In Copenhagen you find lots of great (and wonderfully decorated) shops and department stores - the most popular being the famous "Illum" - and people definately enjoy going shopping there. Of course it is expensive for non-Scandinavians, but of course you can get a tax exempt any time. We bought a little something for me, but I will officially only get it at Christmas. *smile* Usually people go to places like New York or London for Christmas shopping, that is fine of course, but try Copenhagen the next time!

 

 

The Christmas spirit is anywhere to be found in this lovely country, so do come here in Winter time and enjoy it! Go with the flow, experience the very special flair and get to know Denmark and its kind people! We certainly loved it and are absolutely happy that we chose exactly this time of the year to come here. Here you see the Townhall and its Christmas tree, so I am really close now to tell you more of the sights and the place itself. More to come soon.

 

 

Until then: Have a good time!

More good times

The last week has flown by, but as I want to memorize it all here is a small potpourri of photos. Blogs are great!

Our small hop to Bad Mitterndorf was really nice. We had the first of snow, not too much to be annoying, but enough to make us feel warm and cozy inside!

A chit-chat with good friends. It was some effort to get the three of us on the photo - thanks for pressing the button, Tschü! And please all: Give a warm hand to Julia in the background - I thought I knew the ranking of people who really, REALLY do not want to be photographed, but Julia tops them all! She could not escape though because I was blocking the seat. *wicked grin*

Celebrating my mother-in-law´s birthday at the same place as always. (I don´t know, but food was too heavy somehow, maybe we should try something else next time.)

She got this (in addition to a tv and dvd recorder, but it did not follow us to the Wöglerin.) Happy birthday, Moni!

Tea and the best brownies in the world at Meindl am Graben. Check: http://www.meinlamgraben.at/page.aspx. And if you are there, really, have one of the brownies. They melt in your mouth...

Right nextdoor is the 2nd largest Louis Vuitton shop worldwide! Doing some windowshopping was nice - but wait until I am back!

At St. Stephens they were celebrating mass when we stepped in, so I do not know if the colours are like this all the time or only during mass. Anyway it came as a surprise!

We also went to an Asian restaurant for some very nice Corean dim sum, followed by Sushi.

And then the 1st of Advent was there. It arrived quite unexpectedly, four weeks to go until Christmas!

Have a wonderful Vorweihnachtszeit! You better watch out, you better not cry - Santa and the Christkind are just around the corner!