I''m sure you're all holding your breath for Prague, but I'm home now and jet lag is kicking my butt!
So, to tide you over, I've added more photos to the Vienna pages. Scroll down to the first day in Vienna to see more!
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
March 8, 2007 Vienna to Prague
Prague
$1=21 Czech Crowns (kr)
We have breakfast and then take the metro to the Sudbahnhof train station for our train to Prague. On the metro, I figure out we have to switch to a surburban rail train to get to our station. This is a bit confusing, but we finally find the right one and get there with plenty of time to spare.
When the train arrives, it’s made up of the same type of 6 seat compartment car as our trip from Budapest, as well as cars with airline style seats. We had specifically asked for non-smoking seats but unfortunately our reserved seats turned out to be in a smoking car. We move to another compartment in another car as the train almost empty. The trip is uneventful with the exception of having our passports and tickets checked twice. I never noticed this before, but immigration stamps on the train have a little train on them, and airport arrivals have a plane. My passport only has two unstamped pages left, but it expires next year, so I think this will be it.
At the Prague Holesovice train station I go to an ATM which dispenses a single 2000 kr note ($100). What a pain to use/break. We exit the (seedy) train station to try and find the Metro and end up at an Information center where we can buy metro tickets and thus, break the huge bill.
The Metro system is complicated here-ticket prices are based on number of stations, transfers, and time spent on the metro, bus or tram. Make sure you read up before you buy. We decide a 3 day pass is not for us and this ends up being a good choice.
$1=21 Czech Crowns (kr)
We have breakfast and then take the metro to the Sudbahnhof train station for our train to Prague. On the metro, I figure out we have to switch to a surburban rail train to get to our station. This is a bit confusing, but we finally find the right one and get there with plenty of time to spare.
When the train arrives, it’s made up of the same type of 6 seat compartment car as our trip from Budapest, as well as cars with airline style seats. We had specifically asked for non-smoking seats but unfortunately our reserved seats turned out to be in a smoking car. We move to another compartment in another car as the train almost empty. The trip is uneventful with the exception of having our passports and tickets checked twice. I never noticed this before, but immigration stamps on the train have a little train on them, and airport arrivals have a plane. My passport only has two unstamped pages left, but it expires next year, so I think this will be it.
At the Prague Holesovice train station I go to an ATM which dispenses a single 2000 kr note ($100). What a pain to use/break. We exit the (seedy) train station to try and find the Metro and end up at an Information center where we can buy metro tickets and thus, break the huge bill.
The Metro system is complicated here-ticket prices are based on number of stations, transfers, and time spent on the metro, bus or tram. Make sure you read up before you buy. We decide a 3 day pass is not for us and this ends up being a good choice.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
March 7, 2007
In the morning our plan is to take the metro out to Schonbrunn Palace, but first we make a stop at an internet cafe just below Kartner Ring on Kartnerstrasse 61. It's 2.20 euro for 30 min and you have to pay ion advance. If your time runs out, you lose anything you have on the screen, so be careful. For some reason, I could not see thumbnails of my photos so I couldn't post any, even though they do have USB drives. Everything was in German, all websites, keyboards, etc.
We take the Green line, the U4 to Schonbrunn Palace. It's a massive place, and given that it was the Hapsburg "summer homer" there is some repetition with the Hofburg. We tour the apartments with the audio guide (provided with the tickets) and then walk over to the zoo, which is why we really came out here anyway. The zoo has a pair of Giant Pandas which fascinate my mother.
The map in the guide does not indicate the zoo entrance and we end up walking much farther than needed though the gardens.
The zoo itself is interesting-it's in the Baroque style and the oldest zoo in the world, founded in 1752. The enclosures aren't as big as I'd like to see for the animals, but they are certainly not the worst. We're fortunate to see the Pandas up and lolling about, eating bamboo. But for me, even better was to be able to get right next to a lounging cheetah who was resting up against a glass window. It's an absolutely magnificent cat, and I just wanted to scratch his head. I do miss my house kitties.
Before we leave, we also check out the Palm house, a large glass greenhouse. We don't walk up to the Gloriette, which supposedly has fantastic views because we are just too tired.
Back in town, we make a quick stop at the eye doctor, who says my mom's eye is much better. We also go to the famous Cafe Central just down the block from the doc for to coffee and apple strudel which is good and served warm but has rum and nuts in it.
Note; the following was originally posted to Cafe Demel, but really belongs to the Central.
Here, I get to participate in that most Viennese cafe pastime, reading the newspaper. They have my favorite, the International Herald Tribune, on one of the sticks on which the newspapers hang. This is a very civilized way to read the paper; the newspapers are attached to a long post with metal clips. There's also a metal backing which allows the reader to hold the paper open with one hand while sipping coffee with the other.
For dinner, we walk around the city for almost an hour and eventually end up right across the street from the hotel at the 650 year old (yes, it was originally built as an Inn in 1447!) Griechenbeisl. I'm a little skeptical about eating here, and not hugely hungry, but we decide to give it a go anyway.
We are pleasantly surprised. I have a Pilsner Urquell beer, which was introduced to the world here in 1852 and a bowl of "griessnockersuppe". Mom has a nice glass of red wine and perfectly cooked lamb chops which are served with a very tasty potato and leek side dish. With a small bowl of ice cream and tip, dinner was around 50 euro.
Pedometer reading for day 6-7 miles
We take the Green line, the U4 to Schonbrunn Palace. It's a massive place, and given that it was the Hapsburg "summer homer" there is some repetition with the Hofburg. We tour the apartments with the audio guide (provided with the tickets) and then walk over to the zoo, which is why we really came out here anyway. The zoo has a pair of Giant Pandas which fascinate my mother.
The map in the guide does not indicate the zoo entrance and we end up walking much farther than needed though the gardens.
The zoo itself is interesting-it's in the Baroque style and the oldest zoo in the world, founded in 1752. The enclosures aren't as big as I'd like to see for the animals, but they are certainly not the worst. We're fortunate to see the Pandas up and lolling about, eating bamboo. But for me, even better was to be able to get right next to a lounging cheetah who was resting up against a glass window. It's an absolutely magnificent cat, and I just wanted to scratch his head. I do miss my house kitties.
Before we leave, we also check out the Palm house, a large glass greenhouse. We don't walk up to the Gloriette, which supposedly has fantastic views because we are just too tired.
Back in town, we make a quick stop at the eye doctor, who says my mom's eye is much better. We also go to the famous Cafe Central just down the block from the doc for to coffee and apple strudel which is good and served warm but has rum and nuts in it.
Note; the following was originally posted to Cafe Demel, but really belongs to the Central.
Here, I get to participate in that most Viennese cafe pastime, reading the newspaper. They have my favorite, the International Herald Tribune, on one of the sticks on which the newspapers hang. This is a very civilized way to read the paper; the newspapers are attached to a long post with metal clips. There's also a metal backing which allows the reader to hold the paper open with one hand while sipping coffee with the other.
For dinner, we walk around the city for almost an hour and eventually end up right across the street from the hotel at the 650 year old (yes, it was originally built as an Inn in 1447!) Griechenbeisl. I'm a little skeptical about eating here, and not hugely hungry, but we decide to give it a go anyway.
We are pleasantly surprised. I have a Pilsner Urquell beer, which was introduced to the world here in 1852 and a bowl of "griessnockersuppe". Mom has a nice glass of red wine and perfectly cooked lamb chops which are served with a very tasty potato and leek side dish. With a small bowl of ice cream and tip, dinner was around 50 euro.
Pedometer reading for day 6-7 miles
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