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Exploring Europe 2023

March – August 2023
  • Debi Shaw
Our hearts belong to Italy, but with so many other amazing countries to explore, it is time to spread our wings and fly outside our comfort zone. Europe - here we come. Read more
  • Debi Shaw
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  • Debi ShawTravelerExploring Europe 2023

    We are on our way...

    March 25, 2023 in the United Arab Emirates ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    We are off.... on our extended European exploration. Italy has our hearts but there is so much more we haven't seen and want to see. Let's see if Italy is still our spiritual home after experiencing other European countries. Vienna we are on our way.Read more

  • Debi ShawTravelerExploring Europe 2023

    Vienna

    March 26, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    After a long night and day of flying we have finally arrived in Vienna, ready to start our European adventure. Sadly my first impression is not the best, as at first glance, Vienna is a city of construction and graffiti. It appears some major building, restoration and construction is taking place along the main street of Vienna and many of the smaller roads. In fact we walk out of our apartment into construction. Hopefully once we get a chance to explore further we will get to see and enjoy the historic buildings and sites without this distraction.

    Thankfully we checked into our apartment quickly, freshened up and ventured out to get our bearings. Seeing past the construction and graffiti (we just look up) the buildings are stunning and even the overcast skies didn’t deter from their beauty. Once again we are amazed by the age of these European towns.

    We had a brief stroll around to get a general feel for the place. Being a Sunday afternoon not a lot was open and after a bit of a walk we decided to get our first ice cream for this trip. It wasn’t our usual gelato but instead ice cream, and they certainly had some unique flavours, which of course we tried.

    Even though it was still early we decided to call it a day and get some well needed sleep so we are fresh and ready to hit the streets of Vienna with a vengeance tomorrow.    Read more

  • Debi ShawTravelerExploring Europe 2023

    Mariahilfer Kirche, Vienna

    March 27, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    We were up bright and early and ready explore. We had only just left our apartment and the first striking building we see is a church, and of course we go in. Mariahilfer Kirche is a simple but elegant Baroque church built between 1685 to 1689. The stunning altar, beautiful stain glass windows, intricate frescoes and amazing organ reminded us that we are back in Europe. They ”do religion” well here.Read more

  • Debi ShawTravelerExploring Europe 2023

    Volksgarten, Vienna

    March 27, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    Even though the skies were overcast and rain was forecast, we knew we had to venture out to see as much of Vienna as possible. What we didn’t take into consideration or expect, was how bitterly cold it got once the rain started.

    We did manage to find our way to the Volksgarten, passing some impressive buildings along the way. Due to construction and some kind of event set up we were unable to get close to the City Hall, which was on our list to check out.

    We did have a brief stop at the Austrian Parliament building and managed to admire and take some photos of the Pallas Athene Fountain while juggling umbrellas being blown inside out by the wind. We can only imagine how impressive this looks in the sunshine.

    We persisted in the bad weather and even had a quick stroll through the Volksgarten, known as the People’s Garden. As part of the Hofburg Palace, the gardens were built over the city fortifications that were destroyed by Napoleon in 1809. Even with the poor weather, we could see how beautiful these gardens will be once all the flowers bloom in Spring.    Read more

  • Debi ShawTravelerExploring Europe 2023

    Café Central, Vienna

    March 27, 2023 in Austria ⋅ 🌧 8 °C

    Established in 1876, Café Central was our stop for a warm cup of coffee and a break from the bitterly cold rain. Having it recommended as a place to try we even stood in line waiting to get in. Being the coffeehouse to revolutionaries, psychoanalysts (Freud) and numerous famous writers and poets throughout the years, it was worth the wait.

    Located inside a palatial mansion it’s decorative arched ceiling, ornate pastry counter, fabulous wait staff and delicious coffee and Viennese cakes made this the perfect place to relax and warm up. I had my first Viennese apple strudel and Brad tried a decadent chocolate cake, both of which were delicious.

    Our break here also coincided with a bit of an incident with a suitcase being abandoned at the entrance. Police were called and the people cleared from outside which did concern us. They left us inside and cleared the streets around the cafe. Obviously we were not that important to save, should it have been more than an abandoned suitcase. It was a bit of a nervous wait until the all clear was given. Just a bit of excitement while we enjoyed our coffee.    Read more

  • Debi ShawTravelerExploring Europe 2023

    Easter Markets, Vienna

    March 27, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    After our warm respite from the weather we headed out again to visit the nearby Easter Markets. Having experienced the Christmas markets in Europe we were hoping it would be a similar experience except the dismal weather was keeping everyone away.

    We did manage to tolerate the freezing weather long enough to have a quick look around, buy a pastries to enjoy later and some delicious cheese. It is the most expensive cheese we have ever purchased but thankfully the mixture of basil, pear and pine nuts made it worth it.

    One of the markets featured decorative eggs, eggs, eggs and more eggs with the centre stall displaying hundreds of them. If it wasn’t for the rain I would have spent more time checking them all out. The second Easter market featured more handcrafted items. With both the markets set amongst the historic buildings surrounding them, there was a lot to look at and admire, it is just a pity the rain made it difficult to enjoy. After a brisk walk through we finally gave in to the weather and caught a taxi back to our room to wait out the rain.    Read more

  • Debi ShawTravelerExploring Europe 2023

    Hofburg Palace, Vienna

    March 27, 2023 in Austria ⋅ 🌬 8 °C

    Thankfully the rain stopped and the clouds cleared so we raced out to try and see as much as possible while the weather was good. First stop was the Hofburg Palace. Located in the centre of Vienna it was built in the 13th century with several expansions added over time.

    It is the former principal imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty and since 1946 is the official residence and workplace of the president of Austria.

    While we didn’t tour the inside of this spectacular building we admired the vastness, the stunning architecture, the intricate statues and how impressive it all is.    Read more

  • Debi ShawTravelerExploring Europe 2023

    St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna

    March 27, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    Final stop for today before the weather turned again was the magnificent St. Stephen's Cathedral. It is quite odd coming across it in the “shopping precinct”, nestled between another historic building and an ultra modern one.

    Founded in 1137 the partially constructed Romanesque church was dedicated in 1147 to Saint Stephen. Although the first structure was completed in 1160, major reconstruction and expansion lasted until 1511, and repair and restoration projects continue to the present day.

    St. Stephen's Cathedral has borne witness to many important events in Habsburg and Austrian history and has, with its multi-coloured tile roof, become one of the city's most recognizable symbols. The exterior of this church is adorned with stone statues, gargoyles and intricate stone work on the great tower but it’s most outstanding feature is the beautiful mosaic roof. Due to the weather it was not possible to climb the tower to see this stunning roof in more detail.

    Inside the church is not as adorned as many we have seen before but the simplicity of the many vaulted ceiling make it quite striking. There is a feeling of richness even though it isn’t filled with statues of gold. Even the stained glass windows were simple in their design. I can imagine when it isn’t filled with tourist, but instead filled with a congregation in worship it would have quite a serene feel.    Read more

  • Debi ShawTravelerExploring Europe 2023

    Naschmarkt, Vienna

    March 28, 2023 in Austria ⋅ 🌬 4 °C

    We woke today to another freezing day and actually had snow. Apparently quite unusual weather, with the previous week's temps being in the 20’s. Today with the wind chill it was again sub-zero.

    We rugged up and ventured out to explore the Naschmarkt, Vienna’s most famous and apparently most luxurious food and produce market. Operating since the 16th century it now offers a vast array of fresh foods, baked goods and plenty of restaurants and cafes. With the weather being overcast and us Australians being out and about too early, most of the stalls were not yet open and it really didn’t seem super luxurious like advertised. Once the heavens opened and snow began to fall we decided we needed to find somewhere for a warm breakfast. I will admit we did get a thrill being out in the snow fall, it was pretty magical, cold but magical.

    With not many places being open in the market we ventured across the road to the Cafe Savoy. The cafe dates back to 1896 and had a beautiful, historic feel to it. It also has two mirrors said to be the largest in Europe. It was the perfect place to warm up and enjoy a delicious breakfast before heading back to our apartment to wait out the bad weather.    Read more

  • Debi ShawTravelerExploring Europe 2023

    Saint Anne’s Church, Vienna

    March 28, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    This evening we attended a concert by a stringed quartet at St Anne’s church. St. Anne's chapel existed since 1320 and in 1518 the Gothic church was consecrated on the occasion of Saint Anne’s Day. A relic of Saint Anne, her right hand, is exhibited in the church.

    The concert itself was an experience to remember as musicians from renowned Viennese orchestras played complete works from Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven and Schubert on period instruments thus recreating the atmosphere of the golden age of the Viennese Classic Era. The way the music echoed through the church’s elaborate interior was pretty special. The only down side was the thin hard church pews that even the provided cushions couldn’t cover. We will blame the seating as to why we are not church goers.

    After the concert we tried to get dinner, but of the few places we tried, their kitchens had already closed. It was too cold to walk around town to find a place to eat, so we returned to our apartment for an apple, pretzels and a coffee. One thing we have discovered is that Vienna does not appear to have a vibrant night life or food culture. Maybe it is a seasonal thing and we are here when the weather is still too cool.    Read more

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