To Vienna and Beyond

October - November 2023

A 15-day adventure by Thomas & Beth Read more

15footprints
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15days
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11.4kmiles
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To Vienna and Beyond
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- Oct 20, 2023, 3:36pm
- ☀️ 64 °F
- Altitude: 177 ft
- Canada Quebec Montreal Cathédrale Christ Church 45.503188, -73.56980645°30’11” N 73°34’11” W
Day 1
Oh Canada!
October 20, 2023 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F
We've left the USA. Now the fun begins.
Nestor Perea Bon voyage good friends!
10/22/23Reply
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To Vienna and Beyond
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- Oct 20, 2023, 3:30pm
- ☀️ 57 °F
- Altitude: 709 ft
- United States Illinois Cook County Loop 41.8874, -87.631841°53’15” N 87°37’54” W
Day 1
Wheels up in MSP
October 20, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F
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To Vienna and Beyond
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- Oct 21, 2023, 8:43am
- ⛅ 61 °F
- Altitude: 627 ft
- Austria Lower Austria Fischamend Fischamend-Markt Vienna International Airport 48.118419, 16.56094248°7’6” N 16°33’39” E
Day 2
Vienna International
October 21, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F
One the other side of the gastronomic coin, the Viennese love their beer with breakfast 😜
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To Vienna and Beyond
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- Oct 21, 2023, 8:45am
- ⛅ 61 °F
- Altitude: 630 ft
- Austria Lower Austria Fischamend Fischamend-Markt Vienna Airport railway station 48.118537, 16.56118248°7’7” N 16°33’40” E
Day 2
Johann Strauss bistro
October 21, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F
Guten morgen von Wien!
See translation
Nestor Perea Let us know if the croissants are good. I tend to live on them when in Europe. So soft and buttery.
10/22/23Reply
Traveler Nestor, I make a mean croissant....all have been fabulous!
10/22/23Reply
Traveler I had the cinnamon cardomom roll in the background. Buttery goodness indeed,
10/22/23Reply
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To Vienna and Beyond
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- Oct 21, 2023
- ⛅ 75 °F
- Altitude: 781 ft
- Austria Vienna Inner city Hietzing Gloriette 48.178228, 16.30878648°10’42” N 16°18’32” E
Day 2
First day in Vienna
October 21, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F
We sent our first, and slightly woozy, first day in Vienna walking though the Schoenbrunn Palace grounds. Just trying to stay awake until nighttime. We more or less succeeded. 👍

The Schoenbrunn Palace is the historic summer palace of the Hapsburg rulers. It is now a volkspark, ie park for the people.Read more
Nestor Perea I love the fact that you are sharing your trip!
10/22/23Reply
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To Vienna and Beyond
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- Oct 23, 2023, 11:35am
- ☁️ 59 °F
- Altitude: 627 ft
- Austria Vienna Inner city Vienna Kärntnertortheater (historical)48.204318, 16.36927248°12’16” N 16°22’9” E
1
Day 4
Old Vienna,
October 23, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F
Touring the old city ring. The
Nestor Perea ❤️
10/23/23Reply
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To Vienna and Beyond
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- Oct 23, 2023, 11:46am
- ☁️ 59 °F
- Altitude: 627 ft
- Austria Vienna Inner city Vienna Kärntnertortheater (historical)48.204336, 16.36927948°12’16” N 16°22’9” E
Day 4
Alt stadt Vienna
October 23, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F
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To Vienna and Beyond
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- Oct 26, 2023
- 🌧 59 °F
- Altitude: 945 ft
- Germany Baden-Württemberg Region Freiburg Freiburg St. Martin 47.996096, 7.84940147°59’46” N 7°50’58” E
Day 7
Catching Up...
October 26, 2023 in Germany ⋅ 🌧 59 °F
It's been a fast and furious last few days! Saturday in Vienna I skipped the first day of my meeting (theoretically the reason we're here 😉). Went to Hofburg in the center of the city. A huge complex of buildings built in stages going back to medieval times, it houses among many things the Spanish Riding School, where we saw the famous Lipazzaner stallions perform what could be best described as a ballet on 4 hooves. (The fact that it is the Spanish and not Austrian school is a cool story worth looking up.)

The Hofburg complex was also the seat of the Habsburg dynasty, and the former winter palace of the king and Princess (not queen). There we went to the SISI museum, named after the nickname of Princess Elisabeth, Sisi, who was the husband of King Franz Ferdinand. She was truly one of the "beautiful people" of the day, much as Princess Diana was. There we learned about her and her husband, and toured the royal palace.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning I attended the reason for coming, the International Symposium on Tick-Borne Pathogens and Disease, ITPD. Droll sounding I know, but actually fascinating as while I knew Europe has many of the diseases carried by ticks here such as Lyme disease, I had no idea they are found throughout Europe, and not restricted to the N. Midwest & NE here. Thus it is a much bigger public health problem for Europeans.

We've made it to Freiburg im Breisgau in the heart of the Black Forest, in SW Germany. There's a story to tell there about the trip but I'll leave it for now.

Peace.Read more
Nestor Perea Great recap and pictures. I know I would have like hearing the seminar topics especially any on viruses. Glad you are enjoying the use of FindPenguins. Keep them coming.
10/26/23Reply
Traveler Yes, and thanks for turning us on to it. Actually there is one TBD we don't have, Tick Borne Encephalitis (TBE). It's widespread, and has ~= 1% mortality. Also leaves people with cognitive impairment often too. Much like our mosquito-borne encephalitis viruses, Eastern Equine, St. Louis, etc. Fortunately there is an effective vaccine (and apparently not many anti-vaxxer nut jobs either.)
10/26/23Reply
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To Vienna and Beyond
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- Oct 26, 2023
- ☁️ 64 °F
- Altitude: 699 ft
- Austria Vienna Inner city Vienna Stephansplatz 48.208359, 16.37250448°12’30” N 16°22’21” E
Day 7
Our trip from Vienna
October 26, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F
So here's the story, no, saga, of our trip from Vienna to Freiburg via Frankfurt. On Wednesday afternoon we were to take a fast train from Vienna to Frankfurt. Once there we were to pick up a rental car, stay the night, and then get an early start for Freiburg. We hadn't reserved seats and when we got on the train people were sitting in the aisles. Since it's a 5.5h trip we didn't want to join them. (As we found out later there were seats amongst all the full seats and the aisle-sitters actually preferred to "slum it".) The tickets were good for the next train only so we stepped off and hoped to have better luck on the 2nd train. Come to find out there was no 2nd train! Long story short we had to buy 1st class tickets to get reserved seats on the last train of the day, which turned out to be painfully expensive 😱😭.

When we got into F'furt at 00:30am and walked out of the station it felt a bit like a third world country! Multi-culti, bustling, and noisy. Turns out that F'furt is a hub for travellers, both those of some means like us, and also for the multitude of backpack wearing, hostel-staying vagabonds. Warily we walked the few blocks to our hotel, which was very clean and snug, showered up and conked out.

Next morning we awaken at 10:30, not having set an alarm (duh). We were supposed to pick up the rental across from the station at 8am and so I sez "Oh shit I hope they still have a car!". We throw on our clothes and as Beth finishes packing I hoof it to the rental agency. After much discussion of "no we can't find your reservation", "Yes I called yesterday" to "well you must have called the hot line" (meaning what exactly?) to "here's my confirmation email so there!" we got our car. All smiles and "danke schoens" all 'round in the end☺️. Hit the road for Freiburg, not having a bite to eat until 1pm.

The car is a Opel hatchback, like a VW Golf in size. Stick shift too (whee!). A dog around town but amazingly it's geared for the highway and does quite well for itself there.

No pics of F'furt so I'll leave you with one of our special friends. 🛸

Next up, Tommy's first experience on the famed German autobahnen 😎Read more
Traveler Wow, that is an adventure. Just a heads up those backpack wearing vagabond hostel going could have been your daughter 🤣. Hope driving the autobahn was fun
10/26/23Reply
Nestor Perea What a story! Frankfurt can be a handfull; Frankfurt am Main Flughafen is an overwhelming polace. But glad you got to your hotel and rental car. Driving the ‘bahn is a blast! Careful for the camera cops on the exits.
10/26/23Reply
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To Vienna and Beyond
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- Oct 26, 2023
- Altitude: 945 ft
- Germany Baden-Württemberg Region Freiburg Freiburg St. Martin 47.996096, 7.84940147°59’46” N 7°50’58” E
1
Day 7–8
Freiburg im Breisgau
October 26, 2023 in Germany
Well, we've made it to Nurburg, but that's for another post! Beth and I spent Thursday and Friday in Freiburg im Breisgau. In the heart of the Black Forest, this is a delightful city. In contrast to the gritty feel of Frankfurt, at least where we were, F'burg is the quintessential European town city. The streets are filled with bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages. The hotel we are in (and the one in Frankfurt too) we're what I'd call IKEA modern, small, but very comfortable.

There are no supermarkets, and every food store has delicious breads of all types, freshly sliced meats and cheeses, and truly beautiful fruits and vegetables. And all for very reasonable prices. Nary a slice of Wonderbread to be seen. This is because I think supermarkets didn't take hold here and the old markets remained. Of course we can again get these foods at Marianos or Whole Foods but have to pay $$$.

It was rainy both days, mostly drizzle, and in the 50s but we were dressed for it. Felt a lot like Seattle. Walked the town market which is held midday Monday - Saturday year-round. Saw some churches, drank some, ate some.

Enjoy the pics. Freiburg bächle are channels with clean flowing water from the hills above. Kids come to float boats in them, and adults chill wine and water houses plants in them.Read more
Nestor Perea 😎
10/28/23Reply
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