Ticking a few European cities off the list (Zurich, Vienna, Prague, Paris)

[Milboo]

 

[Milboo]

We started the next day with croissants and coffee again before setting off on foot heading up in the Invalides direction, meandering through side streets and produce stalls. As we came back down to the Quai, we saw a sign for the Batobus and decided to do the Seine cruise as both of us had a bit of foot fatigue going on!

We did the round trip, hopping off at Notre Dame and heading down the lanes behind the hotel to La Maison Blanc which had been recommended. It was a classic French bistro and packed at 3pm. The 3 course prix fixe was around €14 from memory - I had French onion soup, a piece of pork with green beans and creme brûlée. Nothing fancy but well cooked and tasty. I’d certainly recommend it.

After that it was time to grab the cases from the hotel and I took a taxi back to Gare de Lyon as I still had 4 days of conference left.

 

[Milboo]

 

[Milboo]

I have to admit I was surprised at the lack of security at Gare de Lyon in light of the recent attacks in Paris. There was no security to enter the station and I don’t recall seeing much in the way of security or police presence.

On a late Sunday afternoon, aside from being freezing, the station was absolutely packed with people.

By comparison my friend said Gare du Nord had security screening.

I had access to the TGV departures lounge but couldn’t actually find it so found a seat for the short wait I had. There is a piano in the station and there was a choir group singing which was quite enjoyable. Each time the boards ticked over with the next departure platform there was a scrum of people. We had a hike down the platform as there were 2 trains parked.

I found the TGV, and it’s business product to be very average and in hindsight would rather have flown. On the way to Paris we had a 5.30 departure and I had relied on this time and the website saying meals were served and didn’t grab anything to eat. We got served a tiny triangle of a sandwich and a request for a 2nd was rejected and a small chocolate mousse cup or fruit. That was the meal...finally had to schlepp to the Cafe cart. The toilets were foul.

On the way back we actually got served a 3 course dinner - similarly departure time too. Toilets were still to be avoided.

Frustrating you cannot select your seat when booking and it’s impossible to get it changed too.

 

[Major]

A very detailed TR

 

[craven morehead]

Really enjoying the read and accompanying photos. Cheers CM

 

[Cossie]

Wow, you have some great photos, I'm really enjoying this.

 

[Milboo]

Next up was Vienna - flying there from Geneva on Austrian Air.

It came down to the wire to catch the flight! I was held up in security and they were close to end of boarding after I raced the furthest possible distance through the terminal. Full flight but pretty short (around an hour) and seemed predominantly commuter in nature. Remote stand and bused in. By the time I stopped off at the bathroom and then got to the carousel, my suitcase was on a lonely circuit and no one else was in sight!

Met up with my friend and collected our Blacklane driver. Again - excellent service in an immaculate car.

We were staying at the Hilton Vienna Plaza, perfectly located on the Ringstrasse with a metro station right there and a tram stop out front. Hotel was really lovely - was upgraded to an executive level room (as Diamond member). Room was massive and had a great city view. Breakfast was the usual spread and quite good. Usually very busy. Executive lounge had reasonable spread in it but never had a host around.

Otherwise would highly recommend the hotel.

 

[Milboo]

We had not made much in the way of plans in Vienna - but were working around a couple of bookings.

In the morning we headed around to Stadtpark on the tram. Tip for young players is that you actually have to buy tickets! There is nothing in the tram stops and nothing on the trams and we saw no one validating tickets but turns out you have to buy them down in the Metro.

Tram ride around was spent a bit open mouthed at the sheer scale of the buildings as we headed past Parliament, Hofburg Palace, the Art History and Natural Science museums etc.

Stadtpark is quite nice to walk through - checked out the Mozart Statue, the music hall and the man hanging off the clock just outside the entrance.

 

[Milboo]

Reason for being in Stadtpark was for lunch at Steirereck which is Number 10 in the World Top 50 restaurants.

It was an amazing meal and service was outstanding. We went 4 course a la carte but they also bought out the canapés at the start (4 different ones) and also a take on petit fours based around honey - bringing the honey comb to the table too.

I opted for a classic schnitzel for main and it was so tender it melted in your mouth. I felt bad leaving half of it but it was huge.

I’ve never seen a better cheese cart or bread cart in my life. They had a bread made with crackling. Enough said! Then when I asked for a fresh mint tea at the end, out came the herb cart!

I would not hesitate to recommend a meal here. You will not be disappointed.

This is the menu - https://www.steirereck.at/en/restaurant/menu/pdf/lunch_at_steirereck.pdf

I had the courgette and spelt, the crayfish, the schnitzel and the soufflé. I choose before seeing the cheese cart and would have easily traded the courgette for a cheese course!

The pic below of the fish fillet is the Char - they bring out the fillet and do the theatre of setting it in the beeswax.

 

[Milboo]

We rolled out for there around 3 hours later! We decided we needed to walk it off so walked back around the Ringstrasse and stopped into the Xmas markets outside of the Art History Museum and then a bit further around at the big ones in from the the Town Hall.

Loved the Xmas atmosphere, the hot drinks etc. The one at the Town Hall were definitely the pick - lots of lights, an ice skating rink, much more variety, a Xmas tree that played music and certainly more popular.

Thankfully by then we were not too far from the hotel as it was about 6km of walking in the cold (about 3 degrees)! We also realised how early it got dark - generally by around 4pm.

 

[Milboo]

 

[Milboo]

Wow, you have some great photos, I'm really enjoying this.

Thank you @Cossie - I did take my proper camera with me but in the end just used my iPhone.

 

[OZDUCK]

Great photos - I certainly wouldn't have minded sharing that meal. That cheese board is more like a forest.

The man hanging off the clock would have to be a tribute to Harold Lloyd - a silent movie era comedian/actor. I will now have to go away and see why there is such a tribute in Vienna.

Edit: No apparent reason I can find just some architects or advertising mans idea I guess.

 

[JohnM]

B-b-b-b-but you didn't tell us about the wine at Steirereck .

 

[carls888]

Great TR, your photos are wonderful.
But that cheese cart....drrooooooool. And the bread!
Would you stay at the Paris hotel again? (it looks really cool)

 

[Milboo]

Great photos - I certainly wouldn't have minded sharing that meal. That cheese board is more like a forest.

The man hanging off the clock would have to be a tribute to Harold Lloyd - a silent movie era comedian/actor. I will now have to go away and see why there is such a tribute in Vienna.

Edit: No apparent reason I can find just some architects or advertising mans idea I guess.

I had massive cheese envy once I saw the trolley but I was so full that I could not do it justice.

Underneath the restaurant was their more casual one called Meierei Im Stadtpark and tucked in the back of that was a cheese room that you walked past when heading to the bathroom. This little puppy was sitting in the corner!

 

[Milboo]

B-b-b-b-but you didn't tell us about the wine at Steirereck .

I know! I had a fantastic Austrian Gin to start but I was unwell (for the whole part of this trip) and really couldn’t face the thought of wine.

 

[Milboo]

Great TR, your photos are wonderful.
But that cheese cart....drrooooooool. And the bread!
Would you stay at the Paris hotel again? (it looks really cool)

If I stayed in the same area then yes, I probably would. It was good value, can’t argue with location and proximity to metro.

 

[Milboo]

The idea to come to Vienna all came out of the fact that seeing the Lippizan stallions at the Spanish Riding School has been on my bucket list. And figured if we were going to do it, we’d get the best seats! These were in the Royal Box (which you can see behind the horses in the program picture I have stolen from the web below).

Being there in such grand surrounds really made you realise how young Australia is. I sat in the same Royal Box that the Royal family had sat in since around 1790.

I thoroughly enjoyed it. The skill and precision was phenomenal.

Tip for anyone looking to book - the website is not the easiest especially trying to book seats and then it likes to reject foreign credit cards. I just emailed them that I was having payment issues, they held the seats and I paid on collection before the performance.

No photography is allowed once the show starts.

Afterwards we spent the afternoon wandering central Vienna - around the Palace, down to the Albertina (didn't visit as no time which was disappointing as they had a Raphael exhibit on) and had lunch at the legendary Augustinekeller underneath. A rather delicious goulash (was about 4 degrees outside) and strudel.

Then headed to the pedestrian shopping mall - Kartnerstrasse and Kohlmarket - going past Hotel Sacher with lots of people queuing outside - at all 3 of the entries. They had opened a new cafe on the corner just that week.