Vienna
Next up? Vienna.
On our drive to Vienna, our Peugeot's navigation system decided that we wanted to drive every tiny back road in rural Czech Republic. Days later, we discovered that the default rule for guiding us from Point A to Point B was to NOT (!!!) allow toll roads. (Normally, when you ask for the quickest route somewhere, the default setting on a navigation system allows toll roads!! Of course, once we figured this out, Tom happened to be driving and we got pulled over for not having paid for tolls...but that's a story for another post).
It was a bit of a shock driving into a big city after a couple days in Cesky Krumlov and driving the tiny lanes of the agricultural Czech countryside. But, we were excited to check into our Vienna Marriott hotel for a couple nights to check out this vibrant city.
At this point, we were all quite hungry and decided to take a stroll into the heart of Vienna, Stephansplatz, where the gargantuan St. Stephen's cathedral resides. We ended up, as we often do, at an outdoor cafe where we can people-watch and take in the vibe of the city. I recall ordering some great brat/sausage-type thing that was amazingly good.
After dinner we stumbled upon a vendor selling sturm. I had read about this slightly fermented wine beverage in my guidebooks and our timing was perfect. Sturm is typically served with the recent harvest of grapes in September and October. I'm not exactly sure of the process used to make it but I can tell you that it is very easy to drink and delicious. We almost felt like a local as we stood around the wooden casks and sipped our wine beverage. Definitely one of the highlights of Vienna for us...
Tomorrow, it's time for a little culture as we visit one of the premier art museums in Europe!
On our drive to Vienna, our Peugeot's navigation system decided that we wanted to drive every tiny back road in rural Czech Republic. Days later, we discovered that the default rule for guiding us from Point A to Point B was to NOT (!!!) allow toll roads. (Normally, when you ask for the quickest route somewhere, the default setting on a navigation system allows toll roads!! Of course, once we figured this out, Tom happened to be driving and we got pulled over for not having paid for tolls...but that's a story for another post).
It was a bit of a shock driving into a big city after a couple days in Cesky Krumlov and driving the tiny lanes of the agricultural Czech countryside. But, we were excited to check into our Vienna Marriott hotel for a couple nights to check out this vibrant city.
At this point, we were all quite hungry and decided to take a stroll into the heart of Vienna, Stephansplatz, where the gargantuan St. Stephen's cathedral resides. We ended up, as we often do, at an outdoor cafe where we can people-watch and take in the vibe of the city. I recall ordering some great brat/sausage-type thing that was amazingly good.
After dinner we stumbled upon a vendor selling sturm. I had read about this slightly fermented wine beverage in my guidebooks and our timing was perfect. Sturm is typically served with the recent harvest of grapes in September and October. I'm not exactly sure of the process used to make it but I can tell you that it is very easy to drink and delicious. We almost felt like a local as we stood around the wooden casks and sipped our wine beverage. Definitely one of the highlights of Vienna for us...
This guy had a tough time pouring the sturm into plastic cups fast
enough to keep up with the demand!
Tom tasting the red sturm and Lori with the white.
Massive St. Stephen's Cathedral (photos don't do it justice!!)
The lobby of our Marriott Hotel
Just one of a million cool sights at night
Inspired by our "feeling like a local" experience earlier, Tom and I decided to find a LOCAL pub for an authentic Austrian experience. I don't even remember the name of the place but we certainly hit the jackpot here. I guess it could have been a tad busier but there was not a tourist in sight (except for us who clearly stood out like a sore thumb). What a surprise...excellent beers on tap! (I have enjoyed the beer in Czech Republic and Austria way more than the typical stuff I'm used to in the States.)
Tomorrow, it's time for a little culture as we visit one of the premier art museums in Europe!
posted by Kevin @ 12:41 PM
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