The Imperial Age Is Alive when You Travel to Vienna

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There is no city that encompasses Western European sophistication and Eastern European culture and charm quite like Vienna, Austria. Baroque edifices enchant the pristinely kempt boulevards while sleek restaurants are packed with networking business suits. Remnants of pre-Roman history in the Danube River Valley make Vienna an intriguing center of human settlement apart from its European neighbors. Celtic and Viking history adorn the extensive museum collections while any conversation with a local will reveal a rather complex, if not completely convoluted, lineage (as anyone will find some way to connect their genealogy to the Habsburg dynasty).

Roped in by the Ringstrasse

Vienna is easily navigable for even the most turned around traveler, with the oldest and most commercial districts encircled by the grand Ringstrasse (Ring Street) and the Danube River to the North. The Innere Stadt is the first district and home to most of Viennas historic and architectural splendors. You will find yourself immediately drawn to St. Stephens Cathedral, a Gothic and Romanesque landmark soaring high above the surrounding square. Climb the 343 steps of the nearly claustrophobic spiral staircase to the watchmans lookout in the South Tower or head underground from the North Tower to the catacombs beneath the cathedral where 14 members of the Habsburg family are buried alongside the mausoleum of the bishops. When Vienna was the center of the Holy Roman and Austro-Hungarian Empires, the Habsburgs made monumental efforts to carve their place into Viennese history. Schloss Schnbrunn is the former summer palace of the Habsburg family and the site of the oldest zoo in the world. Tour the halls and gardens and then go next door to the famous Spanish Riding School where the coveted Lipizzan Stallions are bred, trained and shown in elaborate performances during the winter.

The World Capital of World Class Music

The city of Mozart and Beethoven loves to remind the world of its heritage all year long. Summer, winter, spring and fall are all celebrated with unwavering zeal through a seemingly endless string of festivals. Even Mozart would be moved during the Film Festival am Rathausplatz, which is held during July and August. Remarkable films are projected onto the grand wall of the Rathausplatz (city hall) nightly, along with operatic performances from the worlds best. Men and women gather here after work to enjoy cocktails and the extensive array of international cuisines and stay well into the night to dance, watch films and stroll through the adjacent park. This is just a touch of the Viennese way of life.

Coffee Dreams of Chocolate

Before you leave Vienna, it would be a mistake not to indulge in the proud coffee culture. Find a coffeehouse and order from the endless menu of roasts. Also, you may find it difficult to avoid the tourist-targeted Mozart Balls (chocolates made for the man himself), but resist temptation and venture into a true Viennese chocolaterie like the famous Demels. There is no better Viennese experience than sinking into a silky chocolate tart and sipping a creamy latte outside the Imperial Palace!

For more information, visit website: www.cfares.com.

The Imperial Age Is Alive when You Travel to Vienna

Siberia Russia Part 6 when Stairs Attack in the Khabarovsk Train Station

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In this continuing series, we cover my move from San Diego to Chita, Siberia to be a professor at Chita State Technical University. We pick up the story going to the train station in Khabarovsk to catch the Trans-Siberian Railroad.

Day 4!

If youve been reading this series on NomadJournalTrips.com, you know my original travel estimate was 2 days from San Diego to Chita, Russia. Well, day 4 has arrived and I am just getting on the train. This horrible time estimate is evidence of a poor math education. I blame the American education system!

I never could figure out those math hypotheticals, If a train is going south at x speed and a cyclist is going north at x speed, when will they meet? When are they going to meet? More like, What the heck is cyclist going to look like WHEN they meet? What about his family, not to mention the nightmares suffered by the conductor. I mean, really, who can do math under such circumstances?

StairsEvil, Evil Stairs

At the Intourist hotel, we arranged for train tickets to Chita. By we, I mean my friend Grae did everything. For $27, we had arranged a private berth and all was good. With a good nights sleep, we headed down from the room and out into thepouring rain. A local was kind enough to give us a ride to the train station and all seemed good. After a bit of pointing, extreme facial expressions and so on, we discovered our train was running about an hour slow. We hunkered down and did a bit of people watching.

As we sat, I pondered my luggage. I had a large hiking backpack and something I called the lump. The lump was an extremely large duffle bag with tiny wheels on one-end and plastic bars running down the flat side/bottom. In theory, you could roll it or drag it anywhere. Mine was black, wet and weighed about 70 pounds. Before you snicker, keep in mind I was going to Siberia for a year. What would you take? Still, I had an uneasy feeling, but couldnt really figure out why.

Our hour was up and it was time to head to the track platform. Like many European train stations, one had to actually walk down stairs, through a tunnel and then back up stairs to get to your platform. This is not the way it works in San Diego. It also doesnt rain in San Diego. Rain, 70 pound bag on wheels, plastic bars, stairsI think you get the picture.

The stairs were packed as I shuffled forward pulling the lump behind me. You would be proud. I made the first flight without maiming anyone or being slapped. Just as I stepped down the second flight, thou was nudgeth from behind.

Time slowed.

The lump hit me in the back of the knees. I fell back onto the lump. In a transformation beyond my primitive understanding of quantum physics, the lump became a high performance bobsled. Down I went.

Still in slow motion, I couldnt help but notice the agility of the Russians in the stairwell. Some jumped up an ornamental shelf running down the stairs. Overweight individuals sucked it up and suddenly became thin. Miraculously, not one soul was hit on my way to the bottom. My landing was uneventful, which is to say there wasnt a loud smack on the wall at the bottom of the stairs.

I jumped up and turned to see if anyone was injured. There was total silence. Faces just stared back at me. Apparently, the only thing injured was my ego and skin, which was turning a dark shade of red. Well, I like to make an impression! I vehemently prayed that none of them were going to Chita.

Everyone started moving again and not a word was said. Alas, the lump was not so accommodating when it came to climbing up the stairs on the other end of the tunnel.

Next The Trans-Siberian RailwayHow Many Days To Chita?!

Siberia Russia Part 6 when Stairs Attack in the Khabarovsk Train Station

Travel - When Bad Things Happen

We all know that sometimes bad things happen to good people too, and we’ve all heard the famous line, “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry” from the Robert Burns poem, “To a Mouse.” Today, we say, “Stuff happens.” Have you ever noticed that the unexpected and the unplanned also seem to happen at the worst possible time and usually when we are on what is supposed to be a fun vacation?

The above paragraph makes an excellent case for getting travel insurance. Stuff does happen. People do get sick, and accidents do occur. A travel insurance policy will not keep bad things from happening, of course, but it can make it much easier on the traveler when they do happen.

Travel health insurance is a temporary health insurance policy that provides coverage to people only while they’re on vacation or traveling between destinations. Travel health insurance can work either together with or independent of regular major medical coverage. Travel health insurance policies are usually offered to people who are using a travel agent, booking a cruise, or going on a package trip.

There are many options offered in travel health policies. All travel health insurance policies are not created equal, and it is important that travelers take the time and put forth the effort to read the fine print. You don’t want any nasty little surprises when it comes to travel health insurance if you need to use the benefits, you already have enough problems.

The cost of travel health insurance is rather low, and the option of taking travel insurance is usually offered by travel agents and cruise lines as an addition to a package price. Travelers who do not use travel agents or are not taking cruises, however, can purchase travel insurance on their own.

Travel - When Bad Things Happen