When we planned this trip, Boris was sure it wouldn’t be that cold in Vienna in January, definitely not colder than in Helsinki, and it will bw nice to walk around. As our departure approached, the weather forecast kept talking about “severe weather conditions,” and we couldn’t figure out what the fuss was about, since it was still showing a little below 30F.
On Sunday, it was still OK. After Albertina, we walked around a little bit, and later met for dinner with one of my Postgres peers. I messaged her to let her know we’d be in Vienna and asked for recommendations and whether she wanted to meet. She did, and she made a reservation at Lugeck restaurant, which, in the end, was the best dining experience we had in Vienna.
That’s where I tried my Vienna Schnitzel (with black truffle)
Boris tried a classic schnitzel at the museum cafe, so he had liver, and then we all ordered a Kaiserschmarrn dessert, which was made with small pancake pieces to be dipped into apple sauce and/or plum jam.
A couple of words about our hotel. it was a mixed experience. It was close to most of the attractions; if it weren’t so cold, I would probably say “very close,” but some amenities were not as expected. For example, I would never imagine I would have to ask whether rooms have closets, and ours had none! There were two hooks on a wall, with three hangers one over another on each, and that was it, both for the outside coats, and for everything else.
Breakfast was good:
The cafe was a little bit “avant-garde”, but the food was fine
My usual quest for a 24-hour fitness center failed epically. I should have suspected something when I didn’t see any pictures of the gym. When we were checking in, a receptionist told us about the 24-hour sauna and a steam room, and when I asked about the gym, she said “yes” and pointed downstairs. When I went down to explore later the same night, I realized that whatever it was was a corner by the sauna, so when I entered, I saw some men in bath towels and retreated :).
Some tourists attractions we passed but didn’t go inside:
St Charles Church (they say it was designed as a link between Rome and Byzantium, and I felt it more like an allusion to a mosque)Didn’t have time to visit, so I have no idea what this exhibit is about)On the side of the Vienna Opera buildingOn the way to the Leopold museum on the last dayTo finish with all Vienna’s “must eat”: a wienna sausage at the Leopold Museum cafeStrudel, which didn’t make a cut (we had a better one later)Something tragic happened with Vienna’s coffee. As my local peer said, “It is complicated.” What we observed was a total disappearance of “a coffee,” with only espresso drinks left. That’s the restaurant which was recommended to us as “the best place for Schnitzel,” and where it was very difficult to get a reservation. When I tried in on Saturday. The earliest I could get was Tuesday at 1 PM. And to be honest, it was a disappointment in terms of service and less selection than in Lugeck. We were happy that we had a better experience on Sunday, and when to look for dessert elsewhere I tried one more traditional dish, which is called Tafelspritz im Topl. It was a huge piece of beef boiled to the extreme, with the broth and fried potatoes, sour cream with chives and apple sauce on the sideOur final taste of Vienna was a proper apple strudel at one of the coffee shops close to St. Stephen’s Cathedral, and it was a really good one!
My name is Henrietta (Hettie) Dombrovskaya. I was born in Saint-Petersburg, Russian (actually, back then – Leningrad, USSR) in 1963, and immigrated to the United States in 1996.
I love Saint Petersburg, the city I was born and raised in, and I think it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world. Similarly (but differently) I love Chicago, and can’t imagine myself moving somewhere else in the observable future.
I have three children, Igor, Vlad and Anna, all adults living on their own, and one (so far) granddaughter Nadia. I also believe that my children are the best thing that happened in my life.
As for my professional life, I am working in the field of Information Technologies. When I was twenty, I’ve declared that the databases are the coolest thing invented and that I want to do them for the rest of my life. Thirty plus years later, I still believe it’s true, and still, believe that the databases are the best. These two statements together imply that I think a person can have it all, and indeed, I think so! Keep reading my journals to find out how I did it.
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2 thoughts on “Random Notes From Vienna, Mostly Food :)”
Один мой хороший знакомый живет в Братиславе. И совсем не ездит в Вену.
Я бы, наверное, при наличии средств ездила бы все время – в музеи, кафе, гулять.. настолько это мне нравится.
Но я ни разу не была
Hettie's Reflections 
Один мой хороший знакомый живет в Братиславе. И совсем не ездит в Вену.
Я бы, наверное, при наличии средств ездила бы все время – в музеи, кафе, гулять.. настолько это мне нравится.
Но я ни разу не была
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Я во второй раз попадаю в такой холод, что надо теперь сто раз подумать 🙂
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