January 8, 2017. Some of you might remember that last year, Matthew and I spent New Year’s in Vienna dancing to the Blue Danube Waltz at the Rathaus Silvester Gala (Translation: “City Hall New Year’s Eve Ball”). This year, we decided to go back to the same country to enjoy the same holiday, but from a different vantage point. We joined friends for a ski trip to Bad Hofgastein. No, the place isn’t on the naughty side of town, across the tracks from Good Hofgastein. Bad means “bath” because the hamlet has some impressive hot springs and is located smack in the middle of the Gastein Valley, an Alpine skiing Mecca … but more about that in a minute. (P.S. Fair warning: this is a loooooong post, so pull up a chair and be prepared to sit a spell.) Continue reading New Year’s in the Austrian Alps
Tag Archives: Vienna
Vienna’s New Year Ball
December 31, 2015. “What should we do New Year’s Eve?,” is a question we wrestle with every year. The idea of being a couch potato watching celebrations on TV feels like something best reserved for when we’re in wheelchairs. And the pressure to make it a blowout evening ratchets up as the date approaches. So when we discovered that Vienna offered formal balls — with classical music, the traditional Viennese Waltz, a four-course meal, and fireworks — we were sold. Continue reading Vienna’s New Year Ball
Vienna’s Culinary Delights
For some stupid reason, I’ve always thought I disliked Germanic cuisine. Part of this might be because my German mother-in-law, bless her heart, isn’t big on making meals from scratch, as she readily admits. During my first visit to her house, she served a box of spaetzle (an egg-based dumpling) that looked and smelled just like the formaldehyde-soaked fat bodies of the frogs we dissected in high-school biology. Needless to say, I spent most of the meal trying to hide the rubbery chunks beneath my napkin. Great way to make a fabulous first impression on my future in-laws. Continue reading Vienna’s Culinary Delights
Vienna’s Museums & More
December 29, 2015. Trying to see all the incredible museums that Vienna has to offer in just five days would be like enduring finals week in college. You’d have to chug countless gallons of coffee and NoDoz in order to banish sleep and cram everything in … and then you’d forget it all in less than a month. That’s why Matthew and I decided to opt for a more sensible learning lifestyle by selecting just a few choice museums — some of the less-frequented ones — to visit during our short stay. Continue reading Vienna’s Museums & More
Vienna’s Architectural Gems
December 28, 2015. Our initial goal had been to pay an early-December visit to Vienna for its famed Christkindl Market, but various illnesses intruded on our plans. So we rescheduled it as post-Christmas trip, and boy was that the best decision we’ve made in a long time. Nobody celebrates New Year’s Eve like Vienna. From waltzing in the street in your winter coat, to whirling around a ballroom in your formalwear, you’ll definitely “get your dance on” in this capital of Good Times and Great Food. And of course, you can round out your revelry with incredible architecture, world-class museums, and divine classical music. Continue reading Vienna’s Architectural Gems
A Newbie in Norway 