Melk and a pedal in the Austrian Countryside

I love to bike. I often suggest this as an activity for Dana and I. Unfortunately due to a day of biking gone wrong back in 2004 (a failed tandem attempt and a poor/very hilly route selection from me), I have rarely been able to get her on a bike.

Probably feeling bad that she dragged me to three palaces in Vienna the previous two days, she agreed to get on a bike to ride along the Danube river in the Austrian countryside. The suggested route was 40 km and took us from Melk (where we were spending the night) to Krems.

The ride was beautiful, crossing through small Austrian towns, castles, vineyards and farms, all right next to the Danube. It was a fantastic route in perfect weather. About 2/3 of the way through the ride, she turned to me and said thanks for convincing her that the ride would be fun and a good way to see these towns up close. Right then, I worried that was a jinx; our perfect cycling day was going too well.

We got to Krems with tired legs and eagerly anticipated getting on the train that we had read departed hourly back to Melk. Turns out those trains not only don't run hourly, but we had missed the last one! Riding back an additional 40km didn't sound appealing to either of us at that point and if we had ride back, I think my chances of getting Dana on a bike anytime in the next 10 years would be slim to none. We peddled to the port to check on a boat trip to Melk....no luck there either as the last boat left 30 minutes before.

Our only hope was the bus... we had missed the bikers bus (not surprisingly the last one to Melk was at the same time as the boat and train) but we were told there was a small chance a regular bus driver would take pity on us and allow us on with the bikes. Peddled back to the train/bus station, and after a little begging, the bus driver consented even though it was against the rules. Torturous ride back adverted, thank you Mr. Krems Bus Driver.

Melk is also home to a beautiful abbey, appropriately named Melk Abbey, run by Benedictine monks. We visited the following morning and toured the grounds. Perched atop a hill above the town, it provides a great view of the expansive countryside.

Vienna - A City of Elegance and Class

Dana has a new city crush on Vienna. Early into our visit to Vienna she claimed this was her favorite city thus far and described it as "elegant, romantic and palatial". By the end of our three day visit she was proclaiming it as a city she could see herself living in (don't worry family, we have no plans of moving to Vienna).

While I wasn't as enthusiastic about the charms of the city, it is the most 'livable' city we have visited. It prides itself on performance arts like the opera, ballet and classical concerts. As this culture is important to the city, free city sponsored events are available to the masses. We went twice to the summer film festival held nightly in front of city hall. The atmosphere was top notch with food and beverage stalls provided by local restaurants (of all ethnic varieties, not just viennese fare), along with a huge screen with great acoustics to watch the show. We took in an Alice in Wonderland ballet and a recording of Adele at Royal Albert Hall.

We visited a number of different museums and three palaces from the Hapsburg dynasty that all blend together now. Highlight for me was the Treasury of the Hapsburg family, filled with cool artifacts like royal crowns, huge precious jewels, and famous religious relics (including pieces of the cross Jesus was nailed to). With all these palace visits, I have my Austrian history down pat. If you're dying to know about the Hapsburg dynasty and their 600 year reign, give me a call.

For the food, we sampled the local specialties Weiner Schnitzel, Apfel strudel, and the Sacher torte. I was a little underwhelmed and after three attempts at Apple strudel, I didn't find one that lived up to my expectations. Maybe I should have tried the cheese strudel?

Bratislava - Meat Your Heart Out

Bratislava is the growing capital of Slovakia with a mix of classic architecture blended with modern design. After Slovakia broke away from communism, the government put a renewed focus on investments to create a lively city. The plan worked well as the city has a youthful vibe. The street are filled with university students attending the local schools.

The 'old town' is well maintained with beautiful architecture, cobblestone streets and open squares. This blending of the old and new has created a city on the rise.

Bratislava was a short stopover on the way to Vienna for us. We were for only there for 20 hours but the time was well spent. Of course, most of our memorable travel experiences are centered around eating and Bratislava did not disappoint. We had a delicious (and filling) meal at Mestiansky Pivovar, a restaurant/brewery established in 1752 that was ranked as the #1 place to eat in Bratislava on trip advisor. We must have been really hungry because we went overboard ordering our meal. Our artery clogging menu included an appetizer of wurst (a hot dog with cheese inside) with mustard and potato pancakes, and entrees of pork knuckle and a rack of ribs (which was really two racks of ribs!). It was meat overload and we were not able to finish. That is the type of meal that turns you vegetarian. Even if it did leave me cringing at the thought of eating meat for the next few days, it was really good (and all for 17 euro!).

Budapeshshsht

'Budapest' is pronounced correctly with the 's' as an 'sh'. Try pronouncing it with the emphasis on the 'sh'.....it's really fun.

We were in Budapest for 4 days, which was a day too long. Maybe we were spoiled with Athens and Istanbul. Here are a couple of highlights:

You can hold a 20,000 note in your hand and not be nervous about losing it. The exchange rate is 220 HUF to $1, so figuring out prices can be a little tricky.

Hungarian Baths. Hungarians love their baths and we found a great one in Budapest. There are different temperature pools and spas that are heated from underground mineral springs. A relaxing way to start (or end) your day.

St. Stephens Day - first day we were there was a national holiday. The city was alive with a folk arts festival, musical performances and fireworks.

Food was heavy and filling. Lots of stews (or goulash). Not a lot of vegetables.

Hungarian Folk Dancing - these guys and gals danced like Irish riverdancers with plenty of stomping, clapping and snapping, and dressed with a conservative, amish type attire. Fun performance, watch out for my folk dancing moves in the future!

Architecture - Budapest went through a building boom in the late 19th century so most of the buildings are of a similar style. The Parliment and the Buda Castle stand out.

Metro and bridges - Budapest is a big city. It's actually split in two with Buda on one side of the Danube and Pest on the other. The metro system was old, but incredibly reliable, as it was rare we would have to wait more than two minutes for a train. There are also beautiful bridges that connect the city.

Not our favorite city, but had a few good experiences. On to Slovakia...