Willkommen in Wien

Welcome to Vienna!



After a bus ride and two train rides that consumed over 24 hours, we made it to Vienna from Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik is not the easiest place to get in and out of. Lindsey and I were 2 weeks into our trip, but we already felt as if we had been traveling for months. Needless to say, it was great to see a familiar face. As our train pulled into Vienna, my Dad was waiting at the tracks to greet us!

After reuniting with the old man, the 3 of us were on the move. We arrived at our last minute apartment, did a little negotiating and got settled in. The first mission in Vienna was to find food. We walked into town, and found a nice place to grab a bite to eat right outside the Opera House. Right from the start you got the feeling that Vienna was a well polished city. Lindsey and I also noticed how willingly my Dad approached strangers for help. (Something we need to work on). There was a young man outside the restaurant dressed in a funny outfit, and my Dad asked what he was up to. Turns out he was selling Concert tickets. Now the show wasn’t being held in the State Opera House, but just down the road in the Hofburg Imperial Palace. Classical music is a staple in Viennese history….so we decided to go!







The concert ended up being really cool. It brought back memories of performing in high school. There was a full orchestra of 35 professional musicians, and 5 opera singers. The show was an introduction to classical music. They played a “potpourri” (as my dad would say) of Mozart, Strauss and Schubert.





Some parts of the show were a bit hokey, but the conductor got the audience involved which made for an entertaining show.



We were all exhausted and decided we would take it easy the first night to make for an eventful day tomorrow. On Wednesday we woke up to a beautiful day, and ventured off into town. Our first stop was the Karlskirce (St. Charles Church). The cathedral was under construction, but it offered us a special treat.




There was an elevator and very sketchy scaffolding that led to the top of the cathedral. This provided a brand new prospective to the many churches we have visited so far on our trip. It is truly incredible how they were able to build such massive buildings, and than decorate them with stunning frescoes.

Following the cathedral the three of us headed off to Shonbrunn Palace, the summer residence of the famous Hapsburg family. This palace was located a little outside of the city. I guess it was their getaway for the summer and trust me this was no little summer cottage on the cape. It was enormous.

It wasn’t the palace itself that was so impressive, but the outdoor garden and large hill/lawn that looked over the landscape.



It was a beautiful day so we decided to hike up the hill to see the Gloriette and take a look over everything. We have learned on our trip that when there is an opportunity to climb something you must do it! Once again, my dad did some negotiating with a small restaurant located on the palace grounds, and was able to buy a bottle of wine and crackers to go.

Despite numerous signs requiring visitors to stay off the lawn…which everyone abode by…we decided to take a short cut down the hill…after enjoying our early afternoon cocktails.
This was all my dad’s idea, something Lindsey and I would never have done. Though you can’t tell from the video, he did sing “The hills are alive” from the Sound of Music as he frolicked his way down.



The following day my dad departed for London…despite our efforts to get him to stay an extra day…and Lindsey and I headed off to the world famous Spanish Riding School located in the Hofburg Imperial Palace. The Spanish Riding School, founded in 1572, is the oldest riding school in the world where classic dressage still exists. It is named for its Lipizzin horses. Every day from 10AM to 12PM they perform morning exercises. The hall in which they performed seemed more like an opera house with incredible columns and a box for the royal family. The riders cantered in unison, brought the horses up on their hind legs, and did this one particular move that looked like the horse was tip toeing and holding a pose in between each step. It was amazing and impossible to describe. Youtube it! Taking pictures was "absolutely forbidden," but we were able to snap this one off.

After the Spanish riding school we walked along Graben (the old town) through the shopping areas. This area is considered one of the most beautiful streets in Europe. We then stopped in St. Stephen’s Cathedral which was located in the middle of the old town.. The sheer height of this cathedral and its gothic design made for an unforgettable sight. Unfortunately there was a mass going on so we couldn’t walk around inside, but this cathedral was flat out HUGE! In addition to its enormity, the roof was made up of 230,000 pattern tiles.

That evening, Lindsey and I met up with Julian...the son of one of Mr. Bates' college roommates and longtime friend who lives in Vienna. He showed us around his lovely home and showed us the other side of Vienna. We had a fun time...but made Lindsey and I came to realize sadly, we are not 18 anymore, we felt really old!

Lindsey and I decided to spend a couple extra days in Vienna. Don’t get me wrong, we loved this city, but we really just needed a couple days to relax since we had been on the go so much. We strolled around the city, and visited the flea market and the Naschmarkt. In preparation for cold weather in Germany (our next stop) I bought a sweater and Lindsey bought a scarf in the flea market. I finally did some successful bargaining! The Naschmarkt was a beautiful food market that stretched down the same road as the flea market. Lindsey and I stopped at a very exiting Mediterranean food stand. The women at the stand was the most enthusiastic and aggressive saleswomen I have ever seen. She force fed us falafel, humus, pita bread, olives, marinated garlic cloves, and cheese stuffed peppers. I honestly think we were full from all the samples she gave us, and before we even opened our mouths she was handing us a huge bag full of food and asking us for 15 euros. She was that good!



Well rested, and fed…. we prepared for our journey to Munich. I think Hvar is still number 1, but Vienna may be a close second.


Stay thirsty my friends,

Matt and Lindsey

Dobrodošli na Dubrovnik!

Welcome to Dubrovnik!



We arrived in Dubrovnik with no place to stay. Deciding to be adventurous and not waste time better spent venturing the city, we approached a group of nearly 30 gawking men and women that swarm tourists when departing nearly any mode of transportation in Europe. Completely intimidated and unsure how to handle the situation we stood in horror for a minute or so, like innocent bystanders, but alas we were spotted and a woman ran over showing us pictures of her room, the beautiful terrace and informed us it had a private bathroom. We accepted, climbed into her tiny car and off we went to some unknown room...

Yelena, our host, had informed us our room would be about a 20 minute walk into town. She was in fact correct, but forgot to mention we would descend about 200,000 stairs on the way into town, and yes…that also means we got to climb that many stairs to return home. It felt as though we were on a Stair Master for the entire time we were in Dubrovnik. Our butts and thighs are loving and hating us! Our room was fine…clean and comfortable…and it did have a lovely view. The decorations were a bit skeptical…with tacky, brightly covered sheets complete with smiling sunflowers. The walls felt as though we had stepped into a catholic church covered with pictures of angles, Mother Mary, and various saints. The terrace looked out over the entire city and far off into the distance. There was also an awning of ripe grapes over head. They were perfectly ripe and a free snack…unfortunately Matt hates grapes with seeds (which is the only thing we have been able to find).

We set out on our first descent into town, headed for the beach, only to bestow upon Stari Grad, the Old Town. The city walls themselves are an incredible sight…powerful and protective. According to Lonely Planet, “the entire Old Town is contained within a curtain of stone over 2km long and up to 25m high.”


Upon entering the drawbridge we found ourselves meandering down small streets and alleys...the floor being the most beautiful, shiny marble we had ever seen…it looked like sleek shiny pearls…so (naturally) I was in heaven!





As we walked through town we came across a traditional Croatian folk dancing group with dancers of all ages performing a jig.



Further up the road we heard the echo’s of men singing loudly, chanting, and quite drunk sounding cheering. As we walked closer we came across a large group of people parading through the streets…which in fact was a wedding procession. The men seem to all gather around an accordion, swaying back and forth singing…followed by families…trailed by the bride and groom. We stumbled upon a few other wedding processions throughout the day…all of which followed this same tradition.




The rest of the afternoon was spent at the beach…yet again a very rocky beach…with crystal clear water.



After trekking to and from town again we ate in the Old Town....



...strolled the streets, and ended up going to The Irish Jig Bar for a beer and some lively Irish music…we sang and danced our way up the hill once again...



The following morning we had quite a similar day…taking in the city and the beach. We also had to figure out how we would be getting out of Dubrovnik the next day…which proved to be a great challenge. Everything closes much to our surprise on Sunday around 1pm, so when we tried to rent a car or buy bus tickets that afternoon we were out of luck…and unlike the U.S. one is not able to buy or rent these things online. However…the next morning we did find that when the man we asked where to buy bus tickets told us Kosum (the grocery store), he actually meant the bus station was behind Kosum…fortunately we figured that out the next morning within minutes of missing our bus!

Back at our sobe (guest room) we sat out on the terrace and watched as an intense storm moved our way. We both marveled at the sky…to one side of us was complete sunshine, to the other was a lively thunderstorm, and in front of us the sun was setting.




I have never seen anything like it…I must have taken 100 photos!





Our stay in Dubrovnik was brief but well worth it. It is an incredible place, unlike any other, however Matt and I found it to be extremely touristy. Cruise ships will enter port and load the passengers on buses dropping them off by the thousands at the Old Town. It was very overwhelming. We were there on a Saturday and Sunday but one man we spoke to claimed the ships come through every day just the same as the weekends. I think we were spoiled by the island attitude experienced in Hvar...

We took a 5 hour bus ride from Dubrovnik back to Split where we had 8 hours to shop around the bustling outdoor market...



...go to the beach...



...and enjoy a lovely dinner on the water before boarding a night train to Zagreb followed by a 7 hour train to Vienna…where we will meet up with Matt’s dad for a few nights. Back to the cold we go…

Hvar remains in #1!

Stay thirsty my friends,

Lindsey and Matt

Dobrodošli na Hvar

Welcome to Hvar!



Two trains and one boat later, we found ourselves on a small island off the coast of Croatia called Hvar. Our original plan from Budapest was to stay a couple of nights in Split (a small port town). Thankfully, on our second train we met Helene, a women we will be forever grateful to. Helene, a native of Croatia, told us we had to go to the island of Hvar explaining there was no need to spend more than a couple of hours in Split.



Relying entirely on her advice, we arrived in Split, grabbed a cup of coffee, strolled through town, and booked a ferry and last minute hotel on Hvar.



As we stepped off the ferry we took a look around. It was 80 degrees, not a cloud in the sky, and it felt like we were in the Virgin Islands… but better. The town was situated on the edge of tall mountains that lead straight into the crystal clear water of the Adriatic Sea. Our hotel was located in Milna, a neighboring town to Hvar. As we pulled into Milna our cab driver told us we had made the right choice as this was his favorite town on the island. We were wondering what he meant by "town".…there was a hotel, a beach, and a couple of small restaurants covering at most about an eighth of a mile.



We were greeted by Jurica, the chef of the Hotel Fortuna who carried our bags up to our room. We later found out he was also the owner. Jurica was extremely welcoming, friendly, and laid back. If anyone decides to go to Croatia you MUST stay at the Hotel Fortuna. He truly made us feel at home.



Once settled in, we were ready for the beach. The beach was nestled in a protected cove. The description on the website said it was a sandy beach, but sandy in Croatian must mean rocky. The right way to describe it was a pebble beach. It was beautiful. The water wasn’t as warm as we anticipated, but was the most refreshing/clean water we have ever swum in.





We spent the entire first day in the small town of Milna. We enjoyed lunch and dinner at our hotel. We know this isn’t a food blog, but we feel compelled to tell you about our meals at Hotel Fortuna. Jurica is one hell of a chef. For lunch we had his special fish dish and the best Greek salad ever. It reminded us of the one’s Betsy makes back home…no lettuce and an incredible fusion of flavors…not to mention more feta cheese than one should consume in a year. The fish dish was delicious as well…it was perfectly cooked (although I think they eat the bones and skin in Croatia)…and covered in a creamy sauce, hard to describe, but almost a tomato, peppery, cheesy...oh I don't know...simply perfection! For dinner, I decided to be adventurous and ordered the shark dish the waitress recommended. It was grilled and only lightly seasoned as to allow the true flavor to come through..again, absolutely delicious! Our entire meal including drinks was only $30.



On our second day we wanted to go back into town but were a bit deterred by the expensive cab fares…$20+ for 5km. We asked Jurica to call us a cab and he immediately offered us a ride. We offered to pay him which he adamantly refused. On the ride into town he drove us up to see his vineyard…oh by the way, he also makes his own wine which is cheap and delicious…Matt who doesn’t drink white wine…said it was the best wine he has ever drank! He also has a vast olive tree grove where he makes his own olive oil.

We decided the best way to see Hvar would be by renting a scooter. The two of us climbed on, strapped on ridiculous looking helmets, and headed off to explore. We took the “scenic route” which was beautiful but extremely frightening. Our parents would not have approved. As I clung onto Matt for my dear life we rode through the mountains cutting around tight turns with no guardrails!!

The highlight of our exploration was discovering Zarace…a secluded lagoon well hidden from the hustle and bustle of the main towns. The pictures are the only way to adequately show you how special this place truly was.


We went into Hvar to return the bike, grab a drink and have dinner. Beforehand we explored the town...getting a bit lost in the splendor of the narrow and steep streets...which were more like a labyrinth of alleys.


However, after having two glasses of wine on the waterfront that were more expensive than an entire liter at Hotel Fortuna…and not nearly as good...we changed our minds, got in a cab, and went back to eat yet another unforgettable meal prepared by Jurica. There was no restaurant in town that could compare to his meals and the even more appealing prices. We began our meal with gnocchi smothered in Gorgonzola sauce…and savored every bite, even managing to clean the remaining sauce off the plate with our bread. Following our “first course” we had mussels and grilled shrimp brochettes…all I can say is YUM!



We needed to travel 20km across the island to catch our early morning ferry to Dubrovnik the next day. Matt asked Jurica how to get there and confused he responded “what, I bring you!” as if we were crazy to think differently. After preparing us a free breakfast, before the kitchen officially opened, he kindly brought us to the ferry and showed us where to go. It was as if we were saying goodbye to friend as he pulled away…and we told him we would come back…I feel compelled to keep that promise! We are now on a 6 hour ferry down the Dalmatian Coast to Dubrovnik…a place I have always wanted to visit as my grandmother says it is one of her and my grandfather’s favorite places.

The island of Hvar is now in first place!


Stay thirsty my friends,

Lindsey and Matt