The World Class Traveler

The World Class Traveler

Thursday, June 26, 2014

A Night In Munich

A late afternoon arrival to Munich just about put us smack in the middle of rush hour!
Autobahn
However, it will be perfect for some night time fun!  But this also means that time is limited!  Hmmm, what kind of trouble can I get into in a few hours.
 
Because this was a night on our own, I was able to explore some of, what I found to be interesting, spots of Munich!
 
Whoa!  Here in Marienplatz is the Old Town Hall.  To me, this was a very scary looking building!
Old Town Hall
 
I just love the sidewalk cafe's!!
 
 

 

 
Loved strolling through this farmers market!


Look what I found!  The entrance to Octoberfest! Oktoberfest is held annually and it is a 16-day folk festival running from late September to the first weekend in October with more than 6 million people that come from around the world!
 
 
Do the people of Munich really wear this stuff?
 
 
 
Well apparently so.  I got a quick lesson from these very nice ladies.  The women's dresses are called, Dirndle and those sexy looking suspended knickers for men are called, Lederhosen!

 
If you love sweets and specifically gummy bears then you will love stopping in at "Bears and Friends". They have the finest and greatest selection of gummy bears.

 
I couldn't resist, I had to buy about 5 bags of these multi-colored yummy gummy's!


It's dinner time and I found myself a great beer hall in the heart of where Octoberfest is held.
 
Altes Hackerhaus
 
Enjoyed myself a pork shoulder, known as Schweinsbraten. This is a famous Bavarian dish and it was very juicy and very, very tender with a fantastic sauce served with a potato dumpling.

 
It seemed like a pretty quite place.
 

 
But, I could hear a lot of loud cheering and singing coming from another part of the restaurant.  It seems a German soccer team was having themselves a great time!

 

What better way to end my evening in Munich then with the Dresden Soccer Team!

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Beautiful Vienna

Since my parents have been to Vienna, I was very lucky to have my mother give me some excellent tips on what to see and do while I'm here! 
 
My day starts with Contiki Tours showing us some of the highlights around the outer circle of the city centre. 








 
We got a sneak peak of Vienna's main shopping area, Karntner Strasse.  Pretty sure I'll be coming back here on my own later today!
 
 
But I can assure you it won't be to buy a Rolex or a Whopper!


Our next stop is what I've been waiting for all day.  Swarovski!!!
 
 
Swarovski Wien is in the heart of the Austrian capital on Karntner Strasse, and now invites visitors into a sparkling, creative world of  amazement and shopping!  Swarovski crystal is made right here in Austria.  And they say you can get a better deal here.
 
After a presentation on the history of Swarovski and how the crystals are made, we were free to browse these magnificent works of art. 
 
Okay then, let's go inside and see if there is something I just can't live without!

This is a definite contender!
 

Oh I am ready to take this piece home with me!  Oh wait, it costs about as much as my house!
 

Gotta wear shades to cut the glare from all these crystals!
 
 
I don't know, I just can't seem to stay away from this piece!  Maybe it was meant to go home with me after all. Excuse me miss, can you bag this up for me??


Well all this shopping has made me hungry!  Lucky for me, Vienna has these great Sausage Stands all over!  This Würstelstände is where I decided to have a Kasekrainer.  I had heard that when in Vienna, one must have one of these delicious sausages with cheese!

 
And I just can't turn anything down that involves cheese!
 

Now it's time to satisfy this sweet tooth of mine!  Vienna is also famous for their sweet shops!  And a must have is a wafer called, Manner! Please come in with me and take a look around.

 
It's hard not to want to buy these tasty delights. They have samples throughout the store to help you decide on which sweet treat you want!
 

Now that my tummy is full, I spend the rest of my day waundering around this beautiful city enjoying the mix of ancient and modern architecture.