Austria 2010: Day 4 - Salzburg

Wednesday 18th August 2010.

The Hills are alive with the sound of Music ........

An early start and we were down in the Breakfast bar at 8am. Yep, told you it was early. We walked up to the Wes

tbahnhof (being rebuilt as are a number of Austria stations) to catch the fast RailJet train over to Salzburg which left at 09:20. Just before departure on climbed the "Great Unwashed" or students as some people called

them complete with sleeping bags, crates of beer and a lot of noise. Apparently there was a music festival in St. Pölten. The kids amused themselves with various things including the screen in the carriage with the train speed on it! RailJet is a great ride and hits speeds of 200km/h. It's clean fast and impressive. Now what on earth is going on in Austria? Sudbahnhof is demolished, Westbahnhof is being rebuilt and on arrival at Salzburg we found that station to be a construction site!

We left the confines of the station area and headed to the old part of town and the bridge over the Salzbach and round to the base of the mountain the castle is perched upon. We stopped at the Kleinbahn shop for a quick look. Walking round you can see how little Salzburgs old town area has changed over the years. On arrival at the Dom (Cathedral) we went past it and into the square to one side where they have market stalls. Both Kayleigh and David's eyes almost popped out of their heads at the sight of the huge Pretzels of which two were bought! we went to the castle entrance and the funicular railway that takes you up to it. Sarah and I were astonished at the sheer cost of it to get up and have a look around. We turned round and went back to the Dom and the kids lit a candle for my Dad. Inside a group of young children (9-12 years old) began to sing and filled the cathedral with such beautiful music. Outside we visited the horse fountain featured in the 1965 film 'The Sound Of Music'. Of course photos of the children were taken.

Round the corner from the Dom was a nice little sweet shop and of course they all got sweets. Then on the way back through old town we passed the birthplace (Geburtshaus) of

Back in Vienna we grabbed a snack as the kids were hungry and headed indoors!

Austria 2010: Day 3 - Wien

Tuesday 17th August 2010.

Whilst Kayleigh ate bits of this and that, David ate more than ever. This time it was SEVEN trips to the Kraml's breakfast bar. Once we managed to pry him away from the food, we gathered our

bags and and walked down the road to the bus stop to catch the 13A to the Belvedere and its

lovely gardens. The actual bus stop is at the old Sudbahnhof where Sarah and I had travelled in

and out of many times, so we were both shocked by the total and utter demolition of the station

and it environs. We crossed over the road to the

Belvedere. Inside there are items of art but we couldn't see the kids looking at those, so we opted for a leisurely walk around the gardens. David was in his element armed with camera and his imagination. Kayleigh went running ahead and exploring the flowers, fountains and gardens that make such a beautiful assault on the senses. We visited the gift shop and were somewhat disappointed at the poor selection of items on sale that were about the Palace. Everything (almost) was on Gustav Klimt, who whilst talented is not my cup of tea.

Back to the bus stop and back on the 13A to somewhere David and I wanted to visit - Der Fan Shop! David wanted to get a Austrian National Shirt, but the cost was way too high for him at €60. He did however get a seriously great baseball cap with Austria on it in Red and White.

Walking round the corner the kids saw a toy shop and we were in there for a little while. Then just up the road we found a lovely quiet park with a childrens playground in it. It was in here that Kayleigh met her match. A little austrian girl and Kayleigh started playing together and she was a mad as Kayleigh.

Leaving the playground we took a tram then the U-Bahn to Alte Donau so we could visit the Donau Park and the Donauturm. The tower rises to 827 feet (the tallest structure in Austria) and gives a superb view of Vienna. To get to the top there is a lift (no I wasn't prepared to walk!) which has a clear roof so you are able to see the top of the towere rushing towards you. . We walked round the windswept tower's observation deck and as its our luck it began to rain. So inside for a bit of shelter. Once down we walked round the gift shop (very good I might add) and then back to the U-Bahn.

Jumping off at Stephanplatz was a very good idea as we were in rush hour and the trains were getting somewhat full. We strolled up past Stephansdom, Kärntner Straße to the Ring, then on to Mariahilfestraße. Close by our Pension is the Schnitzelhaus so a visit was made to quench our hunger before heading back.

An early night was taken as it was off to Salzburg the next day!

Austria 2010: Day 2 - Wien

Monday 16th August 2010.

Awake far too early, but then again sometimes that can be a bonus, On this occasion it was ... tiring. Down in the Kraml they have such a wonderful selection for breakfast (Frühstück) and David made the most of it with repeatedly visiting the breakfast bar and eating as much as he could! Kayleigh managed the learn some German "ein Apfelsaft bitte" which is "And apple juice please". In fact that was her first German and the one thing she used the most!

Walking up from the Kraml, we headed for the U-Bahn on line U3 to Volkstheatre then the U4 line to Praterstern. the to the world famous Prater. As kids are, ours wanted to go on everything they saw, but we took them round first to see what they wanted to REALLY do! Before we let them have their rides, we took them on the Prater Wheel (Riesenrad). It was featured in the 1949 film 'The Third Man' starring Orsen Wells. The wheel takes some time to complete a full circuit and is ornate and classic (or old as kids call it now). After plenty of oohhhs and ahhs from Kayleigh, we alighted and made our way round the huge funfair.

Of course Kayleigh found what she dreamed of The Horse Riding arena. She took to it so naturally and was not in the least scared. In fact the other children we had seen were all given extra straps, but Kay was allowed not to. (see the photo). Usually I worry about the state of the horses at this sort of place, but these were very well cared for and seemed pretty happy. After a few rounds of the arena, the dismounted and we looked for something for David to do. Go Karts was his choice and he and I queued together but no... Denied! Too short apparently. So the hunt was on for another one, round the corner was another set of karts and off we went. He did well and came second out of two! LOL. On to the next ride which happened to be a "fun House". Sarah and I grabbed a seat and David being the loving brother he is took her round it 'For Safetly' he said! Then on to The Bash Cars! aka Dodgems. Kayleigh joined me and I was instructed to "get David"!!!!!

We headed to one of the Schnell Imbiss in the Prater and a couple of Frankfurters each and a beer :) went down well. Following the food we alked round and jumped on the Lilliputbahn that runs up to the Stadion and back again. After catching the U-bahn back to Westbahnhof to look up the trains to Salzburg we sought out evening meal and then decided an early night would be in order.

Tuesday would be the last day for our Weinkarte so we wanted to use it some more.

Austria 2010: Day 1 - Wien

Hello Austria, Hello Vienna.

Sunday 15th August 2010.

We came down for breakfast and Kayleigh's eyes almost popped out of her head! She took one look at the Meats, Rolls, Apfelsaft, yoghurt, breads and pickles and fell in love with Austrian Breakfasts. David had been before, but he was only 2 ½ so this was also a new experience. After his five trips to the food bar, he finally gave up and we were allowed to start off on our day trips.

Walking down Mariahilfer Straße we arrived at the Burgring and the Burg Garten where there is a statue of Mozart. We walked round the garden and round to Albertini Platz, and bought ourselves the Wien Karte and it was well worth the price. Round the corner from the Albatini Platz is Kärtner Straße. This is a lovely road that has the high end shops on it, but it also has

Stephansdom, the main Cathedral of Vienna. We all went inside and The children lit a candle for my Dad, Erich Thaler who was killed in 1990. The sun was shining and we wanted to make the most of our day. Sarah suggested to go out of town a little and visit the beautiful and picturesque Schloss Schönbrunn. We took the U-Bahn there, and it was a short walk from the station to the Palace. The Schloss is stunning and the inside is beautiful, but with the children we haven't ventured round it yet. Maybe one day.

The gardens were alive with the smell of the colourful flowers, the throng of tourists and the chatter and shouting of children enjoying the space to run in. Oh No! you may think, how loud! How dreadful! But it wasn't. It sort of fitted perfectly. Along the path towards the main water feature and both Kayleigh and David thought it was lovely, we walked round and up behind it (see the photo here) and snapped a few shots from up here too.

Then we walked up to the Gloriette. It was hot, it was steep but it was fun. At the top, Sarah got the ice creams in :)

After leaving the Schloss Schönbrunn we wanted to do more. so the U-Bhan back to Karlsplatz and jumped onto a #2 tram that takes you round the ring to get the views of the lovely buildings. We changed on to a #1 and continued round the ring.

On the way up Mariahilfer Straße we grabbed a McDonalds, and then it was a slow walk up to the Kraml and a well earned rest.

Day 2 coming soon.

Austria 2010: Day 0 - The Trip

Well after a break of four years we decided to finally have a holiday.

Saturday 14th August 2010

We took a chance and flew from London Gatwick to Vienna via Easyjet. Having heard the horror stories from other people over the years I was somewhat worried it would a nightmare. But we were pleasantly surprised.
Flight EZY5355 took off from Gatwick from Gate 16 45 minutes late, but they kept us informed so it helps. On the flight Sarah and Kayleigh sat in one place, and David and I sat elsewhere. The flight was peppered with David's impression of characters from the high Life TV Show http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_High_Life_(TV_series) with the comment 'oh Deary Me' how annoying! ! ! ! !

Once at Wien Schwechat Airport, we got off the plane and on to the bus to the terminal building. Then through customs and out to the Vienna Airport Lines bus to Wien Westbahnhof. Travelling in we were pretty shocked at the total obliteration of Wien Südbahnhof that we always used to travel from to Klagenfurt.
Once at Westbahnhof, we took the short walk to the Kraml Pension. Rarely would I recommend somewhere to stay, but this holiday showed us how great some places arehttp://www.pensionkraml.at/EN/index.html . The Kraml is perfectly placed and is very well run by a lovely family.

Once checked in and in to our room we were all a little tired, but in true tradition we didn't want to waste a moment. On Otto Bauer Gasse is the Schnitzelhaus, so in we went and a nice meal was had by all.

We walked up to the Westbahnhof again to get the national timetable, and have a look about. The station, once lovely by modern standards, is now a building site.

By 7pm, we were all unpacked and and by 9pm we were all in bed and almost asleep.

Day 1 will be about our first day in Vienna and is coming soon.

Cardiff and Doctor Who.

Hello a chroesawa at Cymru
Or
Hello and welcome to Wales.

In Cardiff is the Doctor Who exhibition at the Red Dragon Centre in Cardiff Bay. The missus, Junior and our lass are all Doctor Who fans, although our lass only likes it if it is not too scarey. Me? It's not my cup of tea, but each to their own.

Paddington to Cardiff is just over 145 miles and about 2 hours away, so we decided to have a day out on Bank Holiday Monday. Catching the 08:45, we travelled down with the kids making every effort to crack the code on the TV screens on the backs of the chairs. They never managed to 'hack' them anyway. Arriving in Cardiff at 10:45 we were able to nip across platforms to get onto the 10:15 service to Coryton which stops at Cardiff Queen Street. Changing again we caught the shuttle to Cardiff Bay. It wasn't very well sign posted to the Red Dragon centre, but we eventually found out way in and located the exhibition. The Family ticket was £20.00 for the four of us. In side it is a maze of costumes, replicas of the baddies, and a host of other bits and pieces. Having said that it only took us a matter of 20 minutes to walk round, to we backtracked and did it all again to make sure that we never missed anything. The Dalek exhibit was amazing and it was nice to see Kylie Minogues French Maid's outfir there complete with fishnets. (we interrupt this blog to give the author a cold shower). www.doctorwhoexhibition.com/cardiff.html
Having worked through a large number of photos in there we headed out. To be honest, there is very little in the Red Dragon Centre other than the exhibition, and could be a bit of a white elephant.

We walked further down and ended up by the Wales Millennium Centre, which is very impressive, opposite to this is a large waterfall/fountain that is featured in Torchwood. (allegedly Torchwood is an anagram of Doctor Who). It is in front of this fountain that is the entrance to Torchwood. Of course a little posing was done and it was to the waters edge next. Now a little warning. We looked for somewhere to eat here, but the costs were pretty high, and if I was going to spend a lot of money on food I would want to eat at the Hard Rock Cafe. We thought about a snack and then hit the HRC later, but even the snacks were priced over the top.
Back at Cardiff Bay station, we caught the train up to Queen Street and then on to Central. The HRC is not far from the station so we made a B-line for it and managed to get a table immediately. Of course the kids love eating here, they always have since it the chance to spend Mum and Dad's money. Ribs were ordered and the faces of the two young Thalers were covered in BBQ sauce! A pin was obtained (as it is a new location) and will be added in due course to the collection.

We then decided to walk up to Cardiff Castle with the intention of going in and having a nice walk round it. NOT A CHANCE! Firstly there was no Family ticket, 2which forces you to buy two adults and two children tickets. At £10.50 per adult and £7.95 a child this is extremely extortionate to pay. Having since looked at their website I do find it amusing that they consider themselves a "A family friendly visit" place. Maybe it should be added 'If you happen to be a Premiership football player'
http://www.cardiffcastle.com/content.asp?nav=4%2C14&parent_directory_id=1 Still it looked ok from the outside, and at £36.90 it can stay as a nice outside view.

The St. David's centre is where nearly all the shops are so we had a nice browse round there before heading back towards the station for the 16:25 back to Paddington.

All in all it was a good day out for all.

Football In Austria

The football season starts in July in Austria, and there are two divisons the Bundesliga (premier division) and the Ersten Liga (First Division). Like some other countries in Europe, Austria have a winters break from almost the end of November (sometimes later) to March. The Bundesliga was founded in 1974, but there has been football in Austria with First Vienna being the earliest team formed in 1894.

Below the First two divisons there are regional leagues Regionalliga Ost (east), Regionalliga Mitte (Middle) and Regionalliga West. In addition to these there are feeders that are the County leagues (much like London, Surrey, Hertfordshire etc.) There is also the Austrian equivilent of the FA Cup the ÖFB-Stiegl-Cup.

Champions Of Austria:
32 Titles
Rapid Wien
23 Titles
Austria Wien
10 Titles
FC Wacker Innsbruck (5) / FC Swarovski Tirol (2) / FC Tirol Innsbruck (3) - all teams are continuation of the other.
9 Titles
SK Admira Wien
6 Titles
First Vienna
5 Titles
Austria/Red Bull Salzburg
3 Titles
Wiener Sport-Club
2 Titles
Sturm Graz
1 Title
Wiener AF, Wiener AC, Floridsdorfer AC, SC Hakoah Wien, SC Wacker Wien, Linzer ASK, SK VÖEST Linz, Grazer AK
The Austrian League website: http://www.bundesliga.at/home/index.php?SID

Vienna Teams:
Austria Vienna:
FK Austria Wien play their home games at the Franz Horr Stadium which has a total capacity of 12,500 with the new East-Stand. Tt is on U1 (red line) to station Reumannplatz, Straßenbahn: Line 67 to Altes Landgut, Bus: Line 15A to station Altes Landgut

Rapid Veinna:
Rapid Wien now plays at the Gerhard Hanappi Stadium which was opened on 10 May 1977 in a game against FK Austria. The nearest station is Hütteldorf which is on the OBB servies and on the U-Bhan (Line U4).

First Vienna:
The club's home venue is the Hohe Warte Stadium built in 1921 and having a current capacity of 5,000 spectators. at the end of the U-Bhan (line U4) at Heiligenstadt.

Klagenfurt Team:
SK Austria Kelag Kärnten:
Austria Kärnten plays its home games at Hypo-Arena in the south-west end of Klagenfurt.

Stats and info in this article have been found on both Wikipedia and RSSSF websites.

EDIT: The new season fixtures are out on June 25th 2010. :)