Waking Up
I was set to take part in a bicycling tour that was to begin
I had thought the pickup point was on the other side of the park next to my hotel. When I double checked the point during breakfast I realized the park was much further - about 1 kilometer away.
Bicycle Tour
When I got to the pickup point the tour group was still assembling. One of the guys had a satchel and a clipboard so I approached him to check in. He was on his cell phone but took my name down and asked me to wait. While I was waiting the tour group left. After a couple of minutes he took the 29 euro fee, handed me a bike, and guided me towards the others. The only problem was he couldn't find the tour group - and the itinerary isn't fixed. There are tour highlights, but most tours only cover a subset of the stops.
He tried calling the tour guide but there was no answer. He offered a map and suggested I do a self guided tour, but I knew that would be frustrating since I'd likely get lost. GPS moving maps has caused my old school map read skills to get rusty. He offered an afternoon tour, but I planned on leaving town early evening. Shortly thereafter the tour guide called back with details where we could meet. Shortly thereafter I joined the tour! There were about 8 of us on the tour, 1 guide who spoke both German (official language of Austria) and English, 3 English speakers (me, a Spanish guy and English girl in their twenties) and a group of 5-6 Germans or Austrians. At every stop the tour guide gave explanations in both languages. The tour guide was very good. She handled the two groups very well. I really wanted to spend more time at Albertina and Parliament. Parliament was an incredible history, predating both world wars. Albertina looks very impressive from the outside, but also has many works by Monet and Picasso.
The highlights of the tour were: The highlights were: Staatsoper, Ringstrasse, Stephansdom, Mozart Denkmal, Heldenplatz, Hofburg, Michaelerplatz, Parliament, Rathaus, Burgtheater, Schottenkirche, Freyung, Albertina. In hindsight, taking one of these tours the first day I was in Vienna would have been ideal. This was the last day I'd be in Vienna and the tour would provide me ideas of sites to see. While the tour was three hours, it wasn't designed with the idea of spending much time at any one site. The tour group did a good job staying together and keeping a healthy pace. The sites were spread out, so the bikes were very useful. We probably covered 5 miles on the ground which was nothing on a bike, yet would have been difficult on a walking tour. When the tour ended I chatted with the guide a bit about where Mozart and Beethoven performed. I was also curious if any of their instruments could be found on display, strangely she didn't think they any were on display.
Parliament Tour
After finishing up the bicycle tour I head over to the Parliament building to see if I could do a tour. Upon arriving I was told the next tour was in 30 minutes. Sweet! I killed some time in the coffee shop within the building. Although the staff said otherwise, the building did have free WiFi. While there I started preparing my next stop. I had wanted to stop at the Albertina art museum, but I'd have to pass on that to go to the Heeresgeschichtliches.
The tour group was small, only 5 people. The tour guide commented that it was the smallest group she's seen in a long time. There were two guys from Poland and two girls from French Canada. I didn't know what to make of the guide at first. Walking through Parliament it's rather clear people have free access to the people who elected them. The guide mentioned that the president and other elected officials can be found around parliament without any kind of security. People walk free once behind the walls. I will note I was not allowed to bring my backpack into the premises and did walk through an x-ray machine - so there is security in place.
The guide made some comments about America that at first caught my attention. She mentioned how Austrians elect common people (i.e.., people who are not wealthy) to represent them. She made a comment about how politicians tend to be wealthy in American and that's not the case in Austria. After, I spoke to her about her thoughts. I didn't want to necessarily change her opinion, rather understand her viewpoint. That conversation more or less changed to discussing the republican party. I could tell she had a negative impression of the party. I was extremely impressed with how much she knew, but mostly how open minded she was.
I think anyone who knows me understands my thoughts about health care reform - mostly because I wouldn't shut up about it when the legislation was moving through congress. While I am for health care reform, I explained the concerns of the republican party. That is, the concern of a government run system and in general the apprehension to allow the government to control health care, own assets, etc. They aren't necessarily out to deprive people health care. Her impression of the health care problem was that the poor were denied access. To some extent that might be true, but I largely see it as a problem that affects the middle class who are self employed. I explained my views on who was most affected and she was surprised. It never occurred to her that much of the poor was already largely covered by government assistance already. The people who really lost out were the middle class who lost homes and went through bankruptcy because of lack of care.
Naschmarkt
I passed through Naschmarkt en route to the car. At almost one mile long, the market is enormous and stretches down the side of a very long street. Lots of cafes, bars, and shops form the market which lines the neighboring street. The market was packed with people either shopping or just having a beer. I didn't get to spend much time here, but it was interesting to take in the ambiance.
Heeresgeschichtliches
The most significant assassination in recorded history is often said to be the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The assassination would trigger a diplomatic crisis setting the stage for WW I to begin a month later. The Heeresgeschichtliches museum has the actual car the Archduke was riding in, as well as other memorabilia. Also, given Hitler was born in Austria I was curious to see the WW II collection as well. For me, this museum was a must and it did not disappoint. The museum does a fantastic job tracing back Austrian history back hundreds of years, extensively covering both world wars. Although the car was the main reason for coming to this museum, there was plenty of other things to see. Although he wasn't a tour guide, one of the museum employees did a good job explaining the exhibits around the car. He explained that the guns on display were taken from those responsible for the assasination, but the actual gun that fired the bullet was lost during the second world war. The gun was last at Salzburg, Germany and likely stolen during the war. I only had an hour to browse the museum and it went fast. I did get to see everything I wanted to though.
Drive to Munich
Braunau am Inn
En route to Munich is a town called Braunau am Inn. Braunau am Inn is the birthplace and childhood home of one of the most evil people ever to grace the planet. I'll give you a hint, it's not Joseph Stalin nor Vlad the Impaler. I was curious to see for myself how the time remembered the man and what the town was like. It was raining pretty heavily before turning into the town, so a stop was welcome. The town was small, but had a very nice and quaint downtown. I saw no evidence of white supremacy or anything else one might expect. I imagine the town does a good job keeping that away. I'm not sure why the flowers were left outside the memorial. I imagine it's to honor the meaning inscriped within the stone.
Checking In
It was around midnight when I got to the hotel. Since I was staying at an actual hotel I expected a 24 hour front desk. Not a chance, there was only a buzzer with instructions to dial a number for help. After dialing the number, the clerk checked me in via the intercom. The key even dropped from the intercom allowing me access to the building. I've never seen anything like this before. After dropping my bags off in the room I wandered around town. It was shortly after midnight by the time I finished the 5 minute walk to the town square. I opted for a hotel was centrally located near many shops, restaurants, and bars within the the Marienplatz area. For the most part, the town was dead. Maybe it's because I didn't know exactly where to go, but Munich's nightlife was very disappointing. Almost all bars had shut down or were in the process of doing so. I went to the only restaurant that appeared open (McDonalds) and head back to the hotel.
Tomorrow
Although I had a lot to see the next day in Munich, I didn't have a set time to be up in the morning. I figured catching up on sleep would be a good thing so I set my alarm late.
I was set to take part in a bicycling tour that was to begin
I had thought the pickup point was on the other side of the park next to my hotel. When I double checked the point during breakfast I realized the park was much further - about 1 kilometer away.
Bicycle Tour
When I got to the pickup point the tour group was still assembling. One of the guys had a satchel and a clipboard so I approached him to check in. He was on his cell phone but took my name down and asked me to wait. While I was waiting the tour group left. After a couple of minutes he took the 29 euro fee, handed me a bike, and guided me towards the others. The only problem was he couldn't find the tour group - and the itinerary isn't fixed. There are tour highlights, but most tours only cover a subset of the stops.
He tried calling the tour guide but there was no answer. He offered a map and suggested I do a self guided tour, but I knew that would be frustrating since I'd likely get lost. GPS moving maps has caused my old school map read skills to get rusty. He offered an afternoon tour, but I planned on leaving town early evening. Shortly thereafter the tour guide called back with details where we could meet. Shortly thereafter I joined the tour! There were about 8 of us on the tour, 1 guide who spoke both German (official language of Austria) and English, 3 English speakers (me, a Spanish guy and English girl in their twenties) and a group of 5-6 Germans or Austrians. At every stop the tour guide gave explanations in both languages. The tour guide was very good. She handled the two groups very well. I really wanted to spend more time at Albertina and Parliament. Parliament was an incredible history, predating both world wars. Albertina looks very impressive from the outside, but also has many works by Monet and Picasso.
The highlights of the tour were: The highlights were: Staatsoper, Ringstrasse, Stephansdom, Mozart Denkmal, Heldenplatz, Hofburg, Michaelerplatz, Parliament, Rathaus, Burgtheater, Schottenkirche, Freyung, Albertina. In hindsight, taking one of these tours the first day I was in Vienna would have been ideal. This was the last day I'd be in Vienna and the tour would provide me ideas of sites to see. While the tour was three hours, it wasn't designed with the idea of spending much time at any one site. The tour group did a good job staying together and keeping a healthy pace. The sites were spread out, so the bikes were very useful. We probably covered 5 miles on the ground which was nothing on a bike, yet would have been difficult on a walking tour. When the tour ended I chatted with the guide a bit about where Mozart and Beethoven performed. I was also curious if any of their instruments could be found on display, strangely she didn't think they any were on display.
Me, outside a building I forgot the name of
Performance going on during tour
Lots of statues line the historic buildings
Me, outside Parliament
Me, with bike, outside St. Stephan's Cathedral
Parliament Tour
After finishing up the bicycle tour I head over to the Parliament building to see if I could do a tour. Upon arriving I was told the next tour was in 30 minutes. Sweet! I killed some time in the coffee shop within the building. Although the staff said otherwise, the building did have free WiFi. While there I started preparing my next stop. I had wanted to stop at the Albertina art museum, but I'd have to pass on that to go to the Heeresgeschichtliches.
The tour group was small, only 5 people. The tour guide commented that it was the smallest group she's seen in a long time. There were two guys from Poland and two girls from French Canada. I didn't know what to make of the guide at first. Walking through Parliament it's rather clear people have free access to the people who elected them. The guide mentioned that the president and other elected officials can be found around parliament without any kind of security. People walk free once behind the walls. I will note I was not allowed to bring my backpack into the premises and did walk through an x-ray machine - so there is security in place.
The guide made some comments about America that at first caught my attention. She mentioned how Austrians elect common people (i.e.., people who are not wealthy) to represent them. She made a comment about how politicians tend to be wealthy in American and that's not the case in Austria. After, I spoke to her about her thoughts. I didn't want to necessarily change her opinion, rather understand her viewpoint. That conversation more or less changed to discussing the republican party. I could tell she had a negative impression of the party. I was extremely impressed with how much she knew, but mostly how open minded she was.
I think anyone who knows me understands my thoughts about health care reform - mostly because I wouldn't shut up about it when the legislation was moving through congress. While I am for health care reform, I explained the concerns of the republican party. That is, the concern of a government run system and in general the apprehension to allow the government to control health care, own assets, etc. They aren't necessarily out to deprive people health care. Her impression of the health care problem was that the poor were denied access. To some extent that might be true, but I largely see it as a problem that affects the middle class who are self employed. I explained my views on who was most affected and she was surprised. It never occurred to her that much of the poor was already largely covered by government assistance already. The people who really lost out were the middle class who lost homes and went through bankruptcy because of lack of care.
Me, outside Parliament
Parliament was bombed heavily during WWII
Screen above shows areas affected by bombs
Our guide, explaining the areas of parliament that were bombed
If you look closely you can see 2 columns that don't exactly fit in (rear right corner)
Those were replaced due to WWII bombing
Me
Naschmarkt
I passed through Naschmarkt en route to the car. At almost one mile long, the market is enormous and stretches down the side of a very long street. Lots of cafes, bars, and shops form the market which lines the neighboring street. The market was packed with people either shopping or just having a beer. I didn't get to spend much time here, but it was interesting to take in the ambiance.
Looking down the Naschmarkt
Heeresgeschichtliches
The most significant assassination in recorded history is often said to be the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The assassination would trigger a diplomatic crisis setting the stage for WW I to begin a month later. The Heeresgeschichtliches museum has the actual car the Archduke was riding in, as well as other memorabilia. Also, given Hitler was born in Austria I was curious to see the WW II collection as well. For me, this museum was a must and it did not disappoint. The museum does a fantastic job tracing back Austrian history back hundreds of years, extensively covering both world wars. Although the car was the main reason for coming to this museum, there was plenty of other things to see. Although he wasn't a tour guide, one of the museum employees did a good job explaining the exhibits around the car. He explained that the guns on display were taken from those responsible for the assasination, but the actual gun that fired the bullet was lost during the second world war. The gun was last at Salzburg, Germany and likely stolen during the war. I only had an hour to browse the museum and it went fast. I did get to see everything I wanted to though.
Outside museum
Uniform worn by the Archduke at time of assasination
Me outside the infamous car
Weapons used in assassination attempt
WW II era exhibit
Grand halls of museum
Halls
Drive to Munich
Braunau am Inn
En route to Munich is a town called Braunau am Inn. Braunau am Inn is the birthplace and childhood home of one of the most evil people ever to grace the planet. I'll give you a hint, it's not Joseph Stalin nor Vlad the Impaler. I was curious to see for myself how the time remembered the man and what the town was like. It was raining pretty heavily before turning into the town, so a stop was welcome. The town was small, but had a very nice and quaint downtown. I saw no evidence of white supremacy or anything else one might expect. I imagine the town does a good job keeping that away. I'm not sure why the flowers were left outside the memorial. I imagine it's to honor the meaning inscriped within the stone.
Entering the town
Town Center
Memorial outside birth home
"For Peace, Freedom and Democracy. Never Again Fascism. Millions of Dead Remind [us]".Checking In
It was around midnight when I got to the hotel. Since I was staying at an actual hotel I expected a 24 hour front desk. Not a chance, there was only a buzzer with instructions to dial a number for help. After dialing the number, the clerk checked me in via the intercom. The key even dropped from the intercom allowing me access to the building. I've never seen anything like this before. After dropping my bags off in the room I wandered around town. It was shortly after midnight by the time I finished the 5 minute walk to the town square. I opted for a hotel was centrally located near many shops, restaurants, and bars within the the Marienplatz area. For the most part, the town was dead. Maybe it's because I didn't know exactly where to go, but Munich's nightlife was very disappointing. Almost all bars had shut down or were in the process of doing so. I went to the only restaurant that appeared open (McDonalds) and head back to the hotel.
Exterior of hotel
(not my photo)
Intercom that dispenses keys for late check in
Room w/twin bed
Private bath
Side of room opposite of bed
Tomorrow
Although I had a lot to see the next day in Munich, I didn't have a set time to be up in the morning. I figured catching up on sleep would be a good thing so I set my alarm late.
No comments:
Post a Comment