Vienna 2023

      Since my last post in Munich, I have spent 4 nights in Innsbruck, Austria and 3 nights in Graz, Austria.  I am now on night 5 in Vienna.  I was in Innsbruck once before.  I think 2017 but I am not sure.  I stayed at the Goldener Adler Hotel and it was wonderful.  It is right up the street from the Goldenes Dachl and the perfect place to be.  I booked one of their bigger rooms and it was fine.  It had AC and a "German double" bed.  The people there could not have been nicer or more accommodating.  If I am ever back in Innsbruck I will definitely stay here.  Across the street is a bar called Franz's, I think,  and they make a nice Negroni for only 7,50 euro.

      I ate up the street, really next door, at Mama Mia's.  Obviously, Italian.  I also ate at Weisses Rossl, Altstadt-Schmankerl and Ansicht Wirthaus.  The last 3 are Austrian places and I enjoyed them all.  I also enjoyed an afternoon wine and sausage at Continuim in der Pfarrgasse.  I went there one night for a drink as well.  I went to the Hofburg and the hofkirche.  The Hofkirche is very interesting because of the "black" statues.  If you know who they are it is even more interesting.  I also went to the Ambras castel were I never went before.  I took the street tram using a pass the hotel gave me.  Another reason to stay there. Then I had to walk up the hill.  Long but not bad.  When I was buying my ticket the woman there told me a tour was beginning in 1/2 an hour, so I went.  They are only in German on a daily basis.  It was interesting and after I got a coffee and cake at the cafe and them took myself through the portrait gallery.  I enjoyed it.  I also went to the Tyroller Landesmuseum.  It was interesting and more so because I experienced the mosrt insulting Art of my life.  On the top floor was the Special Exhibit.  So I started there.  9 rooms with nothing in them.  Seriously.  They were all supposed to smell differently.  But they didn't smell at all.  Only like a public room.

     Graz was an ok place.  I stayed at the Palais Erzherzog Johann.  The nicest hotel in Graz.  An old palace very well located and very reasonable.  My room was big and very stately.  I found a bar called Dizzy's and the first time I was there I ordered a Negroni and thought it was about 10 euro, good, but the waitress only charged me 5,90 euro and said it was Happy Hour until 8 o'clock.  Needless to say I returned the other 2 nights.  I ate at a greek place across the street form Dizzy's called Dionysis.  I also ate at Peppone.  It was Italian and very small and local and I enjoyed it.  I spoke with an older man, even older than me, sitting at the next table.  He said he has lived in Graz for 60 years and comes to that place all the time.  They did know him.  There really is nothing to see in Graz.  I took the funicular up to the Schlossberg but nothing there.  So it is really just walking around and enjoying being there.  I don't think I need to return, but if you are passing through it is worth a few nights.

      Now I am in Vienna.  I am staying at one of my favorite hotels, Konig von Ungarn.  I have stayed here many times before and always in single roon 202.  But this time I am in double 308 and it is wonderful.  Several people here have been here since I started coming way back in 2006(?).  I have not been here since 2017 and I have been to the Albertina, Kunst Historisches Museum, Leopald Museum and the Schatzkammer.  

Munich 2023

       Sept. 16, 2023

     It is Saturday night and I arrived here on Tuesday.  The trip down was an easy one, first to Erfurt, of course, and then to Munich with only 3 stops.  My room was ready and I checked-in quickly.  Tuesday night I had a reservation at Piazzetta up the street.  It was nice and the Italian was as good as anywhere.  But the service, while friendly, was a little slow.  I had a salad and a pasta dish and I was there at least an hour before I had my pasta.  I was in no rush but it was still a little annoying.

      Wednesday I went to the Altes Pinakothek.  As wonderful as ever.  I spent about 2 hours there.  The cafe is different in that they don't have all the delicious cakes on display anymore so I skipped it.  I went down to Platzl  and had a beer at Guiness when it torrentially poured.  

      Thursday I went to the Barisches National Museem and spent about 2 hours there.  I walked there and then downtown.  I tried to stop at Spaten for a beer but they said at noon you have to eat, so I said no.  There was a woman at the next table with her dog.  I said hello to the dog before I sat down and then as I was leaving the woman spoke to me.  I knew she said her husband was coming and I though she was offering for me to sit at her table so I could  have my beer.  But it became obvious that she wanted to leave to get her husband and was asking me to stay at her table with her beer and her dog!  I gladly did!

     Yesterday I used my phone to find the post office and mailed cards.  I stopped in Frauen Kirche and had a beer around the corner.  Today I went to Konigplatz and went to the Glyptotek and the Staatliche Antikensammlung.  I walked back and stopped at Hard Rock, outside, for 2.

     On Wednesday night I had a reservation at El Gaucho.  I found it last year and it is a good steak house.  Last night I went down town to eat and found a place on Sendlinger Strasse.  I had rostbraten with a salad and cabbage salad and Kloss and it was tremendous.  Thursday night I went to Wirthaus in Braunauer Hof.  That is the place I used to eat at, not Wirthaus in der Au!  Ausgezeichnet!

     I did not know that Octoberfest began today!  I was never here this late in the Fall.  There are a lot of tourists wearing Bavarian Tracht and making a lot of noise.  So tonight I am only going down the street to the Indian place.  Hopefully no one is there!

Nuremberg 2023

       Well I spent my 3 nights in Nuremberg!  The trip down was easy and quicker than I anticipated.  Naturally, I had to go to Erfurt first, but I was at the Hauptbahnhof here early so I arrived in Erfurt with plenty of time to have a coffee and then get the train, straight to Nuremberg.  Only about 1 hour 40 minutes!  I stayed at the Park Plaza Radisson which is across from the train statio and very easy to walk to.

Nuremberg Room

    I went on the Stadtsrundfuhrung given through the Tourist Office.  It was very interesting and took us all over.  It did not go up to the fortress!  The Guide was very good and knew what she was talking about as well as being entertaining.  I also went to the Germanisches Nationalmuseum.  It is very large and has a very nice, interesting and full collection going from pre-historic times to the 20th century.

      

Germanisches Nationalmuseum

Historic fountain in main square

     I ate at 3 great places.  The first was an Italian place called Cucina Italiana.  The special that day was Bronzino so I had that which came with a salad.  Great!  I also had a pre-dinner Negroni, a glass of Montepulciano, a tafelwasser and a grappa.  The servers were efficient and friendly.

     The next night I ate at Goldenes Posthorn which is obviously a German place.  I sat outside and had what they call Schauferle.  That is pork shoulder with the fat cooked very crispy on top.  I didn't know it until it arrived but I have had this before and if you like pork it is incredible.  I also had a local beer - Tucher.

     The last night I could not find the place I was looking for so I ate at Travolta - another Italian place but more of a pizzaria and the pizza I had was great.  It had some sort of Italian salami that had a unique taste and I loved it.

      My  trip home was also very smooth and easy.  I had gotten the round-trip ticket before I left so I just had to get up and go.  I am glad I went, I think I was there a long time ago, and I am glad I went