Analyzing Vienna

Last year, an hour train ride from Bratislava delivered us to Vienna, Austria, where we would spend the next 4 December nights and ring in 2013. We took a cab from the train station to our apartment in the Mariahilf neighborhood and shortly after arriving were met by the rest of our travel partners, there would be 6 of us in all. The apartment we had rented was perfect for us and a great location for walking around the city.

The city was completely decked out with Christmas lights, every neighborhood having a differently themed displayed hung over their streets. Some were sweet and simple, others grand! We spent the next few days exploring and were completely enchanted by all the various displays.

The city doesn't just have gorgeous light displays, the entire city is pretty spectacular.

There is a lot to see and do in the capitol. We started our stay with a morning visit to the Leopold Museum, well-know for it's collection of Gustav Klimt. And although we all joked about the "buttoned up-ness" of the Austrians, the joke was on us when we visited their special exhibit "Nude Men". The photo you see in the link was the poster that was hung all over the city to promote it. Just another spectacular sight in Vienna. And yes, I said hung.

It's an easy walk from the museum area, past the Hofburg Palace and into the well-preserved old town, you actually walk thru the old palace stables on your way. The buildings around town are all so grand, with lots of architectural details, that we didn't even mind gawking and revealing ourselves for the peeping tourists that we were.

 

Another morning we wandered through the Naschmarkt, filled with all sorts of produce, candy, seafood, and condiment stands. The market sits right along the Wein river and is a bustling place to shop, have a beer, have lunch, or just people watch.It's been going since the 16th century and doesn't show any intention of slowing down! Even on this cold December day, people were eating and drinking outside, toasting and dreaming of warmer days to come.

No trip to Vienna is complete without a palace tour so we decided on Schloss Belvedere. The grounds here are unbelievably beautiful. Keep in mind it was basically the dead of winter and it still was stunning, I can't even imagine how amazing it would be in the summer.

There is also a museum inside that you aren't allowed to take any photos in, but trust me when I say the collection is really wonderful. The palace is an absolute do not miss in my book, even considering the house envy we all were afflicted with.

The city was happy to show us a few stunners that we didn't know anything about but were happy to glimpse each reveal.

 

Of course we couldn't resist walking by the famed Opera House, we didn't go inside but we arrived just as the New Year's Day concert was letting out it's audience, including these ladies showing their fur coats off with pride.

We were lucky that the last days of the Christmas Market were still going on at the site of the amazing Rathaus. The market was full of festival food and craft stalls, and also a big screen were they were broadcasting the symphony. And of course there was the Christmas tree which looked to be reaching for the sky. It was almost as excess of beauty. 

 

My official diagnosis of Vienna is stunningly beautiful with a slight case of pomp and circumstance. Deeper analysis is needed.

More acute prettiness here.

24 Hours... Bratislava, Slovakia

We left Budapest for Bratislava by train, we had purchased a first class cabin that we had all to ourselves. It was a nice ride, past pretty hills half hidden by mist and along the Danube River. We had wanted to take a boat but they don't run throughout the winter.

We grabbed a taxi from the train station and headed to our hotel, Marrol's. I think we got taken a bit as our fare was 18E and the town is pretty small. Our hotel however, was absolutely great! They greeted us with a glass of bubbles and then showed us to our cute room which had a very comfy bed, free wifi, complementary mini bar and breakfast. Absolutely would recommend this hotel if you happen to find yourself in Bratislava.

 

We headed out on foot and made our way to 1.Slovak Pub for a traditional lunch of cheese dumplings with bacon and beer. This was good fuel for our afternoon plans of walking around the town. 

Originally we had thought about spending two nights in Bratislava but I'm glad we cut that to just one. The town, especially the old part, is very pretty but it's easy to do in half a day. 

We started by entering the old walled part and wandered along the cobblestone lined, pedestrian only lanes.  The city has a collection of quirky sculptures that they added to be "less communist" after the Velvet Revolution.

 

Past the square was an outdoor ice rink and the remains of the Christmas markets. We continued on to the site of the former Rybné Square synagogue and the memorial to the 105,000 Slovakian victims of the holocaust. Strangely, the site is next to the town church and next to the main highway which the city of Bratislava chose to erect crazily close to both. 

After walking around the town and square we headed over the bridge to the UFO Observation deck. This gives fantastic views the Danube, the barren areas around the town, the castle, that infamous highway, and Bratislava itself. 

The winter light was so pretty, but it was also crazy cold. The kind that is refreshing and invigorating though- luckily!

We opted not to stop in at the rotating restaurant for over priced cocktails and made our way back across the bridge to the town for cocktails.

At this point is was still early, maybe 4pm, so although we had a few cocktail bars on our list to check out, the only one that was open was Paparazzi Bar. Not to worry, it is also the best. They have an amazing cocktail menu, and one of those funny sculptures-- an over eager "photo journalist"-- is on their corner. 

We left and found ourselves on very quiet streets, most of the restaurants still closed for the holidays. We checked in on a few places but found them to be too "touristy" so we opted for an early dinner back at our hotel, which was ok, and tucked into bed early. Tomorrow we were heading to Vienna!

I have no idea what we would have done with 48 hours... 

All Bratislava photos here.

Talking About Toronto

I had wanted to go to Toronto for such a long time, I'm not sure exactly why or what I thought the city was all about (a-boot?) but we finally had an excuse when Dayne's cousin got married there in June.

The first thing I found out about Toronto is that the price of hotels basically rivals those in New York! Unfortunately the reviews that go along with the hotel costs describe aging properties without any personality. We chose to stay at the Cambridge Suites which was where the families were staying and was within walking distance to the ceremony location. The hotel was good, right downtown and easy to jump on the subway or just walk around. All the rooms were suites which was also nice, having a separate living room makes it feel much bigger. The hotel was definitely on the older side but we were happy with it for the price.

The first night in town we grabbed a cab and headed to Rock Lobster for lobster rolls, lobster poutine, and oysters.  The food and atmosphere here are good, casual and a bit loud. Very fun spot if you are in the area, I wouldn't go out of your way for it though.

After dinner we headed to The Miller Tavern, not owned by us and not a tavern per say. But this should be a must-not-miss on any cocktail loving person's stop. It's a gorgeous bar and they are doing really unusually flavored cocktails, like my Cobble Hill with bourbon, dry vermouth, Montenegro and cucumber. We also got to try their brown butter popcorn bourbon... YUM!

We didn't have much planned as far as sightseeing goes, in fact we found it a bit strange upon reading up on the city that there are only a handful of real "tourist" things to see/do. We were advised to enjoy the neighborhoods, which would have been great, except that the weather was unseasonably cold, dumping rain at times, making leisurely strolls a no-go.

We did check out the Lawrence Market, I'm always happy to wander market stalls in any city, and had a traditional peameal bacon sandwich from the Carousel Bakery.

 We decided to brave the weather after lunch and took the subway to the stop for Casa Loma, and then walked up the hill to the castle. We weren't particularly interested in touring the old mansion but since the weather wasn't cooperating with us we thought "why not?". But once we were there, and saw that the entrance fee was over $20 each, we decided to ditch the plan and head back downtown.

 
We found a cute little cafe right by our hotel called the Gaberdine, which is a good stop if you are needing a late lunch or snack.

That night, after meeting a friend who we hadn't seen since she lived in Paris, for a much too short catch-up, we headed to The Harbord Room to meet up with Darcy O'Neil and Lauren Mote, who was doing an evening of Bittered Sling cocktails. Another spot I would highly recommend, the food all looked and smelled delicious and the cocktails were lovely!

That night Dayne's parents arrived and we all met up for a decadent dinner at Cafe Boulud. Toronto seems to be the 2nd stop for many New York chef's. The restaurant is in the Four Seasons and if you are looking for a nice dinner, you can't go wrong booking here.

One day we rented a car and drove to Niagara Falls.  You can't get more touristy than this and we loved it! The falls are truly spectacular, the size of them almost unbelievable. We bought our tickets to the Maid of the Mist, donned our complimentary rain ponchos and set sail. Oh my god!! So much fun! We got drenched even with the poncho. The boat takes you so close, you wonder how they don't get sucked into the powerful pull of the water. If you go to Niagara and don't do this tour you are missing out!

 

The town itself is nothing but wax museums and chain restaurants, nothing to see there. But just strolling along the falls after the boat ride was so enjoyable!

We didn't have time to stop, but on the drive back we went through Niagara on the Lake which is super picturesque with scores of bike trails and wineries, lots of icewine. Next time...

We got back in town and made a quick stop at BYOB, an absolute must for all things cocktail, like Bittered Sling bitters, antique bar carts, glasses, etc. It's like the Barkeeper of Toronto!

That night we had an amazing dinner at Momofuko Shoto. 10 courses of amazing food, made in front of us by a team of 6 chefs, each serving us their particular dish. The restaurant only serves at 17 each seating, with only 2 seatings per night, all seats are bar style around the open kitchen.

A stunning meal, I'd do it again in a heartbeat! And after dinner we went downstairs to Nikai, their cocktail bar. The Momofuku building is really interesting, a cube with 3 floors, 3 restaurants and the bar.

On our last day the weather brightened up, it was sunny, warm and clear. We went to our friend's house for a relaxing catch-up brunch with her and herAb family in their back yard. After brunch Dayne and I headed to Rogers Center for a Toronto Blue Jays game. A perfect afternoon for baseball and Canadian beer (skip the food here though, ugh!)

We had a great time at the wedding, getting a chance to see many family members that we haven't seen since our wedding. Toronto wasn't as exciting as I thought it would have been but I'd happily go back to do a bit more eating and drinking!

Toronto photos here.

Hot Miami Nights

Doesn't that sound great just about now? Here in Seattle fall has really made itself known. We've had a crazy weekend storm with torrential rains and high wind. The best remedy I know for the rainy-day blues is to pull up some photos of warm, sunny spots and take a little mental trip.

When we went to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, last year we flew in and out of Miami, cashing in miles for first class, round trip flights. From Seattle to LA we were on an Alaska flight, which is a good but not amazing first class. But from LA to Miami we totally scored, the plane was normally used for international flights and we had these awesome individual 'pods' with partitions you could raise, laptop desks, tvs, ottomans that you could also use as an extra seat if you wanted to invite someone to your pod, fully reclining/lay flat beds, down comforters, etc. It was seriously posh.

We had some champers, a little meal (complete with cheese course), watched a movie, took a nap. It was wonderful. Dayne was especially happy with the ice cream sundae service prior to landing!

Upon arriving in Miami we checked into the Hotel InterContinental in downtown. We'd stayed in South Beach the last time we had been in town and wanted to see a different area of the city. The front desk informed us that we were randomly chosen to be the "Surprise Guest of the Day" and they upgraded us to a huge suite on the 31st floor and granted us free use of the lounge with complimentary drinks, etc. Helllloooooo Miami!!!

We had a great dinner that night at Yardbird, absolutely delicious southern food and bourbon drinks in a very fun atmosphere at South Beach. Fried green tomatoes with unctuous pork belly, fried chicken, a cheddar waffle with bourbon syrup, all delish! After dinner we headed to the W to check out drinks at The Dutch. Cocktails are very good here and the bar has a nice casual vibe, not stuffy or full of attitude. Definitely a great spot to hit up in you are in the area.

We came home to find the hotel had delivered a bottle of champagne and some chocolate covered strawberries to our room. Well done.

On our way back from Punta Cana we did another night in Miami, still staying in the downtown area but this time staying at the Kimpton Epic. The name says it all. We pulled up in our cab and the valet was busy parking sleek, candy-colored sports cars. We checked in and made our way to our room, being greeted by another comped bottle of champers, a big patio, and an amazing view of Biscayne Bay and the hotel pool below us. The perfect place to enjoy the colors of the sunset before getting ready for dinner and heading out on the town.

Dinner this time was at OLA, the restaurant in the Sanctuary Hotel. It was a bit hard to find but was absolutely worth it. Very good food in a cute little space. We headed back downtown after and had cocktails at The Corner, which was a great find. Part tavern, part cocktail bar, and a walk-up window for drink ordering even!

The next day we had the entire afternoon to hang out and enjoy the amazing pool at the hotel before flying home, first class on Alaska, Miami to Seattle direct.

I could really go for that right about now!

Warm, sunny photos here.

Camp Orcas Island

We had two great camping trips this year at two new spots in WA.
The first was earlier in June and we made reservations for a spot at Moran state park on Orcas Island. I had purchased a deal for a private sailing trip for 6 out of Deer Harbor so combining that with a weekend of camping seemed like a great plan, and it was!
Dayne would be flying out after work to meet us Friday evening, but Matt, Jen, Gary, Elisabeth and I got up early and drove out to Anacortes to catch the ferry. We grabbed our spots in line, made up some bloody Maria's and watched the pretty morning mist clear off the water.




Our camp site was great but it did come with built in exercise equipment, whether that was a bonus or not we still haven't decided. The site was up a relatively steep hill, great for privacy and the glutes. It also came with a tree swing, great for, well just great!




We did a bit of exploring down by the lake, had a little hike, and generally just chilled out for the afternoon.
Dayne arrived at the "airport" which consisted of a small field landing strip and not much else. Watching the pilot climb out of the window to then open the hatch and release his passengers was enough for me to know that I probably wouldn't be taking one of those anytime soon.




The next morning we drove to Deer Harbor to Classic Daysailing and boarded Captain Ward Fey's sailboat which seated the 6 of us and him cozily. He gave everyone a little job to do; handling the tiller, pulling the lines, watching for logs, and soon we were sailing out of the harbor. It was a spectacular morning, clear, sunny and warm! We spotted a huge bald eagle perched atop a pine tree watching us, a few others riding the wind currents, a big osprey in it's nest, and a half dozen seals.




We brought a nice picnic breakfast on board, complete with mimosas, and had a fantastic 3-hour tour. We even sailed right past our friends house on Crane Island. I'd absolutely recommend Capt. Ward!
After we docked, we headed into town for some lunch before heading back to our campsite. Wanting to take full advantage of the stunning weather we blew up our dingys and put in on the lake, paddling around for the afternoon with some rosé.
The next morning we packed up camp, drove up to Mountain Lake and put the boats in again. Cue more rosé.




A relaxing picnic on the lawn while waiting for the ferry and great views on the ride ride back to the mainland were the frosting on top of a fab camping weekend!




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A Romantic Dinner Where?

This month last year we headed to Punta Cana for our wedding anniversary, but before flying off we had a very nice dinner in an unexpected location.

Since our flight was a tad early in the morning, we took advantage of a deal for the Cedarbrook Lodge. This hotel is located right at the airport but the beautiful grounds and Northwest style rooms and common areas make you feel far from the hectic ways of the SeaTac airport. We checked in and were given this lovely, comfortable and serene room for the night.

 

They were providing live jazz on the lawn so we headed out with a cocktail and relaxed before dinner. The lawn, pond, and gardens really are pretty here. 

 

We then had a lovely dinner at the hotel's restaurant CopperLeaf. You don't usually find things like foie gras, duck breast, and 5-course tasting menus by the airport but that is exactly what CopperLeaf offers. The food was all very good, it wasn't earth shattering but it was very good. It was also very, very pretty. The plating was excellent and the restaurant also offers a fantastic wine list with many exceptional local wines. 

Our favorite thing was this dessert. Delicious donuts served with a hand-blended hot chocolate for dipping. Delish!

5am the next day came around much to soon but it was made easier by the complimentary airport shuttle.

I highly recommend Cedarbrook Lodge as an overnight on your next early morning SeaTac departure!

Flickr Photo Set