Friday 21st - Vienna

We walked into the city centre heading for St Stephen’s Cathedral. Very busy but an impressive church with lots of stone carving and a patterned tiled roof. Then went to St Peter's, another catholic church, much quieter and with the same gaudy style as those in Prague. Although these ones were somewhat less dusty, and looked as though they had recently been refurbished. The style of all of these churches is that high baroque, which we do not really get in the UK. It is very much associated with the counter-reformation, which, for obvious reasons, was not much of a “thing” in the UK.

We then went for a bit of a wander and came across the butterfly house. Done out like a small piece of tropical jungle, it was brilliant,  just made you smile. Took lots of photos and some video but didn't really manage to capture any in flight.

Had a beer and a sandwich and went off to explore the main museum/parliament bit. We decided on the Kunsthistorisches which had lots of archaeological finds and some art. The latter was not really to my liking though as a bit samey and mostly religious stuff. There were some big ones though and the tower of Babel. Bought a card of that for the shelf. The building itself was very impressive. A purpose built museum back in the days when they had money and a mirror image of the natural history one opposite.

After that we went back to the ranch to chill. One of the great advantages of this apartment was that there was an underground station, the Nestroyplatz, literally outside the front door. Which meant getting round the city was very easy. A lot of the Viennese tube system seemed to be very modern and sleak.

In the evening we went back into town which was heaving. Found a traditional Austrian restaurant in a quieter back street, and eat outside. . I had to try Wiener Schnitzel which was OK but not brilliant. Nice pumpkin soup to start with though. Then went for a bit of a wonder and finished off with a rusty nail and a Manhattan in a cocktail bar. Which was a good way to end the evening, watching the bright young things of Vienna enjoying themselves. Got back and a thunderstorm started, so we pulled all the cushions in from the balcony.

Saturday 22nd - Vienna again

Booked to see a string quartet in the evening then went to the station to reserve seats for tomorrow's trip. They had a ticketed queuing system as in Prague so makes life a bit easy. Then went to the Wien museum. There was an exhibition of an architect called Otto Wagner. Ahead of his time apparently and a lot of his stuff didn't get built. The rest of the museum was about the history of Vienna and included some excellent art by Klimpt and a guy called Egon Schiele that we really liked. Had never heard of him before, and he died when he was only 27, so there were only a few pieces of his work, but they were really interesting. Bought a postcard of his work from the shop. Then headed for lunch at the 1516 Brewing Company. It's the year they passed the law about beer only having 4 ingredients. Had a nice wheat IOS and I had to try the curried bratwurst.

Then we headed for Schonbrunn Schloss, the palace of the Hapsburg monarchs just on the outskirts,  and went round some of the rooms. They were all well preserved and there is a massive banquet/dance hall. Their gardens are impressive too though a little too formal for our tastes.

Got an insight into the life of one of the 19th Century Empresses, called Elisabeth, but affectionely known as SiSi. Could be reasonably called the “Lady Di” of her time. She clearly had an eating disorder, but undiagnosed at the time, mental health problems, hated the protocol of court but espoused populist causes, such as the fortunes of the Hungarians. Happier with her friends in Greece and was eventually murdered by an (from memory) Italian nationalist.

Then it was back to the ranch for G n Ts before the concert.

The concert was great and in a fantastic little church, St Anne's. The first piece was by Mozart (The Spring) and the second by Beethoven (Rasumovsky). Even I could tell the difference. My favourite bit was the second movement of Rasumovsky where there was lots of pitsicatto playing on the cello which made it sound like a bass guitar. It was very interesting to watch the closeness and co-operation between this four piece, who all seemed to be of differing nationalities, and even included a black female player, which I imagine is a bit of a rarity in that field.

We finished off with a rusty nail and a Manhattan in our favourite cocktail bar, the First American Bar.

We hadn't eaten so had snacks and more G n Ts when we got back

Vienna is beautiful; full of all the glory of the fin de siècle, as well as the bling of the Hapsburg empire and baroque. But also very prettified, and very, very, touristy. Fascinating to think that it was so grim just after the war, and divided up between four allied powers. Will have to watch “The Third Man” when I get back.

Sunday 23rd - Vienna to Budapest 

Left in plenty of time to get the train but still ended up rushing to get it due to a long coffee and cake queue, strange toilets and a chatty sales assistant at the newsagents. The toilets did not seem to have an obvious flush, and the knob I did press seemed to allow for a white plastic thing to come out of the back of the loo and start squirting water. Most distressing.

Lots of wind turbines in the border region and a very pleasant trip. Relatively short just over 2 and a half hours.

Found the Air BnB without too much trouble, on the Ulloi ut, which if I had a Hungarian key board would have a confetti of umlauts and graves on it. The apartment is the best yet but it's in a purpose built block with a central courtyard that is being renovated so a bit odd. It'll be great when they finish. The apartment block looked to be from about 1910, with some ornate gates, and a bit of art deco statuary inside. We were on the first floor, so did not often bother with the lift, which looked quite dodgy to be honest. You could tell that this had once been quite a swanky block, that had clearly fallen on hard times, and was only now being restored to its former grandeur. All of Budapest felt like that.

Our apartment, again had clearly been recently modernised. I am not sure if it was the full original apartment, as there was no through ventilation. However it was very stylish with a good little kitchen, functioning telly and a good sized bed on the mezzanine level. And a washing machine.

As we were waiting to get into the apartment a vehicle went past spreading sand on the road. We assumed this was something they did here for some reason. I even googled it. However later a police turned and they were taking pictures of the sand. Not sure what that was all about.

We popped to the local Tescos for some some supplies and had snacks and G n Ts before heading off into town to get our bearings.

Checked out a restaurant and then headed down to the river. Very spectacular but not blue and very busy. Initial impressions are that there are lots of building sites and you don't have to go too far off the beaten track before it starts to get a bit run down. Friendly though. Went back to the restaurant and had an excellent meal. Mine was the most tender pork I've ever had in a sort of goulash sauce with mushrooms served on what I think was langos. That's a Hungarian type of fried bread/Yorkshire pudding thing. I finished off with  a palinka and what I thing was a unicum. Both quite strong. The unicum came free as it was the waiters favourite. It smelt disgusting, and I suspect the waiter had instructions to get rid of it. Headed back to the ranch and found it was only 8 30 so watched a Sherlock Holmes film on Hungarian TV. Surprisingly it was in English and only had subtitles when they spoke French. The news had quite a bit about Brexit including a clip from an interview with Jeremy Corbyn on the Andrew Marr show. Covering the issue at conference concerning a second vote.

Monday 24th - Budapest.

M had spotted the building where Jim Predaux gets shot in TTSS so we went to check it out. Unfortunately it was closed for refurbishment. We then wondered towards the national museum Unfortunately the museum is closed on Mondays. So we changed plans and headed over to the Buda side. On our rambles we spotted a lot of inner courtyards off main streets; which was obviously an important form of development in 19th Century Budapest. All very evocative and atmospheric, slightly sad, some done up, some not. I became a bit obsessed by them. On one street we stopped and looked at a stall with some old LPs on it that an old chap was minding. Next door was another courtyard, we went to look in, but he shut the doors and just said “Old Budapest.”

Great views over the city from the Buda side as it's higher. The Danube wasn't blue though. More green.

Stopped for a coffee and a cake down a side street then took a lift up to the castle. We headed for the national gallery where the was a Frida Kahlo exhibition. I found that really interesting because I recently read The Lacuna which includes periods of her life including the assassination of Trotsky. The exhibition had a film of them together. Pretty tragic life, one way and another, disability, miscarriage, unhappy marriage etc etc.  Unfortunately the rest of the gallery is closed on Mondays. A familiar theme.

We got the funicular railway down and wandered back to the ranch over the chain bridge. We intended to stop for a beer but couldn't find a suitable bar. After chilling out we headed for the Budapest Eye which gave excellent views of the city just after sunset. But also, since it was relatively empty, kept stopping the thing to let people on. Which meant being left hanging 80 feet up, with the wind whistling through the half doors and swaying gently in the breeze, trying not to think of the safety record of soviet-era big wheels.  Then an empty bar followed by a nice Italian. We finished off with lemoncellas on the house.

We'd been trying to find a music bar without much luck but a place called Giero Pub was recommended. We got there and were beckoned in. There was a barman and someone, who I assumed was the landlady,  asleep on a bench and that was it apart from the chap who had beckoned us in. He then left. We order a pint and a G n T which was literally that. Just gin and flat tonic. No ice. There was some horrible quite loud music playing so as we were the only ones there I tried to ask if they would change it. The barman seemed to interpret this as a request for live music so sat at the piano and played along with the music really badly. Quite bizarre. We made our excuses and left.

The surreal nature of the evening was compounded by finding ourselves in a tube station that looked as though it had been lifted out of the 1890s. In complete contrast to all the others we had been in. Not just done up like that; but just that it had never changed. Would it still be there if we went back?  Could not make the change we needed at the next station, but had to decamp to a bus. Which we managed like natives.

Rounded the evening off with a couple of nightcaps watching TTSS.

Tuesday 25th - Budapest again

We were going to go to the station to reserve seats for the next leg but sussed out you can do it online so saved ourselves the trip.

Popped across the road for some croissants for breakfast. Except you don’t pop across roads here. Everybody crosses at crossings and they all wait for the green man which can take ages. Its such that if you come across one that has a green man you cross anyway. Just for the hell of it. To feel the benefit. We then headed off to the national museum just around the corner. They have a lot of stuff in there particularly really old stuff from the Carpathian basin. We spent 3 hours in there. There was some quite moving stuff from the Soviet era. The Hungarian 20th Century story is quite tragic. As they see it, they were dragged into one war as accessories to the Austrians, and then as allies in WW2; their army was completely unprepared for both,  and then when Europe gets carved up after WW2, Austria gets to be on the NATO side, and Hungary remains occupied by the Soviet Union.  Quite a lot on 1956, but also interesting how Hungary saw itself as a “lighter” and more progressive part of the bloc in the 60s and 70s.

We then tried to find a bar off the beaten track and eventually found the Zappa bistro in a little square. Had a beer and a sandwich. It was just warm enough to sit outside but they provide blankets anyway.

Then headed off to the parliament area. We found a small indoor food market on the way, like a slightly up market Borough market. Just closing up.

The parliament buildings are quite spectacular. The main building has an enormous domed roof and it's right by the river.

We then hopped on the number 2 tram that goes right along the river front. Which was interesting in itself; tourists and locals, very efficient.

We then discovered another massive indoor market quite near where we are staying.

We were both feeling a bit knackered in the evening so picked a restaurant just round the corner. Hidden away in a little court yard which is probably full in the summer but on this occasion was empty and at first we thought the place was closed but the entrance was down some steps.

I had zander and chips. We picked up a couple of bottles of wine on the way back and rounded the evening off watching a Spanish film about a serial killer.

A feature here is the small shops and bars that just have a double doorway in a small porch type protruding from the way by about half a metre. You then go down some steps to enter.

Loved Budapest; very atmospheric, very beautiful and a city you feel will be quite different in 10 years time. More like Prague perhaps. I do not want to say that is a pity, because it is probably great if you live there or have a business there. Just interesting to see it on the cusp.

Wednesday 26th - Budapest to Salzburg

Got to the station early to have breakfast but the wasn't really anywhere. Stopped off for a coffee but had to pay in euros and charged 5 which is about twice as much as it should have been (as it said on the menu) . M challenged but they just said they didn't have any change. Only time we felt ripped off. Another customer told us she had had the same experience. Bought some nice doughnuts after.

Very easy journey. The closer we got to Salzburg the more the countryside changed to typical Austrian. More hilly and the houses all looking like chalets. Some seemed to be massive. 

Found the Air BnB easy enough. We had to check in at a pension just across the road. It's not as nice as the other places but it's fine and has a large balcony from  which you can see mountains.

We were heading for the local Spar for supplies but found a Norma instead. A poor man's Aldi. Got 2 bottles of wine, 2 beers, 2 bread rolls, a massive bag of peanuts, 10 eggs and some butter for 15 euros.

M had booked us into us into a top floor restaurant in a hotel. Mainly for the view. We went into town early to explore and saw an amazing sunset on the way.

 When we got to the restaurant couldn't see much (ie no view)  but the food was excellent. I had pumpkin soup with coconut and ginger and lemon flavoured oil. The was followed by tafelspitz. A top meal. 

We finished off with some schnapps type liqueor. We tried to find a bar on the way back but couldn't. Everything closed except one very smokey one. Yes they still do that in Austria. 

When we got back we sat out on the balcony and drank some wine wrapped in blankets.

We were looking at the mountains in the moonlight and couldn't work out what the building was on top of one of them. Then we realised it was a chimney on a nearby roof top. Maybe it was the combination of beer, schnapps and wine.

There was a note waiting for us saying we were in the wrong apartment.

They have serious shoe horns.

Thursday 27th - Salzburg

We had to move apartments which unfortunately meant packing everything up and leaving our bags at the pension so we could move into the new one later.

We needed to get an apple charging wire as we'd left ours in Budapest. We found an apple support centre but it turned out to just an office in residential play street with no one in. Found a phone shop just round to corner though and managed to get one there. We were quite near the river so decided to walk into town from there. What a stunning view. We were both amazed. The church spires, fortress on the hill and mountains in the background. The weather also helped as blue skies and 23 degrees. A massive contrast to Budapest or anywhere else we've been. Apart from the mountains the air feels different and it's so ordered and quiet. Lots of cycle paths that the locals make use of.

We found the old town which is the main touristy bit and it was a bit more crowded. The cathedral was stunning. I have become a stations of the cross spotter and here they were pictures. Very ornate carvings in the roof. Couldn't work out if they were stone, plaster or painted wood.

Decided not to go up to the fortress as to use the funicular you had to pay to go in as well which we didn't fancy. Spotted there was a lift to the modern art museum though, so headed for that. Found a very well kept cemetery. They obviously go in for family plots behind iron railings if you have the money; and these get looked after over generations.  Another big church. This one was also amazing. It was empty, no seating and the walls and ceiling pure white.

Just some very ornate bits here and there like the altar. M spotted the stations of the cross here. They were just white plaster crosses all the same.

We sat down on a cafe for a beer, in a square,  to watch the world go by. They have cake lady coming round with a tray full of cakes. Although beer and cake is not a traditional combination it worked well in this instance. Definitely feels like being on a Disney set at times.

We made our way to the modern art place and found the lift. Even more stunning views up there with the fortress across the way and snowy peaks behind.

 Had a beer and prosecco in the cafe at the top and then went round the museum. Once we managed to find our way in, which was a challenge, we were beginning to wonder whether the whole building was an elaborate statement on the impossibility of art in these post-modern times.  It was a bit earnest but as ever some interesting stuff. My favourite was something that looked like a pair of skimpy knickers.

The building itself was fascinating; obviously quite new, with great slices of light and glass in amongst the concrete. May not have felt quite the same if it had not been such a sunny day.

After that we headed for the brewery that has an enormous beer garden. Really pleasant convivial place. You pay your glass, a stein in my case and a half for M, then go to get it filled up. There didn't seem to be a choice but whatever it was it was good. Food looked good too. Clearly a place where everybody came, and there were several tables of local old men toasting each other and being very jolly. Unless they were just hired by the tourist board.

We then got a bus back which dropped us right outside the pension. Google maps is just amazing. Selected the bus option and it works out where the bus stop is and how to get there. What bus to get at what time. How many stops and where to get off and how to get from there to your destination. How does it do that?

We had to move into the new apartment which was a lot smaller but not a big deal as only for one night. Had beer and peanuts and then got the bus to an Italian. Massive portions particularly the starters could only eat half. My main was a tasty bowl of spaghetti with mushrooms and a bit of heat. M had half a large pizza so we took the rest with us. Finished off with a sambuca and a JD.

Back to the ranch to watch a Liam Neilson film but both fell asleep.

Top day we hadn't expected Salzburg to be so good. You only really need a day though. Will have to watch the Sound of Music when I get back.

Friday 28th - Saltzburg to Paris

Had breakfast at the station. I had a slice of a cheesecake/custard pie type thing, very nice. They never give you enough coffee though. Journey to Stuttgart  was fine but delayed for a while due to 'police activity'. It was the most picturesque journey so far. In spite of the delay still had 40 mins to wait at Stuttgart. Popped into a Nordsee and had surprisingly nice fish and chips. The station is being completely rebuilt. There seemed to be some sort of beer festival going on somewhere, as we saw a lot of people in lederhosen and traditional dress. Train held up again for the same mysterious reason. Once we reached Strasbourg the train became a TGV and was none stop to Paris. I wasn't watching the speed all the time but it did get up to 316 kpm a couple of times. A very smooth ride but unnecessarily cold.

Long queues for metro tickets and the metro has the feel of the London underground about 20 years ago. A bit tatty, a bit run down. Paris definitely felt dirty and graffiti-ridden next to pristine Salzburg.

Had a bit of trouble finding the Air BnB. We were met by the owner whose name was Jourdain. The same as the metro station. Quite a quirky little place down a narrow back street. He was typical Parisian charm, when I asked if he had an iron he shrugged and said “this is not a hotel”. Quite a tiny apartment; and we were warned off using the dishwasher as it was “too complicated.” The wiring in the flat was slightly worrying, and the fridge was in the wardrobe.

 However the street itself was fascinating, as all the residents obviously grew lush green plants down their walls to make it feel almost rural.

I popped out for supplies while M had a shower. I was pleasantly surprised to find a large selection of beers. The first one I picked up was 7.1% and the second 6.7.

Had drinks and nibbles and headed off to find somewhere to eat. Picked a typical cafe/bar/restaurant and had a bowl of pasta each. Just the job. They also had pintes of Leffe for 5 euros. A bit of a theme going on with the beer. A welcome change from the old days when you just got a thimble full of weak stuff. We had a bit of a wander after our meal and found some typical Parisien steps. Down the bottom were a couple of bars. We are in the 19th arrondisment, off from the Rue de Belleville and the Pyranees, our little area seemed to be called L’Hermitage. It's a very young area but there were a couple of oldies sitting out so we decided to stay for one. Another large glass of beer for me, this time IPA, and a JD for M in a shot glass. All very pleasant. We headed back down some side streets and up some more steps to the ranch. Finished off with G n Ts watching YouTube.

Saturday 29th - Paris

We had emailed Dominique and Marie-Claire for suggestions and as a result decided to follow the Canal St. Martin into the centre. On the way down the hill to the metro we found a nice church, Notre Dame de la Croix, which was a bit more Northern Gothic, but I am guessing was probably 19th Century. The canal walk was just right in the autumn sunshine. We came up La Place de la Republique where there was a large pile of shoes.

The canal dried up and became just a walkway but we still followed it more or less to Bastille. A lot of work going on there. The canal then reappeared in the form of a marina which we followed to the Seine.

There was a splendid view of Notre Dame in the distance.

We were looking for somewhere to eat and followed signs to Village St Paul. There were a few quiet courtyards with people selling antiques and stuff so we stopped off at a small restaurant. Very nice food, quiche for me and chicken for M but the waitress was a bit scatter-brained. Our meal arrived without our drinks and she couldn't remember what they were so we ordered again. A glass of rose and a beer. Eventually a cup of tea and a beer arrived. We asked to change the tea which she did but then realised she hadn't taken the top off the beer.

We then made our way to the nearby church of St Paul. Very nice a bit like the ones we had seen in Vienna. Baroque, but less bling.

We thought we'd head for the Pompidou centre but although we were following the side streets it was getting more and more busy. When we got there there were long queues to get in so we thought we'd give it a miss and try to get out of the centre so we headed for the Pere Lachaise cemetery where Jim Morrison is buried among many others including Oscar Wilde.

Great place very atmospheric and peaceful. Seems everybody who was anybody was buried there, Moliere, Collette, Balzac; a city in miniature of gothic arches and weeping angels, and lots of crows.

We then headed back to the ranch to chill. 

After aperitifs we went to the bar we'd been in the previous evening for a swifty. Very popular and noticeably lots of people drinking pints including the young women. Had that very Parisian feel, spreading on to the streets with rubbish and graffiti, but the people themselves very smart. There is something about hearing lots of young, attractive well-dressed people speaking French. You sort of assume they must be very clever and sophisticated and talking philosophy; but they are probably discussing the French version of Love Island.

We then went to an Algerian restaurant for a tagine. Great place and food. Only one waiter and we think he may have been cooking as well. He had to turn people away as clearly he couldn't cope. The Algerian wine wasn't the best though.

Went back rewatch the Liam Neilson film as a bit knackered.

Revised my opinion of the metro. The trains are all quite new and are open plan like the new London ones. Most of the stations OK too but you still seem to need a paper ticket.

Sunday 30th - Paris to Reading

Had breakfast, tidied up and headed for le gare du nord. Caught the 12 13 Eurostar and were a st Pancras by 13 30. Nice light lunch too. Got a cab to pad and caught the 14 30 so we're back home just after 3.

Everything OK. Unpacked, did some washing, M had a bath, I played guitar. Cooked a chicken casserole with baked potatoes and settled down to an evening of telly watching. Nice to be home; you appreciate the comforts of a big bed; good quality sheets, a garden, a big kitchen, getting your clothes washed and all that telly to catch up on.

A great end to a great holiday.

Take Aways from the holiday.

How complex the history of middle Europe is; much more vulnerable to invasions from the east, much more vulnerable to hostile take overs from larger neighbours (Czech Republic and Hungary in particular) and yet so many of these cities have had periods of enormous prosperity at some time; as in great positions to trade.

How far that whole “art deco” “successionism” “modernism” thing of the early 20th Century seems to have been a feature of here.

Italian food and the English language is taking over the world.

How well those “EU enlargement” countries have done since 1989 and 2000, yet again EU a great institution.

Learnings:

Take a travel iron; reserve your seats, even in first class, allow time at stations, check, if you can, if things are actually open!; have a paper version of your schedule with info, to allow for flat batteries/no internet connection.

We relied on our mobile devices a lot to find our way around, buying tickets, making reservations etc. Make sure you have plenty of chargers and take a power pack to charge up when on the move.