Category Archives: Europe

Travel, Vienna 2013, Woman

Pampering and the Vienna Opera

December 12, 2013 Aimee Couturier Leave a comment

Today was going to be a big day. Since we weren’t able to get to the zoo yesterday, we were determined to make it today. So it was an early morning and we were first in line for the Vienna Imperial Zoo. It was a VERY cold morning but at least no rain and we enjoyed the zoo for over 3 hours. My favorites were the Rhinos, the giraffes and the bats. Creepy cool!

When Candace and I travel together we usually make time to go to a local spa. Pampering is an important thing after you’ve trekked in the Alps for a full day and are getting ready to spend 14 hours in a plane. Also, it’s pretty cool to see spas in other countries. Will they do anything differently than we do? What will the experience be like? Anyway, we had booked at massage at Vienna’s famous Sacher Hotel after a recommendation by a local. Vienna’s world-renowned Sacher Torte is also sold here. One of the first things on my must-do list for this trip was to have the Sacher Torte at the Sacher Hotel. So regardless of the spa, this was going to be a destination.

We had a massage scheduled but also wanted to spend some time just enjoying the spa. Being absolutely freezing at this point, we were happy to head there. We got off at the Stephansplatz metro stop which is the center of the city – also called Innner Stradt – and one that we hadn’t been to yet. We were thrilled when we got off the metro and were hit with huge crowds, tons of stores and Christmas all over the place! It was just what we were looking for. One entire store was draped entirely with white lights and a huge red bow. We oohed and ahhed all the way down to the Sacher Hotel which happened to be directly across from the Vienna State Opera House. We were treated like royalty as we entered and were lead to an access-only elevator to take us to the spa. The spa was lovely! We were given all of the necessities for relaxation – robes and slippers, fruit and tea. There was a Therarium which I’d never heard of before. It was essentially a sauna but every 10 minutes water would spray onto either Lavendar and Mint leaves and it created the most wonderful fragrances. Apparently these herbs are good for your skin too. There was also a relaxation room – nice and dark and oh, so comfy. We relaxed and warmed up for a couple of hours and then were off to our massage.

I had a wonderful one! It wasn’t too unique from the massages at home except that the masseuse massaged my stomach. I don’t think that happens too often in the US. The whole thing was an incredible experience! And since we were running late, we decided to get the Sacher Torte to go. We’d eat it with a nice Austrian wine while we were all dressed up for the opera later.

This was the night I’d been waiting for! La Boheme at the Vienna State Opera House – called Weiner Staatsoper, which is reported to be one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. It had sure looked that way when we walked past. And…to top it all off we got to wear fancy dresses! When in Vienna, right?! I may be biased but I have to say that we looked pretty damn good! Maybe except for the knee-high socks and winter boots we were wearing under the dresses. We had to keep warm, right? Once we were in our finery, of course wine and the unveiling of the Sacher Torte were in order. OMG – YUM! This dessert is so rich but not overly sweet. It has a bitter chocolate sort of taste which was to-die-for. And paired with wine – sheer perfection!

We got to the opera house just in time to pick up our tickets and head back to the Sacher Hotel for a quick cocktail before the show. This hotel is exquisite. It is so warm and full of Christmas. Dark reds and blues and blanket the walls which are filled with dark wood. It’s simply gorgeous. And the huge Christmas tree and homemade gingerbread house made it all the more inviting. We snagged a prime seat in the small, intimate bar and enjoyed our cocktails.

Off we went to the opera. We were absolutely the most dressed of anyone we saw but we simply didn’t care. We felt and looked beautiful. Our seats were not the best but I thoroughly enjoyed the show! As I said, we saw La Boheme which was loosely used to create the modern-day production of Rent on broadway. Well this is one of my favorite shows ever and since I already knew the story line, it was relatively easy to follow. The intermission was different than anything I’d experienced in the States. All of the tables had been reserved by patrons and included glasses of Champagne or wine and an assortment of food and pastries. It was quite lovely. The entire experience of the opera held up to my expectations. It was a spectacle to be seen in so many ways – the show, the people watching, the traditions of the patrons.

Having only had part of a Sacher Torte for dinner, we headed to a café for some food. Candace had said earlier that she was disappointed that she wouldn’t get to have gulash again but there it was! Wow, that’s some good stuff. And the perfect portion when we share. Disappointment…gone! We were also able to reflect about the week and what were our favorite parts. There were a lot of favorites!

It has absolutely been one of my favorite trips ever. Vienna is a GORGEOUS city with so many different sides to it and so much to do. I’d recommend it to anyone. It was magical at Christmas in a way that is probably unlike any other time of year but I imagine it’s stunning when everything is in bloom in the spring or summer.

Uncategorized, Vienna 2013

Finally! Schonbrunn Palace

December 11, 2013 Aimee Couturier Leave a comment

I’ve had the gorgeous picture of Schonbrunn Palace (I thought) as my Facebook background for around 6 months I think so was so excited to finally go there today. The day started, however, with a much needed run through one of the city’s large parks – Wurstelprater, or simply “Prater”. It is the location of an amusement park, including Vienna’s famous Giant Ferris Wheel, which is open all year round and boasts some of the best views of the city from the top. There is a large pedestrian-only area where locals typically run, bike, walk their dogs or exercise their horses(!). It was a dreary winter day in Vienna but I could still see the beauty in the park as I ran down a tree-lined street. And it had finally stopped raining! 6.5 miles later, it was time to start the day.

We had planned to go to Schonnbrunn and the zoo and then on our way visit an ice rink followed by dinner. Yes, Candace is a project manager 🙂 But again, the weather was not in our favor nor was the time. So we decided to ice skate first. Again, based on Yannick’s recommendation, we made our way to Engelmann Skate Rink in the 16th district. Well, it was definitely not the most picturesque of areas in Vienna. But we finally found the ice skating rink and were excited! Hmmmmmmm…my mom always told me that when you didn’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. But, if you’re reading this you’re interested in the truth so, it was an ice skating rink, and it was on the 4th floor rooftop of a building. Sounds promising, right? There is where the positives stop. We were disappointed because there wasn’t even a Christmas tree, no Christmas music and absolutely no view! But as always we managed to have fun anyway and we both stayed upright. But we needed some darned Christmas cheer(!) so we didn’t stay long.

Onward to Schonbrunn Palace and Christmas Market (Weihnachtsmarkt Schloss Schonbrunn). It was absolutely spectacular and looked just like the pictures! We got there a little before dark and were able to take some of my own. And the market was different than others we’d been to – much less crowded and very big and the wares were different. The Christmas tree lighting it all was wonderful as was the classical music playing from speakers throughout the square. Christmas Cheer!! We wanted to check out the world-renowed Schonbrunn Zoo so made our way through the ornate and very well-kept gardens to the zoo where we found out that they were closing. No big deal, we found a lovely hotel lit by white lights to have a glass of wine. Things work out, right?

We had made dinner reservations at a traditional Viennese restaurant that was very close to our apartment because we’d been walking by it for days and it looked so warm and cozy. So we got dressed up (no jeans!), sang some Christmas tunes at the top of our lungs, and headed to our dinner. We had decided months before the trip to have one night where we both talked about the coming year and our goals and the things we wanted to accomplish. This would be the night we shared them. Again, I believe saying things out loud makes you just a bit more accountable and that’s what we were going for. We had ANOTHER amazing dinner – we split Tafelzpitz – which is boiled beef and a specialty in Vienna. I’d been wanting to try it all week. We also tried Kohlruladen – which is beef-stuff cabbage. Adventurous, aren’t we? Both meals were excellent. The beef was so tender that you didn’t need a knife and the potatoes were spectacular. We also shared an Austrian wine that you can easily get in the US – Gruner Veltlinger . Finally, who can forget dessert? Not us! We had Curd crème dumplings with sugar crumbs and strawberry sauce. Does it sound strange!? Because it was a little slice of heaven.

But more than the meal, we shared ourselves and that’s what made it such a fantastic night. Another one! Me = grateful!

Travel, Vienna 2013, Woman

Viennese Markets in the Pouring Rain and the Majestic Belvedere Palace

December 10, 2013 Aimee Couturier 1 Comment

Drinking copious amounts of wine last night didn’t bode well for the run we had planned for the morning. So instead we slept in (finally!) and tried to recover. The run can wait for tomorrow.

On the day’s agenda: Vienna’s famous Naschmarkt. The Naschmarket is a fruit and vegetable market but it offers so much more. The fruits and veggies come from around the world and there were many that I’d never seen before. There were also spices and cheeses and meats and breads. Interspersed were food vendors offering all sorts of traditional fare. Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating and we got soaked going through the market. Cold and wet, we really didn’t take full advantage of the market. Soaked at this point, we decided to head to the next destination.

Yannick, our guide from the snowshoeing adventure, had recommended an ‘underground’ Christmas Market called Karlsplatz. This market is different in that it offers less traditional Christmas fare. It’s known for it’s sweet playground for children and crafts which feature local artists. As you all know, every trip I take is commemorated by a piece of art from a local artist so I was very excited about this market. So, even though it was pouring and we were soaking wet and freezing, we trudged along hoping to find something fantastic. Well, we did! There was some incredible art there! One of the requirements for those wishing to run a stand at this market is that the products on sale must be made by the applicant themselves. So it was all very original and we got to speak to the artists we bought from. Success!

Cold and wet and kinda depressed about the weather, we headed back to the apartment. I have to say, I felt a little trapped. All of my loved ones know that I’m no fun to be around when I feel that way. But Candace handled it – and me – well. BFFs just know what to do in those situations…

We decided to try another famous Christmas market in the evening. We bundled up – really, really bundled up – and headed out, stopping along the way for mini bottles of wine. Night one we drank gluhwein – the Austrian version of mulled wine – and just decided it wasn’t for us. So we decided we’d fill up our gluhwein mugs with our own wine! Yes, we are just that smart 🙂

The Weihnachtsdorf vor dem Schloss Belvedere (or Belvedere Palace). This market is the latest addition to the Christmas market scene in Vienna and is set against the backdrop of the baroque style Belvedere Palace which was the summer residence for Price Eugene of Savoy and now houses museums and stables. The palace is absolutely stunning to walk into! The grounds are incredible and feature a large pool and majestic and massive wrought iron gates. It was a beautiful sight! But slightly less impressive because some of the fairy take Christmas lights weren’t turned on 🙁 We still had luck with the vendors and enjoyed walking around with our version of gluhwein.

The Belvedere Palace is in a district of Vienna that we weren’t familiar with so we stopped into a sweet hotel to ask for a restaurant recommendations. The most adorable bellhop (what is that called in German?) suggested a traditional restaurant around the corner. What a recommendation! The restaurant was called Sperl and was fantastic. It was warm and cozy and almost completely full and reeked of Christmas and Viennese charm. We split some wonderful and I drank the traditional Gruner Vetlinger wine which is very similar to a Pinot Grigio but just a bit sweeter. We had a blast getting silly with the waiters.

We decided we were tired and a date night was in order. We stopped on the way back to the apartment to pick up some wine and dessert and promptly put ourselves to bed with ‘This is 40’ playing on my tablet (thanks Kerry!) and a Schokokuchen pastry to share (an Austrian pastry similar to a donut with chocolate merenge inside).

Another FANTASTIC day in Vienna! But, the question remains, will we ever see the sun while we’re here??

Travel, Uncategorized, Vienna 2013, Woman

Mass with the Vienna Boys Choir

December 9, 2013 Aimee Couturier 1 Comment

Mass with the Vienna Boy’s Choir was one of the first things we booked after choosing to come to Vienna so we were both so excited to go. I really thought it would be peaceful and magical and give me some time to self-reflect in a beautiful environment. Boy was I wrong! The mass took place in the Hofmusikkapelle (or Hofburg Palace in English) (http://www.hofburg-wien.at/en.html) which was the center of the Habsburg empire for centuries. It was a stunning building but that might be the only nice thing I have to say about it. Don’t get me wrong, the singing was lovely, but we were seated in a small chapel and couldn’t even see the boys. And it was definitely a traditional Catholic mass. Only obviously it was in German so I couldn’t understand a word. But like all Catholic masses, there was tons of pomp and circumstance and way too much incense. To the point where both Candace and I had headaches and couldn’t wait to get out of there! So we did. Before the end. Happily. Hoping we wouldn’t get struck down immediately.

We quickly headed right down the street to Vienna’s famous Café Central – a world renowned Viennese coffee house. Vienna is well known for their coffee houses; this one in particular. The café was opened in 1876 and a couple of it’s famous patrons include Sigmund Freud and Adolf Hitler. They are also known for live piano music in the evenings – which you all know is my favorite – and the opportunity to read news papers in every language. We walked in to be greeted by an incredible display of Viennese pastries – including a homemade Gingerbread house and a chocolate moose (literally!). We found a cozy table for 2 and prepared to just hang out for a while. We had a long, leisurely meal followed by coffee, annoyed the rude waiter a bunch of times, and finished up with Vienna’s famous apple strudel. Wow, was it delicious! It was a wonderful couple of hours relaxing in a beautiful place!

Since we were close to a couple of Christmas markets, we strolled through them and then headed back to the apartment for a much-needed nap.

We had found a highly-recommended traditional restaurant to go to in the evening but it ended up being completely committed (or booked, as we’d say). So we stumbled on the cutest little Italian bistro – yes, first Vietnamese and now Italian 🙂 – named Santissimo. We were waited on by the sweetest older man from Sicily called Marco. Marco had a serious crush on Candace so we had a wonderful time there drinking way too much wine and eating wonderful Italian cuisine – including basic bread with Pecorino cheese and olive oil. YUM! I could live on that. We closed down the restaurant and even invited Marco to sit and have some wine with us. Some wine turned into a lot of wine – most of it free! Marco really wanted Candace to stay and how can an Italian waiter turn her down when she bats her eyelashes and says, “We’ll stay if you give us more free wine”!!! Probably needless to say, the 3 of us ended up dancing Salsa around the tables. It was tons of fun! On the way back to the apartment, we got a few crazy looks as we strode arm-in-arm down the street singing at the top of our lungs and laughing like schoolchildren. Everyone should have a night like this was – and often!

Snowshoeing, Travel, Uncategorized, Vienna 2013

The road less traveled

December 8, 2013 Aimee Couturier 2 Comments

Today was one of my favorite days ever! My birthday gift from Candace was a day of snowshoeing in the Austrian Alps. I will never be able to adequately describe how incredible this day was! But of course I’m going to try.

Candace said last night that she wanted to see snow while we were here. Well, we saw TONS of snow. Candace had made a reservation with www.trekkingaustria.com and our guild was Yannick – a Frenchman who’s lived in Vienna for 15 years. After about an hour drive during which the snow got heavier and heavier, we arrived at the mountain. The mountain is called Stuhleck and is part of the Austrian Alps. We knew it was going to be very cold and windy on the mountain but we had no idea how crazy the weather would be. Honestly, we were scared as we got out of the van and were hit with freezing winds unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. So we bundled up as much as we could and set out. As soon as we got into the forest the winds wound down a bit and we were able to appreciate the breathtaking scenery. Because the weather was so bad, we were the ONLY ones on the mountain and all of the snow was absolutely perfect and untouched. But it was shortly into the trek when Yannick mentioned the day’s avalanche rating. Yes, they rate these things! The ratings fall on a scale from 1-5 and at 4 no one can be on the mountain. Well, the day’s rating was a 3! If we weren’t a little scared before, we were then… (don’t worry, Mom and Dad, the story ends well :))

The snowshoeing was HARD – it was odd because our fingers were very cold but I was absolutely drenched in sweat. It was exhausting in such an exhilarating way! We trekked for about 2.5 hours and then took a brief break in a hut just to get away from the wind before we made our way to the plateau. Yannick described the plateau as the top of the mountain where we could find a “hut” that was heated and we could get some hot soup and a bier. He also warned us about how cold and windy it would be once we reached the plateau. Well, I can honestly say that it was one of the most difficult hours of my life. But as we set out, Candace yelled, “We’re going to make this mountain our bitch!”. It was enough to get us giggling and give us the motivation we both needed to get to the top.

The winds blew at 50-60 miles per hour as we ascended and the temperature dropped to -22 degrees!!!!! There were multiple times where we really thought we’d get blown off the darned mountain! Only the thought of heat at the top – and imminent death – kept us going. Finally – we made it to the top of the mountain and the hut was such a welcoming sight. It was like a very small ski lodge with a few sweaty skiers and a bar that looked like heaven. We all sat down with our soup and enjoyed a well-deserved break during which Yannick gave us some great recommendations of things to do during our trip.

It was time to head back. Candace’s response was, “We have to go back down that thing??”. Yep, we did. We geared up and headed out. After only trekking about 100 feet, Yannick instructed us to put about 50 meters between all of us. We had no idea why but of course complied. Again, it felt like we’d get blown off the mountain and at one point the winds were so strong and the conditions so bad that I began to wonder about that 3 avalanche ranking. Scary!

But we got passed the plateau without incident. Yannick had decided at this point that we were “hard-core” and could try some fun things. We were instructed to try to “run” down the mountain in the showshoes. With the snow being about 3 feet deep, this was NOT an easy task. But once, and if, you got the hang of it, was really, really fast and fun! Unfortunately, neither Candace or I really got it and spent a lot of time on our bums. But the snow was so soft that it was really a pleasure to fall!

“Ok, let’s take the road less travelled”, Candace said once when Yannick took off between a bunch of evergreen trees when we could have stayed on the forest road. But when in Vienna, right?!

We finally reached the van and were absolutely exhausted but also exhilarated. We had done it! And loved (or struggled through) every moment! Of course a celebratory glass of wine was in order so Yannick took us to a guesthouse in the local village. No tourists were allowed here, he promised, so we felt special. We had some local wine and finally had the guts to ask him why he separated us at the plateau. He said that if there was an avalanche, at least one or two of us would survive. OH!

We had a nice nap in the van and headed back home. But we were both so jazzed up by the day that we weren’t tired. We had decided to try meet Yannick that night for a drink. It took us a while to finally find him – during which we got sleepier and sleepier – but once we did we settled into a Vietnamese restaurant for food and drinks. Yes, we travelled to Vienna to have Vietnamese food. But we really didn’t care at that point. And to replace all of the calories we’d burned, we had to try a chocolate cannoli with caramel sauce on it for dessert. Yum!

We almost passed out right after we got back to the apartment. What an amazing day!!!!! It really was indescribable and the best birthday present EVER!

Tomorrow we’re off to see a traditional Viennese mass with the Vienna Boy’s Choir. Stay tuned…

Adventure, Travel, Vienna 2013, Woman

Big Red Balls

December 7, 2013 Aimee Couturier 2 Comments

Day 1 in Vienna didn’t disappoint. We arrived at our LOVELY apartment and soon set out on our first adventure. Which included some struggles with ATMs and a pretty humiliating few moments at a Viennese grocery store. I mean, who knew that you had to weigh produce before you checked out?! And that once you got to the checkout a dozen locals would be giving you the evil eye as you added 10 minutes to their shopping experience?! In the end, though, we had to laugh and eventually made the teller laugh too. In a show of sheer pity, she handed us a chocolate Santa for our troubles and we left one chocolate heavier and lots of produce lighter. On our list for today – bananas and apples at a completely different grocery store!

A brief walk through the frigid Vienna weather – of which we were fully prepared for! – we found a cute little Viennese bistro where we had traditional Viennese fare. The traditional Viennese fare looked strangely like fish fry and fried hotdog – but whatever! It still tasted wonderful with a local beer to wash it down.

After again bundling up for a long cold walk through the city center, we set out. Walking through Vienna at Christmastime is magical! The streets are lit up like Christmas trees, people are everwhere and the storefronts boast Christmas chocolates and pastries. We looked like innocent children seeing Santa for the first time – big silly grins on our faces for miles! We crossed one corner and our eyes lit up to see the entire street covered in big, red, lighted balls! It was such a sight!

We were on our way to one of the famous Christmas markets – termed Christkindlmarkte – that sits right in front of the Vienna City Hall – Wiener Christkindlmarkte am Rathausplatz. For a moment we thought we were lost only to round a corner and see the most spectacular display of Christmas lights outside City Hall. Tons and tons of white lights, a huge stunning Christmas tree and different kinds of lights in each of the trees – one had lighted red hearts, another lighted guitars, another lighted snowmen. It was incredible! The first stand to stop at the Christmas market is the mulled wine stand – called glühwein. You can get red or white and it is mulled with spices and served hot. Which we desperately needed because it was so cold. I have to say, the first sip of glühwein was pretty disgusting. It’s definitely an acquired taste – which I was able to acquire pretty darn quickly.

The Christmas markets sell everything from traditional Viennese food to artwork to Christmas ornaments. Some of the Viennese hand painted ornaments are lovely and will definitely be coming home with me.

We wandered the market for a while and when we got too cold decided it was time for food and wine! We found a very close restaurant and tried Viennese goulash for the first time. It was so yummy. As my mom would say, “It’ll warm your innards”. And they needed warming. Candace tried an Austrian red that was so smooth.

I pride myself on being very good with directions but got us so lost on the way home from the market. Fortunately, there’s always an Irish pub to pop into. And we had a fantastic time! Drank cheap wine and spoke with 2 local guys who taught us how to order beer in German and gave us some recommendations of places to go in the city. P.S. If you need to order two beers in German, it’s zwei beir bitte.

A short cab ride was in order to get us out of the cold and avoid us walking another few miles. On our way back we stopped in a neighborhood café for another glass of Viennese wine. Apparently gross means big – we didn’t mind!

Stay tuned for day 2 – snowshoeing in the Austrian Alps!

Adventure, Travel, Uncategorized, Vienna 2013, Woman

A New Adventure

December 5, 2013 Aimee Couturier 3 Comments

It’s been 16 months(!) since my last adventure. It’s been a crazy – and sometimes heartbreaking – year with the sickness and loss of my sweet Roxy (my dog and love of my life for those who didn’t know her). But she is in puppy heaven right now chasing rabbits and is no longer in any pain. I miss her every single day 🙁 BUT – this post is not a sad one!!!

Today I’m on my way to Vienna, Austria to celebrate my 40th birthday with my best friend. It will be a different kind of trip because I’m so used to traveling on my own and I’m so psyched about it! Two adventure traveling girls instead of one! We only have a few plans set in stone but I promise we’ll have adventures and I’ll post about every single one – unless what happens in Vienna stays in Vienna of course!

For me writing this blog is about documenting my trip, of course, but it’s also about being accountable. As those who love me know, this is my chance to get out of my comfort zone and experience a part of life that most others don’t get to. And for that blessing I’m going to take advantage of – and appreciate – every single moment!

A taste of what’s to come…snowshoeing in the Alps, a Christmas mass featuring the Vienna Boys Choir and of course, seeing an opera – in fancy gowns – at the Vienna opera house.

Below is a picture of a typical Vienna Christmas Market. In the background is City Hall.

Peace, love and joy,
Aimee

Adventure Traveling WIFE!