K & L's Travel Blog

Lorena has booked us a wonderful hotel in the center of Baden by Wein.  It is fun to compare hotel life to Airbnb apartment life.  We traveled so many years staying in pensions two or three nights.  The best was/is going down for breakfast.  We had lunch so late yesterday that we skipped dinner.  So, we were hungry and we arrived at our table right at 7:00 AM.  It was the most beautiful spread.  Piles of fresh fruit, 15 to 20 toppings for cereal, cheeses and cold cuts.  I especially enjoyed the scrambled eggs and bacon with every type of bread imaginable.  They had a whole big fresh honey comb along with all types of jams.  It was amazing.  

Before we left Vienna four weeks ago we bought tickets to he Caravaggio special exhibit that started today.  Lorena loves the artist Caravaggio and she has taught students about his work.  I somehow lost the tickets.  We scoured our belongings to find them and no luck.   Lorena remembers giving them to me.   I think I must have thrown them out in a cleaning frenzy.  I felt really bad but all was not lost.  Lorena got on the WEB and was able to order new tickets.  Whew.  A forty-dollar mistake.  

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We rode the tram to Vienna and were thrilled to be back at the opera.  Its Sunday morning so less people.  We had time to kill before our “timed” tickets and we went to Halweka café.  Many years ago, we were here with friends.   It is cool and we remember being thrilled imagining Trotsky plotting the revolution while drinking coffee.  We remembered a phone booth was along the wall.  When we left we looked for it.  We spotted the sign and boldly opened the door to see the small space junked with stuff but there was a phone in there!

We got small sandwiches from our favorite shop Trzesniewski and sat on a bench in the Volkspark and ate them for lunch surrounded by yellow roses and park performers.

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At the museum I feel the air leaving my body.  I yawn a lot.  Lorena says, look at he Bruegel.  I love it and can spend tons of time spotting the little details.  I think I want to see if there is a jigsaw puzzle of one of his works.  The building is incredible.  It has decorations painted by Klimt.  We finally get into the Caravaggio display at our designed time.  I look at Lorena across the room and she is crying.  Oh dear.  I like the seating they have in the galleries.  High backs.  

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We ride back to Baden on the tram.  We stop and have a glass of wine while walking back to the hotel.   We end up at a Greek restaurant around seven.  Lorena had called for a reservation because it was all over the WEB site.  “Always call for a reservation.”  There was nobody in the restaurant.  The staff mocked us for calling for a reservation.  Others did come in after us but five tables filled was the max.

The old man who waits on us is like character in the Carol Burnett skits.  He is deliberate and plodding but also endearing.   We order lamb and red wine and he brings out mounds of food that will haunt us till the day we die.  We laugh remembering “Mrs. Tuttle” and imagine him calling out for her as we remember Tim Conway in all his glory. 

Walking back to the hotel is quiet as can be.  No one is in the streets.  What a change from Vienna.   It is our next to last night in Europe.  Not sure how I feel about that.  My hands smell like lamb.