Destination Vienna

After much deliberation, I’ve settled on Vienna to be the companion city on the London trip. It has one of my favorite museums in the world, the Kunsthistoriche.

I adore the collection and the many velvet sofas, so welcoming for the weary traveler. The painting below (a sketch I did of a Rembrandt self-portrait, propped on a sofa alongside the grand staircase) came from my time there

Liechtenstein Garden Palace is another very happy memory, in particular, the library with its bronzes of Greek poets and philosophers, and the lavishly illustrated books, illuminated ledgers of the flora and fauna of the family estates.

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The sole drawback to Vienna is my memory of the incessant smoke. It rained every day I was there, and every restaurant, cafe, and pastry shop had a thick, choking pall of smoke. I ate take-out food on the street, and breathed clean air in the museums and subway. I had begun diligently seeking out alternatives to holding my breath for two weeks but the universe had a better plan. The legislation to make public venues like restaurants and cafes smoke-free is back on track. Yay!

I’ve done a few days of preliminary research for my Theory of Everything document; listing the museums, churches, palaces, cafes, attractions, and pastry shops. Each venue is a line item with the name, address, days and hours open, ticket cost, and website URL. This is pure fun. While I’m on the websites I check the upcoming exhibitions since museums plan far in advance.

I’m researching two of my favorites activities from trips past – scooter tours and food tours. Got suggestions?

I’ve looked at dozens of places to stay and have it boiled down to six places for – three hotels, a B&B, and an apartment. Weighing space vs cost vs convenience. I’ve initiated the Vienna Google map; seeing where the lodgings are in relation to the venues I’m most interested in.
Round trip airfare from London runs $137-200, depending on time of day.

I’ll have my usual fun, making daily itineraries for rain or shine, and one with Robert in mind, in case he decides to join me. I live in hope. ;D

Research has changed. Fifteen years ago, I’d go the library and bookstore and check out multiple guide books. Ten years ago all the fresh information moved online. Five years ago I read blogs by individual travelers and expats, along with Rick Steves, Fodors, Eyewitness, Lonely Planet, and Rough Guide, and listened to podcasts. This time I’m finding the freshest boots-on-the-ground information on Youtube. Be aware while the quantity is enormous and the quality is erratic. I sift through dozens of them to find the gems.

One of my favorite presenters on Vienna/Now is Adia Trischler. Also love the My Perfect Day in Vienna series. Fire up the closed caption option and enjoy.

It feels great to be in trip planning mode again.

Britannia, spring of 2020

It’s decided. I’ve bought the round trip plane ticket and booked the first (nonrefundable) hotel.

Here’s the gist; I’m coming to London to park myself in museums large (I’m looking at you, Victoria & Albert) and small (Hello there, Soames, I’ve heard great things.)

I arrive the last week of March and depart the first week of May. That gives me time for a couple of weeks in a second destination. My first choice is Ireland, but other towns are in the running too, from Vienna to Oxford. If my daughter’s work schedule allows her to join me in Ireland, it’s a road trip. If she can’t, I’ll need a completely different itinerary, something I can manage on my own. This will require logistics and strategy. Whatever my final choice, it will be back to London for the last week.

I decided to fire up the travel blog now, so I can document my planning process. The difference between what I envision and what actually happens is always instructive. Woman proposes, God disposes.

While I’ve been on travel hiatus, WordPress hummed along, merrily updating itself. It looks familiar but it’s not precisely the same, back here behind the curtain. It may take a few posts to recover my blogging skills.