Europe – Page 2 – John Collings

An Unexpected Day in Vienna

On Sunday, April 14th, I was supposed to get up early to take a flight back to my home in Amman, Jordan. We were going to catch an early bus in Bratislava to take the short trip to Vienna’s airport for a four hour flight. It was supposed to be a pretty routine way to end a vacation, but we got a little surprise that morning. Our flight home had been cancelled. In fact, it had been cancelled the next day as well, so rebooking became even more complicated. It all came down to the fact that Jordan’s neighbors decided to extend their bickering over the country’s airspace, and the night sky was covered with rockets exploding into each other. No one was hurt, but pilots did not want to fly into that mess. Jordan was kind enough to close their airspace, so there would be no excuse for a corporate executive to think otherwise. I tended to agree with the decisions, but it meant that I needed to figure out what to do to get back home, and find a place to stay in Vienna until I could find that route back.

First off, I would like to say that Austrian Airlines was spectacular. They found a few connecting flights, and I was only delayed by twenty-four hours to get back home. The company also hooked us up with an Ibis hotel room and vouchers for bus fare there, dinner, and breakfast. It set me up for a nice afternoon in a city I was not expecting to visit on this trip.

I also have to point out that my job was very understanding as well. Of course, they couldn’t be any other way. It was during one of the school’s breaks, and there were a lot of teachers that were stuck in various places all over the world. This also extended to students and their families, so they could not do anything but be understanding.

I really did enjoy my afternoon in Vienna. We were able to spend the day with other teachers that were also stranded there as well. At the same time, it was a little bittersweet. Friends who decided to stay behind sent footage of the war happening overhead that they could see from their balconies. I had a hard time, not thinking about the innocent people that lived below the two bickering countries. It blew my mind that they could think of nothing other than the retribution that they wanted to deliver to one another, and not how it affected the people whose involvement in was either non-existent or minimal at best. Though I was not physically in the country at the time, it was the closest I had ever been to actual war. It demonstrated that ideological differences aren’t always contained within imaginary lines, that sometimes they have to make a show of brute force to demonstrate how important that ideology is for them. In the end, it proved nothing except who could throw a bigger temper tantrum.

Needless to say, living in Jordan over the past year has been interesting, and this is just another story to add to the many I have already encountered. It makes me hope that someday soon we can come to a peaceful solution that allows all parties to feel comfortable so we can avoid these sophomoric displays of power. Granted, I earned another day of vacation out it, and in one of the world’s most beautiful cities, but I would rather find that other solution instead.

Thanks for listening to my rant, and maybe next time, we can find that solution that we are all looking for.

The Foodie Tour – Bratislava, Slovakia

What should you do if you find yourself in a town with great food, and nothing planned for the day? Well, we made a little game out of it. We decided that we would visit as many different restaurants as we could while enjoying a bite to eat and a beverage at each place. It turned into a great way to experience the food that was offered while having a fun day in the process.

The first stop was a coffee shop called Enjoy Bistro. This way we could get caffeinated, and have a quick bite for breakfast. It is located just down the road for St. Michael’s Gate, and offers great seats in the sun in which to watch people as they take their pictures in front of the gate. The coffee and carrot cake were both good, but I am obligated to say that my wife makes a better carrot cake.

After the first stop, we were ready to get into the more serious business of finding local cuisine and enjoy a drink. We traveled a little further down the walking street to Fach (I don’t really know how to say it, but pick the one you are most comfortable with). Once again, there was plenty of outside seating and in the early afternoon is probably when you could start to find a little shade if it is getting too hot out. They do not have a lot of selection with their drinks, but there was good wine and I was excited to see Scotland’s own Brew Dog represented. The food at this place rotates day to day with always having selections that are vegan friendly. We enjoyed a salmon bao that was a perfect amount to share on an adventure like we had set up for ourselves. The wait staff was also really friendly, and when things died down a little bit from the lunch rush, our waiter was able to supply us with some more insight about the town we were staying in.

The gelato shops were just starting to open up for the summer season, and since we had not had gelato all winter long, we had to stop off for a quick cone. There are many excellent choices on the walking streets of Bratislava, but we went to the most convenient one, across the street from Fach, called Squisto. They had a good selection with your typical flavors represented. It was good, but if you want more variety I would recommend walking a little further to the tree lines streets and the bigger gelato shops found there.

The beer gardens closer to St. Michael’s Gate are a different story. There are a few courtyards that can be found off the street, all of them offering cozy places where you can grab a seat and taste locally brewed beer. Sladovna was just a couple of doors down from the gelato shop and the ivy strewn walls offered a great respite. Of course, we jumped right on the beer sampler, so we could have a taste of all the beers the place had to offer. Our stomachs were a little full with all of the food and drink we had had so far, so we only shared a pretzel, but it was warm, soft, and a great pairing with the beer.

The sampler took a little longer for us to get through and it allowed us to digest our food some. By the time we left, we were ready for another bite to eat. This took us to Orbis Street Food. We skipped having a drink at this place because the selection was not that great, but they did have frites, or Belgian fries. They were not as good as they would have been if we had them in Brussels, but they were the perfect food to give us enough energy to make it to our next stop.

That spot was 17’s Bar on the tree-lined pedestrian street at the far end of the old part of town. This was dressed up to look like any biker bar found in the United States, but the pizza, and great beer choices made it feel more like any place you would find in the touristy areas of Europe. The crowds had already gathered, and it was only four in the afternoon on a Friday. I am pretty sure that this place gets really crowded during the high season, so if you are going to make it here, be early. It has a nice shady spot where you can people watch on one of the busiest parts of the old town, so it is well worth the visit. Though we did not try the pizza, it looked really good, and there were times I wish we had.

Despite our full stomachs, we wanted to continue on our voyage, so we looked for a place where we could relax and was off the beaten path. I had discovered Storm Bar online. This was a board game pub, and I had always wanted to visit one of these places. It wasn’t took far from where we were, so we decided to check it out. It was a fun place to go to, and it did not have the crowds that the places in the old town did. The drinks were still really good, and about half the price. I also loved to decor of the place, and if this was a town I lived in, I would have my Dungeons and Dragons group meet there at least once a month to play. They did have a series of games there that you could play for free, but it was not the best selection, and very few of the games had rules in English. Still, we were able to sneak in a game of Ticket to Ride before leaving for our last spot for the evening.

This was the Flagship Restaurant which is situated in an old theatre in Bratislava. This is not in the old town area, but it is a big draw with the tourists. It is the place where you go if you wish to get some traditional Slovakian food. The wait staff is very friendly, the food is really good, and the atmosphere is something you will never forget. It was the perfect place to end our tour of food and drink for the evening, and it made me realize that I should do this more often to places where I visit. It is a great way to get to know a place, and experience all of the food that it has to offer.

So until next time, I hope the next place you visit, you can do the same as me, go on a foodie tour, and tell the tale after it is all done.

Before the Rush – Bratislava, Slovakia

It is early April in Europe. The weather is starting to warm up, but there are still hints of the bitter cold of Winter still in the air. Restaurants, cafes, and bars are struggling whether they should pull out their tables to invade the walking streets of the cities with their welcoming airs, or if they should hold off for a couple more days as they wait for the weather to pass. It would be an activity in futility though because the crowds are not yet here to take those spots and enjoy the comfort of the hospitality that the countries have to offer. They will be here in a month or so, but in the meantime, it is just practice by going through these motions.

It is early April in Europe, and it might be my favorite time to be out here. It feels like the streets in the old parts of town were created just for my delight. The locals wish to avoid the tourists, and the tourists are busy with their lives across the vast oceans. There are no crowds of people blocking my way from looking at the architecture, and I do not have to weave my way through the streets to make it to my destination, a location where I do not even know.

It is early April in Europe, and I can go into a restaurant without a reservation. Though the halls are huge and will seat many people, during the busy season, it is hard to find a place to sit down. The guidebooks all talk about how this is the best place to get local fare in an atmosphere that will make you feel like you are back in medieval times. They have wiped away the dust and are just waiting for those crowds to return, giving me the time to relax and enjoy my meal at my own leisure.

It is early April in Europe, and they have cleared away all of the snow. The lawns are starting to shirk off their brown to display the green that is hidden underneath. Trees are starting to bud, and flowers are beginning to bloom. They give life to the stark brown brick buildings surrounding them and invite people to stroll through them. The gardens will have to wait a little longer because those people have not yet shown up.

It is early April in Europe, and I am lucky to be able to travel here at this time. It feels as if the city has just woken up from a long slumber to greet me. It is still shaking the sleep from its eyes as it prepares for the mad rush that will surely come, but in the meantime, it is here for me to enjoy. I love the feeling of strolling through the town without the crowds and confusion that the summer months often offer in Europe. It is the best time to be here, and I am happy to have been able to come.

A Late Night Arrival in Bratislava

After a day of travel, I was able to wake up this morning to a new country that I have never been to, Slovakia. It is going to be a quick trip, but it is nice to wake up this morning to look out the window of the place I am staying and see a completely different view. It also fills me with joy knowing that I can put aside work for a little while, and lose myself in a new town, Bratislava. I have nothing important on my plate except exploration, and I hope you join me these next few days as I look around to see what this town has to offer.

Prague on Three Legs

It was not the first time that I had been to Prague, and I hope it will not be the last. The city is a great place to visit, and both of the times I have made it out here, they have been very enjoyable. There was a big difference between the first and second trip though. On the first trip, we were able to get around town rather easily because we were younger and in better shape. This time, one of us had just had surgery and we were forced to make adjustments to go around town.

One of our four legs was in a boot, and we had to either use crutches or a wheelchair to get around. In a city that was made long before handicap accessible was a thing, and streets are still made of cobblestone, we knew that it was going to be a challenge, but should that have been a deterrent from going out and enjoying the city anyways?

There is a lot that can be seen in Prague, and it does not always involve going to museums and cathedrals. A joy can be experienced just by wandering around the streets and seeing what there is to see. We had decided that this would be our goal this time around, and we borrowed a wheelchair to make this an easier endeavor.

It did help to move from one place to another, but the cobblestones were not always easy to navigate, and if the crowds that Prague experiences during the summer were around, it would have added another level of difficulty. Despite this fact, it did change the way I would have looked at this city. Instead of running around to see all of the important sights, I had to pick and choose what I would do, and make sure that they were accessible for the situation that we had found ourselves in.

Because I slowed down, I started to notice little things about the city that I might not have noticed before. The buildings were no longer just about the architecture, but was now also about the art that I could find on those buildings. I could pay attention to the people and the way they moved through their natural day instead of being shuffled around with the crowd of other tourists who managed to come to this place at the same time. In a way, I got to experience more of the real Prague better than if we did not have this small little problem to deal with.

The places that I did go to visit had a different quality to them than the regular sights that pack in the people. One of my favorites was a quiet English bookstore near the center of town called The Globe. It was a little harder to get to because I had to push the wheelchair down skinny lanes of cobblestones, but when we got there, its quiet atmosphere, great adjoining cafe, and collection of books was inviting. I especially loved the collection of English translated books by important Czech writers, something that is hard to find in my travels. I loved the fact that I was able to be introduced to a new writer that I might have never heard about.

If reading is not your thing, there was also the option of many of the beer halls that can be found throughout Prague, the oldest being U Fleku. They all brew their own beer, and in the traditional ones, you are offered two options, light or dark. The beer was also relatively cheap, compared to many other places in the world, and to enjoy it in an atmosphere that recalls up medieval times just adds to the experience. Some of the places will even allow for you to arrange a tour of the facilities to demonstrate to you how they have been brewing beer over countless centuries.

Despite all of the delicious beer that has been enjoyed by countless people over many generations, Prague has also joined the craft beer revolution. There are a few brew pubs where you can whet your whistle with an IPA, stout, or hefeweizen. They are not as plentiful as the traditional beer halls, but with a little effort, we were able to find a couple of them. Most of the time, this took us out of the older parts of the city, but it was nice to see what Prague looked like to the common citizen who lived there, plus, we got to enjoy a couple of good beers in the process.

Prague is a European city that is filled with many different hidden gems. It is part of the reason that it is included on many people’s wishlist when they make their way out to this continent. Even if you don’t have enough time to seek these special places out, there are so many other places to go that the crowds usually go to.

It is a great city, and I am glad that we did not let a little thing like a bum leg stop us from enjoying it. The trip helped me realize that I need to take advantage of any opportunity that might come my way. I might not have had the typical experience that most people had when visiting Prague, but I still had a great time. I’ll just have to come back again when I won’t have to push a wheelchair around.

Until next time, get out there and experience the world any time you can.

The View over Prague

The city of Prague is one of the top destinations in Europe. It boasts a lot of history, great food, amazing beer, and some of the most interesting sights that can be found in any big city. People flock to this city to check out the Prague Castle, stroll across the Charles Bridge, and set their watches to the Astronomical Clock, but one that is often overlooked is the amazing viewpoint that can be found on top of the Petrin Tower on the top of Petrin Hill.

Petrin Hill stands looking over the old town square on the other side of the Vltava River. It is a little bit of a hike to make it to the top of the hill, but still you can make it to the top in a matter of twenty minutes going at a reasonable pace. For those who do not like to do hikes uphill, there is a funicular that will also take you to the top. It is not too expensive, and it runs every fifteen minutes. Space is limited, so I would recommend getting there earlier in the day when there is less of a crowd.

Once up top, there are many things to see that do not include the Petrin Tower. There is a medieval wall that adds to the atmosphere on top of the hill. A couple of restaurants offer food, and coffees, as well as a beautiful garden that you can stroll through. I was out here in the middle of winter, so the garden was in its dormant state, but I could still tell that it would be a spectacular place to wander through when it is in full bloom.

It is a little cooler on top of Petrin Hill because there is nothing to stop the wind that is blowing. I would recommend dressing in layers if you plan to come up during the winter months, and it would be the perfect place to escape the heat of summer though I do suspect it will be more crowded during those months than what I found when I was up there.

Hiking to the top of the tower is not too stressful either. It was designed rather well with an up stairs case and another one for those descending, so you are never stuck in a place where you have to wait while others pass going the opposite direction. There is even an elevator that will take you to the top, but it does cost a little more to be able to get up that way. The views from up top offer the perfect perch to see all of Prague. It is fun pointing all of the places that you have been and would like to go, and it has one of the best viewpoints of any European city I have been to. It is a little expensive, and during the summer months, I would suspect that it would be pretty crowded. Still, it is a nice little getaway for someone looking to do something a little different on a trip out to Prague.

The Trains in Europe

Yesterday, I arrived back in Germany. Culturally, it is not much different than Austria, but I am sure the Germans and the Austrian could tell me the differences. It was actually a good day to travel in Europe. Many of the people were still in their beds from staying up late the night before, and many of the shops did not open because they wanted to give their workers the break that they needed. Even a lot of the restaurants were closed for the day, making it a little difficult to find food, but I was able to find some small snacks at the train station, and a really good Italian restaurant for dinner. Oddly enough, it was also right next to the train station. Even the sights in the city were closed down for the day. I was still able to walk the cobbled stoned path of Munich’s Altstadt but I could only see the sights from the outside. Basically, if there was anything that I wanted to do it had to find it at the train station which made the logical choice of doing something that day, traveling to my next destination.

Train travel in Europe is my favorite way to travel. Throughout all of my experiences of traveling around the world, not many countries have been able to accomplish what this continent has been able to accomplish with its railway system. As long as you can find a way down to a train station, you will be able to find a way to any place in the European Union, with small exceptions from the island countries. The train stations in the larger cities are just like airports with bars, restaurant, book stores, and other various vendors except none of them are as pretentious as the ones you will find in a lot of airports now-a-days. Nobody is going to try to sell you a diamond necklace, or an overpriced bag with a brand name on it that you really don’t care about. Most of the things you can find at a train station are the basics you would need to enjoy your trip on the train.

The trains are really comfortable as well. This is something that other countries try to do, but do not quite achieve this level of comfort. Korea tries to pack as many people as they can on to one train, and other countries make it feel more like an airplane ride rather than a train ride. But in Europe, on the good train, you get enough leg room to spread out a bit, and you get to face the people you are traveling with rather have to sit right next to them. They even put a small table in place where there are four people traveling together so you can share a meal with each other, or play a game of cards. It turns the trains into more of a social affair rather than a quite place where you are being shuttled from one place to another.

I am even comfortable on the trains to fall asleep on them. This is because they have placed you into a relaxed environment that allows you the ease of mind to fall asleep. The clacking of the wheels as they go over the rails also give a nice rhythm that also induces a level of sleep. It makes travel so easy.

There are a lot of reasons that I love traveling this way, and it is part of the reason that I enjoy coming out to Europe so much. It may take a little longer to get from place to place while traveling this way, but the stress level is so much more less, and you feel more in charge of your destination rather than traveling by plane. I would hope that the rest of the world would eventually recognize this because it is part of what makes Europe a great destination. Not the say that other places do not hold the same kind of appeal, but it is those little details that make any trip more memorable.