May/June: Travel theme
Well, I have returned from my whirlwind trip to Germany and Austria, visiting Munich, Salzburg and Vienna. A fantastic trip to be sure. Highlights include:
- Munich- I am not one for beer, but I loved, loved LOVED my visits to the beer gardens. I am a big fan of the Radler (beer mixed with lemon lime soda, a cousin to the panache and shandy) so an afternoon spent drinking a 1 liter Radler and a giant pretzel under the newly leafed chestnut trees was wonderful. I loved the food, the outdoor market, and surprisingly really enjoyed the BMW Welt. I enjoyed trying out my terrible Pimsleur's German.
- Salzburg- beautiful, touristy but enchanting. We had a missive outdoor activity day here, climbing up the mountain to tour the fortress, walking the town, and then renting bikes to head out of town to the Hellbrunn Castle and the trick fountains- which were just the right amount of silly.
- Vienna- I had really high hopes for the famed coffeehouses of Vienna, but generally found them to be a bit of a let down. Maybe they were over hyped. What I did experience in Vienna was true art happiness at the Belvedere Palace and really good food.
- Swiss Air- I've flown a lot to Europe, my return flight to Logan Airport via Zurich was my 36th transatlantic crossing. It was by far my most luxurious (I should note I only fly coach). The great individual seat movies, tv, music and games (which is hit or miss these days on most airlines), an actual honest to goodness good meal, frequently coming around with more wine, more brandy, more drinks, more chocolate for no apparent reason and ice cream!
As I have travel on the brain due to this trip, I've decided to make my European Grand Tour the theme of my website for the late spring... check back soon for a new theme and new art on the site.