Vienna with Nini!

Our second day in Vienna will be a long one because we are only spending on night and that was last night. We are catching a train at 10:40pm and it is a sleeper train. We have tickets to a sleeper car for just Bud and I and then the group of 5 have a sleeper car with 6 beds so they might have a person they don't know in with them!

We got up and had breakfast, it comes with the room :) Then we put our luggage in a hold there at the hotel, which is very close to the train station. We are meeting Nini and her boyfriend are meeting us at 3pm, later changed to 1pm and they are going to take us to the Ring Strasse which is really all the historical buildings in a circle! Travis took us to the shopping area of Vienna and we all scattered and we were to meet in one hour in front of Desigual! Bud and I went with Travis and Carleigh into Desigual and stayed a full hour! Shannon and Branden were in there too but they took off and went to different stores and Chloe walked at least a mile and she made out like a bandit!! She bought souvenirs for her family and friends! In fact Shannon and Carleigh made her and us walk up to the store she found for bargains and they b ought stuff there to! We were all happy with our purchases!

Then we went to the subway station that we were to meet Nini and Jerry. While waiting we ate Kasen Kleiner, cheese and sausage enclosed in a bun with mustard! Carleigh loves them and they are delish!! Pictures later on that later!

Then we met up with Nini and her boyfriend Jerry and went to the historic places of the city!

Museum of Science with Christmas/New Year's Market

Hofburg The Royal Palace! And Statue of Queen Theresa!

Parliament!

 Nini and Jerry!!!

 Travis getting ready for his DANCE!

 Some other building that I cannot remember!

Then we went to a restaurant that served authentic Austrian Food buffet style!

I will have a picture of the food later!

After dinner we walked to the opera house. It is beautiful. That night "The Nutcracker Suite" was performed and there were seats outside with a large screen TV showing the performance for free!

After we saw the Opera house we said our goodbyes to Nini, Jerry had already left to go to a friends birthday party! We will miss Nini she was as sweet as can be and patient and thoughtful!!! Thank you nini and Aufwedersehen!!!

We went back to the hotel and hung out in the lobby for a couple of hours and then headed to the train station with our luggage! Time for the sleeper train!

This is our little, I mean little room on the train!

I took the bottom bunk and Bud took the top bunk. We took turns in the room getting our stuff together! As soon as we were in bed it was OK. It was a little unnerving at first to be going back and forth in the bed, so I took a Dramamine and I settled down and slept pretty well. It got a little chilly so Bud turned on the heat a little and I slept better! But we didn't realize that as soon as the train stops you had to get off right away! That was the difficult part. Our steward brought us breakfast at 6:30am. It was a ham and cheese sandwich, some yogurt and fruit! We were off the train by 7:30am. Then we had to find out how to get to St JoAnns northeast of Zurich. We take 3 trains and a bus, takes 2 hours to get there...but boy was it worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Vienna!!!

We flew from Copenhagen to Vienna and it took just one hour! It is crazy how far one can get in Europe, one is close to everywhere! We flew FinnAir and we actually got free ham and cheese sandwiches! Over in Europe, EasyJet sells sandwiches and soda pop and apple juice and different kinds of liquids. But on FinnAir it was free!!! Once we landed in Vienna, we went into the train station and went to the ticket window to find out how to get to our hotel. We bout a 58 train ticket for 12.60 euro and we were on our way. We all sort of help out to figure our way and the team work is incredible! We had to make our way to the subway station Alser Srasse which took just about 45 minutes. The train and bus transportation in Europe is incredible! It is on time and they are connected in wonderful ways by time and platforms. We walked maybe three blocks to our hotel! Did I mention the weather? It has been mild and hardly any rain which makes it a lot easier and more pleasant to get around on foot and train and bus! But mostly train. The train and bus prices are the same!

Our hotel was only 49 euros a night and that included a breakfast each morning which consisted of cereals, yoghurt and fruit and toast and rolls with ham, turkey, salami and cheeses! Orange and apple juice. I didn't take any pictures sorry to say but the room was very clean and the beds were very comfortable and we were right near the city center!

We took a little walk around our area during the late afternoon:



Then Nini, a young lady that Travis met through People to People, who lives in Vienna, met us and took us by the Town Hall (Rathaus) and the St Stephan's Church before she took us to dinner for authentic Austrian food!

St Stephan's Church

Then we walked to the neighborhood around this church!

Then we went to dinner! Bud had wild game, probably deer and dumplings! It was delicious!

Then I had Spinach and Feta Cheese in a very soft and delicious pastry with boiled potatoes with a wonderful ranch sauce!!!

Nini, Travis' friend, but now our friend too, is such a delightful person! We so enjoyed her company!! We as a team do very well with directions and getting to the train or bus we need (usually with help from wonderful local people who can speak English) but being with Nini she knows what train to catch and when and where to see what and what there is to see! It was a joyful and pleasant evening!!!

The Day After The Day After Christmas with Tivoli Gardens!!!

Bud and I slept in till almost 9am! That is some kind of record for us! Travis knocked on our door about 9:15am, wanted to use the loo!! We went down to breakfast and I looked for a place to sit but of course there were not 5 seats together. But I was pretty positive when Carleigh or Travis came down some seats would open up because they have the power! And I was correct, we all sat together at our favorite table in the corner! This is what my Danish breakfast looks like, pretty healthy!

Shannon left early this morning for the train station to go to the airport to meet her boyfriend Brandon. So we hang out for awhile and when they are back at the hostel Branden needs a nap! So he naps and Bud and I do laundry. Well we get the clothes into the washer at least and dry them later. We have plans to go see the Little Mermaid and then show Branden Nyhavn! So a couple hours later we have our freshly washed clothes hanging in our room and we all head off for some sightseeing! Little Mermaid is the furthest thing we have yet to walk to! Probably about a mile and a half away, but she was worth it!

We made a dance video and I will have to get it from Travis and post it here!

Then we saw Nyhavn in the dark and the lights were beautiful!

And then the Piece of Resistance! Tivoli in Copenhagen!!! We have wanted to see this little and old and historical amusement park forever! Just take a peek and you shall see why...

It was a magical night and we loved Tivoli!!!