The Wonders of Vienna

As the days wandered by, Chris was finally feeling better.

I dragged him out of his bed in the hostel and forced him to come outside. After all, I knew he would regret not seeing any of Vienna.

So, even though he was still clearly sick and the weather was VERY cold, we went wandering.

The first place I took him to was the beautiful St Michael's Platz.

Then, we went for a night at the opera!

The sounds and the colours filled the room and the voices of the singers reached everywhere.

We even saw an accident occur as one of the stage sets was damaged, nearly hitting one of the singers on the head!
After the opera, we wandered towards the famed Cafe Central.

I ordered myself a lovely apple strudle. Soft pastry with a delicate flavour and well cooked apples... what more could I want?

Sitting in the cafe was a nice experience as Chris and I followed in the footsteps of Lenin, Trotsky and Freud.

The Hofsburg Palace

After going out the previous night, Chris decided he was sick.

He decided in fact that he was far too sick to be moving out of bed at all.
That wasn't going to stop me.

I was in Vienna and I was heading out to the sites!

The first stop was the magnificent Hofsburg Palace.

Upon entering, I came across three museums. One dedicated to military arms, one to musical instruments and one to the Ephesus ruins.
It was hard not to be distracted by all of the shiny objects.

My Viennese Experience

Vienna was the next stop.

And again.... it was a beautiful city.

On the first night, Chris and I were able to meet up with my old friend Muriel who was working for the UN in the city. She kindly took us to an old wine cellar that had been converted into a restaurant.
The food and the drink were amazingly good.
The next day, I decided to start wandering by myself.

The beauty of Vienna was quickly demonstrated to me.
The palaces, the monuments and the classic style of the city were undeniable.

Beautiful Budapest

After the horrors of Romania, Chris and I moved onto Budapest.

Needless to say we were both taken aback by the beauty of the city.
Many places claim to be the Paris of Eastern Europe, but in Budapest I can actually see the legitimacy of the claim.
The food was good, the people were kind and the city was breathtakingly beautiful.

Draaaaaaaacula!!!!!!!

After a few hours of travelling, Chris and I reached Brasov in the middle of Romania.

Not just any part of Romania though, it was the middle of TRANSYLVANIA!!!!!

That's right, the land of Dracula.

But to be honest, anything would be an improvement over Bucherest.

After finding our hostel, we went to find food. I found myself some beans and sausage.... tasty beans and sausage.
The next day, we headed off for DRACULA'S CASTLE!!!!!!

Can you feel the terror? I know I can.
I was a little underwhelmed though... I didn't feel any fear, any terror... instead it was very peaceful and serene.
.... but little did I know that the day wouldn't end well....

Bucherest... Romania.....

OK..... so Romania wasn't what I was expecting....

It may be in the EU now.... but clearly the wealth hasn't spread everywhere yet.
While there, Chris and I thought it important to visit the famous Presidential Palace... the second largest buidling in the world.... apparently.....
Dear God it was cold though.....

Cologne Cathedral

Cologne Cathedral is amazing. One of the most beautiful I have ever seen.

It rises up and dominates the skyline.Inside it is equally magnificent.
I was fortunate enough to be there when the sun was shining brightly and the entire cathedral was illuminated by the colours of the stain glass windows.

After a tiring climb I also reached the very top of the cathedral.

Magnificent views of the Rhine greeted me.

Maastricht

Being so close to Holland I decided to visit some friends who were exchange.

It was nice to see Charlie.But it was also nice to see some Dutch waffles....
Maastrichts... a very pretty town.
Lots to do as well...

The city of Beethoven

BONN!!!!

The city of Beethoven.
But the real reason for the visit was to see Felix! I hadn't seen him for close to a year so I thought I'd go and spend some time with him in Bonn.

Doesn't he look happy posing outside his university?
And plus it also gave me an opportunity to see the mighty Rhine river.
The streets of Bonn are serene and peaceful. It's a very picturesque small town with a beautiful facade. The insides are not always so pretty though.
Felix and I also got to stroll into into the local forrests.

The Green of Ireland

Ireland is so green.
I never thought it would be like this, nor did I think that this would be something I would take such a keen notice of. But living in Australia where most of the countryside is now shades of brown or yellow, it is definitely something I have taken notice of.

Well that was a mistake...

Being in Dublin, I HAD to go to the Guinness storehouse.

I mean how could I not go?
So I arrived bright and early, excited to run inside for fun and interest! As I moved further into the storehouse, I began getting closer to the tasting.
Until I finally reached the Gravity Bar at the very top.

Waiting for me there was a freshly poured Guinness, the froth still settling.

And the views were amazing. A 360 degree view of Dublin.

After a few pints at the Guinness Storehouse, I decided it was time to move on...

Unfortunately, I decided that the place to move onto was the Jameson's Whiskey Distillery....
The day was getting a bit interesting.

Inside the distillery, I took the full tour. The tour guide was keen to note that Jameson's distill their whisky three times, unlike other makers who only distill their whiskey's once or twice.

Isn't it just beautiful?

The big problem came at the very end....

During the tour, I volunteered to take part in the whiskey tasting at the end of the tour.

Many, many drinks later... I was a fully certified "Irish Whiskey Taster"!

They even gave me a certificate!!!!

After the distillery, I stumbled off towards Oliee and Fliss for dinner and.... ummmm.... more drinks....