Vienna...Again

This was our 3rd trip to Vienna.  Rick was on a business trip and I joined him a few days later so that we could stay the weekend with our friends, Gabi and Vladimir.  We weren't that interested in being tourists.  We just wanted to spend time with them.  Gabi met with us on Friday and we walked around the city.  It was a sunny and relatively warm day so it was nice to be outside.  However, we didn't take any pictures because we already had some from my other trips. 

Later that evening we went to the Christmas market that's located in front of the town hall.  The market was really beautiful and the atmosphere was great.  Just what I needed to get in the holiday spirit!  I've been to several Christmas markets around Europe and I thought this was one of the best.  Gabi took Sara inside the town hall to do some crafts and children's activities.  Vladimir, Rick and myself stayed outside drinking punsch (Austrian version of hot spiced wine).  The punsch definitely had some punch!

We did a couple of other outings, but mostly just stuck around their place playing cards and chatting.

Christmas Market

Klosterneuburg

We tried to visit this cloister that produces wine.  We were going to tour the building and the wine cellars and then have a wine tasting.  Unfortunately, they were not yet finished with the harvest and were closed to visitors.  We were there on a Saturday and the cloister was going to reopen on Monday.  Oh well!  Instead, we visited the wine shop, where we were able to taste a couple of wines.  We found a couple that we liked and took home with us.  We would have bought more, but didn't have enough space in our suitcases.

Wine Region

The Vienna Hills are home to numerous vineyards and Heurigen (wine taverns).  They are open during the harvest months (August - October) when they have a big wine festival.  During that time, you can walk the trails, stopping along the way for a drink.  Most of them are small, old buildings that have tables for wine tasting outside.  I can only imagine what a fun, festive atmosphere it is.  Plus, I'm sure the vineyards and surrounding environment are really beautiful that time of year. 

In November, when we were there, the vines and trees were bare, it was cold and the heurigen were all closed.  Nevertheless, we had a nice walk through the area.  The best part is that this region is practically in Gabi and Vladimir's backyard.

Hundertwasser Buildings

This complex was designed by an architect named Hundertwasser.  They are sort of Gaudi-esque.  I had not seen them on any other trip to Vienna and was interested in having a look. 

A Walk Around the Neighborhood

In the garden of a heurigen near the Beethoven house

Moscow

Rick took his 3rd business trip to Moscow in September and this time I was fortunate enough to go with him.  What a great treat it was to visit a place that is very expensive in a way that didn't cost much. 

Because Moscow can be a bit intimidating to tourists, Rick arranged for an intern from Deloitte to take me around on my first day.  I was very thankful to have the company as well as to have a local to show me the ropes.  Sonia met me at the hotel early in the morning.  She came prepared with an impressive itinerary.  We saw a lot that day! 

I was so thankful that she was there to translate for me.  She helped me barter with some vendors for souvenirs.  She knew how much they should cost and she made sure that I didn't get ripped off.  She also got me "Russian" priced tickets for admission into an art museum and some other attractions.  Apparently, Russians get discounts on tourist sights because a lot of them would not be able to afford it otherwise.  Sonia was really nice.  I enjoyed our day together and appreciated her time and generosity.  She told me that it was a pleasure and a great opportunity for her as well.

With some experience and confidence gained on my first day, I headed out on Day 2 with map in hand.  I normally don't mind traveling alone and I have a pretty decent sense of direction.  My map reading skills are not too shabby either.  The Cyrillic alphabet and the language, however, made Moscow more intimidating than most places to me for some reason.  For example, I couldn't really even tell a restaurant from any other establishment.  Also, a lot of people warned me that it wouldn't be safe for a woman tourist to walk around on her own.  I didn't find this to be the case.  I felt that the city was very safe and I walked around alone all day.  I revisited some of the places that I went to with Sonia the day before to get some better pictures.  I also covered some new territory including a museum dedicated to Russian art.  I got a little lost at one point, but eventually found my way.  I just ended up walking a lot longer than expected!  The only place I would not go on my own was the subway.  I took it with Sonia and it was very crowded.  Plus, I couldn't read the names of the places on the subway map.  I figured as long as I was above ground that I had landmarks to set me in the right direction.  I wasn't sure where I would wind up if I took the subway!

The city seemed to be a mix of old, soviet style buildings and new, modern ones.  I found parts of it to be really beautiful. The colorful spires that top many of the buildings could be seen from miles away.  I enjoyed standing in one place and just looking off into the distance at the skyline.  Moreover, it was exciting to visit a city so steeped in history and I felt very lucky to have this chance.  Rick was jealous because he's been to Moscow 3 times and still hasn't seen as much as I did in 2 days.

The Kremlin and Red Square

Red Square

St Basil's Cathedral

GUM

GUM is Moscow's "State Department Store".  It takes up almost one entire side of Red Square. It was built between 1890 and 1893 to replace the Upper Trading Hall building that burnt down in a fire.  The building, which is an example of Russian medieval ecclesiastical architecture with a glass roof, houses trendy boutiques and specialty shops. 

Lenin's Tomb

This is the mausoleum that serves as the current resting place of Vladimir Lenin. His body is embalmed and has been here since 1924, the year he died. 

The Kremlin Walls

Russian Orthodox Church

Cityscapes

Miscellaneous Pictures from Around the City

Tretyakov Gallery

This gallery houses one of the most celebrated and extensive collections of Russian art and artifacts in the world.  I can't say that I had ever heard of any of the artists whose works I saw here, but I liked several of them.  The building was also very nice.

Some Subway Shots

Several of Moscows subways are tourists sights themselves and are mentioned in guidebooks.  I only saw a couple of stations and was moving through very quickly so only had time to take a few quick shots.  The stations were clean and ornately decorated, one of them with marble...really cool!