Adventures in Europe, week four

24/11/19: We had an early walk to find ourselves some breakfast, then returned to the hotel to pack up. Petra and Detmar picked us up just after 11am and we were off, with a quick hill climb to see the Alps, then on our way north on the Autobahn! We stopped at Regensburg where we walked through the city and ate some sausages at “The oldest sausage house in Germany”; the present building dates back to the 17th century, but replaced a building from 1146!! We arrived in Fürth before 4pm and moved our belongings into the apartment, then headed out again, for a drink and knodel (German potato dumplings) at Zu den sieben Schwaben, a popular local pub/restaurant. Later, we farewelled Petra and Detmar, and walked home. After a shower and drink we headed out again, this time to NaPizza, for a delicious Napoli style pizza with Truffle oil, then to the nearby service station for ice-creams, before home to bed.

Dr Andreas Blings, my “saviour”

25/11/19: An early start for a big day today: we left home 

My favourite nurse, Tatiana

before 7am, catching the train and the bus to Klinikum Nürnberg Sud, to meet Dr Andreas Blings and thank him for everything! He was so pleased to see us and it was wonderful to visit this place with no “drama”. Tatiana, my favourite nurse, was also there, which was nice. Later, we walked back to the station on an emotional “high” and caught the train to Lorenzkirche, where we walked around the old city, enjoying the wide pedestrian malls and beautiful Christmas decorations. We visited many of Martin’s landmarks from his stay in 2017, finishing at the Nürnberg Bratwursthausle, for sausages, of course! Afterwards we caught the bus to Fürth, where we wandered through the old town before buying some supplies for dinner and setting off for home. We had a quiet night in and enjoyed an early bedtime after a big day.

Two years on.....what a journey!

The city walls, Nuremberg

26/11/19: After a good nights sleep we were ready for another day of exploring. We started with a walk under the railway line and around the streets, then, after returning home for breakfast and a freshen up we caught the train to Fürth to buy the tickets for our next adventure tomorrow. Then we caught the train to Maximillianstrasse, jumped on a bus and then a tram, which took us to the edge of the old city, where we walked along inside the wall of the old city, past the red light district and through the Handwerkerhof, where many shops sell beautiful traditional crafts, around to the Hauptbahnhof. From here we caught a tram to Erlengstegen, a pretty village on the northern side of the city, then we returned to the Altstadt for lunch at “Paulaner im Pillhofer” where we enjoyed a lovely Bavarian style goulash soup and gyros. We caught the train to Fürth to meet with Petra for afternoon coffee and a chat, then a walk around the town before coming back to our apartment for a pre dinner drink followed by dinner at the ever popular Zu den sieben Schwaben, where we tried two local specialities - both were delicious! We farewelled Petra and continued home for a cuppa and bed. 

Nuremberg, a different gate!

 The Prater, Vienna

27/11/19: We woke up, had breakfast, packed up and hit the streets, walking to Stadtgrenze to catch the train to Nuremberg Hauptbahnhof. We arrived with almost an hour to spare! That gave us time to check out the platform, buy a Brezn and sit down with a nice cappuccino. When the train arrived, it was the opposite way to what was advertised, so there was some confusion finding our seats, which were facing backwards :-( We settled in as the train gathered speed, and spent some time reading and relaxing before going to the restaurant car for lunch. We managed to get two good seats at a small table, so stayed there for a couple of hours, chatting and watching the world go by. We returned to our seats not long before the train arrived at Vienna Hauptbahnhof and, after buying our seats for the next journey and getting a map and directions from the information centre, we walked to the apartment, on the third floor of a complex in a very quiet, very nice part of town. After unpacking and enjoying an afternoon cuppa, we put on some washing and went for a walk to check out the neighbourhood. There are some very elegant buildings near where we are staying, and lots of nice looking restaurants and bars. We stopped for a drink at a local brewery, did some shopping in Hofer (Aldi’s cousin?) and returned home to unpack and hang out our washing. Later, after a pre dinner drink,  we headed out again, finding a traditional Austrian restaurant for dinner. There were certainly plenty of customers there! We returned home full, tired and ready for a good nights sleep. 

Vienna Christmas markets

28/11/19: We woke feeling refreshed and went for a walk, picking up the ingredients for tonight’s dinner. After breakfast we put on our walking shoes for a day of exploring Vienna. First we walked into town and found the Information centre, where a very helpful man provided us with maps and tips for exploration, and sold us 48 hour transport cards for when our feet are tired :-) Then we headed up the beautiful main boulevard, stopping at Swarovski crystal to admire the displays, looking at the Christmas markets outside St Stephans church, and generally gazing at the beautiful architecture and gorgeous Christmas decorations lining the streets. We visited three different Christmas markets and walked up to the Danube canal, then caught the tram around the edge of the city to the Parliament and Rathaus, finding a nice modern restaurant for “Wildbeeren Punsch”, beer and pizza - just what we needed! Returning to the tram we completed the city ring, then headed one stop out of town to the Naschmarkt - a long, rambling collection of market stalls selling every type of food, drink and souvenir! We strolled the length of the market then made our way home for a cuppa and a well earned rest, doing our washing, and cooking our own dinner before early to bed.

 Dining with Manfred and Anna, Vienna

29/11/19: We took an early morning walk in a different direction and discovered a different, much larger supermarket - very well stocked, more like one from home! Returning for breakfast we dressed warmly and went out, catching the tram from Laurenzstrasse into the city and then the underground train to Vorgartenstrasse on the Danube river, walking past the magnificent “Franz von Assisi” Catholic Church, down to where the river cruisers dock. It was an exciting taste of what lies ahead. We caught the train back one stop to Prater to visit the oldest fairgrounds in the world, first opened in 1766. We rode the Ferris wheel and admired views across the city, then returned to ground and back into the city centre. We continued walking along the pedestrian mall, to Karlsplatz, where there is a Christmas market selling much more traditional and hand made wares. From there we headed home for lunch and a rest, as we planned a busy evening and needed to restore our energy! At 4:30 we caught the tram again, this time to the Rathaus and the largest of the Christmas markets, where we tasted some gluhwein as we wandered around. It was very beautiful with all the twinkling lights, but very busy! Then we made our way to the Sacher hotel to meet Manfred and Anna for dinner - it was a lovely reunion since our last visit in 2013. Later we caught the tram and walked to “Bierometer” for an evening drink before returning home to bed.

 The train from Vienna to Budapest

30/11/19: We took our last morning walk in Vienna, heading along streets past lovely old apartment blocks, passing St Elizabeth church and Shorburg palace as we walked. On returning we had breakfast, cleaned up and packed our suitcases ready for our next adventure! We caught the bus to the railway station and enjoyed relaxing in the lounge before boarding the train for Budapest. The journey passed smoothly and we enjoyed the views, sitting forwards this time! After lunch in the restaurant car it was time for us to depart the train and make our way by local train to the Elizabeth Bridge, where our cruise ship awaited us! We were warmly welcomed, unpacking our cases and settling into our cabin before “happy hour” in the main lounge, followed by a delicious dinner in the restaurant. The ship is almost brand new and very spacious; even though our cabin is on the bottom level it is very comfortable and not too far from everything. We are looking forward to our cruise on the Danube!

Christmas theme on the boat

First night of the cruise - we’re excited!