Our trip got off to a rocky start; we couldn’t check into Austrian Air the night before so when we arrived at the air port we didn’t have assigned seats. When we checked in they had only two seats left together, by the emergency exit. We asked if they reclined (it’s an eight hour flight) and the first girl didn’t know, so she called a supervisor over and the woman assured us they could. Are you certain? Yes, she said. You know where this is going? Of course, the seats did not recline. But the cabin crew did their best and found a single reclining seat elsewhere on the plane so at least one of us could get some sleep. JT stayed back at the non-reclining seats (gallant!) content to put the arm rest up and spread out over two seats. You know where this is going…arm rest was fixed. Long sleepless flight. Are they allowed to fly planes that old? I’m talking at least 30! Not good at all. No in-seat entertainment, poor audio, no fans above seats, poorly insulated windows. Not a fan. Can you tell?
On a positive note, I used social media Twitter to convey my unhappiness and Air Canada responded immediately (A/C and A/V are partners). Wow that was a powerful tool. I doubt I would have been called back if I sent one of my famous letters! I will also go the traditional route so this doesn’t happen again to some unsuspecting soul. Lesson: don’t lie to your customers!
Vienna was as gorgeous as ever.
Vienna was a bit chillier than expected, but at least it wasn’t raining.
Our hotel the Radisson Blu Palais
This time we stayed just inside the inner ring a short 5 minute walk to the Graben at the Radisdon Blu Palais a gorgeous old building.
A walk around the Graben
We were pleasantly surprised that our room was ready when we arrive at 9 am, so we were able to unpack, shower and change and feel human again. We searched around to find a place for lunch and settled at Danieli just off the Graben. It’s an Italian place inside a very old building with brick vaulted ceilings and a beautiful atrium. Food was great as was the service. After lunch fatigue hit us and we crashed for a couple of hours; we’ve been to Vienna several times and we’d already done most of the touristy things.
After a restful nap we headed out again to find a place for dinner. But first we had a cocktail on the lovely rooftop patio at Steffl Skybar.
We decided on Huth a short walk from our hotel. When we ventured out for dinner around 8ish they didn’t have room, so instead we sat at the bar. Although our host was extremely busy, he spent a lovely amount of time with us chatting and recommending their specialties. Another great meal and experience I would highly recommend.
We picked up our rented a car the next morning and started our 3-hour drive to Budapest on the M-1 highway.
Stopping once at McDonalds Cafe (sacrilege!) for a coffee which was surprisingly good we made it to my family in just over 3 hours. Garmin’s voice died somewhere along the way so we may have missed a turn or two, but we made it unscathed.
The next few days will be in Budapest. We’ll check in again in Barcelona, when I’m sure we’ll have some stories to tell!
What a drag about the non-reclining chairs… though I had to laugh reading about Air Canada’s rapid response to your tweet. Social media does have its advantages!! I’m so glad you had a great trip Eva; welcome home!
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Thanks Kelly! It surprised me too, now I’m about to rag on Apple for getting rid of google maps on the system upgrade!
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Sorry about your flight Eva, but glad you arrived safe and well, albeit a bit tired perhaps! On the subject of McCafés…. they’re actually, as you say, surprisingly good. They tend to open them up where there’s a Starbucks or something nearby, and it’s pretty nice to not have to spend €6 just for a cup of coffee!
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That’s true, Charles, in fact the few times we had to go to Starbucks for free wifi in Lyon it was painfully slow for service. McCafé are cheaper and faster!
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Sorry to hear that the trip got off to a rocky start Eva, but i hope you and JT have been enjoying everything. Very jealous I am!! 🙂
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Thanks Jed, right now we’re enjoying a lovely 1664 beer on a pedestrian street in Lyon. I’m in a pretty good place 🙂
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So glad that awful flight is behind you and the real fun can now begin. I hope your visit with you family is wonderful, Eva, and that the rest of your trip continues without so much as a minor hassle.
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Thanks John, visit with family was wonderful and taxing; because I don’t speak Hungarian regularly, I really have to really concentrate when I do, and telling a story can sometimes make my brain want to explode!
We’re in Barcelona now, enjoying being a tourist!
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Vienna looks so beautiful Eva, even the view from the hotel is amazing!
Sorry to hear that your flight didn’t go so well, but glad social media helped you get a quick response from the airline!
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Thanks Amber
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The flight sounds totally aweful……but the power of social media…someday someone is going to take over and rule the world, hahaha! I am glad you are having fun after the awful flight…..
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Thanks Minnie.
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This looks great Eva! I’m so excited for you. Sorry about your flight though, that is not fun for such a long journey. Can’t wait to see more pics. 🙂
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Thanks Kristy! In travel there will always be pluses and minuses, but hopefully the pluses prevail.
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Well, at least you got there and have seen your family, with Barcelona and Paris to look forward to…
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True enough, Sharyn. The best is yet to come!
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That flight does not sound good Eva. And for long-haul flights they shouldn’t be seating people in fixed seats – you could step off the plane and die from a blood clot. My mother got a clot in her lung last year after flying economy from NYC to Sydney (about 30 hours or something ridiculous). She nearly died and had to be on blood thinning medication for nearly a year – all because she was put in a far too confined space with not enough leg room. It’s good you and JT were able to spread out a bit even if it meant not being able to sit next to each other. Good on you for getting onto the Twitter blower! Vienna looks very pretty. Haven’t been there yet. Have a lovely time with your family in Budapest xx
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I’ll have to get up and walk around, thanks for the tip Charlie. I hope your Mum is a lot better now. I’m hoping the Air Canada plane is newer and nicer, but I’ll not think about it for another week or so.
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This trip sounds absolutely gorgeous after the start 😉
Thanks for sharing my friend!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
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Thanks CCU.
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Glad you are having a good time in Vienna. Nice photos. I read sometime ago that McDonald’s coffee is rated quite high. Looking forward to hearing more trips adventures.
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Hi Norma, thank you. McDonalds coffee in our hood is not that great, but in Europe it was lovely.
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Nice view. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve opened a window excitedly on vacation only to see the alley!
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Thanks Greg, we lucked out.
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Eva, details, details all the details of what you eat while in Hungary – great details of the food! And don’t forget to take some photos!!! Or of the food stores. Very interested. Very! Do they still have tejcsarnok?
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Hi Zsuzsa, my elderly aunt insists on cooking, so we eat all our meals at home. Fortunately she is a very good cook. We’ve had pork tenderloin stuffed with prunes, Paprikas beef with nokedli, and roast duck with sour cherry sauce. These meals are usually at noon, our suppers are generally tomatoes, peppers, cold cuts and cheese with fresh bread. We certainly eat very well! I’m always full.
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Sounds very Hungarian Eva. Enjoy every authentic morsel!
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Thanks Zsuzsa, I’m hoping my Aunt will send me recipes so I can do a Hungarian series on the blog in the future.
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Have a wonderful trip John and Eva. Take lots of pictures and keep sharing your stories! Say Hi to the family from all of us!
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Thanks cousin Laura! It feels like home, except that I eat too much 😉
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Glad you’re having fun after a rocky start. Now unplug and enjoy!
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😉
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