Having a Ball in Austria

Returned to Vienna last week for a quasi-grad-school reunion, something R. tries to organise annually - a week's festivities, including lots of wine, an evening at a Viennese Ball, and skiing. Magic! And, time for a quick stop at Julius Meinl for some Kracher.


And then to meet the team at a heuriger in Vienna. Great to see old man G. again, plus S. and L., and our man from Philly.


R.'s 2nd 18th Birthday. A recurrent theme for the week, minus the accordionist.


Sister and Brother, next day, pre-pre-ball festivities, at a heuriger in the 19th district.


Early casualty.


Pre-Ball Drinks at the just-opened Style Hotel, around the corner from the Hofburg.


Ready to make our entrance to the Wiener Arzte Ball at the Hofburg.


The Debutantes


G. meets the ladies from the Canadian Ice Capades. S. and R. are highly, highly entertained.


With S. and L.


The next day. On to Linz and Schloss M.


Frau M. makes incredible, incredible strudel. Outside of my own mum, maybe my favorite cook?


Sweets for the sweet.


And then, onto beautiful Bad Gastein, via Salzburg.


Where no couples are allowed?


Legendary pizzeria. It was snowing so heavily that we actually lost the group walking just in front of us. We then spied a sign for a Singaporean restaurant and very well nearly lost our minds. Couldn't find it, and ducked into the first place that looked open. Score, times two. Pizza and Men's Night specials.


Men's Night special: Fernet branca. Lose 1 point.


Catching up with the team. Snow battle casualty.


Whiteout skiing conditions.


Lovely Greek food. No retsina. Opa!


Recap of the week's festivities


And finally, R.'s 27th 18th Birthday, with Edelbrand. A tremendous week of wine, women and song! <img alt="“" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/vienna2005027.jpg"><br />Returned to Vienna last week for a quasi-grad-school reunion, something R. tries to organise annually - a week's festivities, including lots of wine, an evening at a Viennese Ball, and skiing. Magic! And, time for a quick stop at <a href="http://www.meinlamgraben.at/" target="_blank">Julius Meinl</a> for some Kracher<span class="fullpost">.<br /><br /><img alt="group" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/group.jpg" width="400"><br />And then to meet the team at a heuriger in Vienna. Great to see old man G. again, plus S. and L., and our man from Philly.<br /><br /><img alt="birthday" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/939500582203_0_BG.jpg" width="400"><br />R.'s 2nd 18th Birthday. A recurrent theme for the week, minus the accordionist.<br /><br /><img alt="“" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/vienna2005035.jpg"><br />Sister and Brother, next day, pre-pre-ball festivities, at a heuriger in the 19th district.<br /><br /><img alt="broken" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/broken.jpg" width="400"><br />Early casualty.<br /><br /><img alt="“" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/vienna2005070.jpg"><br />Pre-Ball Drinks at the just-opened Style Hotel, around the corner from the Hofburg.<br /><br /><img alt="“" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/vienna2005078.jpg"><br />Ready to make our entrance to the Wiener Arzte Ball at the Hofburg.<br /><br /><img alt="“" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/vienna2005080.jpg"><br />The Debutantes<br /><br /><img alt="“" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/vienna2005099.jpg"><br />G. meets the ladies from the Canadian Ice Capades. S. and R. are highly, highly entertained.<br /><br /><img alt="“" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/vienna2005146.jpg"><br />With S. and L.<br /><br /><img alt="drinks" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/trincken.jpg" width="400"><br />The next day. On to Linz and Schloss M.<br /><br /><img alt="strude" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/strudel.jpg" width="400"><br />Frau M. makes incredible, incredible strudel. Outside of my own mum, maybe my favorite cook?<br /><br /><img alt="alvear" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/alvear.jpg" width="400"><br />Sweets for the sweet.<br /><br /><img alt="“" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/vienna2005197.jpg"><br />And then, onto beautiful Bad Gastein, via Salzburg.<br /><br /><img alt="“" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/vienna2005239.jpg"><br />Where no couples are allowed?<br /><br /><img alt="“" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/vienna2005225.jpg"><br />Legendary pizzeria. It was snowing so heavily that we actually lost the group walking just in front of us. We then spied a sign for a Singaporean restaurant and very well nearly lost our minds. Couldn't find it, and ducked into the first place that looked open. Score, times two. Pizza and Men's Night specials.<br /><br /><img alt="“" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/vienna2005230.jpg"><br />Men's Night special: Fernet branca. Lose 1 point.<br /><br /><img alt="“" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/vienna2005249.jpg"><br />Catching up with the team. Snow battle casualty.<br /><br /><img alt="“" border="“0”" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/vienna2005269.jpg"><br />Whiteout skiing conditions.<br /><br /><img alt="greek" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/retsina.jpg" width="400"><br />Lovely Greek food. No retsina. Opa!<br /><br /><img alt="“" border="“0”" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/vienna2005283.jpg"><br />Recap of the week's festivities<br /><br /><img alt="“" border="“0”" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/vienna2005275.jpg"><br />And finally, R.'s 27th 18th Birthday, with Edelbrand. A tremendous week of wine, women and song!</span>

Chasing Aurora Borealis

Sure, there probably aren't too many people who think of Iceland when planning a short holiday in November, but then again, maybe that's reason enough to go. We were interested in three things - thermal baths, Halldór Laxness, and Aurora Borealis. The first, impossible to miss, the second, you're foolish if you do, and the third, well, we read that November was a very good time to go.


The amount of daylight is a thing of curiousity. This is what it looked like at 10AM. And at 3PM. Well, we did what we could - sightseeing in the few daylight hours, public baths and coffee shops during the dark hours. Excellent coffee, by the way. Weird.


Outside of Reykjavík, a lot of Iceland appears to look like this - cold, empty, and rugged.


But, there are plenty of waterfalls, such as Selfoss...


...and Gulfoss.


The Continental Divide at Þingvellir, site of what is considered the world's first parliament.


The thermal activity in the Geysir area is fascinating.


Some are even mesmerized. Have to admit, watching the first bolus of water coming out of the Strokkur geyser is mesmerizing.


Others, however, get a bit intoxicated by it all. Must be the warmth. It's pretty cold in Iceland in November. We failed to bring sufficient headwear, forcing us on a hat buying spree of irrational proportions.


Icelandic hot dogs - pylsur are supposed to be pretty good.


On one, well, mid-day, we went riding on Icelandic horses, north of Reykjavík, near where Laxness grew up, and which has been the setting/inspiration for many of his novels. Still can't claim any particular fondness for horses.


Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur - supposedly THE best dogs going. Topped with sauteed and crispy fried onions, mustard, and remoulade. Yum. A shot of brennavin - roasted caroway aquavit - to wash it down. Perfect.


Hallgrimskirkja, in the center of the capital. None of your fancy Baroque or rococco, thank you very much.


This bodes well for hopes of an Indian restaurant, does it not? Food was shockingly expensive in Iceland, and unsurprisingly, not very veg. friendly. Of course, this means my attempts to try puffin and shark were not well met. Fortunately, we came across Austur Indía Fjelagið - legitimate claims as the northernmost Indian restaurant in the world? Perhaps. What is certain is that we paid about $8 for an order of poppadums.


After dinner was our big Aurora Borealis night - a bus ride deep into the countryside, away from any light pollution at all. When the Icelandic do dark, they do dark. And cloudy. So cloudy in fact, that this is all we saw. It was cold, it was dark, there were weird sounds coming from the countryside. Hmm... this part didn't work out so well. This is an actual photo of the darkness.


We closed out our visit with nearly a full day just relaxing at the Blue Lagoon - a thermal spa developed out of the effluent of an adjacent energy plant. It was great sitting out in this huge thermal lake, with snowflakes falling, covering oneself in the goopy mud, and staring out over the tundra.


All in all, a great trip. Too bad about the northern lights, we'll have to try again, and I wouldn't mind giving Iceland another shot. <img alt="geysir" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/Iceland122.jpg" width="400"><br />Sure, there probably aren't too many people who think of Iceland when planning a short holiday in November, but then again, maybe that's reason enough to go. We were interested in three things - thermal baths, Halldór Laxness, and Aurora Borealis<span class="fullpost">. The first, impossible to miss, the second, you're foolish if you do, and the third, well, we read that November was a very good time to go.<br /><br /><img alt="Reykjavik" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/Iceland032.jpg" width="400"><br />The amount of daylight is a thing of curiousity. This is what it looked like at 10AM. And at 3PM. Well, we did what we could - sightseeing in the few daylight hours, public baths and coffee shops during the dark hours. Excellent coffee, by the way. Weird.<br /><br /><img alt="tundra" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/Iceland059.jpg" width="400"><br />Outside of Reykjavík, a lot of Iceland appears to look like this - cold, empty, and rugged.<br /><br /><img alt="Selfoss" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/Iceland081.jpg" width="400"><br />But, there are plenty of waterfalls, such as Selfoss...<br /><br /><img alt="gulfoss" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/Iceland090-1.jpg" width="400"><br />...and Gulfoss.<br /><br /><img alt="thingvellir" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/Iceland130-1.jpg" width="400"><br />The Continental Divide at Þingvellir, site of what is considered the world's first parliament.<br /><br /><img alt="geysir" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/Iceland114.jpg" width="400"><br />The thermal activity in the Geysir area is fascinating.<br /><br /><img alt="Strokkur" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/Iceland118.jpg" width="400"><br />Some are even mesmerized. Have to admit, watching the first bolus of water coming out of the <i>Strokkur</i> geyser <i>is</i> mesmerizing.<br /><br /><img alt="misty" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/Iceland126-1.jpg" width="400"><br />Others, however, get a bit intoxicated by it all. Must be the warmth. It's pretty cold in Iceland in November. We failed to bring sufficient headwear, forcing us on a hat buying spree of irrational proportions.<br /><br /><img alt="pilsur" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/Iceland154.jpg" width="400"><br />Icelandic hot dogs - <i>pylsur</i> are supposed to be pretty good.<br /><br /><img alt="horses" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/Iceland162.jpg" width="400"><br />On one, well, mid-day, we went riding on Icelandic horses, north of Reykjavík, near where Laxness grew up, and which has been the setting/inspiration for many of his novels. Still can't claim any particular fondness for horses.<br /><br /><img alt="Baejarins beztu" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/Iceland182.jpg" width="400"><br /><a href="http://bbp.is/" target="_blank">Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur</a> - supposedly THE best dogs going. Topped with sauteed and crispy fried onions, mustard, and remoulade. Yum. A shot of <i>brennavin</i> - roasted caroway aquavit - to wash it down. Perfect.<br /><br /><img alt="church" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/Iceland192.jpg" width="400"><br />Hallgrimskirkja, in the center of the capital. None of your fancy Baroque or rococco, thank you very much.<br /><br /><img alt="tandoori soup" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/Iceland027.jpg" width="400"><br />This bodes well for hopes of an Indian restaurant, does it not? Food was shockingly expensive in Iceland, and unsurprisingly, not very veg. friendly. Of course, this means my attempts to try puffin and shark were not well met. Fortunately, we came across <a href="http://www.austurindia.is/heim.html" target="_blank">Austur Indía Fjelagið</a> - legitimate claims as the northernmost Indian restaurant in the world? Perhaps. What is certain is that we paid about $8 for an order of poppadums. <br /><br /><img alt="dark" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/Iceland194.jpg" width="400"><br />After dinner was our big Aurora Borealis night - a bus ride deep into the countryside, away from any light pollution at all. When the Icelandic do dark, they do dark. And cloudy. So cloudy in fact, that this is all we saw. It was cold, it was dark, there were weird sounds coming from the countryside. Hmm... this part didn't work out so well. This is an actual photo of the darkness.<br /><br /><img alt="blue lagoon" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/Iceland224.jpg" width="400"><br />We closed out our visit with nearly a full day just relaxing at the <a href="http://www.bluelagoon.com/" target="_blank">Blue Lagoon</a> - a thermal spa developed out of the effluent of an adjacent energy plant. It was great sitting out in this huge thermal lake, with snowflakes falling, covering oneself in the goopy mud, and staring out over the tundra. <br /><br /><img alt="airport" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/Iceland243.jpg" width="400"><br />All in all, a great trip. Too bad about the northern lights, we'll have to try again, and I wouldn't mind giving Iceland another shot.</span>

MSNYC Bike Tour 2004

This past weekend was the Multiple Sclerosis Society of New York's annual cycling event, a circuit around Manhattan and beyond. T. decided against better judgment to join me for the tour. As a concession, we only went for the 45 mile circuit, which would allow us to still ride the empty streets, but also to go through the Lincoln Tunnel and back over the George Washington Bridge. Good times, and a great event!


We upped the degree of difficulty by doing the tour on R. and my Bromptons, the classic English folding bicycle. We were quite the spectacle.


Small victories. Realising that her pre-tour training may not have been sufficient, T. nearly pulled a Rosie Ruiz on me (easy with the folding bikes), but I managed to coax her back to Chelsea. Wonder if she's going to talk to me after this... <img alt="Team Tortoise" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/IMG_0098.jpg" width="400"><br />This past weekend was the Multiple Sclerosis Society of New York's annual cycling event, a circuit around Manhattan and beyond. T. decided against better judgment to join me for the tour<span class="fullpost">. As a concession, we only went for the 45 mile circuit, which would allow us to still ride the empty streets, but also to go through the Lincoln Tunnel and back over the George Washington Bridge. Good times, and a great event!<br /><br /><img alt="bromptons" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/IMG_0074.jpg" width="400"><br />We upped the degree of difficulty by doing the tour on R. and my Bromptons, the classic English folding bicycle. We were quite the spectacle.<br /><br /><img alt="hill" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/IMG_0097.jpg" width="400"><br />Small victories. Realising that her pre-tour training may not have been sufficient, T. nearly pulled a Rosie Ruiz on me (easy with the folding bikes), but I managed to coax her back to Chelsea. Wonder if she's going to talk to me after this...</span>

2004 Philadelphia Dragon Boat Festival

I've been volunteering as a coach and steersperson for the Philadelphia Dragon Boat Festival for the past few months, and coaxed colleagues from my office to form a team. The festival took place this past weekend and was a lot of fun. We even acquitted ourselves modestly, taking third place in the "D" division - putting us in the top third of all teams. <img alt="dboat" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/04051.jpg" width="400"><br />I've been volunteering as a coach and steersperson for the Philadelphia Dragon Boat Festival for the past few months, and coaxed colleagues from my office to form a team. The festival took place this past weekend and was a lot of fun. We even acquitted ourselves modestly, taking third place in the "D" division - putting us in the top third of all teams.

An Irish-Australian Wedding

So, our dear friends A. and S. were getting married. And about time too. A chance to see A.'s family again, especially his delightful uncles, all our friends from Oxford, and getting back to Delgany, and Bray, and Greystones, and especially, the scene of our many triumphs, and defeats, the Wicklow Way.

S. is Australian, and brings all the good sense that A. hasn't retained. A.'s taste in drink is predicated on two principles: a) it's Guinness or b) there's a lot of it. Fortunately, S. was in charge of the wine, plenty of Australian goodies. But the wine highlight for me was a magnum of vintage champagne, opened by A.'s very excited mum (A. clearly didn't retain much of his parents' good taste - I can never forget A.'s single term of praise for food: "It's lovely." Someday, an A.-inspired cookbook is in order... anyways, I digress.) A.'s mum, realising that she hadn't planned on snacks to serve with it, out came a sleeve of Pringles. Single. Greatest. Pairing. Ever.


The Wicklow seaside.


"Do any of you see the road?"


Co. Wicklow traffic jam.


We did ultimately manage to find our way to Glendalough (Glen of the Two Lakes), where the weather was fabulously Irish, and the scene was beautiful, against the lake. A perfect outdoor ceremony.


Against the Round Tower


"I think the car is rolling backwards!"


And so, following the wedding, and the reception, what followed is what has followed at every Irish wedding I've been to (n=2, both in this family) - to the pub! Brilliant stuff, sad we had to get back for today, but one solace is that the flight was oversold and we got bumped up to 1st... they don't serve pocheen on Aer Lingus... no sir, it was more Champagne for us! <img alt="wicklow" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/IMG_0105.jpg" width="400"><br />So, our dear friends A. and S. were getting married. And about time too. A chance to see A.'s family again, especially his delightful uncles, all our friends from Oxford, and getting back to Delgany, and Bray, and Greystones, and especially, the scene of our many triumphs, and defeats, the Wicklow Way<span class="fullpost">.<br /><br />S. is Australian, and brings all the good sense that A. hasn't retained. A.'s taste in drink is predicated on two principles: a) it's Guinness or b) there's a lot of it. Fortunately, S. was in charge of the wine, plenty of Australian goodies. But the wine highlight for me was a magnum of vintage champagne, opened by A.'s very excited mum (A. clearly didn't retain much of his parents' good taste - I can never forget A.'s single term of praise for food: "<i>It's lovely.</i>" Someday, an A.-inspired cookbook is in order... anyways, I digress.) A.'s mum, realising that she hadn't planned on snacks to serve with it, out came a sleeve of Pringles. Single. Greatest. Pairing. Ever.<br /><br /><img alt="Bray" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/IMG_0071.jpg" width="400"><br />The Wicklow seaside.<br /><br /><img alt="looking" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/IMG_0089.jpg" width="400"><br />"<i>Do any of you see the road</i>?"<br /><br /><img alt="cows" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/IMG_0102.jpg" width="400"><br />Co. Wicklow traffic jam.<br /><br /><img alt="glendalough" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/IMG_0079.jpg" width="400"><br />We did ultimately manage to find our way to Glendalough (Glen of the Two Lakes), where the weather was fabulously Irish, and the scene was beautiful, against the lake. A perfect outdoor ceremony.<br /><br /><img alt="tower" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/IMG_0083.jpg" width="400"><br />Against the Round Tower<br /><br /><img alt="close the door!" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/IMG_0092.jpg" width="400"><br />"<i>I think the car is rolling backwards</i>!"<br /><br /><img alt="guinness" border="0" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w250/orie0704/IMG_0123.jpg" width="400"><br />And so, following the wedding, and the reception, what followed is what has followed at every Irish wedding I've been to (n=2, both in this family) - to the pub! Brilliant stuff, sad we had to get back for today, but one solace is that the flight was oversold and we got bumped up to 1st... they don't serve <i>pocheen</i> on Aer Lingus... no sir, it was more Champagne for us!</span>