Taste tests: Ebi-kun Eats and taste tests - cuberdons

This was recorded when wee were in Vienna but the 'treat' was actually a gift from Christie who we met up with in Brussels, so this is Ebi-kun trying a Belgium treat in Vienna, as you do! I actually quite liked these but then I had lost my voice for a few days and had ben sucking on throat tablets almost continually so maybe it was because my taste buds had died!

Over on my work website, jojoebi.com I have done a couple of posts about what we learned from a year of FB posts and I think it is safe to say we have both learned quite a lot, it has been an interesting experience and some things popped up that I hadn't expected, all in all it has been a great experience, read more about it HERE

Euro tour - The Summer Palace Vienna

[Aug 7th]

For our last day in Vienna we headed up to the summer palace. It is quite a yomp up the hill so Kirsty had a cunning plan of catching a train that will take you to the back entrance so you start at the top of the garden and work your way down, much more sensible in the heat.

We picked up some sandwiches and ate as we people watched at the top, great view over the gardens, palace and city.

Then we made our way down to the gardens, n one side you pay to get in, we went as a family ticket and then there are 3 different mazes and a play area, there is also a little shop for refreshments and toilets. If you have been dragging kids around the town and then need to run free for a while it is worth the money!

It did however take us a while to make it to the middle of the maze!

But it was fun! The small one you can see in the background has activities and things to do along the way. The sun was brutal though so we didn't stay there for too long.

The play equipment isn't you usual swings and slides which made it a bit more exciting and interesting!

Even the adults can be entertained with the funny mirrors! I've always fancied having long legs...

Kirsty insisted that we have fancy cake before we left, Ebi-kun couldn't decide which one he liked the look of, so went for the sampler plate with Himbeer-topfen, Sacher-torte and the famous Mozart cake.

I went for Esterhazy torte, which was hazelnutty cream layers. All very nice.

Then we made our way back to the train station through the lovely gardens. I never thought I would be saying this but the one pound that I invested in on a selfie stick has been worth every penny, it was brilliant! I didn't take my big pink camera, and just used my iphone for the whole trip!

The Hari Hat

Cousin Kirsty had put in Ebi-kuns birthday card that he could pick something out for his birthday. Ebi-kun couldn't decide what he wanted but then suddenly said he wanted a Hari hat, Hari tends to wear a cap a lot!

When we were in Bratislava we managed to find a hat that also doubled as a souvenir, he has hardly taken it off since!

But the hat wasn't enough, he alos wanted a Hair beard... it's a good job Kirsty had bubbles for the bath!

Euro Tour 2016 - Vienna day 3 - Schnitzel, beetles and the Kiss

After such a full day yesterday we had a slow start. We needed to do dull stuff like laundry too. Hari had been out drinking with his friends the night before and stayed over so we met him and his friend at a restaurant at the top of the village. 

We walked up the road, which then turns into a national park. Apparently there are miles of trails and it seemed to be quite popular with cyclists. 

Ebi-kun was in bug heaven and kept finding these pretty shiny blue beetles (glanzend blau kafer). Lovely view from the top then we headed back down to the restaurant.

View from the Vienna woods in Giesshubl

Ebi-kun was happy to see some climbing equipment and he was off on them whilst we waited for Hari to arrive. 

The weather was nice but a bit windy so we decided to sit inside, We had t try the schnitzel of course, and it was might good but so big, I could7t finish mine so Ebi-kun demolished it! Mine did come with salad but it was kind of pickled, not a fan. I was starting to crave more veg, it doesn't seem to be a main part of the meals here.

Schnitzel, the size of your head! The waiter was also wearing lederhosen which was quite exciting but I failed miserably to get a photo, the excitement was just too much!

After lunch, Hari's friend took us into Vienna and dropped Kirsty off, she had a leaving party to go to. So Ebi-kun and I went to the art museum housed in Schloss Belvedere. The building itself is worth the visit, stunning, absolutely gorgeous. 

Ebi-kun was free and I paid 14 euro. I think we have been spoilt in Japan, often when we go to see a specific artists work there are 50 odd piece of work, for the Klimt exhibit there was about 20. There was a lot of other lovely work on display too.  

View of the gardens just before the heavens opened...

When we left it was bucketing down, we decided to make a run for the shop but I think everyone else had the same idea so we decided to go back into the museum until it was time for Hari to pick us up.

Then it was back home for tea and bath and bed! I spent the evening chatting to Hari, it was good to get to know him a bit better and we ended up chatting about all kinds of things! I think Hari and yasutoki will get on when we finally get them together.

Euro Tour 2016 - Vienna day 2

We started the day with guglhupf, no it's not a strange disease, it's a traditional Austrian cake, which is marbled, very tasty and a good way to start the day! Birthday cake #4!

Hari spent the day with us and we started off at The Prater or "Vienna's Blackpool" as Kirsty calls it. There weren't many rides open, I think we had gotten there too early, we had a couple of rides on the bumper cars which Ebi-kun loved and then had a go on the Riesenrad in oldest existing ferris wheel in the world, designed by an English bloke!

You do get a great view from the top...

Then we headed into town and had a look at the Rathaus (town hall) and a wander around the neighbourhood, by which time it was lunch time!

Luckily there was an international food festival going on, Kirsty and Hari headed to the Indian curry stand but Ebi-kun and I stuck with the local fayre... kasespatzle which is kind of like a mix between gnocchi and mac and cheese. It was really good but very heavy and filling.

Ebi-kun had schweinsbraten, which is suckling pig with dumplings and sauerkraut. The sauerkraut wasn't popular but the meat was lovely, really tender and it had crackling! This was pronounced as the best best meat in the world!

After filling our boots we went over to the National Library museum, the building was gorgeous, this is what a library should look like, it was fabulous and Ebi-kun couldn't believe how beautiful it is (he has only been to bog standard city run libraries before)

Having a Selfie Stick moment, outside the library

Then we went for ice-cream, a normal, one scoop type of affair this time and headed back home, shattered!

Ebi-kun managed to talk Kirsty into using her phone as a hotspot for my phone so that he could do Pokemon Go, which meant we did another couple of kms (to hatch an egg or something!) around the village! 

That really did wear us all out for the day, and yes, we slept well!

Euro Tour 2016 - Vienna day 1

[2nd Aug] - I have been keeping up with these posts but not being able to publish them for some reason, hopefully now we are back in the UK they should publish alright!

We were served a continental breakfast on the train, I always think that sounds fancier than it actually is - bread and jam! It was at this point we realized that the couple on the bottom bunk we in fact strangers and not a couple!

Ebi-kun was excited to have "Breakfast in bed", I didn't have the heart to tell him any different!

We arrived in Vienna on time and Cousin Kirsty found us without any problems. She took us back home so we could shower and get changed before heading out for the afternoon.

Vienna has a great system for the trains, you buy a ticket, I got a weekly one, Ebi-kun goes free but there are no ticker gates or inspectors, so you can get on and off all the trains and underground without ever needing to buy another ticket. 

BUT

They the station staff do random inspections, we saw a couple in progress and if you don't have a ticket the fine is massive. The fine is about the same cost as a yearly train pass! The staff either get on the train and lock it down until everyone's tickets have been checked or wait at the the station exit/entrance and get you there. All the locals know about the system so I doubt many take the risk of getting caught without a ticket.

Anyway, back to the tour. We basically just had a wander around the city, starting with the gothic Stephansdorm (St Stephens cathedral) which is beautiful. We didn't go in, instead we went for a sandwich!

We did go and have a look around St Peters church, it had a couple of skeletons on display which was pretty gross and the usually churchy stuff.

Then we had a look at Hofburg (Spanish riding school and Imperial residence) I would have loved to see a show at the Spanish Riding School, one of my riding instructors growing up, studied there for 15 years, he was horrible with people but brilliant with horses! Sadly school is out for the summer.

I invested a pound in a selfie stick - I know, how embarrassing but that said, it has been great! Yes, now I am THAT embarrassing tourist!

Then we hopped on a tram down to Hundertwasser Haus, a Gaudi style building and courtyard.

By this time we needed a refuel so Kirsty suggested an ice-cream shop that did spaghetti ice-cream?!

I decided to go for a fruity, cherry and strawberry concoction....

Where as Ebi-kun went for some noodley thing, he fancied this more than the spaghetti, it was chestnut flavour and very sweet, he didn't get through much of it and I couldn't finish it, I'm not a big chestnut fan (and I was full from my own!) 

Then we made our way back to Kirsty's, she lives out of town so it is a train and bus ride away, through a pretty little village and a load of vineyards, not a bad commute! I think Kirsty had us walkinga round so much so that we were ready for a inner of Berner wurstl - sausages to die for, I'm not a big sausage fan but these are fab! Sausage with chunks of cheese inside and wrapped with bacon, off yeah!

After all that it was an early night for us all, I hadn't slept well on the train so as soon as my head hit the pillow I was out for the count!