Day 88 - "The hills are alive......" Salzburg I

Today marks the first day of travelling for Shiyang. In the morning, we took a ride to Südbahnhof (South Train Station) to catch a train to Salzburg. Turns out we're at the wrong train station. We're suppose to go to Westbahnhof (West Train Station). Stupid us. Salzburg is at the west of Wien what.

My ticket with its ticket sleeve

In our cozy compartment that sits six.

Soon we arrive at Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart. Old Salzburg is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Salzburg is also popularised by "The Sound of Music" movie.

"The Hills are alive......"

So it aren't surprising that Mozart and "The Sound of Music" are the two most commercialised place in Salzburg. We checked into our hostel and began our walk around Salzburg.

Salzach River, the river that runs through Salzburg

Mozart's Statue at Mozartplaz

Glockenspiel

Salzburger Dom, the main cathedral of Salzburg

Inside the Salzburger Dom

Have no idea what's this building

We went around St Peter Cathedral and St Peter Cemetry (which we later found out was one of the site of "Sound of Music"). After which, we proceed to Festung Hohensalzburg, a old fortress.

Mozart chocolate balls - what has Mozart got to do with chocolate balls?

Even more commercialisation of Mozart

View of Old Salzburg from the Fortress.

Nature's Spotlight

Sunset, while waiting for the night view

Our shadows as the spotlight on the fortress was turned on

Where's the lights on the landmarks of Salzburg?

Oh wait....the spotlight is shining in our direction. That means we are on the wrong side to see the Night view. =.=

Dusk

The fortress

Went back to our hostel, where they were playing "The Sound of Music". Realise that quite a few of the locations we went to today were used for the movie. As for Shiyang, he finally found out that "The Hills are alive...." song used in "Moulin Rouge" is from "The Sound of Music". -.=

Spotted this in our hostel. Yoho is the name of our hostel by the way.

"One should work to the point of one's exhaustion" (Commentary)

Emperor Franz Joseph(Yoh-seph) was one of the last emperors of the Habsburg Dynasty. He was remembered for his service to the people of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, as well as his stunning beautiful wife Elisabeth (see post below).

If the audioguide is a reliable source, I found Emperor Franz Joseph a remarkably admirable person. His philosophy is that "one should work to the point of one's exhaustion". Hence, his usual schedule begins at 5 or 6 am, and ends at 2 or 3 am, working and pouring through state matters. He is also known to be able to balance the interests of the 5 different nationalities under the Habsburg empire.

Most importantly, he meets his people once a week, where anyone could petition, raise matters, seek his help or thank him him in person. In each meeting, it is not uncommon for him to have scheduled to meet more than 100 people. Apparently, at the end of each meeting, he'll end off saying that the audience is a pleasure to him.

And also, he's very much frugal - his apartments' spartan furnishing will leave you wondering if that's the apartments of an emperor.

Who's that girl? The Emancipation of Sisi (Commentary)

Everywhere you go in Wien, you'll see her photo on postcards. Who's she you might ask? Who's that girl? (Ok, don't play the Eurythmics song please).

She is the Empress of Elisabeth of Austria (1837 - 1898). There are two reasons for her popularity. One, because of her stunning and legendary beauty, which there were many stories of how she upkeep it. Two, she's the wife to one of the more popular and famous emperor of the Habsburg Dynasty, Franz Joseph (in German, "J" is pronounced like a "Y". So it's Yo-seph). She is also popularly known as "Sisi", as that's her nickname.

According to the audio guide in the Hofburg and Schönbrunn Palace, Empress Elisabeth from Bavaria was brought with her elder sister by her mother to see Franz Joseph's mother, with the intention to match-make her elder sister with Franz Joseph before he was coronated. However, Franz Joseph fell in love with Elisabeth instead, and ended up marrying her.

The marriage however, was apparently one-sided. Franz Joseph loved Sisi, but Sisi didn't really enjoy the marriage. She found court life especially stifling, and there were reports that it was mostly because her mother-in-law breathed down her neck and restricted her access to her children.

As a result, Empress Elisabeth had an appetite to travel, to escape the court life and her role as Empress. Though she wasn't at the side of the emperor, even at some official occasions, Emperor Franz Joseph still loved her very much.

Empress Elisabeth was known to keep to a strict exercise and diet regime to maintain her beauty and slim figure. The audio guide mentioned that she would spend about 2hours to wash and condition her ankle-length hair. Her room is also outfitted with exercise bars and hanging rings that you'll only see gymnast using (and put us guys to shame). She is also known to eat very little, sometimes drinking raw meat juice as meals to maintain her figure.

Empress Elisabeth died while she was travelling. She was assasinated by an Italian anarchist and bleeding. However, the legend and myths of her life and beauty still carries on, and very much commercialised.

Day 87 - Wien III

Woke up early today. Seems like even before we leave Wien, our budget scheme is already in place. We had breakfast by sharing a loaf of bread from the bakery. Hmm....

Anyway, for some strange reasons, there were inspectors at the stations. So it's the first time I validate my day ticket.....

This is an incinerator. Can you believe it?

Shiyang brought me to this hill that overlooks Wien. Too bad it was misty......

One of the two rivers running through Wien

At the Botanical Garderns

We then went on to this amusement park to take a look. It was filled with many crazy rides, but......

Nothing beats this one in terms of giving me laughs. Some of the Chinese characters are placed upside down or side ways!

Pigeons taking the metro? Not yet, but they know how to fly through metro stations to get from Point A to Point B. Soon, the pigeons in Wien will know how to take the metro......

Day 86 - Wien II

Shiyang brought me around Wien today. Told him it doesn't matter, but he said "If not, I have nothing to do leh."

Cathedral at Vienna University.

Wien doesn't seem to have problems with wires flying across its streets. Reminds me of Krung Thep Mahanakorn in someways. Hehe.

Garden at Hofburg Palace. I went in to visit the Imperial Apartments and the Silverware collection. Too bad the Sisi Museum was closed. The audioguide is free, so do take it if you visit there!

Some of the Silverwares owned by the Habsburg Dynasty.

Hofburg Palace.

I must say the museum is very impressive. Without the free audioguide, I think I'll look at the various silverware and ceramics as "nice lor" without understanding its history, significance and how it reflects the changing taste over the Habsburg Dyansty.

Lunch. Schnitzelshammuel. Schnitzel is basically Austrian Chicken cutlet. Sounds special, but taste like any fried chicken cutlet to me. :P

Open your own doors at the metro! More drastic than the one in Spain. Of course you don't pull the door all the way. One sharp quick pull of the handle will activate some spring mechanism for the door to be opened fully on its own.

We travelled on to Schönbrunn Palace, the Summer Palace of the Habsburg Dynasty.

Easter market! But things are so blardy expensive.

The entrance to the Schönbrunn Palace.

So toursity right.

I know I'm not suppose to take photos inside the palace, but I can't resist this one. This ballroom is just too beautiful.

At the Gardens of Schönbrunn

Everyone else is lying down, except me.

Overlooking Wien.

We headed back to central Wien and walked around.

Mozart's house

Rathause in the evening. We were waiting for signs of activity, cause there seems to be some bike fest at the plaza. Turns out nothing much, and we went back.

But I just can't get enough of the Rathaus!

Day 85 - Easter Part II - Wien

Part 2 of Easter trips. This time, I'm off to visit Shiyang at Wien(pronounced as Vien), and from there, we'll visit Italy together.

Started with the painful trip to Gatwick again. This time, I got to sit at the front row. It was quite an experience. In order to maximise the number of seats, budget airplanes do not have curtains, as there is no staff area! So being at the front row means that you get to see the door being opened at the airport, and how the air bridge is being navigated to link the door to the airport terminal.

Followed Shiyang's instruction to take S-bahn (overground train) and then U-Bahn (underground train) to meet him. It was interesting to see that they sell "half tickets". It's for pets!

Barrier-less U-bahn stations. Means fare cheating. Shiyang asked me to walk around first as he has lessons.

Stephansplatz, one of the landmark cathedrals in Wien.

Love the unique mosaic roof.

The double-headed eagle of the Habsburg dynasty emblems.

Still under restoration. But I think the blackness adds some character.

Hanging lamps of Wien. As well as wires for trams.

Met Shiyang finally and we went back to his place. He commented "Wah lao, I think you brought the sun to Vienna lah! Vienna has never been sunny and clear skies like this before!"

After a dinner, he brought me around for the night sights of Wien.

Rathaus (City hall). My favourite building at night in Wien.

The Rathaus is simply a beauty.

Austrian Parliment House.

Athena in front of the Parliment house. Shiyang "Oo! They've finally turned on the fountain!"

Hofburg Palace at night.

Mozart's Plaza. Can you see the flowers arranged in a treble clef?

Day 84 - ANARCHY IN THE CITY!

That's the headlines for today's "Evening Standard". Why? Cause of the G20 protests lor. Some of us heard helicopters flying around last night. Apparently it has got to do with either securing Obama or Obama use that to fly to somewhere.

But the headlines, so anarchic meh? What? The window of a branch of RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland, not Raffles Boys School) got broken? That's SOOO end of the world!

Anyway, Jonathan is here in London to visit his Aunt and wait for his parents before they travel together around Europe for Easter. Lucky guy, now his budget for travelling change from shoe string to gold threads.

Brought him to Malaysian Kopitiam (where as can I bring a Singaporean who's deprived of Asian food?). When he first saw me, he said "Yanjie, you looked wasted".

Ello, lost weight not equals to wasted. I feel good ok.

But he said "that's what Aneroxic says too." =.=

By the way, the city is sooo "anarchic", I couldn't see a single protesters during my walk from hostel, chinatown, ucl and back to hostel. the whole city is really in anarchy man.