The Off Topic Topic

[lustindarkness]

Ahh, OK, makes perfect sense.

[MadImmortalMan]

we are shortly bound for Vienna-

American in Vienna:

Museums--Expensive. 35-40 euro per person probably. We went in many of them but the only one I'd say don't miss is the Kunsthistorisches Museum. I actually felt like I got my money's worth there. Lots of cool archaeological stuff and the best collection of paintings I've seen in a place not located in Trafalgar Square. (I have not been to the Louvre.)
I thought I'd like the Hofburg more but I didn't. Yeah, the collection of china tableware they have there is incredibly massive and ornamental, but I really wasn't into three straight hours of imperial pots and pans. Franz Joseph slept on an iron cot because he was austere and his wife had a big bathtub. There you go.

Schonbrunn was pretty cool. The grounds especially. We went on a Wednesday and the Vienna Phil was setting up for their Thursday concert, which I think is free. But I didn't get to see it.



Trams--

These things are pretty handy. You can buy a ticket in the metro stations, but nobody will ever ask to see it. I'm pretty sure at least half of the people on the thing at any time don't have a ticket. Maybe more. Next time I'm there I will probably just ride free and if anyone actually asks I'll play dumb-American-tourist-I-don't-speak-German-and-I-think-I'm-lost. Ride around the entire Ringstrasse once. The two lines meet up at the river where there's a boat you can take to Bratislava for a day trip if you want. I didn't have time for that either.

Food--
You will not be eating paleo in Vienna. Because bread. Holy crap is there a lot of bread. And it's really good. Vienna is covered in bakeries and coffee shops (which is apparently a "culture"). All over Europe are kebab places, but they also have ubiquitous wurstelstands which sell sausages in various forms. Like so:
Incidentally, since we came back, my wife found a bakery in Reno run by a chef from Vienna and she can't stay away from it. So that's a danger. 

Salzburg--Another day trip and worth it I think. I liked the castle a lot. Mozart's house. Bought my girl a dirndl. I know that's touristy, but I wanted to see her in it.  There's some very good restaurants in the Gertrudegasse area.

Language--Don't bother. Usually people tell you it's good form to give it a try, but German speakers don't seem to appreciate it. If your German is bad they will probably just get impatient and start speaking English to you. Or maybe I'm just that bad. Who knows. Only the wurstelstand guys don't speak English anyway, and it's probably because they just got there from Bosnia. Syt speaks better English than you.

Beer--I don't think Lettow is into beer much but Syt recommended this place, where the food was ok but the beer was the best I had in Austria. They even had one that was over 5%. You don't even have to go in, just open the front door and there's a beer vending machine for your convenience. Which is brilliant, btw. I went back several times for that. :p

St. Steven's--The church is really nice. The square around it is pretty touristy though and lots of pickpockets I think. It's always crowded. There's a cannonball from the Turkish siege stuck high in the back wall. I saw the cops arresting a man there. They weren't very gentile. Don't pickpocket.

[Caliga]

Amtrak derailed in Philly.  7 dead.  Train was going 106 in a 50 zone.

MR. GLASS!!!

[MadImmortalMan]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/11601882/Bedroom-for-rent-complete-with-cooker-fridge-and-saucepans.html

Is it really so bad in London?

Maybe you guys should invest in a futon for the kitchen and make some side cash.

[Syt]

Lettow, I believe you're into history? Consider a trip to the Schatzkammer which houses the crown jewels of the Holy Roman Empire and the Habsburgs. Military museum is ok, but not too spectacular. Walking around the Inner City is nice. You could also go to Kapuzinergruft, where the Habsburg emperors are buried. The Kunsthistorisches Museum is nice, but you might spend half a day there between paintings, sculptures and ancient artifacts. Not the Louvre, but decent.

When are you guys flying in? I need to check my schedule.

[Brazen]

Museums--Expensive. 35-40 euro per person probably.

I've been spoiled by the UK's government-funded free national museums

[garbon]

Museums--Expensive. 35-40 euro per person probably.

I've been spoiled by the UK's government-funded free national museums

I think he means that in total (so like across 3 or 4 museums).

[Duque de Bragança]

Yep, Syt is a good guide, specially in Vienna.

As for Saint Steven's Cathedral, where Prinz Eugen is buried  ; the metro station stinks but that's the only problem.
Yanks, even those from the South (sorry Lettow) would be well advised to taste the coffee in Vienna. Reall coffee culture there.
As for museums and public transportation, there's the Vienna card giving discounts for museums (35-40 euros per person seems exagerated) and a flatrate for public transportation for 48 to 72 hours.
http://www.vienna.info/en/travel-info/vienna-card
Ask Syt, he knows what's better depending on your stay. Besides, public transportation is cheap and plentiful there, no reason for schwarzfahren.
Don't think he will recommend the Balkan Express though, (U6 line).  Quite a trip in itself

[derspiess]

My younger one, my daugther does, she is a southern belle, born and raised in Sweet Home Alabama.

That's awesome.  My kids have a perfect midwest accent so far.  They laugh at their mom's foreign accent, but I guess they also think I speak Spanish wrong since I don't speak the Argie dialect.

[Valmy]

Your kids all speak Spanish? Damn I am jealous.

[Ed Anger]

My kids plot in French, which I still don't understand. Or that weird twin telepathy.

[derspiess]

Your kids all speak Spanish? Damn I am jealous.

They don't speak it a whole lot unless you force them to.  But they understand everything the wife says.  They definitely know all the popular Argentine cuss-words and phrases.

Based upon the pattern our friends' kids have shown, our kids won't want to speak Spanish very much until they get into their teens.

[derspiess]

My kids plot in French, which I still don't understand. Or that weird twin telepathy.

Or is it like that weird language twins invent and use?  My dad's brothers apparently did that.

[Admiral Yi]

My kids plot in French, which I still don't understand. Or that weird twin telepathy.

All 16 of them can speak French?  That rocks.

[Valmy]

Based upon the pattern our friends' kids have shown, our kids won't want to speak Spanish very much until they get into their teens.

When they can easily ace those Spanish language classes amiright?