Thoughts & Reflections

Tag: Architecture

Untermyer Park and Gardens

I’m one of those people who tend to stick to the city when I want to experience arts, culture and the great outdoors. New York has plenty of beautiful parks and gardens in each of the five boroughs, though I’ve yet to find any that would rival the great European formal gardens such as those at the Alhambra, Schönbrunn and Versailles. Bryant Park is modelled after the Jardin du Luxembourg and the Conservatory in Central Park are similar in design but only a fraction as big.

My friend M recently had use of a car and after tossing out some ideas, we headed north to Yonkers to visit Untermyer Gardens. I think I first learned of this place via some short feature on a TV show (most likely on PBS) I’ve forgotten now but the pictures I saw of it intrigued me. Technically, it was a half-hour drive from our starting point in Queens but we were stuck in traffic for a bit in the Bronx; even so, we still arrived fairly quickly. As we left the city limits, the traffic and buildings gave way to beautiful, multi-color trees that lined the parkways.

The Untermyer Park and Gardens are located close to the Hudson River, offering beautiful views of the cliffs on the other side of the river. It’s a bit similar to Wave Hill in the Bronx but I think Untermyer Gardens is a lot more visually interesting with all the beautiful ruins and architecture situated throughout the park. Originally, there was a mansion called Greystone on the site, built by Samuel Tilden back in 1862. Samuel Untermyer bought the property in 1899 and added to it, comprising a total of 150 acres. The current park is only 43 acres now; Untermyer gave it to the state after his death but the upkeep costs were too high and much of it was sold.

The Untermyer Conservancy was established to help restore this beautiful park and so far they’ve done a beautiful job of it. From the parking lot, we walked to the entrance of the walled garden. High walls surround a beautiful Persian garden and once I stepped through the gate, I was reminded a bit of the Alhambra gardens. It was absolutely gorgeous with flowers and bushes lining the streams, pools and fountains and Greco-Roman columns and temples standing majestically inside. Since it was a weekday, there were few visitors which was nice but there was a wedding couple on the lower terrace taking pictures; even though it was a cloudy day, I’m sure the pictures looked wonderfully with the bright, vivid colors of autumn leaves in the background.

There’s a path from the walled garden that slopes downwards to a circular overlook where two lone columns stand at attention. The path and steps were partially covered with a carpet of red and orange leaves from the trees that lined the path. From the overlook, we could see the remains of an old gatehouse at the bottom of the hill that offers an alternate entrance onto the grounds. We didn’t go that way but turned back, walking up a little and detouring off to a woodland trail that retraced our steps and led us toward the rock garden and the Temple of Love. There was construction going on as crews were making repairs to those features so we couldn’t get too close to them. Even from a distance the Temple of Love was lovely to look at.

The sun did peek out for a brief ten minutes while we were on the grounds. Blue skies did make an appearance later on but we had left by then to grab lunch. I would like to revisit the park again in the spring or summer, when everything is lush and in bloom. It was definitely worth the drive there.

November 10, 2015
A Visit to the World’s Fair Pavilion

New York hosted two World’s Fair events in the last century and alas, I wasn’t born yet when either one took place. Not much has remained from either Fair but there are still bits of the 1964 World’s Fair that are still accessible to the public. Last year was the 50th anniversary of the Fair and after a multi-million dollar restoration, the old New York State Pavilion was finally opened to the public on very limited tours. I wasn’t able to attend then but fortunately, it was open recently for the annual Open House New York Weekend.

When I was younger, I often wondered about those strange looking structures in the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park as we drove through along the expressway. To be honest, I always thought they were rather an eyesore that marred the view of the park and it was a very long time before I learned what they actually were. And then it just seemed a pity that they were left standing derelict for decades, a reminder of days gone by. But the site’s been cleaned up and there are fresh coats of bright paints in similar colors as were there originally in the 1960s.

The Pavilion is made up of several structures but it was the “Tent of Tomorrow” that we were coming to see. It opened at 1pm and there were about 20 or so people ahead of me in line when I arrived around 12:45pm. It was a cool, bright day and chilly but at least the sun helped to keep us warm. As we waited, music and old advertisements from that era played loudly from inside the pavilion to remind us of that time. And at the front of the line, everyone was given a mesh cap to wear and over that, a hard hat. Once the safety gear was on, I walked inside to find these glorious views:

The ceiling was originally made up of many translucent colored tiles. Only the skeleton remains but I suppose one could imagine what it might have looked like (or take a look at the photos in this WNYC article instead).

Even the floor was worth looking at. Originally, one would look down and see a highway map of New York State; most of the floor did not survive but there were two small portions on display for the weekend. Other items found during the restoration were placed in various spots inside the Pavilion as well as photos past and present of the site. There were several signs still hanging along the perimeter that indicated where a restaurant once was as well as access to a mezzanine. Unfortunately, heading upstairs is prohibited but we could see the remnants of old stairs and escalators just beyond a wire fence.

The other two structures that are part of the Pavilion still remain to this day. The Theaterama is now home to the Queens Theater; I walked by as I was leaving and was tempted to stop in its cafe to grab lunch but didn’t. Next to and slightly behind the Theaterama are the Observation Towers; the Towers are still off-limits and haven’t been restored. It would be wonderful if they too were cleaned up and accessible but there doesn’t seem to be any plans for that. Maybe one day…

October 22, 2015
The Dyckman Farmhouse

I recently spent a weekend up in Inwood, the neighborhood at the northern end of Manhattan island (though it’s not the furthest neighborhood of the borough; that honor goes to Marble Hill). Usually, I’m only in the area for the annual Medieval Festival or a visit to the Cloisters but for once, I travelled beyond Fort Tryon park and rode the A train to the end of the line.

The Dyckman Farmhouse is over 200-years-old and the last remaining farmhouse left in Manhattan. It currently sits a few blocks south of where the original house was located; the one that stands today is of a later date since the first house was destroyed during the American Revolution. Almost a century ago, it was converted to a museum that is now run by the New York City Parks Department.

Surrounded by modern construction, the farmhouse sits on a corner lot atop a slight hill. Enter at the corner and climb up the path to reach the front porch. On the day I went, the museum was hosting a fall festival event so there were a lot of children poking around indoors and out. Most of the rooms are open to the public so one can walk inside and examine the furniture and objects up close to get a sense of what life must have been like for the Dutch settlers.

There is a large garden behind the house as well as two smaller buildings. The larger of the two is a reconstructed military hut used by the British and Hessians when they had an encampment in Inwood during the Revolution. It was locked but there is a plaque just outside the hut with more information. With their fair going on, there were a few tables set up in the gardens for children’s arts and crafts as well as a demonstration of an old press for making apple cider. There were different events set up throughout the day but I didn’t stick out for most of them. The farmhouse is fairly small and one can see pretty much everything in under an hour.

October 14, 2015
Touring the Hermione

In 1780, the Marquis de Lafayette crossed the Atlantic again to aid the Americans in the Revolutionary War. On his second voyage, he arrived on the French frigate Hermione and arrived in Boston at the end of April. Two hundred and thirty five years later, a group of people decided to reconstruct the entire ship and bring it to life once more and retraced Lafayette’s crossing.

The Hermione has been sailing along the East Coast for the past month and it stopped in New York during the Fourth of July weekend. While it was docked at the South Street Seaport, the frigate was open to public tours so I headed down to see it for myself.

It was a very hot day when I went and the line was pretty long; I checked my watch and noted that it took two hours for me to get to the front of the queue and that was earlier in the day. Fortunately, a hat, a bottle of water and sunscreen kept me hydrated and protected from the glaring sun.

Touring the boat itself did not take very long; it’s actually a pretty small space once a person arrives on deck. We were only allowed to tour the forecastle and quarterdeck; the main deck was off-limits unless one was a VIP of some sort.

One thing I love about tall ships is the intricate rigging above one’s head. All those long, thick ropes and cables swinging out from the masthead all along the sides of the ships. Modern boats are so much more streamlined and not as fussy to deal with, so it’s nice to see a bit of rigging and imagine pirates swinging off them. And speaking of pirates, I saw one aboard the ship that day:

Overall, it was pretty fun to tour. There were so many people aboard at any given moment it made it hard to really appreciate being on the boat but at least I did get a chance to visit. Climbing up and down the gangplank was a little tricky, particularly for elderly visitors, but there were people of all ages who wanted to come check it out. After that, I went back to the pier and looked at the little village stands that were set up to educate people at the ship and what life was like back in the 1700s.

There were also people dressed up in period clothes, portraying (French and American) soldiers and peasants.

There was one other tall ship docked at the seaport, a Spanish galleon aptly named El Galeón. It wasn’t open for tours the day I went but unlike the Hermione, one had to pay admission to board as well. From the view I had of El Galeón from the pier, it was no less spectacular. It’s going to be in town through mid-August, so I may check it out at some point this summer.

July 14, 2015
Bonjour Brussels

One thing I envy those living in Europe is how easy it is to hop on a plane or train for a few short hours and quickly end up in another country. In the brief time we were in France, P and I set aside one day for a quick trip to Brussels. It’s a 90-minute ride from Paris to Brussels and since our hotel was right near the Gare du Nord, it was a walk to the train station from our hotel on a mostly quiet Monday morning.

We arrived at Brussels-Midi station and then took a tram to the town center, which seems to be the only part of town that was busy. Like in France, the Monday we were there was a public holiday (coincidentally the same day as Memorial Day) so most stores and businesses were closed for the day. This at least made our itinerary pretty short and we were able to see the things we wanted to see in the few hours we were there.

The Grand Place dominates the medieval heart of the city, with all the gilded and ornate buildings surrounding the square. Again, there were cobblestones everywhere so yet another day for more aching feet (and alas, no change of shoes all day) but we managed to keep going. We walked along the side streets surrounding the square first, just to see what shops there were and to decide where to spend our Euros later in the day.

I was enamored with the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert with its wonderful glass-covered arcades and all the sweet shops inside. Seriously, I don’t think I’ve seen so many patisseries clustered together in one place ever. In general, there were so many delicious sweets on display both in the arcade and in the shops all around the main square.

But first, we needed lunch. P had visited Brussels before and was leading the way to a good restaurant she had dined at on a previous trip so we made our way there. We arrived only to find it wasn’t open that day. Oops. Fortunately, that street was lined with many restaurants so there were plenty of other options and we ended up at L’Huîtrière. Many restaurants had outdoor seating and we were seated in a white tent on Place Sainte-Catherine.

The menu offered a lunch set consisting of a starter, entrée and dessert and we went with that.

We both ordered the mussels as a starter (the other choices were a fish soup or shrimp and cheese croquettes). The Moules St Catherine is a plate of mussels gratin covered in tomato sauce and served with a herb and garlic sauce in the middle. It was pretty tasty, despite the cheese (fortunately, it was easy to scrape to the side) and I really loved the herb sauce; I kept dipping slices of bread into it.

For the entrée, I went with the cod (served with a white butter sauce and chive) while P chose the steak (with a pepper cream sauce). The fish wasn’t bad but I wasn’t a fan of the creamy sauce (that’s just me). P’s entrée came with a side of frites which was nice and honestly, her steak looked to be the better dish. And there was only one dessert available as part of the lunch set, which was the chocolate mousse. The mousse was delicious, but P and I had some trouble identifying the edible decoration on top. Definitely not a cherry but I think we concluded that it was a tomato of some sort. (Note – Dec 11): Many months after I wrote this up, I learned that the fruit is actually a cape gooseberry.)

Lunch done, we stopped to admire St. Catherine’s Church at the end of the plaza before making our way back to Grand Place. There were a few shops that were definitely on to-visit list, mainly because P came with a shopping list. One place we had to visit was Maison Dandoy, a bakery that’s over a century old. They sell prepacked boxes of biscuits as well as several varieties in loose form (sold by the gram). I bought a box of speculoos cookies and some ginger and Earl Grey biscuits.

The other place on our to-visit list was De Biertempel, which one can deduce from its name sells beer. P had to buy certain bottles for her husband; since I don’t drink, I ended up purchasing an inexpensive Trappist beer for my sister.

After most of our shopping was done, we made our way to one of the more famous landmarks in Brussels.

The infamous Manneken Pis. It’s tucked into a corner just off the Grand Place but there’s always a crowd in front of the fountain so it’s a bit hard to miss; I had to squeeze through the horde of people to get a decent photo. On the day we were there, the statue was shown in all its nude glory but at times, the boy will be wearing some very interesting costumes.

Once I took enough pictures of the fountain, it was time to sample one last Belgian specialty: the Belgian waffle. Mussels, chocolate (in mousse form), beer were already scratched off the list but we saved the waffle for last. One of the streets that lead to the fountain is lined with shops that sell waffles. We bought from a shop that was right near the fountain and had a high turnover. P bought a plain waffle, which costs €1 at all of the shops while I went with a strawberry and confectioners sugar topping. Hot and toasty, one can’t beat a waffle fresh off the grill.

After finishing the delicious snack, we returned to the Grand Place and started to make our way back to the train station. I think we had about an hour’s wait before boarding and we spent much of the time standing around and watching the departures board along with everyone else to see where to go. The trip back to Paris wasn’t too bad though there was an incident involving the two women who sat behind us (one spent too much time talking on the phone and annoyed the person who sat next to her) but for the most part, it wasn’t too bad. At least we could give our feet a rest.

July 12, 2015
Visiting Versailles

A visit to Paris is never complete without a visit to Versailles as well. Mindful of the crowds, we made the palace our first stop on our first full day in France. After a little hassle buying our train tickets (coin-only vending machines are so not our friends) and figuring out which train would get us there, we boarded an early train that arrived just as the château was opening for the day.

As we approached the gates, we could see the long queues for the security check and I walked very quickly to the ticket hall knowing we’d have a long wait ahead of us. There were signs everywhere cautioning the presence of pickpockets and sure enough, there was a commotion at the head of the line that involved a thief, an Asian tour group and a fight. Thankfully the guards came quickly though the line was stalled as they sorted things out.

There were plenty of people wandering inside the Palace by the time we made it inside. It was a slow moving procession at first but we squeezed through the larger groups and there was a bit more breathing room once we got past the Royal Chapel. Versailles is a lot like other grand palaces open to the public; it reminded me a lot of Schönbrunn Palace, where we just walked from room to room admiring all the grand furniture, richly decorated walls and large portraits of royalty hung in every room.

I think I liked the larger halls better since there was a lot more space and not as dimly lit as some of the royal apartments were. The Hall of Mirrors was spectacular, especially by daylight with the sun reflecting off all the mirrored panels, gilded decorations and on the sparkling chandeliers. I also liked The Battles Gallery, not only for the grand paintings of famous battles involving France but also for the beautiful glass ceiling above our heads.

We exited the palace from the back which led to the great gardens that formed Louis XIV’s backyard. The grounds are huge, spreading out literally as far as the eye could see. Sculptured lawns, broad allées and plenty of water features to catch one’s eye. The most prominent thing to see from the steps of the palace is the Grand Canal as it stretched further and further back. At the end closest to the palace, rowboats are docked along the side, available as rentals to traverse the canal.

There are several admission tiers to the Palace of Versailles. P and I bought the Passport, which includes the main Palace as well as two smaller ones some distance away. A tram runs between all three palaces but it costs extra. We opted to just stroll through the gardens but the map does not reveal just how extensive the grounds really are when traveling on foot; in hindsight, the price of the tram would have been well worth the cost because we were exhausted by the time we reach the Grand and Petit Trianon.

Unfortunately for us, we had arrived too early. After the grueling hike to get there, we found out that both the Grand and Petit Trianon would not open until noon, which left many people (us included) wandering around the nearby gardens to kill time. I suppose that was a good thing after all since our sore feet deserved a much needed rest.

We ended up visiting the Petit Trianon first since it was slightly closer to where we sat waiting for the palaces to open. There was a lovely and tiny courtyard through which we passed to get into the Petit Trianon and once inside, we saw it was really petit, when compared with the main palace. It’s much more comparable to the large mansions of modern day.

Petite as it may be, there are some lovely and large (by modern standards) gardens around the Petit Trianon. Winding paths around the back run parallel to a small lake that eventually leads to a sculpture of Cupid in the Temple of Love in the English Garden. Taking another route would bring a visitor to the French Garden. The garden connects the Grand Trianon to the Petit Trianon and we were hoping to use it as shortcut but alas, it wasn’t opened that day.

We ended up retracing our steps from earlier that morning and entered the Grand Trianon by its main entrance. After seeing so many elaborate rooms, they nearly all looked the same after a point. There were fancy rooms, more paintings but also a lovely peristyle that connected the different wings and provided easy access to the gardens out back. We didn’t stroll through the grounds this time, having seen enough trees and landscaped shrubbery.

After five hours at Versailles, I think we covered about 85% of the entire estate. Our feet really were too tired to do any more walking; there were plenty of cobblestones in the courtyard and the grounds weren’t always level so we did walk uphill at some points. My only regret is that we skipped out on the Hamlet near the Petit Trianon. It would have been interesting to walk through but I do think it would have to be on another visit.

July 2, 2015
A Walk on the High Bridge

Many years ago, during one of the earliest Open House NY weekends, I traveled uptown to tour the High Bridge Water Tower. The views from the top of the Tower were wonderful and one thing I saw that caught my eye was the old High Bridge. The bridge had been closed for several decades and I had hoped the city would reopen it one day—and that day finally arrived last week.

High Bridge is the oldest in the city, dating back to 1848. It used to carry water from the Croton Aqueduct into the city; the design of the bridge was to mimic old Roman aqueducts and it must have looked grand in its heyday. About a third of the original stone arches were demolished (sigh) back in the 1920s so boats could navigate the Harlem River more easily so we’re left with clashing architectural features; I suppose it could have been worse and at least some of the stonework remain intact.

I traveled to Highbridge Park on Saturday and then made my way to the stairs that lead down to the bridge. The descent is pretty steep with lots of steps and I was already dreading the climb back up when I was ready to leave. There is a slightly easier access via another road in the park but it went further south than I needed to be.

Currently, a thank you sign greets visitors at the base of the stairs, and people have added their names and their thanks to all the organizations that have helped to reopen the bridge. From there, make a left and soon the bridge comes in sight. To be honest, the Manhattan side of the bridge itself isn’t much fun to look at; most of the original stone arches are located on Bronx side.

The day was really nice and the views up and down the Harlem River weren’t shabby. On the north side were views of more bridges while the south side offered glimpses of downtown and midtown skyscrapers depending on where one stood.

The bricks on the walkway have been replaced but the original layout was kept; I noticed that the design changed where I presumed was the midpoint of the bridge.

All along the walkway were metal plaques embedded into the brickwork. Each one showed a different facts about the bridge, such as when it opened and how it was constructed. Some of the illustrations on the plaques were really nice; I liked the scene depicting visitors who came to see the bridge on a day trip.

I walked all the way to the Bronx side and admired the view from there, with the Water Tower dominating the landscape. It would have made sense to just take a subway from there downtown but the train I needed to take was back on the Manhattan side and I didn’t mind crossing the river again. And once I finally caught my breath after ascending those dreaded stairs, I snapped a parting shot of the Water Tower.

June 15, 2015
Open Studios at Industry City

Recently, there was an Open Studios event down in Industry City, a complex of large warehouses that have been recently renovated and revitalized thanks to the numerous small businesses that have made their home there. I’ve visited once before for a crafts fair about two years ago but all I managed to see was the ground floor of one building and its courtyard. Many businesses took part in the Open Studio day so we were able to walk around most of the buildings in the complex.

Our first stop was to the visitor center which fortunately was in the same building as what I really wanted to see, the Food Hall. Wandering around the corridors and looking into the various shops (bakeries, cafes, etc.) reminded me a lot of Chelsea Market, before all the hype and tourists took over. There was one particular shop I wanted to visit but alas, it wasn’t open that day so no sweets for me.

So instead, we began with the main building, headed up the stairs and worked our way down from floor to floor. There were plenty of artists’ studios spaces and many of them invited visitors in to come chat and have a snack or drink (there was plenty of alcohol available). For me, some of the more interesting tenants were Knot and Bow and Soho Letterpress; I loved wandering among all the paper, ink and craft supplies.

We went from one building to the next, though there were less open studios in the other buildings; many of them were still under construction in the courtyard and on various floors. Sometimes, we had to take detours within buildings to get from one end to the other due to all demolitions and renovations going on.

Even the exteriors of the buildings were fascinating to look at. On the roofs were the remains of old water towers, with only the bases remaining since there are more modern ways to extinguish fires. The fire escapes around the courtyard may or may not be in use (I read an article recently about trying to rid the city of them) but they looked lovely with fresh coats of paint and add to the charm of these buildings.

And one should envy the large windows. Though the view is less than impressive from the west, where one sees the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, there are fabulous views of New York Harbor from the east.

April 28, 2015
Last Stop: Lucerne

We were nearing the end of our tour and finally we’ve arrived in the last country, Switzerland. From Vaduz, it was supposed to be a non-stop drive to Lucerne. Instead of being welcomed with a view of Lake Lucerne, we were first greeted by members of the Swiss police.

The short version of the story is that we were on the highway, just a few miles outside of Lucerne, when we (and a truck driver) noticed there was something wrong with the bus. Our driver stopped and stepped outside with our guide and after taking a look, the conclusion was that our bus was breaking down. The goal was to try to drive slowly and make it into the city; we would not need the bus for the rest of the afternoon after we checked into the hotel. About ten minutes after getting back on the road, we were flagged down again but this time by the police. Apparently, they saw smoke coming out from the back of the bus and would not permit us to go further. Instead, they escorted us to the nearest police station.

In the meantime, our guide Kate telephoned the other tour group (they had already arrived ahead of us) and explained the situation. Once Dean’s group was dropped off in the city, their driver came to the police station to pick us up so we weren’t stranded for too long. Our luggage would follow later on and suffice to say, it definitely made for an interesting conversation with members from the other group when the two tours had to share one bus and one guide briefly in the afternoon on our way to the hotel.

There was no introductory tour once we arrived in the city. Those who decided not to participate in the optional lake cruise (M and I did not) were on their own for the rest of the day, including finding our own dinners. Since we were unable to check into the hotel just yet, we began to wander around the streets of city. Our first tourist stop ended up being a visit to the Lion of Lucerne.

The monument commemorates the deaths of Swiss Guards during a great battle at the Tuileries Palace in Paris, in 1792. It’s a magnificent sculpture though the scene is somewhat sad; the Lion isn’t sleeping but dying, a spear driven in its side.

We retraced our steps back to where Lake Lucerne meets the Reuss River. There are several beautiful bridges the span the river; the most famous and photographed one is the Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge). According to Wikipedia, it’s the oldest covered bridge in Europe, dating back to the 14th century. The stone structure in the middle of the bridge is the Water Tower, named for its location in the river and not as a building that stored water for use. And nearby is another old wooden bridge, the Spreuer Bridge, which was completed in 1408. Both bridges are decorated with beautiful paintings, in the towers and in the gable of the roofs.

We strolled through some of the narrow streets near the river but didn’t really venture too far. The skies were grey and the rain came down all afternoon, mostly a light drizzle though it was heavier at times and it grew dark very quickly

After checking in at the hotel, we ended up walking back towards railway station. I love wandering through train stations when I’m abroad because usually they are far more grand and stately than what we have at home (Grand Central Terminal being an exception). I can’t remember much about it, except that it was dark thanks to shorter daylight hours and there were plenty of people milling about at the time of day. There are shops in the concourse of the station, which were far more interesting, and a mini Christmas Market was set up as well. The holiday market did not interest me much but I very much enjoyed exploring the supermarket at one end of the concourse.

And it was at the market where we procured our evening meal. As I walked up and down the aisles of Coop, it reminded me of upscale markets like Whole Foods and other international markets I visit elsewhere (like the CitySuper chain in Hong Kong). Coop’s prepared foods section was pretty awesome; M and I both ended up with a quarter roasted chicken, while I grabbed a small organic salad (fresh veggies at last), a dinner roll, green juice and a chocolate mousse for dessert. Unsurprisingly, I bought quite a bit of chocolate as well.

We headed back to the hotel afterwards and it was nice to just plop down on the bed or at the desk and eat without making small talk with others. And out of all the meals we’ve had on this trip, it was one of the better and more pleasant ones. I really, really missed having vegetables and a simple salad was pretty satisfying. The chicken was delicious (I wanted seconds), the bread roll soft and tasty, but my dessert was a bit too boozy for me. I didn’t think to read the ingredients (in French no less) beforehand but I was drawn to it regardless. With the exchange rates nearly equal, my meal cost about $15 USD, which wasn’t bad at all and sadly, cheaper than some of my lunches in midtown Manhattan.

April 9, 2015
Vienna: Holiday Sights and Sounds

This is a very late write-up but given that I’m home today thanks to the blizzard that blew in yesterday, I’m finally taking the time to post up some pictures of a holiday trip last month. A friend and I went travelling mid-December, joining a week-long escorted tour of some of Europe’s wonderful Christmas markets. Everyone was arriving at different times and from far flung locales but we were all to meet in Vienna, where the tour would begin.

My friend M arrived two days ahead of me and scoped out much of the city so when I got there, she was already somewhat familiar with mass transit and some of the areas we would end up walking through.

(This is the Donaukanal, or the “Little Danube” canal.)

Despite the large number of grand buildings that populate the city, in actuality, Vienna seems very small. It’s pretty manageable to get from one part of town to another, provided one can read maps carefully. I’m usually pretty good at that but this trip caught me by surprise and given the unending amount of projects I’ve been on at work for the last few months, I hadn’t had time to do any preparations. So I was very glad to just follow M around for the two days we were in town.

Our tour director, Kate, was going to take us to the largest Christmas market in Vienna our first night but we just stumbled upon it ourselves in the afternoon. It’s located in the park in front of the grand Town Hall, with the stalls spread out across the grounds. The two of us skirted around it and saved walking through for the evening, which made it look even more enchanting with all the holiday decorations lit up. There are plenty of Christmas markets around town; I think we ended up walking through a half dozen or so, possibly more. Since many of the stalls sold very similar items across all the markets, I freely admit to becoming bored of them after the first two days. Fortunately, there were variations as we traveled to other cities and countries so it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.

(Yes, those are cupcakes in the tree. There were other trees lit up and decorated with other fun objects, such as hearts, toys, and bows.)

A night of Christmas holiday shopping was followed in the morning with a tour of the fabulous Schönbrunn Palace. We were there bright and early, when the Palace is opened only for tour groups before general admission. I’m glad we decided to visit the Palace with our group since it allowed us better access to see the grand rooms and fine furniture on a more intimate scale. Wandering from room to room sometimes meant standing in a very narrow corridor and it helped that we weren’t surrounded by a crowd of people trying to jostle and get past us.

And the grounds are absolutely stunning. I’ve seen them on television while watching concerts with the Vienna Philharmonic and it was nice to be able to take in the view in person. There wasn’t enough time to go all the way up the hill in the gardens but we did climb it for a bit and was rewarded with a panorama of the city in the background.

And then we returned to the city where we looked at some ancient ruins and more grand buildings. Not as fancy but definitely charming enough to catch one’s eye was the shop where Pinocchio sat outside, ready to take a photo with passersby. The shop sells a wide variety of wooden clocks with illustrations that wouldn’t look out of place in a Disney film.

January 27, 2015