Happy 2015, She said world! The new year has brought us a clean slate, 365 days full of opportunities to do things we didn’t think possible, to make our life stories memorable, and to make the year count!
The new year also means everyone wants to start something new. A resolution, a bucket list, a gym membership. Something. Anything. Because there is a certain magic in the start of a new year. And although our blog has only been around for only a little over three months, we wanted to dip into that magic and introduce something new!
Namrata and I are super passionate about traveling. Exploring, finding new adventures, and making memories all over the world brings us joy. Between Nams and I, we’ve been lucky to have lived in Dubai, the US, Singapore, and Australia, and have travelled near and far – leaving LOTS more to be desired.
We realised however, we’ve barely had the opportunity to travel together. And post trip rituals mandate copious amounts of tea. While one She talks about every detail, the other sits down listening wide-eyed, almost feeling like she was there too. Every street, every sunset, every cafe and the food (oh the food!) is oh-so-very-important and must be shared, after all.
And we would like to share.
Welcome to our new monthly feature called She Travels!
Us showing Amsterdam how its done! 🙂
I’ve been bitten by the travel bug. Complete, undeniable wanderlust. In an ideal world, my day job would be a hotel reviewer – not writing, just testing! Is there such a thing? Here’s a little secret (which my colleagues know all too well): I read travel blogs and research holidays more than I do work. And that’s saying something considering the amount of time spent in the office!
When researching a holiday, people might make a list of things to do but I make a list of things to eat and where to eat them. And we’d like to share some of this info with you through our new, monthly feature. We hope you enjoy reading it and get to travel to these places and try these amazing foods! Happy travels!
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VIENNA. The capital of Austria. The land of Mozart, christmas markets and ‘Sound of Music’ countrysides. I dint know anything else about Vienna and it was never on my radar like the other big cities such as Paris, Barcelona or London. A rather reasonably priced plane ticket resulted in my husband and I spending a couple of days there last November and it has truly become one of my favourite places in Europe!
Vienna is full of beautiful imperial architecture (the city centre was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001), museums, trams, coffee shops with rich history, and it has a great winter warming, comfort food scene. Austria is a landlocked country and shares borders with Germany, Czech Republic and Hungary (amongst others) from which its food is influenced. We were lucky to be there just before the Christmas markets sprung up around town and so had the opportunity to drink endless amounts of glühwein. Yum!
Here’s some of the things you should add to your list of foods to eat in Vienna and suggestions for where you can get them. You’ll see that the places mentioned are absolutely touristy and not off the tourist trail as I’d usually prefer. It is however a good start if you’re only there for a couple of nights like I was.
Wiener schnitzel
The unofficial national dish of Austria. When in Wien (Vienna), you’ve got to have a Wiener Schnitzel. It is a thin, veal cutlet which is breaded and deep fried.
WHERE: A popular place to try it is at Plachuttas Gasthaus zur Oper. Plachutta has a few branches around Vienna but the one next to the Opera House calls this dish its specialty. Trust the pros, I say.
Tafelspitz
Another traditional dish, it is boiled lean beef served in a broth with a horseradish sauce and veggies. The boiled beef might sound unappetizing but its actually very flavorful and tasty. Especially comforting when its 5 degrees celsius outside!
WHERE: Again, Plachutta does a great one which is served in a massive pot, easily to be shared. {pic courtesy: Plachutta}
Apfelstrudel (Apple strudel)
I’m sure you’ve had variations of this all over the world but when in Vienna, you should try this traditional Viennese strudel. Warm, sweet and savory, heavy on cinnamon and raisins. Yum!
WHERE: Aida cafes which are all over town.
Bosner
An Austrian version of a hot dog with loads of onions, mustard-ketchup sauce and topped with curry powder. While you’ll end up with major onion breath, it’s totally worth it. Besides, raw onions are good for you!
WHERE: Try the würstelstand (sausage stand) opposite Albertina museum
Topfengolatsche
A golatsche is an Austrian danish pastry which comes with various fillings (jam, raisins etc.). My favourite was topfen which is curd cheese. Breakfast should always be like this!
WHERE: Aida cafes
Melange
A typical Viennese coffee sold all over town, tastes like a cappuccino.
WHERE: Any coffee house (or Aida!)
Sacher Torte
Sacher Torte is one of the most famous dessert’s to come out of Austria. Invented in Vienna by Franz Sacher, it is a rich chocolate cake with a thin layer of apricot jam. They even celebrate a National Sacher Torte Day on December 5th! Unfortunately, I dint get to try this specialty because I was so sweetened out by then (read: glühwein, applestrudels, golatsches)! Definitely on my list of things to try next time.
WHERE: Café Sacher in Hotel Sacher. Home of the legendary dessert. {pic courtesy www.sacher.com}
SO. There you have it!
Wishing you a year full of travels, adventures, and great food! Gute Reise! xx