Vienna Photo Diary

Schonbrunn Palace

We left Vienna one and a half weeks ago, but if that time were measured by moments instead of minutes, I could say that a lifetime passed since then. During our ride from Munich to Vienna I heard "Let Her Go" by Passenger with the following lyrics, "Only know you've been high when you're feeling low, only hate the road when you're missing home; only know you love her when you let her go." I thought to myself, "How appropriate for such an occasion!"

Like everything else in life, traveling has its pros and cons. What could possibly be bad about having one of your biggest dreams come true, you ask? In the midst of so much life and inspiration I find myself missing what seems like the silliest parts of home. These bouts of nostalgia are especially strong when I'm listening to music during long train rides as heavy rain pounds on the windows. Music tends to have that effect on people, doesn't it? Or maybe I'm just the sentimental type. Regardless, it's important to embrace the current season of your life, whatever it may be. Every stage of life, every experience, has its own cause for celebration, and we miss the point by holding on to the past as we wait with anticipation for the future. Have you ever considered the importance of living in the present? What exactly does the phrase "living in the moment" mean to you? What do you do to keep yourself grounded, to remind yourself to embrace your current situation instead of reminiscing about the past or constantly planning for the future? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!

Enough of philosophy, let's talk about what this post is truly about: Vienna. Sights, activities and places I would definitely recommend include a picnic at Schonbrunn Palace {it seems we've made it a personal goal to have a picnic at every royal residence we visit}, scrumptious sachertorte {traditional chocolate cake} and a bird's-eye view of Vienna at Cafe Gloriette, a stroll through the Schonbrunn Palace gardens, the impressive interior of St. Stephen's Cathedral, musical street performances in Stephansplatz {Vienna is called "The City of Music" for a reason}, the abstract Hundertwasserhaus, a bike ride down the Danube Canal and a traditional meal like the Viennese veal goulash at Bierhof Hopferl.

The entrance to Cafe Gloriette

A bird's-eye view of Schonbrunn Palace and Vienna from the windows of Cafe Gloriette

The interior of St. Stephen's Cathedral

St. Stephen's Cathedral

Street performance by a talented group of Russian musicians in the city center

St. Stephen's Cathedral

Lovely balconies of Vienna

Headquarters of Generali Insurance

St. Stephen's Cathedral

Imperial Palace

St. Peter's Church

The back courtyard of Schonbrunn Palace, with Cafe Gloriette atop the Gloriette structure

The front courtyard of Schonbrunn Palace

Schonbrunn Palace gardens

Stephansplatz

The interior of St. Stephen's Cathedral

Miles and miles of impressive graffiti along the Danube Canal

Follow me to Hundertwasserhaus

Hundertwasserhaus

Romantic Viennese dinner at Bierhof Hopferl

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Lulus.com Travel Style Diary: Budapest

I am excited to announce that I am collaborating with Lulu*s for the duration of my trip across Europe to show you how to style outfits inspired by various cities I visit. For Budapest, a city famous for its Turkish influence, I've chosen this Ottoman-inspired Crank Up the Lace Blue Skirt and paired it with a basic but bright tee in a contrasting color, matching my sunny mood and the {finally!} warm weather outside. The ornate design of the skirt combined with the pop of color made enough of a statement that I decided to keep the jewelry to a minimum, opting for these simple and chic stackable rings from Gorjana. As for the shoes, flats are a must, considering that everything in Budapest is within walking distance. Such a fun outfit had me twirling with delight, attracting a few strange looks from passerbys on the streets. So although my outfit may have been on-par with Budapest style, my behavior definitely gave me away as a tourist {or perhaps a deliriously happy local.}

I also have a bit of exciting news to share with you. Lulus.com is offering Foxy Oxie Supernova readers an exclusive 15% discount, valid for a very short time. So hurry, hurry, hurry! Shop Lulu*s newest arrivals, because the offer ends May 18, 2013. Use the code FOXYTRAVEL at checkout.

What do you think of this outfit? I'd love to hear how you'd style this skirt! And just how beautiful is Budapest? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section, and stay tuned for more details and photos of what we did, saw, ate, etc. I must say that Budapest was my favorite city so far, so keep your eyes peeled to the blog to find out why!

1. Skirt, c/o Lulus.com // 2. Top, Tee Shop (similar) // 3. Shoes, Nicole (similar) // 4. Rings, c/o Gorjana // 5. Bag, TJMaxx (similar) // 6. Sunglasses, Bloomingdales (similar) 

Don't forget to use your exclusive Lulu*s discount! Just enter FOXYTRAVEL at the checkout for 15% off your purchase! Offer valid until May 18, 2013.

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Eurostars Grand Central Hotel

If you follow me on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook then you've probably seen that today was a day unlike any other so far. To call our morning “horrific” would be a gross understatement. Today was one of those days you hear about in travel-related horror stories. Literally everything that could go wrong went wrong, and just when you shook your head in utter disbelief and muttered to yourself “This day couldn’t get any worse,” the skies opened up, and freezing rain drenched your last clean outfit and every inch of your luggage. 

After a failed attempted to do laundry last night, spending half the morning unsuccessfully drying two loads of laundry with a hair dryer, a 2-hour hike in search of a laundromat {which was closed because today is Sunday}, total loss of Internet connection on our phones right as we were searching for directions, driving 20 minutes in the wrong direction, getting lost, getting fined 80 euros because apparently the 24-hour metro ticket we bought wasn't for 24 hours afterall, a missed metro stop, getting soaked in the pouring rain, a couple outbursts of hysteria, we finally arrived at the bus stop from which we were to travel to Zurich, only to find out that the bus had left about 45 minutes before scheduled departure time.

So there we stood in the middle of the street, soaked to the bone, freezing, discouraged, exhausted, frustrated - a whirlwind of feelings and emotions pushing us to the brink of a hysterical explosion. Not exactly the glamourous trek across Europe that you'd imagined, right? So at 1 PM we decided to call it a day and booked a room at the Eurostars Grand Central Hotel, a stylish luxury hotel with extra-large beds and ultra-modern bathrooms. Its state-of-the-art lobby is not too shabby of a work station, I might add. Finally a day of doing absolutely nothing! And although in the back of my mind I know that tomorrow is another travel day, with its usual last-minute complications, I feel perfectly at peace and ready to take on the next adventure! Sometimes I have to remind myself how lucky and blessed I am!

Photos, c/o Eurostars Grand Central Hotel

I would love to hear about your travel-related nightmares and how you deal with them! Let's swap stories and advice in the comments section!

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More of Munich

Train ride to Mittenwald, located in the northern foothills of the Alps

Nymphenburg Palace, where we had a romantic picnic in the park

The back of Nymphenburg Palace

Hofbrauhaus is a public royal brewery in Munich known for being the place where Hitler announced his rule over Germany. Today it's such a popular dining place that when we were here, they were out of several traditional German dishes, including weisswurst (traditional German white sausage. We were told that the reason for this was Mayfest (a spring alternative to Oktoberfest). We learned that during Oktoberfest it's typical to pay an average of 600 euros to reserve a table at the Hofbrauhaus for one evening.

The ballroom of the Hofbrauhaus featured a free Bavarian concert. Unfortunately, all the seats were reserved, so we were only able to hear a glimpse of the music.

Like all travelers, I have seen more than I remember and remember more than I have seen. If you ever traveled for an extended amount of time, you know that everything becomes one big blur when you're constantly on the go. I try my best to write down my thoughts and memories, but our day typically starts around 9 AM or earlier and doesn't end until 10 PM or later. Add to that very limited Internet, and you've got one very frustrated blogger. But I will keep on keeping on, and if there is something in particular you'd like to see/read/learn about my travels, just drop me a line or let me know in the comments section! As for those who are thinking, "Where did the personal style posts go?" Not to worry! I've teamed up with Lulu*s.com to show you how to style Europe-inspired outfits and stay chic with a limited wardrobe, so stay tuned for Lulu*s Travel Style Diary!

The highlights of our last few days in Munich included a visit to Pinakothek. On Sundays you can visit all public museums for only one euro, and we got lucky and saw both, the old and new Pinakothek for that price. Simply put, we saw Rembrandt, Rubens, Poussin, Raphael, Reni, Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet and more for the shocking price of one euro. Talk about getting lucky! When you're in a different country whose language you do not speak, sometimes the simplest of tasks becomes a major ordeal, so you quickly learn to value the most matter-of-fact occurrences. Other activities I would recommend include the famous Hofbrauhaus, a romantic picnic and stroll through the parks of Nymphenburg Palace, delicious ice cream at Crema Gelato or any of the many ice cream cafes, and as usual, lots of leisurely wandering.

We will be returning to Munich later in our trip, so I'd love to hear your recommendations for places we may have missed! Read about what else we've seen and done in Munich, and let me know your recommendations in the comments sections! And if you have any questions about where I've been and what I've seen, don't be shy! Ask away!

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