Central Europe- live!

[wdwtheplacetobe]

***Day 6 ABD Continued......***

We said goodbye to the picturesque town of Mondsee and headed on the road to Vienna. I must admit, I started to get a little worried as we drove into the outskirts of the city. The area looked very industrial and not very pretty at all. Then we passed through open air stalls of different food vendors, called the Naschmarkt. I was not impressed and looked at DH with disappointment. This wasn't what I expected.

Well - silly me. I'm just as bad as the people who speak ill of NJ, only to find out they've only seen the area near Newark Airport! Lol. As we approached the center of the city, my "fears" left me! Vienna is beautiful!! Utterly beautiful!

We pulled up to the Ritz-Carlton and checked in. This hotel was gorgeous. The big thrill was, after DD squished in a rollaway at the Kempinski for three nights, she was given her own room! And what a room it was!!!! We were right next door in the same type room. 12 foot ceilings, huge king bed, wonderfully large bathroom with jetted tub, it was heavenly!! It was also quite helpful to now have two bathrooms for three adults to get ready early. We did not want to leave the Ritz! The only downside was free wifi was only available in the lobby, but we survived lol.

After freshening up a bit, we took our guides advice to "go get lost n the city"! We met up with a couple from our tour and went out to explore Vienna and "get lost"! We had a blast. We wandered through the streets and marveled at the architecture and the elegance. We stopped to take a few pictures and glance at the map.

One of the highlights of this ABD is a visit to the Spanish Riding School. DD competed on her university's equestrian team, so she was really looking forward to this. Unfortunately, there was a special ball and gala that week, and it was closed to the public. We were really disappointed that we would miss this major item on the tour. But as we were wandering the city, we spotted a white Lipizzaner being led through cobblestone courtyard. DD exclaimed "Follow that horse!" and five goofy Americans scooted through different courtyards and alleys, following a horse! We came upon the Imperial Riding School and snuck in to see them preparing for the ball. We took a few pictures then scooted out. Our friends said "well if we get arrested, our one phone call will be to our guide Andy, because he speaks German!" And we said, "and if we can't find our way back to the hotel, we call Dean, because he's the one who told us to get lost!"

After "trespassing" at the Riding school, we came across a building that was holding a concert/opera on the second floor. All the windows were wide open and we stood outside on the sidewalk & listened for a bit! It was beautiful! Then, we headed back to the pedestrian area of the center of the city and picked an outdoor cafe for dinner. It was delicious - pasta, fish, burgers - we were tired of the traditional food at this point.

After dinner, we continued to wander through the streets and stopped at Starbucks. I think DD can find a Starbucks in her sleep!! As we walked out, we noticed something in the outside corner of the window on the sidewalk. It was a naked baby doll! (It looked very real - so much so that we ran over to make sure it wasn't! Lol). Of course, by now we were silly-exhausted, so we got the giggles as our friend exclaimed "NOBODY puts Baby in the corner!!"
We had a good laugh, then found our way back to the Ritz-Carlton and enjoyed our luxurious rooms, so we were ready for our very busy next day in Vienna!

Up next - "oh Sisi!!!" ..........

What an Adventure!!!

 

[SingingMom]

****Day 7 ABD - Vienna at its Finest!****

After a wonderful nights sleep in the prettiest hotel room ever, we went down to breakfast at the Ritz. In addition to the regular buffet, you could order French toast and eggs from the kitchen. DD & DH raved over the French toast; I, however, love a Kempenski breakfast the best. (ok, I love champagne. lol)

Today was our immersion into the history of Vienna. As I mentioned before, if you have taken the Germany ABD, and particularly if you had local guide Michael in Munich, you know about Empress Elisabeth of the Austrian-Hungry Empire - daughter of Bavarian Prince Maximilian and wife of Emperor Franz Josef of Austria-Hungry, who was affectionately known as Sisi. She is revered in Hungry and Bavaria. The Austrians seem mixed with their adoration. Could be because Franz’s mother Archduchess Sophie, was such a dominant figure in their history too. (Dominant being the key word!) DD and I were enamored with Sisi’s story after our Germany ABD, so we were really looking forward to this tour of Vienna, to see where she and Franz started their life together!

Our first stop was the Schonbrunn Palace - Franz & Sisi’s “summer place”. The palace is spectacular. The gardens were unbelievable. We had a wonderful visit, both inside and out! Since the city now owns it, to help with the upkeep, you can rent the ballroom for events, at a mere 35,000 euros, just for the room - food and entertainment extra. Of course, DD was planning her wedding. LOL There are also a number of apartments for rent - I missed the price on those!

Our next stop was a private strudel-making demonstration & of course tasting! It was held in a pretty little café in the palace. The baker was extremely handsome, so DD was quite smitten. Our guide Dean teased her that “other guests wanted their pictures taken with him, too!” I think that’s one of the things I like best about Disney ABD’s - the guides really take the time to get to know the guests, and if the guest is receptive, they banter back and forth during the trips. We’ve had such great laughs with all our guides. Some have become very dear friends. BTW - the strudel was delicious!

After filling up on strudel, we were treated to a private marionette show and a peek backstage. It was interesting, but not a tremendous highlight for us.

We said goodbye to Schonbrunn and boarded the coach for a ride around the “Ring”, as our guides pointed out spots of interest. The Ringstrasse circles the city center - Franz Josef had it constructed after the walls and military enforcements were torn down. From the Ringstrasse, you can see the State Opera House, the Austrian Parliament, Museum of Fine Arts, and the beautiful monuments that circle the city. It is very shady and the streets are wide. It reminded me of the Champs-Elysees in Paris, but prettier! The Ritz-Carlton is located on the Ring, so it was very convenient.

As we returned to the Ritz-Carlton, we were told we had the afternoon on our own, and then would meet in the lobby to return to the Schonbrunn for our private "after hours" tour of the Vienna Zoo and dinner at the Emperor’s Pavilion. Now - here was the other possible “disappointment” in the scheduling of the tour. DD LOVES panda bears, but has never seen one in person. She was SO excited to find that the Vienna Zoo was one of the few in the world that had pandas.

During our welcome dinner and “what are you looking forward to on this trip?” DD said the Riding School and seeing a real panda bear. That’s when we discovered we would NOT be going to the Riding School, and then double whammy, we were told the panda exhibit closes early in the evening, so we would not be seeing them in our after hours tour! :-(

So… we debated returning to the Vienna Zoo during our on your own time, just to see the pandas. Dean said it was doable, but he recommended not wasting the time going back and forth and missing out on the rest of the city. He suggested DD make a visit to the zoo in Washington DC some day to see the pandas.

Taking his advice, we decided to have lunch outside at the Grand Hotel, along the Ring. It was beautiful and very tasty. I would highly recommend it! Then we proceeded to the Imperial Palace, the Hofburg, which was Franz Josef and Sisi’s winter palace. Along the way, we stopped at Mozart’s statue and took pictures. At this point, it was really sunny and getting very warm. We passed the butterfly house and various buildings of the Hofburg, stopping for pictures as we went. Then we visited the Sisi Museum and Imperial Apartments, which was a MUCH better decision than heading to the zoo for the pandas, for a various amount of reasons…… ;-)

To be continued……..

 

[Woodview]

One point I would like clarified ....... Have you " Tipped " the staff at your meals at the various Hotels ?

Is it only the " tour guides " you tip & what about the driver ?

 

[SingingMom]

One point I would like clarified ....... Have you " Tipped " the staff at your meals at the various Hotels ?

Is it only the " tour guides " you tip & what about the driver ?

We usually only tip at the meals we pay for during our "on your own" time. Occasionally we have left a nominal tip at breakfast, even though that meal is included every day.

We personally don't tip the drivers. It is included in the price paid for the Adventure. But, I have heard sometimes people do.

 

[TXTransplant]

One point I would like clarified ....... Have you " Tipped " the staff at your meals at the various Hotels ?

Is it only the " tour guides " you tip & what about the driver ?

We traveled to Germany in June and, with the exception of one full service meal we ate on our own, I did not tip anyone but our two guides. Our guides made it clear on our first day that Germans working in the service industry do not expect and are not "working for" tips. The guide book that ABD sent in our box indicated the same thing and even went so far as to say that tipping drivers, local tour guides, hotel staff, and restaurant staff during organized ABD portions of the trip was not necessary as tips are basically included in payment ABD makes for these services.

With that said, if you want to tip, nothing is stopping you. I just personally feel compelled to tip for personalized service, and we only received this from our ABD guides and during the one full service meal we ate on our own. I think Say Hello has mentioned that she's tipped the coach driver for outstanding service. I didn't feel that was necessary on our trip. I didn't notice anyone else on our trip tipping either (if they did, it was done discreetly), so I wouldn't think you'd feel out of place if you choose not to tip.

 

[carpenta]

I tipped our driver both who picked us up at the airport as well as our bus driver who spent the week with us. Our bus driver was very friendly and really added to the great "vibe" on the bus. We also tipped "Michael" because he was so, errr how do I say this?..."entertaining". When we dined we also tipped in the restaurants when we ate on our own. In all our trips to Europe I have yet insulted a service member for leaving a tip nor have anyone decline and return the money. Tipping is an American thing and is not expected in most of Europe BUT I feel that the people who have served us come to expect a tip once they figure out we are Americans. Do what you feel comfortable with and as TXTransplant says only the guide tips are expected.

 

[wdwtheplacetobe]

When we went on ABD Viva Italia, the tip was built into the bill at restaurants on our own. Our Guides told us that it would be. We tipped our ABD Guides, but the rest of the people involved in the Tour are paid very well by Disney per our Guides. I'm not sure what will be our favorite day, but SingingMom has made them all interesting! Thanks for the Posts!

When you go around Ringstrasse, do they point out things to see during your afternoon?


We also have kept in touch with our Guides and have even seen one of them a few times since our trip! They are neat people!

 

[sayhello]

We traveled to Germany in June and, with the exception of one full service meal we ate on our own, I did not tip anyone but our two guides. Our guides made it clear on our first day that Germans working in the service industry do not expect and are not "working for" tips. The guide book that ABD sent in our box indicated the same thing and even went so far as to say that tipping drivers, local tour guides, hotel staff, and restaurant staff during organized ABD portions of the trip was not necessary as tips are basically included in payment ABD makes for these services.

With that said, if you want to tip, nothing is stopping you. I just personally feel compelled to tip for personalized service, and we only received this from our ABD guides and during the one full service meal we ate on our own. I think Say Hello has mentioned that she's tipped the coach driver for outstanding service. I didn't feel that was necessary on our trip. I didn't notice anyone else on our trip tipping either (if they did, it was done discreetly), so I wouldn't think you'd feel out of place if you choose not to tip.

I have a couple of times tipped the coach driver that we had for the entire trip just because they became almost like a 3rd Guide and a part of the group. (I didn't tip the bus driver on my Southwest Splendors trip - it was my first ABD and just didn't occur to me - and when I thought about it afterwards, regretted it. ) But otherwise, I typically don't tip for any of the included services (except for the Guides).

Sayhello

 

[carpenta]

We were amazed at the winter palace in Vienna too, Singingmom. We were so impressed we even took the trolley out to see the summer palace which had some remarkable paintings as well as a fabulous view of Vienna. I agree that the grounds were remarkable and it really paid to be King.

 

[Bobo912]

So… we debated returning to the Vienna Zoo during our on your own time, just to see the pandas. Dean said it was doable, but he recommended not wasting the time going back and forth and missing out on the rest of the city. He suggested DD make a visit to the zoo in Washington DC some day to see the pandas.

SingingMom, we've seen the pandas in DC and also in Atlanta, Memphis and San Diego within the last few years and all of those exhibits are still ongoing. So if your DD happens to be visiting any of those cities, she should check out the zoo.

 

[SingingMom]

****Day 7 continued...****

We truly enjoyed our visit to the Sisi Museum and the Imperial Apartments. You can breeze through or listen to the recorded tour. We didn't linger very long on the China and silver displays, but spent quite some time listening and viewing the highs and lows of Sisi's life and the beautiful Imperial Apartments. We actually liked it better than parts of Versailles, which was a bit TOO opulent! ;-) We stopped in the gift shop for a postcard book, since photos are not permitted. We really enjoyed the afternoon and felt even more connected to "Poor Sisi"!

It was very warm & sunny returning to the Ritz-Carlton to get ready for our evening group plans and I had a terrible headache. We took the coach and returned to Schonbrunn and our after hours tour of the Vienna Zoo.

Now, here is where I take off my "ABD Cheerleader" hat, (or put down my pompoms?! Lol) and voice some disappointment. (Don't worry, fans, I pick up the pompoms again very quickly!) anyhoo... The Vienna Zoo is the oldest zoo in Europe and started as the private menagerie of Hapsburgs. The fountains and original cages are still there. The place looked lovely - what we SAW of it! It was a terrible tease. We barely saw anything. :-( there was just not enough time. Now, I KNOW these tours give a taste of special spots, but this was one spot that ABD planners sort of dropped the ball. You really don't get to see more than a few animals and then must get to the Emperor's Pavillon for dinner. Really a tease. I love a good zoo, so I was disappointed.

Now - for the BEST part of the zoo visit! We divided into two groups with two zoo guides. The Junior Adventures went in one group and the adults in another. A few children opted to stay with their parents, so the groups were uneven. I am "petite", so if I'm not up front, I can't see a bloody thing. As we tried to view the first animal, I realized I wasn't going to see anything, since there were too many of us. DD noticed the other group was smaller & she and our fellow traveler asked our guides if we could join them instead. They said "of course!" so 5 of us joined the YA group. As we followed along (and I could see over SOME of the kids' heads! Lol) we went in the opposite direction of the first group. Lo and behold, our zoo guide found that one of the exhibits was still unlocked, so she snuck us in real quickly - it was the PANDAS!!! My DD was THRILLED!! We quickly took a few pictures and marveled that we were seeing REAL pandas, then scurried out of the exhibit, as they were coming to lock up for the night! Needless to say, the kids were thrilled, and the 5 of us were pretty giddy ourselves, since it was a purely an unplanned magical surprise!

We all met at Franz Josef's breakfast Pavillion for dinner. It was a beautiful place, with portraits of Sisi and Franz Josef, gorgeous chandeliers and painted ceilings. The food, however, was terrible. It was the only meal in our 3 ABDs that I literally could not eat. Of course, I still had the horrible headache from the afternoon sun, but other than the people who ordered the goulash, the rest of us were not impressed with the food at all! At least the atmosphere and company were wonderful!

When we returned to the Ritz-Carlton, DH & DD went up to the rooftop bar for a nightcap. I was still feeling poorly, so I took more Advil and put myself to bed! Luckily, I slept well and was ready for our final day in Vienna and a special adventure added to take the place of missing the Riding School!

 

[wdwtheplacetobe]

****Day 7 continued...****

We truly enjoyed our visit to the Sisi Museum and the Imperial Apartments. You can breeze through or listen to the recorded tour. We didn't linger very long on the China and silver displays, but spent quite some time listening and viewing the highs and lows of Sisi's life and the beautiful Imperial Apartments. We actually liked it better than parts of Versailles, which was a bit TOO opulent! ;-) We stopped in the gift shop for a postcard book, since photos are not permitted. We really enjoyed the afternoon and felt even more connected to "Poor Sisi"!

It was very warm & sunny returning to the Ritz-Carlton to get ready for our evening group plans and I had a terrible headache. We took the coach and returned to Schonbrunn and our after hours tour of the Vienna Zoo.

Now, here is where I take off my "ABD Cheerleader" hat, (or put down my pompoms?! Lol) and voice some disappointment. (Don't worry, fans, I pick up the pompoms again very quickly!) anyhoo... The Vienna Zoo is the oldest zoo in Europe and started as the private menagerie of Hapsburgs. The fountains and original cages are still there. The place looked lovely - what we SAW of it! It was a terrible tease. We barely saw anything. :-( there was just not enough time. Now, I KNOW these tours give a taste of special spots, but this was one spot that ABD planners sort of dropped the ball. You really don't get to see more than a few animals and then must get to the Emperor's Pavillon for dinner. Really a tease. I love a good zoo, so I was disappointed.

Now - for the BEST part of the zoo visit! We divided into two groups with two zoo guides. The Junior Adventures went in one group and the adults in another. A few children opted to stay with their parents, so the groups were uneven. I am "petite", so if I'm not up front, I can't see a bloody thing. As we tried to view the first animal, I realized I wasn't going to see anything, since there were too many of us. DD noticed the other group was smaller & she and our fellow traveler asked our guides if we could join them instead. They said "of course!" so 5 of us joined the YA group. As we followed along (and I could see over SOME of the kids' heads! Lol) we went in the opposite direction of the first group. Lo and behold, our zoo guide found that one of the exhibits was still unlocked, so she snuck us in real quickly - it was the PANDAS!!! My DD was THRILLED!! We quickly took a few pictures and marveled that we were seeing REAL pandas, then scurried out of the exhibit, as they were coming to lock up for the night! Needless to say, the kids were thrilled, and the 5 of us were pretty giddy ourselves, since it was a purely an unplanned magical surprise!

We all met at Franz Josef's breakfast Pavillion for dinner. It was a beautiful place, with portraits of Sisi and Franz Josef, gorgeous chandeliers and painted ceilings. The food, however, was terrible. It was the only meal in our 3 ABDs that I literally could not eat. Of course, I still had the horrible headache from the afternoon sun, but other than the people who ordered the goulash, the rest of us were not impressed with the food at all! At least the atmosphere and company were wonderful!

When we returned to the Ritz-Carlton, DH & DD went up to the rooftop bar for a nightcap. I was still feeling poorly, so I took more Advil and put myself to bed! Luckily, I slept well and was ready for our final day in Vienna and a special adventure added to take the place of missing the Riding School!

So very happy that she got to see the Pandas!!!!! (A little Pixie Dust Perhaps?)

 

[sayhello]

Pandas!!

Sayhello

 

[SingingMom]

So very happy that she got to see the Pandas!!!!! (A little Pixie Dust Perhaps?)

Oh yes, definitely Pixie Dust!!

 

[wdwtheplacetobe]

We also love Zoos! The Schmetterling Haus also looks interesting! If you do just a short tour...we may go in the afternoon... Too?

 

[SingingMom]

***ABD Day 8 - Vienna ***

I felt MUCH better after a good night's sleep! That room was gorgeous! I wish we could have spent a week at the Ritz-Carlton!

Since we were unable to visit the Spanish Riding School, much to DD's dismay, our guides arranged a special treat. We traveled to near the border of Slovakia to the Morava River and toured Schloss Hof, a palace originally belonging to Prince Eugene of Savoy, and then obtained by Empress Maria Therese (Marie Antoinette's mother), making it part of the Imperial Estates. This location will be included in new Central Europe River Cruise Adventure next year, so we got a "sneak peek"!

The palace was lovely, and the costumed tour guides were marvelous. We really got the "grand tour". We were treated to homemade schnapps (which was horrible lol) and wine in the wine cellar (which was much more appealing!) The gardens of the palace were gorgeous. It was very sunny and warm, and you could see the river down the hills and Slovakia in the distance. There was also a petting zoo area and we saw the beautiful rare white donkeys that are raised on the grounds. DD saw a horse in the corral, so went over to say hello. As we took a picture, the horse snuggled into her neck and was practically hugging her. She laughed that he "knew" she was disappointed about missing the Spanish Riding School, so he wanted to comfort her!

We were then treated to a wonderful family style lunch at the restaurant on the grounds. Andy, our Austrian guide, handpicked the menu to include all the "traditional" foods he enjoyed growing up. Even though it was through no fault of theirs, our guides really turned a "disappointment" into a lovely day.

When we returned to Vienna and the hotel, we had time to freshen up and meet back in the lobby for a walk to the renowned Elmayer Dancing School for our private waltz lesson. DH decided to skip this activity so that he could shower for dinner and pack for tomorrow's departure, since we had a busy night ahead and an early morning flight. DD and I dressed for the finale dinner and joined the group.

Although the waltz lesson was amusing and the demonstration by the REAL dancers was lovely to view, this was quite tiring, after the busy tour of Schloss Hof earlier. The walk to and from was VERY sunny, and the dance studio was extremely warm. Some of the group opted out of this - one couple went to tour St. Stephen's Church and another group went to see the Sisi Museum and Imperial Apartments after hearing DD rave about it the day before.

After walking back to the hotel, we had enough time to splash some water on our faces and go right back out for our Farewell Dinner at Piaristenkeller Restaurant. This is the oldest restaurant in Austria, and it was quite an experience! The owner was quite a character and took us on a tour. Our guides did a wonderful job with the final photo presentation and we all took pictures together. Since departures the next day were spread out, we all said our goodbyes to our fellow travelers and exchanged contact information. DD, DH, and I went to the hotel rooftop bar and had a final nightcap. We marveled at the beautiful lights of a magical city, wishing we could stay!

Alas, tomorrow we had a 6:45 am departure for the airport, so we threw a kiss to the city, and called it a night!

*****Final thoughts to come!............

 

[sayhello]

We were then treated to a wonderful family style lunch at the restaurant on the grounds. Andy, our Austrian guide, handpicked the menu to include all the "traditional" foods he enjoyed growing up. Even though it was through no fault of theirs, our guides really turned a "disappointment" into a lovely day.

This is one of those things that I really love about ABD and the Adventure Guides!

Sayhello

 

[wdwtheplacetobe]

***ABD Day 8 - Vienna ***

I felt MUCH better after a good night's sleep! That room was gorgeous! I wish we could have spent a week at the Ritz-Carlton!

Since we were unable to visit the Spanish Riding School, much to DD's dismay, our guides arranged a special treat. We traveled to near the border of Slovakia to the Morava River and toured Schloss Hof, a palace originally belonging to Prince Eugene of Savoy, and then obtained by Empress Maria Therese (Marie Antoinette's mother), making it part of the Imperial Estates. This location will be included in new Central Europe River Cruise Adventure next year, so we got a "sneak peek"!

The palace was lovely, and the costumed tour guides were marvelous. We really got the "grand tour". We were treated to homemade schnapps (which was horrible lol) and wine in the wine cellar (which was much more appealing!) The gardens of the palace were gorgeous. It was very sunny and warm, and you could see the river down the hills and Slovakia in the distance. There was also a petting zoo area and we saw the beautiful rare white donkeys that are raised on the grounds. DD saw a horse in the corral, so went over to say hello. As we took a picture, the horse snuggled into her neck and was practically hugging her. She laughed that he "knew" she was disappointed about missing the Spanish Riding School, so he wanted to comfort her!

We were then treated to a wonderful family style lunch at the restaurant on the grounds. Andy, our Austrian guide, handpicked the menu to include all the "traditional" foods he enjoyed growing up. Even though it was through no fault of theirs, our guides really turned a "disappointment" into a lovely day.

When we returned to Vienna and the hotel, we had time to freshen up and meet back in the lobby for a walk to the renowned Elmayer Dancing School for our private waltz lesson. DH decided to skip this activity so that he could shower for dinner and pack for tomorrow's departure, since we had a busy night ahead and an early morning flight. DD and I dressed for the finale dinner and joined the group.

Although the waltz lesson was amusing and the demonstration by the REAL dancers was lovely to view, this was quite tiring, after the busy tour of Schloss Hof earlier. The walk to and from was VERY sunny, and the dance studio was extremely warm. Some of the group opted out of this - one couple went to tour St. Stephen's Church and another group went to see the Sisi Museum and Imperial Apartments after hearing DD rave about it the day before.

After walking back to the hotel, we had enough time to splash some water on our faces and go right back out for our Farewell Dinner at Piaristenkeller Restaurant. This is the oldest restaurant in Austria, and it was quite an experience! The owner was quite a character and took us on a tour. Our guides did a wonderful job with the final photo presentation and we all took pictures together. Since departures the next day were spread out, we all said our goodbyes to our fellow travelers and exchanged contact information. DD, DH, and I went to the hotel rooftop bar and had a final nightcap. We marveled at the beautiful lights of a magical city, wishing we could stay!

Alas, tomorrow we had a 6:45 am departure for the airport, so we threw a kiss to the city, and called it a night!

*****Final thoughts to come!............

Oh no! We're almost at the end of your trip! But it means that ours starts soon. No box yet, but it should be soon!

 

[SingingMom]

****Day 9 of ABD...time to go home! :-( ****

We had a 6:15 bag pull and a 6:45 am airport departure. We said goodbye to our gorgeous rooms and headed to the Lobby. Poor Andy & Dean looked exhausted!! These guys worked their tails off this trip to make sure we had a wonderful experience! They gave us a "boxed breakfast", since the dining room was not yet open. This was the first time we departed with other guests - a few families and our luggage, so we had a comfortable coach. We took the waters out of the breakfast boxes and gave Dean the rest so he & Andy could snack later! We said our goodbyes - Dean told DD to let him know how her internship works out & if she ever transfers to DL! Lol. Andy told her he hopes he guides with her someday, as working for ABD is on her bucket list.

The ride to the airport was pleasant, because we chatted with our friends, then said our goodbyes, as we were on all different flights, going off to all corners of USA!

Vienna Airport is very nice and had some great shops & food options. We picked up a little something to eat & bought some final souvenirs and then boarded our Austrian Air flight. Very nice crew, but entertainment options were better on Lufthansa. After we took off, they offered beverages. I decided to have a glass of red wine, to toast our beautiful trip (Prost!) and did something I've NEVER done on an airplane in my life!! I fell asleep for FIVE HOURS!!!! I guess between the wine and my sheer exhaustion of a busy non-stop trip, it finally caught up with me!! Needless to say, it thrilled me to chop off such a big chunk of travel time dreaming away!! DD was very jealous, as I was SOUND asleep, DH dozed (as usual) and she was stuck with eh movies. Lol

The food was very decent on the flight and we arrived on time. Luggage took a bit of time, but that's a given at Newark Airport, and Customs went smoothly. We picked up our ride, got home and dropped off luggage and ran to 5:30 pm mass so we could SLEEP in on Sunday!! .

Next up *******Final Thoughts!*****

 

[wdwtheplacetobe]

Eating up every word of your posts and getting more excited every day! Would love to see a few of your pics!