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The City of a Thousand Blossoms
No, that’s an ambitious claim. I’m sure Holland, Umbria, Ashikaga (and the whole of Tokyo), Cotswold, Ottawa, Lake Tekapo, Provence, Amalfi Coast, Washington, Versailles, Vancouver, and Baguio city among others would top the list of places with the most flowers in a season. Considering that these cities have hectares of flower fields to display millions of the same type in different colors, Vienna’s floral display would pale in comparison. Here are some of the spots in Vienna were the flowers are in full bloom come spring. Volksgarten (People’s garden) One of the most picturesque among Vienna’s many gardens and landscaped areas is the Volksgarten, it is also a favourite hangout…
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Most Livable City, for the 9th Time!
Last year’s Mercer’s quality of living survey placed Vienna on the top spot, and not to disappoint, this lovely city tops it again this year – the ranking includes 231 cities. Vienna is followed by Zurich (2), Auckland and Munich (in joint 3rd place), Vancouver is in 5th place (same as last year) which completes the top five and is the highest ranking city in North America. Sunny Singapore also placed (25) and Montevideo (77) – which are the highest ranking cities in Asia and Latin America respectively. For 2018, Mercer provided a separate ranking on City Sanitation, this category analyses the cities’ waste removal and sewage infrastructure, the levels of infectious disease…
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Most Livable City, For the 8th time
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Vienna Winter Scene, Still a Pretty Sight
“The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found?” – J. B. Priestley This is how I feel every time the first day of snow comes. Cliche as it may, it is really waking up to winter wonderland. I’ll agree with the person who once said, that like kindness, snow beautifies everything it covers – it can take away your sadness even for just a bit. Pardon the quoting, I can’t help but be poetic, nostalgic,…
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Schönbrunn Palace Grounds in Winter
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5 Reasons to Visit Vienna: Living the Good Life in Austria
The grand imperial city that is Vienna stands proud, claiming its place as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This ninth most populous city in the European Union is also one of the most preferred locations for the headquarters, conventions, and events of international organizations. Even as Vienna has retained its old world grandeur, it has kept up with the developments of the modern world. The city has been ranked in global studies as one of the most innovative cities the world over. Not lagging behind are its rankings in terms of the quality of life it provides its residents. There is no wonder that tourists have grown fond of Vienna…
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Most Livable City, For the 8th time
Vienna emerged as the most livable city for the 8th time per Mercer’s ‘Quality of Living’ survey (March 2017). And while I have been featuring a chunk of Vienna for the past 10 years (almost), it felt as though the result is not as surprising. While the survey has a number of criteria in benchmarking various cities, I can only prove Vienna’s livability through the photos featured here, through the years. Here are some of the favourites. Volksgarten in full bloom and the Rathausman on his tower in the background. Vienna is green…yet many-hued. Not only the Volksgarten thrive with colourful roses, tulips, and other fragrant blossoms, all the…
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Most Livable City, for the 9th Time!
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Vienna Ice Dream (Eistraum, literally)
Guest post by Jan Gavino The year’s end sets a melancholic mood. The year’s beginning, just the same. Why? An icy cold winter creeps in. When one looks outside of the window, one finds an almost empty street. A lone, close-to-silhouette passerby, whose sad face stays focused on the cold and slippery pavement, is not an uncommon sight. Trees show off their unsightly leafless branches. The dim light of day lurks in its thickest cloud like a shy bird in its densest thicket. And then one begins to dream of summer, hot sun, and a refreshingly warm walk along a luminous white sand beach. This dream, though, gets hidden in a…
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Café Little Britain, Big English Servings
Wanderlust; (desire to hike/enjoyment when one wanders) a strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world. Fernweh; (farsickness) longing for far-off places, to visit a particular city or place. German has always been a wonderful language in expressing feelings of nostalgia. While these two words both refer to travelling, I wonder if there is an equal word aside from craving when you desire for food or meal that is known from a particular city? For one curious morning, I had wanted to go out for an afternoon tea, just because I felt like wandering around London but can’t go due to many reasons pertaining to: money. 😀…
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One Day in Vienna
Fast fact: Vienna being small compared to other cities frequented by tourists is a great advantage for those 14-day European tours covering 6 or more cities. Considering time allotted for travel from another city and leaving for the next, sleeping and eating, it can be estimated that there’s more or less 14 hours to see the beauty the Austrian capital has to offer. Here’s a quick guide on how to cover Vienna given a short period of time. Morning Ringstrasse. Starting off, go about the Ringstrasse. This street encircles the most prominent buildings and historical places of the city and yes, you can either go by foot or ride the…
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Café Neko: Cats, Coffee, and Tea
Some might think that getting lost on purpose is a childish thing. So be it, I love getting lost and ending up in really beautiful places. Well, just in Vienna. I haven’t explored all the secret streets nor have I discovered all the nooks with such nostalgic charm but I’m getting there. Hidden within the city, among a pathway of cobblestones and many a chair waiting for customers, is a humble cafe owned by a bunch of furry-ocious cats! One of the very first Neko (Japanese for cat) Cafes in Europe, the Cat Cafe in Blumenstockgasse is a refuge to those seeking peace and quiet among precious cats. The…
