And I thought it was my idea. No, really. Someone already on the continent who is keen to see some well-known capitals of Europe that are not the usual London, Paris, Berlin, et al. Let’s get out a map … Hey, wait! Budapest, Vienna and Prague are arranged more or less on a straight line […]

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It wasn’t only because we found meals in Vienna to be expensive, compared to nearby cut-rate European capital cities Prague and Budapest, that we avoided Vienna’s restaurants for most of our stay in the Austrian capital. Though that was much of it. Another major factor? A chance to binge on American-made movies in VO (version […]

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A canal separates the monument-rich “inner city” of old Vienna, Austria, from the newer neighborhoods to the east. Behind those housing districts is a sprawling park named the Augarten, where citizens and tourists can frolic or exercise or relax. However, the Augarten has two squat, ugly towers that look out of place. In fact, they […]

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Living in France, one comes to appreciate the daily niceties, at least in the country’s small towns. It is considered declasse’, bordering on overtly rude, to pass someone — anyone — in the street without saying hello. The encounter can be with young or old or snarky teen, and still social conventions call for a […]

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Not making this up. The three words in the headline are an actual bit of explanation for an item entitled “Tewa’s cheesecake” on the menu of the comfy bio-bistro where we had dinner, in Vienna. It reinforced what I have been learning, here in Austria: I may be able to conjugate common verbs and translate […]

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