#Vienna House Classic Cup 2018

[oase-dropshotters]

[indecisivedolly]

Silent Words - Chapter 2

Warnings: cursing, death, angst.

Word count: 1890 words

A/N: hi guys! Here’s another chapter, my fingers were itching to write and post a new chapter despite having posted yesterday. Please tell me what you thought of this chapter and if you have any feedback, don’t hesitate to tell me!!

She had been waiting for two days before she got the message to come pick up her father’s will. As soon as she got the message, she went to her father’s lawyer to pick it up. She arrived at the building he worked at, parked her car and walked straight to where she could always find him; his office.

 She knocked four times. “Come in.” She heard him say. She went in and closed the door behind her, she didn’t want any other people up in her business. “Hello, uncle Jacques.” She said. “I’m here to pick up my father’s will.” He looked at her and gave her a tired smile. “Come sit, my dear. Would you like a drink?” He asked while pointing to a comfortable looking leather chair. She went to sit down. “Just a glass of water please.” She was in no mood to be drinking, she had to stay focused. He handed her a glass of water and she quietly thanked him before she took a sip. He placed an envelope the size of a paper on his table. “Here’s your father’s will. Would you like me to read it out loud, like in the movies? Or would you prefer to take it home and read it on your own?” She smiled at the joke about the movies. She and uncle Jacques used to watch loads of classics together when she was younger whenever her father was absent for some business. “I’d rather take it home and read it on my own if you don’t mind.” She said, smile still on her face. “Of course, my dear. How are you holding up?” He asked, concern visible in his eyes. She sighed. “Still processing I suppose. He passed way too soon. But he’s with Sarah and Mom now, making up for lost time. I can’t wait to join them, we will be complete at last.” Her smile faltered. “Don’t say that, Y/N. You have so much to live for, even if it seems like that might not be the case at this very moment; you really do. You were born to fulfill great things, you’re a Roux after all. Don’t let yourself go to waste.” He said firmly. This man was always good at telling her off when she was messed up. She exhaled firmly, straightening her back. “You’re right, I’m sorry. Got a little bit too caught up in grief.” She said apologetically. “Don’t worry about it.” He said as he handed her the will, waiting for her to take it. This time, she took it without hesitation. She got up. “Thank you, uncle Jacques.” She took a good look at the man, she was thankful for him. “Stay safe and good luck. And you know it, if you need anything-” “I know how to find you.” With a nod, she walked out of the building and back to her car. 

Y/N decided to have breakfast at her favorite place instead of going home. She didn’t really leave the house after her father’s passing, so she felt like she deserved to treat herself. She parked her car, grabbed the envelope and entered the small café. She smiled and kindly nodded to the waitress behind the counter and took place at the window booth in the corner of the place. “Hello darling, long time no see. You have grown into such a beautiful woman. How are you?” The elder French lady who came to take her order cupped her check, and she couldn’t help but giggle. “Hello Judith, I’ve missed you. I’m doing good, how about you?” Y/N replied. “Oh, you know darling, the usual. I’m not getting any younger.” Judith said jokingly. “But you are getting more beautiful, look at you glowing!” Y/N said, still smiling. “Oh stop it, you little charming lady! I’ll have your usual for you in a bit.” Judith giggled and blushed. “Thank you, Judith.” She looked at the woman as she walked away. This has been Y/N’s favorite spot since she was 14.

One day, when she was walking home from school, she stumbled across this place. She decided to go in since it looked very cosy, and she was pretty cold. “Hello dear, take a seat wherever you’d like. I’ll be with you shortly.” The middle-aged woman said. She decided to sit in the window booth in the corner of the place. She texted her father, saying she’d be home later. Then she heard a man yelling. She quickly turned to the sound and saw a man in his thirties yelling at the kind woman. Before she realized it, her legs transported her to the counter where the man stood. He was yelling about a wrong coffee order. She saw the woman flinch. “HEY! Why don’t you take your coffee and shove it up your ass? Were you not taught any manners?” It was a funny sight, a fourteen-year-old yelling at a man in his thirties. “You little shit, don’t you know who I am? You’re in so much trouble. What’s your name?” He sneered, taking a step towards her. “I don’t know who you are, and quite frankly, I don’t give a fuck either. You’re talking to a Roux. Now get out of here before I show you real trouble.” She yelled. He visibly tensed when hearing her last name. He scrambled his belongings together and quickly took off. “I’m so sorry for his behavior, are you okay?” She took a step towards the shaken up woman. “Thank you dear, but you really didn’t have to do that.” The woman said, still lightly shaken up. “Don’t worry miss, he won’t be a bother anymore.” Y/N said and went back to her spot. A few moments later, the woman came up to her with a slice of cake and steaming cup of tea. “Oh, I didn’t order that miss. I think you have the wrong table.” She told the woman and smiled. “No dear, this one is on the house. I wanted to thank you for standing up for me. You can call me Judith.” The woman put the slice and cup down and put out her hand. “I’m Y/N.” She shook the woman’s hand.

“Here you go sweetheart, enjoy.” Judith put down the order and sat down across of her. She took the young woman’s hand and smiled apologetically. Y/N looked at the envelope and sighed. “I heard about your father, I’m sorry darling. He was a great man.” Then she looked up confused. “You knew my father?” She did not expect that. Judith smiled. “How couldn’t I? That day you stood up to that man, you granted me protection in the name of the Rouxes. I offered my compliance to your father to express my gratitude.” Judith giggled again. Y/N’s mouth fell open, wide eyes looking at the elderly and innocent looking woman who just confessed she worked for a notorious weapon dealer. “Judith! You worked for my father?” She started laughing out of shock and disbelief. “Yes, I did. He was a polite young man and very generous too.“ Judith smiled, remembering him. “I’ll leave you to your business now.” Judith nodded to the envelope, got up and cupped Y/N’s cheek once again before going back to the counter. She finished her slice of cake and looked at the envelope. She opened it, took the paper out and started reading.

I, Nour Roux, an adult residing at 41 Place de la Madeleine in Paris, being of sound mind, declare this to be my last will and testament. I hereby revoke, annul and cancel all wills and codicils previously made by me, either jointly or severally. This last will expresses my wishes without undue influence or duress. I hereby nominate, constitute and appoint Jacques Fontaine as Executor. If this Executor is unable or unwilling to serve, then I appoint Judith Marie Boucher as alternate Executor.

Y/N smiled, looking up at Judith who was busy preparing an order. Then, she continued reading.

I hereby declare that I give to Y/N Roux absolutely all real and personal property whatsoever and wheresoever.

She then scanned the text to see that it was about uncle Jacques executing posthumous financial matters for her father and lastly some autographs of her father and some witnesses making the will valid. Then, she turned the paper around and took a look at the first silent wish.

To my daughter, Y/N Roux, I request she grants some simple familial wishes.

My first wish is that I want you to visit Elias Van Dyck sometimes and give him a serious headache for me. I can’t let him forget about me.

She smiled, thinking about the time her dad taught her this silent word.

“I have a serious headache, as if someone shot me through the head” He said, sitting next to her in the dentist waiting area, without breaking eye contact. A way to let Y/N know that what he just said was very important. And she was taught to always remember her dad’s important things. So she nodded four times, to let her father know she understood.

It’s time to fulfill Dad’s wishes. She thought. She finished her tea, walked up to the counter and paid for her order. “Good luck, Y/N. Don’t be a stranger, okay?” Judith smiled sweetly. With a nod and a smile, Y/N exited the café and got into her car. She went home and dived into her father’s office, looking for any information about this Elias Van Dyck. She found out that he was the owner of several clubs and also part of a human trafficking ring. Being unsatisfied with the amount of information she found, Y/N took to her laptop and searched up his name. Several articles about his clubs came up. Then, an article about him that addressed his fatal heart attack. Confused, she put her laptop away. How do I kill a man that’s already dead? She thought. Unless he died after Dad wrote his will. She looked at the article which revealed the date in which he died. March 13th 2017. She frowned. She thought that her father’s will was signed in 2018. She checked, it was indeed signed a year after Elias’ death. She inhaled sharply and dialed Jacques’ number. The phone rang. “Hello?” She heard his voice say. “Hi uncle Jacques. Could you help me out please?” She said. “Of course dear, what do you need help with?” He replied. “I need information on a guy named Elias Van Dyck. Could you tell me something about him?” She asked him. “One second.” She heard him put the phone down and then some rustling in the background. “Elias Van Dyck, born in Antwerp, Belgium on July 14th 1971, died in Vienna in March 13th 2017. Club owner, human trafficker. Do you need more information?” He said. She sighed. “No, that is all. Thank you very much uncle Jacques.” She replied. “No problem dear.” To which he hung up. Putting her phone next to her on her bed she looked around, feeling hopeless. It didn’t make sense that he had died a year before her father had signed his will. Her gut feeling told her that something was wrong. And if uncle Jacques couldn’t help her, then no one really could.

Except for him.

Reluctantly, she got up to collect her stuff. She grabbed her handbag and put in her belongings. She then grabbed a duffel bag and filled it with clothes.

She didn’t want to see him, but if she wanted to make her father proud, she would need his help.

Taglist (if you wanna be included, send me a message!):

@saiyanprincessswanie @disasterbii @zaynzierulez @kingbuckyx​

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Top Ten Places (That You Might Not Think of) to Visit

The Adriatic Sea, viewed from the city walls of Dubrovnik

In a few days, I will be publishing my annual Top Ten D&O Stories list for 2018. For now, though, I know that everyone is enjoying the holidays, and that right now no one really wants to be reading about insurance or the law. So instead, over the next few days I am going to be publishing a series of alternative Top Ten lists, starting with today’s list of Top Ten Places (That you Might Not Think of) to Visit.

  First, a few preliminaries. There are some big obvious places that everybody wants to visit. No one needs me to tell them that, say, London, Paris, Vienna, Madrid, or Rome are great places to visit. So today’s the Top Ten list is a sort of an alternative list. This is a list of places you might not know about but that you really ought to visit. Without any further ado, here is my Top Ten List of Places to Visit, starting with number 10. (Please also see my list of Top Ten Urban Hikes, below)

  Seoul, Korea

10. Seoul: At first blush, Seoul might seem to be an odd choice for this list. It is one of the largest cities in the world by population. But despite its size and undeniable prominence I doubt it would make most people’s list of top places to visit. The fact is that Seoul is full of interesting and historical sites, great restaurants and street food, and interesting neighborhoods. And the best of all, there is a massive national park full of mountains and hiking trails right in the city.

  The Five Grand Palaces of the Joseon Dynasty are now largely restored and make for interesting exploration. The tree-lined Insadong neighborhood is lively and full of interesting restaurants in the narrow side-alleys serving regional cuisine. The pedestrianized streets in the Myeongdong neighborhood are lined with stores and full of food vendors selling street food from food carts. The Bukhansan National Park, a beautiful area of forested mountains covering over thirty square miles that can be reached by city bus. (See more about the park in the second list, below). Seoul is an unexpectedly interesting place, well worth a visit. (My blog post about Seoul is here.)

  The main hall at Gyongbokgung, with Bukhansan looming in the background

  Evening in the Insadong neighborhood

    Street food in the Myeongdong district

    9. Mostar: Mostar is the largest city in the Herzegovina province of Bosnia-Herzegovina. It is also one of the most colorful and interesting places I have ever visited. It sits astride the beautiful, naturally green-tinted Neretva River. The city’s streets and skyline reflect the city’s long history as part of the Ottoman Empire. The main shopping street has the feel of a Turkish bazaar. The river’s eastern shore is lined with mosque minarets.

  Minarets over the Naretva River, in Mostar

    The street market in Mostar has the feel of a Turkish bazaar

  The high point of Mostar is its famous Stari Most (the Old Bridge), which connects the city’s Muslim eastern side to its Catholic Croat west side. The bridge was completed in 1568, under the Ottomans. It is considered by many to be the preeminent piece of Balkan Islamic architecture. It was destroyed during the terrible war that wracked the country in the 1990s. The bridge unites the river’s eastern Muslim side to its Catholic Croat side, although the divisions between the communities unfortunately remain.  It has been beautifully restored, though many other traces and remnants of the war remain. Mostar is a fascinating place — there are very few other places where history seems quite so raw and accessible. My blog post about Mostar is here.

  The Stari Most, in Mostar

    The Stari Most and the Naretva River, Mostar

  Hobart, Tasmania

8. Hobart: Located on the Derwent River and nestled beneath Mt. Wellington on the Australian island of Tasmania, Hobart is far, far away, but well worth the journey. Within the city, the Queen’s Domain, a rolling park full of woodlands and fields,  includes the last of the island’s original endemic grasslands. A great bicycle path rolls along both sides of the river; the Tasman Bridge connects the city to the communities on the river’s far side. The bike trail on the opposite side goes through bike trails through the riverside communities of Rosny, Bellerive, and Howrah, affording breathtaking views back toward the city and the mountain behind. Hobart is about as far away as you can get but it is a great place to visit. Distant, calm, and beautiful. (My post about Hobart is here.)

  The Queen’s Domain, in Hobart

    Along the Derwent River, in Hobart

      Royal Castle, in Warsaw’s Old Town

7.Warsaw: Warsaw, Poland’s capital city, largely destroyed in WWII, is today a dynamic city full of life. Its historic, atmospheric Old Town has been painstakingly and stunningly restored. Although many remnants of the Soviet era remain, they are slowly being replaced. One of the city’s many unexpected features is that it is full of green space. Nowy Świat, the Royal Route, lined with shops, restaurants and cafés in restored neo-classical buildings, runs through the city’s historic district and connects the royal palaces. Along the way is the Łazienki Krowlewskie (Royal Baths) park, a wooded, 200-acre area that includes the baroque 17th century Palace on the Isle. There are also a number of interesting museums and memorials testifying to city’s terrible 20th century ordeals, including most notably the Warsaw Rising Museum, dedicated to the tragic Warsaw Rising of 1944. (My post about Warsaw is here.)

  Nowy Świat, the Royal Route, in Warsaw

    The Palace on the Isle in Łazienki Krowlewskie (Royal Baths) park

  Oslofjord

6. Oslo: Oslo, Norway’s capital city, is located at the northern end of Oslofjord. The city’s proximity to the mountains means that the Nordmarka recreational area can be reached on the city’s Tunnelbane (metro), affording great views of the fjord. In the city proper, the  Det kongelige slott, built in the 19th century and now serving as the home of Norway’s present King Harald V and Queen Sonja, sits on a rise within the city center and looks eastward down Karl Johans gate, the central city’s main thoroughfare, toward the Storting, the Norwegian Parliament building. Along the harbor is the city’s most recognizable landmark, Akershus Festning, a 13th century fortress located on a headland within the harbor at the top of the fjord, and the new distinctive Opera House, built on the city’s harbor in a shape intended to be reminiscent of an ice berg. The views along the harbor are distinctive as well, and, as noted below, there are great places to hike in and around Oslo as well. There are a lot of great places to visit in Scandinavia, but Oslo is a great place to start. My posts about Oslo are here and here.

  Det kongelige slott

  Oslo Opera House. Note the cranes behind; Oslo is basically one big construction site as the country puts its oil wealth to work

  A frozen mist over the Oslo harbor

  6. Budapest: Budapest is a big beautiful city full of Old World Europe charm. In his book, The Danube, a Cultural History, Andrew Beattie called Budapest “the loveliest and most elegant city on the Danube.” Budapest, Beattie writes, “takes the Danube to its heart.” In Budapest, the steep hills along the city’s west side “allow an appreciation of just how much the river seems to be cradled by the city.” It is as if the Danube is “flowing, steady and implacable, through a cupped hand.” Buda, on the city’s Western hilly side, and Pest, on the level eastern side, were for most of their history separate cities. The two formerly separate cities are now joined by numerous bridges.

  Budapest on the Danube

The two most distinctive features on the Buda side are the historic Castle Hill, crowned by a reconstructed Habsburg era castle (now the national art gallery), and the taller, more rugged Gellért Hill, which affords a great view across to Pest. Across the river in Pest, the many beautiful pedestrianized streets in the central district are lined with cafes and restaurants, as well as innumerable souvenir shops selling stacking dolls and intricately embroidered lace tablecloths. In Pest, along the river north of the Chain Bridge, is the dramatic Hungarian Parliament building, possibly the most beautiful building on the entire river. Budapest, like the excellent Hungarian wine, is to be savored and enjoyed. My post about Budapest is here.

  Gellért Hill

  Vaci Utca, the famous pedestrianized street in Pest

  The Hungrian Parliament Building, on the Danube

  Flowing through the center of Ljubljana is the Ljubljanica River

4. Ljubljana: Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, may not be familiar to many, so here’s what you need to know: Ljubljana is an absolute gem – compact and beautiful. Ljubljana has a great vibe, great wine, and interesting architecture. Ljubljana, my friends, is a seriously cool place. As seems to be the case with so many Eastern European capital cities, Ljubljana’s historic old town sits at the base of the a castle hill. The city’s current population is about 250,000, but Ljubljana feels smaller – it is a city that can be covered almost entirely on foot. It is in fact an extraordinarily pleasant city in which to walk around. The tree-lined river with promenades on either side winds through the old town. Casual strollers walk along the river, while others sit at sidewalk cafes and restaurants taking in the pleasant ambiance.

    Much of the city was destroyed by an earthquake in 1895, and many of the buildings in the New Town were rebuilt in an attractive Vienna Secession style. A generation later, the local architect Jože Plečnik, whose distinct style is virtually ubiquitous in Ljubljana, added a host of buildings, landmarks, and public works. On the opposite side of the city’s central district is Tivoli Park;  Rožnik, an almost  1,300 foot wooded hill with hiking trails slopes upward behind the formal park. The woods on the hillside have a convincingly rustic feel, providing a little bit of a taste of Slovenia outside of the capital city’s confines. Ljubljana is a special place, one that you really don’t want to miss. My post about Ljubljana is here.

  A view of Ljubljana from the top of Rožnik, with the Slovenian Alps visible just beyond in the mist

    Auckland

3. Auckland: Auckland is a beautifully situated and prosperous city located on New Zealand’s northern island. The city is built between two harbors — Waitemata Harbor to the north, which opens east to the Hauraki Gulf,and Manukau Harbor to the south, which opens west to the Tasman Sea. Thanks to changes in the country’s immigration laws, the face  of the city has changed as well – Auckland has to be one of the most diverse cities on the planet. It has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world and a huge Asian and southeast Asian population as well.

    Waitemata Harbour to the north, looking toward Hauraki Gulf

  Devonport, a pleasant seaside suburb with small shops, cafes and restaurants sits on the opposite side of Waitemata Harbor. Mt. Victoria, a nearly 300 ft. volcanic outcropping that affords great views back toward the city center as well as out beyond the harbor to Hauraki Gulf. A 45-minute ferry ride across Hauraki Gulf is Waiheke, a rugged 12-mile long island. Every turning and side road on Waiheke leads down to beautiful, shell-covered beaches. The beaches further away from the ferry landing are generally deserted, and each one seemingly more attractive than the one before. With all of these many natural advantages, Auckland is a get-away of a very unique and special kind. (My post about Auckland is here.)

  One of the many beaches in Waiheke

  2. Tallinn: The most important thing to know about Tallinn, Estonia’s capital, is that its old town and historic city walls — including 26 watchtowers — are largely intact, making it one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe. Within the walls, the city is full of Gothic-era houses, beautiful church towers, and graceful spires. The fortified areas and much of the city within have been mostly (although not entirely) refurbished. The streets of the old town are lined with excellent restaurants, shops, and cafes. Just five tram stops east of the old town is Kadriorg, a city park build from the pleasure gardens of the palace that the Russian Emperor Peter the Great built for his wife, Catherine. The palace now houses an art museum.

      Tallinn Town Hall

  There are several excellent museums in Tallinn that help explain the country’s fascinating and complicated history, including in particular the Museum of Occupations, which explored the city’s occupation by the Russians and Germans between 1939 and 1991. Since 1991, the country has been transformed.  The current atmosphere is overwhelmingly positive and forward-looking. Estonia joined the EU in 2004 and it adopted the Euro in 2011.  Tallinn itself projects openness and dynamism. It is also a distinct and fascinating place to visit. My post about Tallinn is here.

  Kadriorg Palace

  1. Dubrovnik: We were fortunate enough to have the chance to visit Dubrovnik last Memorial Day weekend. Despite the crowds from the cruise ships in the city’s narrow streets, Dubrovnik is my new favorite place. It also may be the most photogenic city in the world. Dubrovnik is located on the Adriatic Sea, on the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, only a few miles north of the border with Montenegro. To the city’s northwest, on a small peninsula, a separate fortress tower overlooks the walled city. Within the walls, the streets are narrow. Just offshore from Dubrovnik is the wooded island of Lokram. A walkway atop the city walls affords great views back into the city, toward Lokram, and out into the Adriatic Sea. A cable car leads up to the top of Mount Srđ with great views of the old town and of the island.

  Dubrovnik Old Town and Lokram Island

    Inside Dubrovnik Old Town

  Lokrum is a 15-minute ferry ride from the city. A walkway winds around the island. On the island’s far side, there is a long rocky shingle where there were many swimmers and sunbathers. You can lower yourself into the Adriatic using one of the many ladders along the rocks. Back in the city, Gradac Park, located just to the west of the fortress, is a great place for a picnic on benches overlooking the sea. In the evening, you can watch darkness gather and the moon come up over the Adriatic. As night time falls, you can be sure that you have just spent the best day of touristing ever. My post about Dubrovnik is here.

  The Adriatic, viewed from Lokram, looking toward Montenegro

    Moonrise over Lokram Island and the Adriatic

  Top Ten City Urban Walks: As might be discernible between the lines in my descriptions above, one of my favorite things to do in a new city is to walk around and explore, and there is nothing I enjoy more than a good hike. In that spirit, I have listed below my ten favorite urban hikes. To make this list, the hike must be interesting, afford interesting views, and be reasonably accessible from the center city. With those criteria in mind here is my list of top ten city hikes.

  10. Freiburg: The German college town of Freiburg is located in the country’s southwest, near the Schwarzwald (Black Forest). The city is nestled at the base of the Schlossberg, a steep wooded hill that rises to the east of the town, providing sweeping views of the city below, the surrounding hills, and, far to the west, the Vosges Mountains. Deep in the woods are the remains of the ancient Schloss (castle). The city itself is great and worth a visit, but Freiburg also is worth visiting for the many hiking trails along the Schlosserg.

  Walking through the woods on Schlossberg

    A view of Freiburg from the top of Schlossberg

    9. Howth (Dublin): About a 30-minute ride north of Dublin on the DASH commuter train is the atmospheric old port city of Howth (pronounced “Hoe(t)”). Above the city are rocky headlands overlooking the Irish Sea, affording views to north of the Eye of Ireland and to the south of Dublin and the Wicklow Mountains beyond. Best of all, when you finish hiking the trails through the headlands, you can head back to the village of Howth and have a Guiness in a seaside pub.

  Looking south toward Dublin’s harbor entrance, and beyond to the Wicklow Mountains

    The Eye of Ireland

      8. Lübeck: The venerable German port city of Lübeck is located on an island in the Trave River. A footpath winds along the riverside around the entire perimeter of the island. This is the kind of walking I enjoy most, with a changing series of interesting buildings and views providing a glimpse into the past and present life of an historic and interesting place. It is possible to walk around the island in a couple of hours, but there are so many detours and distractions that it took me quite a bit longer. An excellent way to spend an afternoon.

        7. Suomenlinna (Helsinki): Just a short ferry ride from the Baltic city of Helsinki is the fortress island of Suomenlinna. There are a host of military installations on the island, some of them still in active use. A rugged pathway leads along the shoreline, affording great views out to the Gulf of Finland and back toward Helsinki. In the island’s interior, a network of pathways traverses meadows and rolls around ponds and woodlands. An sunny afternoon on island is about as pleasant a way as you can every spend a day.

  From the ramparts of the fortress on Suomenlinna, looking out into the Gulf of Finland, toward the Baltic Sea

      6. Hamburg: Hamburg is a North Sea port city located on the Elbe River. In the city’s center are two man-made lakes, the smaller Binnenalster (Inner Alster) and the larger Außenalster (Outer Alster). A walkway runs around the two lakes. It takes about an hour and a quarter at a good clip to complete the 4.7 mile circuit around the larger of the two lakes. Between the lakes, and at the northern end of the smaller lake, are two side-by-side bridges, the Kennedybrücke to the north and Lombardsbrücke to the south. At the Southern end of the smaller lake is Hamburg’s famous street, Jungfernsteig. Along the way around the larger lake, there are great views of the city, of many interesting houses, and of life along the lakes. I really like Hamburg, for many reasons, but I think the top reason is how much I enjoy walking around the lakes.

  The Außenalster, in late afternoon

    A view toward Hamburg from the northern end of Außenalster, at dusk

    5. Akersleva (Oslo): A footpath runs along the length of the Akerselva, a river that rolls downhill for about five miles from Lake Maridalsvannet, Oslo’s largest lake and its main source of drinking water, to the city center. In the 19thcentury, the river was the center of the city’s industrial activity, with mill buildings, textile factories, and mechanical workshops lining its banks. The structures, now mostly repurposed as galleries, offices, and schools, still stand, mostly congregated at the point where the river’s steep hillside descent forms rapids or waterfalls. The river pathway is now wooded and quiet, and in late spring the woods were full of flowering trees and birdsong.

  Lake Maridalsvannet

  Rapids on the Akerselva

    Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh

4. Arthur’s Seat (Edinburgh): At the foot of the historic Royal Mile and looming above Holyrood Palace is the craggy peak known as Arthur’s Seat, the highest point among the rocky outcroppings of the Salisbury Crags. A series of trails leads to this rugged hillside’s peak. On a clear day, the view from Arthur’s Seat can seem almost limitless. To the east, the Firth of Forth stretches out to the North Sea. About twenty miles away, the soft, rolling beauty of the Pentland Hills frames the view to the southwest. To the north, Edinburgh castle soars about the city below.

    A pathway on Arthur’s Seat

  A view of the Firth of Forth, looking toward the North Sea

  Looking toward the Pentland Hills

    Palacio Nacional de Sintra

3. Sintra (Lisbon): A short ride by commuter train outside Lisbon is the historic community of Sintra, home to several Portuguese royal palaces. In the village itself is the Palacio Nacional de Sintra, an interesting historic site. Above the village and palace, on the top of the adjacent mountainside, at the top of a steep pathway, is the Castelo dos Mouros, built in the 8th or 9th century by the Moors, later captured by Norse invaders, and ultimately taken by the Portuguese. The views from the vertiginous battlements are absolutely astonishing. Beyond that, and even further up along an even higher mountainside is the colorful and distinctive Pena Palace. The terraces of the Pena Palace afford terrific panoramic views of the surrounding countryside, of the ocean, and of Lisbon itself, more than 20 miles away. Hiking the hills in Sintra is a strenuous, demanding, all-day project, but it is also one of the all-time great tourist adventures.

  Castelo dos Mouros

  Pena Palace

  Bondi Beach

2. Bondi to Coogee Walkway (Sydney): The beach community of Bondi (pronounced “BOND-eye”) is about a 15-minute cab ride from the Sydney central business district. Bondi Beach is itself a beautiful place; one of its great attractions is a coastal hike, the Bondi to Coogee Walk. The walk is a seaside trail that winds along the ocean shoreline. It is about 12 km (about 7.5 miles) round trip. There are great views of the ocean, of the various communities along the ocean front, and of the several small beaches between Bondi and Coogee. I am going to cheat on my top ten list here to add that there is another great coastal hike in Sydney (I just couldn’t decide which one to choose), the Manly to Spit Bridge Scenic Walk, a rugged trail that rolls along the shoreline of Sydney Harbor. The pathway is 20 km round trip (about 12.4 miles) and affords great views of the harbor coastline, of the Sydney Harbor entrance, and of the harbor section of the Sydney Harbour National Park. These two walks, separately or together, are among my favorite hikes anywhere.

  Along the Bondi to Coogee walk

      Bronte Beach, between Bondi and Coogee. (You can see storm clouds to the South.)

    The Sydney Harbor entrance, viewed from the Manly to Spit Bridge walk, in the Sydney Harbor National Park

  1. Seoul: Bukhansan National Park, located inside Seoul’s city limits, is full of jagged mountains. The mountains are traversed by steep, stony trails. One rugged path leads basically straight uphill to a gate in the city’s ancient defensive wall, sections of which still run along the ridge-top. The hike to the top is about as demanding as I have attempted, at least as far as urban hikes go. There are several stretches that require scrambling on all fours. From the ridge-top, there are spectacular views of the surrounding countryside and of nearby Seoul itself. Beyond Seoul are ranks of successive mountain ranges, marching toward the distant horizon. A terrific hike and altogether a fabulous experience.

          A section of the city’s defensive walls

    A view of Seoul, just below. Ranks of mountain ranges march into the haze, toward the horizon

The post Top Ten Places (That You Might Not Think of) to Visit appeared first on The D&O Diary.

Top Ten Places (That You Might Not Think of) to Visit published first on http://simonconsultancypage.tumblr.com/

[beenhereseenthis]

The Day Zero Project, or How I Convinced Myself to Do 140 Things Before My 40th Birthday

Start Date: January 1, 2018

End Date: October 29, 2021

Current Progress: 4/140 Completed

Money Saved for Items Completed:

Money Donated for Items Failed:

Last updated: July 15, 2018

Travel (0/34)

Act like a tourist in NYC.

Explore 5 new museums that I’ve never been to before. (0/5)

Go on a tour of the White House.

(Virginia) - Stay at Smith Mountain Lake.

(Virginia) - Tour Arlington National Cemetery.

(Virginia) - See the tulips at Burnside Farms in Haymarket.

(Virginia) - Do the Route 11 Yard Crawl.

(Virginia) - Explore Richmond.

(Virginia) - Find - and photograph - at least 10 “Love” signs

(Virginia) - Have a staycation.

(Austin) - Attend a live music show.

(Austin) - Find - and photograph - at least 10 of the Austin murals.

(Austin) - Go to either Schlitterbahn or Barton Springs.

(Austin) - Go bar hopping on 6th Street.

(Austin) - Conquer my fear and see the bats under Congress Avenue Bridge (and try not to have a panic attack in the process).

(New Jersey) - Explore Seaside Heights.

(New Jersey) - Attend the Quick Chek Festival of Ballooning in Readington (and maybe ride a balloon?)

(New Jersey) - Explore Cape May.

(New Jersey) - Explore Asbury Park.

Visit an iconic haunted building/location. (0/1)

Go on another cruise

Get 3 new stamps in my passport (0/3).

Visit 3 new foreign countries that I’ve never been to (0/3).

Visit - and spend at least one night in - a minimum of 3 US states per year (0/12).

Wake up in Vegas.

Spend a night in an ice hotel.

Travel by train, either within the US or from the US to Canada.

Visit 5 iconic horror movie landmarks. (0/5)

Go camping (staying in a cabin counts!)

Take a weekend trip by myself at least once (0/1)

Visit the Pioneer Woman Mercantile Store and tour the Drummond Ranch in Pawhuska, OK.

Stay in a bed and breakfast.

Go on a haunted ghost tour.

Explore Harper’s Ferry in WV.

Food and Drink (0/21)

Eat breakfast in bed.

Learn how to make my favorite martinis.

Try 5 new foods. (1/5) risotto

Have afternoon tea in the US.

Try food from 10 new food trucks. (0/10)

Attend the New York City Wine and Food Festival or the Austin Wine and Food Festival (or both!)

Have a cheesesteak taste test in Philly - Pat’s vs. Geno’s

Eat at 3 celebrity restaurants (0/3)

Go fruit picking and bake something from scratch using the fruit picked.

Have a drink at an ice bar.

Make one signature meal from each of the countries my family is from.

Attend a murder-mystery dinner.

Try 100 new recipes and make a photo cookbook of all recipes tried (62/100)

Go on a food tour in NYC.

Go on a food tour in DC or Baltimore.

Eat Maryland crab cakes in Maryland.

Try 100 new restaurants both close to home and while traveling (2/100) - The Sandwich Shop, Vienna, VA; Marinara Pizza, New York, NY

Prepare a meal using only items bought from a farmer’s market

Take a sushi class and learn how to roll my own sushi.

Conquer my fear and learn to cook fish that isn’t already frozen. (Completed 03/05/18)

Eat at 10 diners I’ve never been to (bonus points if they’re not in NJ) (0/10).

Entertainment (0/23)

Attend 5 live tapings of TV shows (0/5).

Attend 5 fandom conventions (0/5).

Re-read all Harry Potter books, including books in the HP universe...

...and then have a Harry Potter movie marathon.

See an MLB game.

Attend a concert of a band/singer I’ve never seen before.

Go to a drive-in movie theater 5 times (0/5).

Attend a trivia event.

Go to the movies 25 times (0/25).

Attend a Redskins game at FedEx field with my mom for her 55th birthday.

Xbox Gamerscore - improve from 50,600 to 75,000 (0/24,400)

PlayStation Trophies - improve from 128 to 300 (0/172)

Xbox 100% Complete Games - improve from 8 to 15 (0/7)

PlayStation 100% Complete Games - improve from 1 to 10 (4/10)

Read/listen to 140 books and track on Goodreads (bonus points if listed on the Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge!) (1/140) In Conclusion, Don’t Worry About It (Lauren Graham)

See 3 new plays on Broadway or the West End (0/3).

Have a Lord of the Rings/Hobbit movie marathon.

See 10 classic movies that I’ve never seen (0/10)

Complete a 30-day photo challenge and post to Instagram (0/30).

Attend a local fair/festival.

Attend 3 comedy shows (0/3).

See something at Wolf Trap.

Watch 31 horror movies each October (2018 - 0/31; 2019 - 0/31; 2020 - 0/31; 2021 - 0/31)

Finance Goals (0/10)

Complete the 52-week money challenge (0/52).

Pay off my car in full (and do not buy another car unless absolutely necessary)

Pay down my student loans by 25%.

Buy shares of stock in 10 of my favorite companies (1/10) Starbucks

Get 401k to $25,000

Pay down debt by 25%

Create - and maintain - an emergency fund of at least $1,000 ($1,000/$1,000) (Completed 05/29/18) still maintained as of 07/15/18

Buy - or be in the process of buying - a house.

Improve my credit score with all three bureaus.

Add $10 to savings for each completed item.

Personal Goals (0/28)

Lose 25 lbs. (0/25)...

...and then lose another 25 lbs. (0/25)

Finish a 1,000 piece puzzle.

Attempt 15 DIY projects saved to my Pinterest boards (0/15)

Set up a coffee bar in the dining room.

Set up a gallery wall in the living room.

Finish building and organizing the bookshelves in my bedroom...

...and then post a bookshelfy to Instagram.

Take 3 classes through Fairfax County ACE program (0/3).

Participate in 3 events sponsored by the Smithsonian Associates (0/3)

Take - and do well on - the GRE (and GRE subject tests, if needed)...

...and then reapply - and get accepted to - a Psy.D or Ph.D program.

Renew my passport and have a better picture.

Complete either Ancestry DNA and/or 23andme

Complete family tree (to the best of my ability) to at least five generations from me

Learn calligraphy

Learn how to knit and make something.

Donate blood (and find out my blood type).

Take a baking/cooking class.

Take a photography class or tour.

Achieve 50% fluency in Spanish through Duolingo (Completed 02/26/18)

Vote in every Presidential and Non-Presidential election.

Do more with my Masters than just hang it on a wall.

Start another list when this list is finished (and add any of the items I failed to do)

For at least one year, note one good thing that happened each week and, on New Year’s Eve, reflect back on the amazing year I had (0/52)

Do something fantastic for my 40th birthday.

Create a vision board at the beginning of each year (2019, 2020, 2021)

Do something out of my comfort zone.

Family (0/3)

Do something with Max (TBD)

Do something with Michael (TBD)

Take Melissa to the Lucille Ball Museum in Jamestown, NY

Charity (0/7)

Volunteer for a cause that I’m passionate about

Donate to 5 kickstarter or gofundme projects that I believe in or that are of interest to me (0/5).

Give back to my colleges (0/3)

Donate to Toys for Tots each year (2018, 2019, 2020).

Donate $10 for each item I fail to complete.

Walk a 5k for a charity.

Tip 100% at a restaurant on a bill that totals more than $20.

Random (1/14)

Go to a shooting range and learn how to shoot a gun.

Collect Starbucks cups from 10 different cities and/or states (0/10).

Buy fresh flowers for my office at least 10 times (0/10).

Get a small tattoo.

Visit a cat café.

Get a psychic reading/get my palm read.

Own something from Tiffany’s.

Create an Instagram to document progress; link back to Tumblr. (Completed 01/01/18)

Have a legit picnic.

Own a Le Creuset dutch oven.

Ride on a sailboat.

Purchase - and maintain - a “where I’ve been” map.

Get a blow out at a dry bar.

Meet 10 celebrities (0/10)

[lawfultruth]

Top Ten Places (That You Might Not Think of) to Visit

The Adriatic Sea, viewed from the city walls of Dubrovnik

In a few days, I will be publishing my annual Top Ten D&O Stories list for 2018. For now, though, I know that everyone is enjoying the holidays, and that right now no one really wants to be reading about insurance or the law. So instead, over the next few days I am going to be publishing a series of alternative Top Ten lists, starting with today’s list of Top Ten Places (That you Might Not Think of) to Visit.

  First, a few preliminaries. There are some big obvious places that everybody wants to visit. No one needs me to tell them that, say, London, Paris, Vienna, Madrid, or Rome are great places to visit. So today’s the Top Ten list is a sort of an alternative list. This is a list of places you might not know about but that you really ought to visit. Without any further ado, here is my Top Ten List of Places to Visit, starting with number 10. (Please also see my list of Top Ten Urban Hikes, below)

  Seoul, Korea

10. Seoul: At first blush, Seoul might seem to be an odd choice for this list. It is one of the largest cities in the world by population. But despite its size and undeniable prominence I doubt it would make most people’s list of top places to visit. The fact is that Seoul is full of interesting and historical sites, great restaurants and street food, and interesting neighborhoods. And the best of all, there is a massive national park full of mountains and hiking trails right in the city.

  The Five Grand Palaces of the Joseon Dynasty are now largely restored and make for interesting exploration. The tree-lined Insadong neighborhood is lively and full of interesting restaurants in the narrow side-alleys serving regional cuisine. The pedestrianized streets in the Myeongdong neighborhood are lined with stores and full of food vendors selling street food from food carts. The Bukhansan National Park, a beautiful area of forested mountains covering over thirty square miles that can be reached by city bus. (See more about the park in the second list, below). Seoul is an unexpectedly interesting place, well worth a visit. (My blog post about Seoul is here.)

  The main hall at Gyongbokgung, with Bukhansan looming in the background

  Evening in the Insadong neighborhood

    Street food in the Myeongdong district

    9. Mostar: Mostar is the largest city in the Herzegovina province of Bosnia-Herzegovina. It is also one of the most colorful and interesting places I have ever visited. It sits astride the beautiful, naturally green-tinted Neretva River. The city’s streets and skyline reflect the city’s long history as part of the Ottoman Empire. The main shopping street has the feel of a Turkish bazaar. The river’s eastern shore is lined with mosque minarets.

  Minarets over the Naretva River, in Mostar

    The street market in Mostar has the feel of a Turkish bazaar

  The high point of Mostar is its famous Stari Most (the Old Bridge), which connects the city’s Muslim eastern side to its Catholic Croat west side. The bridge was completed in 1568, under the Ottomans. It is considered by many to be the preeminent piece of Balkan Islamic architecture. It was destroyed during the terrible war that wracked the country in the 1990s. The bridge unites the river’s eastern Muslim side to its Catholic Croat side, although the divisions between the communities unfortunately remain.  It has been beautifully restored, though many other traces and remnants of the war remain. Mostar is a fascinating place — there are very few other places where history seems quite so raw and accessible. My blog post about Mostar is here.

  The Stari Most, in Mostar

    The Stari Most and the Naretva River, Mostar

  Hobart, Tasmania

8. Hobart: Located on the Derwent River and nestled beneath Mt. Wellington on the Australian island of Tasmania, Hobart is far, far away, but well worth the journey. Within the city, the Queen’s Domain, a rolling park full of woodlands and fields,  includes the last of the island’s original endemic grasslands. A great bicycle path rolls along both sides of the river; the Tasman Bridge connects the city to the communities on the river’s far side. The bike trail on the opposite side goes through bike trails through the riverside communities of Rosny, Bellerive, and Howrah, affording breathtaking views back toward the city and the mountain behind. Hobart is about as far away as you can get but it is a great place to visit. Distant, calm, and beautiful. (My post about Hobart is here.)

  The Queen’s Domain, in Hobart

    Along the Derwent River, in Hobart

      Royal Castle, in Warsaw’s Old Town

7.Warsaw: Warsaw, Poland’s capital city, largely destroyed in WWII, is today a dynamic city full of life. Its historic, atmospheric Old Town has been painstakingly and stunningly restored. Although many remnants of the Soviet era remain, they are slowly being replaced. One of the city’s many unexpected features is that it is full of green space. Nowy Świat, the Royal Route, lined with shops, restaurants and cafés in restored neo-classical buildings, runs through the city’s historic district and connects the royal palaces. Along the way is the Łazienki Krowlewskie (Royal Baths) park, a wooded, 200-acre area that includes the baroque 17th century Palace on the Isle. There are also a number of interesting museums and memorials testifying to city’s terrible 20th century ordeals, including most notably the Warsaw Rising Museum, dedicated to the tragic Warsaw Rising of 1944. (My post about Warsaw is here.)

  Nowy Świat, the Royal Route, in Warsaw

    The Palace on the Isle in Łazienki Krowlewskie (Royal Baths) park

  Oslofjord

6. Oslo: Oslo, Norway’s capital city, is located at the northern end of Oslofjord. The city’s proximity to the mountains means that the Nordmarka recreational area can be reached on the city’s Tunnelbane (metro), affording great views of the fjord. In the city proper, the  Det kongelige slott, built in the 19th century and now serving as the home of Norway’s present King Harald V and Queen Sonja, sits on a rise within the city center and looks eastward down Karl Johans gate, the central city’s main thoroughfare, toward the Storting, the Norwegian Parliament building. Along the harbor is the city’s most recognizable landmark, Akershus Festning, a 13th century fortress located on a headland within the harbor at the top of the fjord, and the new distinctive Opera House, built on the city’s harbor in a shape intended to be reminiscent of an ice berg. The views along the harbor are distinctive as well, and, as noted below, there are great places to hike in and around Oslo as well. There are a lot of great places to visit in Scandinavia, but Oslo is a great place to start. My posts about Oslo are here and here.

  Det kongelige slott

  Oslo Opera House. Note the cranes behind; Oslo is basically one big construction site as the country puts its oil wealth to work

  A frozen mist over the Oslo harbor

  6. Budapest: Budapest is a big beautiful city full of Old World Europe charm. In his book, The Danube, a Cultural History, Andrew Beattie called Budapest “the loveliest and most elegant city on the Danube.” Budapest, Beattie writes, “takes the Danube to its heart.” In Budapest, the steep hills along the city’s west side “allow an appreciation of just how much the river seems to be cradled by the city.” It is as if the Danube is “flowing, steady and implacable, through a cupped hand.” Buda, on the city’s Western hilly side, and Pest, on the level eastern side, were for most of their history separate cities. The two formerly separate cities are now joined by numerous bridges.

  Budapest on the Danube

The two most distinctive features on the Buda side are the historic Castle Hill, crowned by a reconstructed Habsburg era castle (now the national art gallery), and the taller, more rugged Gellért Hill, which affords a great view across to Pest. Across the river in Pest, the many beautiful pedestrianized streets in the central district are lined with cafes and restaurants, as well as innumerable souvenir shops selling stacking dolls and intricately embroidered lace tablecloths. In Pest, along the river north of the Chain Bridge, is the dramatic Hungarian Parliament building, possibly the most beautiful building on the entire river. Budapest, like the excellent Hungarian wine, is to be savored and enjoyed. My post about Budapest is here.

  Gellért Hill

  Vaci Utca, the famous pedestrianized street in Pest

  The Hungrian Parliament Building, on the Danube

  Flowing through the center of Ljubljana is the Ljubljanica River

4. Ljubljana: Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, may not be familiar to many, so here’s what you need to know: Ljubljana is an absolute gem – compact and beautiful. Ljubljana has a great vibe, great wine, and interesting architecture. Ljubljana, my friends, is a seriously cool place. As seems to be the case with so many Eastern European capital cities, Ljubljana’s historic old town sits at the base of the a castle hill. The city’s current population is about 250,000, but Ljubljana feels smaller – it is a city that can be covered almost entirely on foot. It is in fact an extraordinarily pleasant city in which to walk around. The tree-lined river with promenades on either side winds through the old town. Casual strollers walk along the river, while others sit at sidewalk cafes and restaurants taking in the pleasant ambiance.

    Much of the city was destroyed by an earthquake in 1895, and many of the buildings in the New Town were rebuilt in an attractive Vienna Secession style. A generation later, the local architect Jože Plečnik, whose distinct style is virtually ubiquitous in Ljubljana, added a host of buildings, landmarks, and public works. On the opposite side of the city’s central district is Tivoli Park;  Rožnik, an almost  1,300 foot wooded hill with hiking trails slopes upward behind the formal park. The woods on the hillside have a convincingly rustic feel, providing a little bit of a taste of Slovenia outside of the capital city’s confines. Ljubljana is a special place, one that you really don’t want to miss. My post about Ljubljana is here.

  A view of Ljubljana from the top of Rožnik, with the Slovenian Alps visible just beyond in the mist

    Auckland

3. Auckland: Auckland is a beautifully situated and prosperous city located on New Zealand’s northern island. The city is built between two harbors — Waitemata Harbor to the north, which opens east to the Hauraki Gulf,and Manukau Harbor to the south, which opens west to the Tasman Sea. Thanks to changes in the country’s immigration laws, the face  of the city has changed as well – Auckland has to be one of the most diverse cities on the planet. It has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world and a huge Asian and southeast Asian population as well.

    Waitemata Harbour to the north, looking toward Hauraki Gulf

  Devonport, a pleasant seaside suburb with small shops, cafes and restaurants sits on the opposite side of Waitemata Harbor. Mt. Victoria, a nearly 300 ft. volcanic outcropping that affords great views back toward the city center as well as out beyond the harbor to Hauraki Gulf. A 45-minute ferry ride across Hauraki Gulf is Waiheke, a rugged 12-mile long island. Every turning and side road on Waiheke leads down to beautiful, shell-covered beaches. The beaches further away from the ferry landing are generally deserted, and each one seemingly more attractive than the one before. With all of these many natural advantages, Auckland is a get-away of a very unique and special kind. (My post about Auckland is here.)

  One of the many beaches in Waiheke

  2. Tallinn: The most important thing to know about Tallinn, Estonia’s capital, is that its old town and historic city walls — including 26 watchtowers — are largely intact, making it one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe. Within the walls, the city is full of Gothic-era houses, beautiful church towers, and graceful spires. The fortified areas and much of the city within have been mostly (although not entirely) refurbished. The streets of the old town are lined with excellent restaurants, shops, and cafes. Just five tram stops east of the old town is Kadriorg, a city park build from the pleasure gardens of the palace that the Russian Emperor Peter the Great built for his wife, Catherine. The palace now houses an art museum.

      Tallinn Town Hall

  There are several excellent museums in Tallinn that help explain the country’s fascinating and complicated history, including in particular the Museum of Occupations, which explored the city’s occupation by the Russians and Germans between 1939 and 1991. Since 1991, the country has been transformed.  The current atmosphere is overwhelmingly positive and forward-looking. Estonia joined the EU in 2004 and it adopted the Euro in 2011.  Tallinn itself projects openness and dynamism. It is also a distinct and fascinating place to visit. My post about Tallinn is here.

  Kadriorg Palace

  1. Dubrovnik: We were fortunate enough to have the chance to visit Dubrovnik last Memorial Day weekend. Despite the crowds from the cruise ships in the city’s narrow streets, Dubrovnik is my new favorite place. It also may be the most photogenic city in the world. Dubrovnik is located on the Adriatic Sea, on the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, only a few miles north of the border with Montenegro. To the city’s northwest, on a small peninsula, a separate fortress tower overlooks the walled city. Within the walls, the streets are narrow. Just offshore from Dubrovnik is the wooded island of Lokram. A walkway atop the city walls affords great views back into the city, toward Lokram, and out into the Adriatic Sea. A cable car leads up to the top of Mount Srđ with great views of the old town and of the island.

  Dubrovnik Old Town and Lokram Island

    Inside Dubrovnik Old Town

  Lokrum is a 15-minute ferry ride from the city. A walkway winds around the island. On the island’s far side, there is a long rocky shingle where there were many swimmers and sunbathers. You can lower yourself into the Adriatic using one of the many ladders along the rocks. Back in the city, Gradac Park, located just to the west of the fortress, is a great place for a picnic on benches overlooking the sea. In the evening, you can watch darkness gather and the moon come up over the Adriatic. As night time falls, you can be sure that you have just spent the best day of touristing ever. My post about Dubrovnik is here.

  The Adriatic, viewed from Lokram, looking toward Montenegro

    Moonrise over Lokram Island and the Adriatic

  Top Ten City Urban Walks: As might be discernible between the lines in my descriptions above, one of my favorite things to do in a new city is to walk around and explore, and there is nothing I enjoy more than a good hike. In that spirit, I have listed below my ten favorite urban hikes. To make this list, the hike must be interesting, afford interesting views, and be reasonably accessible from the center city. With those criteria in mind here is my list of top ten city hikes.

  10. Freiburg: The German college town of Freiburg is located in the country’s southwest, near the Schwarzwald (Black Forest). The city is nestled at the base of the Schlossberg, a steep wooded hill that rises to the east of the town, providing sweeping views of the city below, the surrounding hills, and, far to the west, the Vosges Mountains. Deep in the woods are the remains of the ancient Schloss (castle). The city itself is great and worth a visit, but Freiburg also is worth visiting for the many hiking trails along the Schlosserg.

  Walking through the woods on Schlossberg

    A view of Freiburg from the top of Schlossberg

    9. Howth (Dublin): About a 30-minute ride north of Dublin on the DASH commuter train is the atmospheric old port city of Howth (pronounced “Hoe(t)”). Above the city are rocky headlands overlooking the Irish Sea, affording views to north of the Eye of Ireland and to the south of Dublin and the Wicklow Mountains beyond. Best of all, when you finish hiking the trails through the headlands, you can head back to the village of Howth and have a Guiness in a seaside pub.

  Looking south toward Dublin’s harbor entrance, and beyond to the Wicklow Mountains

    The Eye of Ireland

      8. Lübeck: The venerable German port city of Lübeck is located on an island in the Trave River. A footpath winds along the riverside around the entire perimeter of the island. This is the kind of walking I enjoy most, with a changing series of interesting buildings and views providing a glimpse into the past and present life of an historic and interesting place. It is possible to walk around the island in a couple of hours, but there are so many detours and distractions that it took me quite a bit longer. An excellent way to spend an afternoon.

        7. Suomenlinna (Helsinki): Just a short ferry ride from the Baltic city of Helsinki is the fortress island of Suomenlinna. There are a host of military installations on the island, some of them still in active use. A rugged pathway leads along the shoreline, affording great views out to the Gulf of Finland and back toward Helsinki. In the island’s interior, a network of pathways traverses meadows and rolls around ponds and woodlands. An sunny afternoon on island is about as pleasant a way as you can every spend a day.

  From the ramparts of the fortress on Suomenlinna, looking out into the Gulf of Finland, toward the Baltic Sea

      6. Hamburg: Hamburg is a North Sea port city located on the Elbe River. In the city’s center are two man-made lakes, the smaller Binnenalster (Inner Alster) and the larger Außenalster (Outer Alster). A walkway runs around the two lakes. It takes about an hour and a quarter at a good clip to complete the 4.7 mile circuit around the larger of the two lakes. Between the lakes, and at the northern end of the smaller lake, are two side-by-side bridges, the Kennedybrücke to the north and Lombardsbrücke to the south. At the Southern end of the smaller lake is Hamburg’s famous street, Jungfernsteig. Along the way around the larger lake, there are great views of the city, of many interesting houses, and of life along the lakes. I really like Hamburg, for many reasons, but I think the top reason is how much I enjoy walking around the lakes.

  The Außenalster, in late afternoon

    A view toward Hamburg from the northern end of Außenalster, at dusk

    5. Akersleva (Oslo): A footpath runs along the length of the Akerselva, a river that rolls downhill for about five miles from Lake Maridalsvannet, Oslo’s largest lake and its main source of drinking water, to the city center. In the 19thcentury, the river was the center of the city’s industrial activity, with mill buildings, textile factories, and mechanical workshops lining its banks. The structures, now mostly repurposed as galleries, offices, and schools, still stand, mostly congregated at the point where the river’s steep hillside descent forms rapids or waterfalls. The river pathway is now wooded and quiet, and in late spring the woods were full of flowering trees and birdsong.

  Lake Maridalsvannet

  Rapids on the Akerselva

    Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh

4. Arthur’s Seat (Edinburgh): At the foot of the historic Royal Mile and looming above Holyrood Palace is the craggy peak known as Arthur’s Seat, the highest point among the rocky outcroppings of the Salisbury Crags. A series of trails leads to this rugged hillside’s peak. On a clear day, the view from Arthur’s Seat can seem almost limitless. To the east, the Firth of Forth stretches out to the North Sea. About twenty miles away, the soft, rolling beauty of the Pentland Hills frames the view to the southwest. To the north, Edinburgh castle soars about the city below.

    A pathway on Arthur’s Seat

  A view of the Firth of Forth, looking toward the North Sea

  Looking toward the Pentland Hills

    Palacio Nacional de Sintra

3. Sintra (Lisbon): A short ride by commuter train outside Lisbon is the historic community of Sintra, home to several Portuguese royal palaces. In the village itself is the Palacio Nacional de Sintra, an interesting historic site. Above the village and palace, on the top of the adjacent mountainside, at the top of a steep pathway, is the Castelo dos Mouros, built in the 8th or 9th century by the Moors, later captured by Norse invaders, and ultimately taken by the Portuguese. The views from the vertiginous battlements are absolutely astonishing. Beyond that, and even further up along an even higher mountainside is the colorful and distinctive Pena Palace. The terraces of the Pena Palace afford terrific panoramic views of the surrounding countryside, of the ocean, and of Lisbon itself, more than 20 miles away. Hiking the hills in Sintra is a strenuous, demanding, all-day project, but it is also one of the all-time great tourist adventures.

  Castelo dos Mouros

  Pena Palace

  Bondi Beach

2. Bondi to Coogee Walkway (Sydney): The beach community of Bondi (pronounced “BOND-eye”) is about a 15-minute cab ride from the Sydney central business district. Bondi Beach is itself a beautiful place; one of its great attractions is a coastal hike, the Bondi to Coogee Walk. The walk is a seaside trail that winds along the ocean shoreline. It is about 12 km (about 7.5 miles) round trip. There are great views of the ocean, of the various communities along the ocean front, and of the several small beaches between Bondi and Coogee. I am going to cheat on my top ten list here to add that there is another great coastal hike in Sydney (I just couldn’t decide which one to choose), the Manly to Spit Bridge Scenic Walk, a rugged trail that rolls along the shoreline of Sydney Harbor. The pathway is 20 km round trip (about 12.4 miles) and affords great views of the harbor coastline, of the Sydney Harbor entrance, and of the harbor section of the Sydney Harbour National Park. These two walks, separately or together, are among my favorite hikes anywhere.

  Along the Bondi to Coogee walk

      Bronte Beach, between Bondi and Coogee. (You can see storm clouds to the South.)

    The Sydney Harbor entrance, viewed from the Manly to Spit Bridge walk, in the Sydney Harbor National Park

  1. Seoul: Bukhansan National Park, located inside Seoul’s city limits, is full of jagged mountains. The mountains are traversed by steep, stony trails. One rugged path leads basically straight uphill to a gate in the city’s ancient defensive wall, sections of which still run along the ridge-top. The hike to the top is about as demanding as I have attempted, at least as far as urban hikes go. There are several stretches that require scrambling on all fours. From the ridge-top, there are spectacular views of the surrounding countryside and of nearby Seoul itself. Beyond Seoul are ranks of successive mountain ranges, marching toward the distant horizon. A terrific hike and altogether a fabulous experience.

          A section of the city’s defensive walls

    A view of Seoul, just below. Ranks of mountain ranges march into the haze, toward the horizon

The post Top Ten Places (That You Might Not Think of) to Visit appeared first on The D&O Diary.

Top Ten Places (That You Might Not Think of) to Visit syndicated from https://ronenkurzfeldweb.wordpress.com/

[golicit]

Top Ten Places (That You Might Not Think of) to Visit

The Adriatic Sea, viewed from the city walls of Dubrovnik

In a few days, I will be publishing my annual Top Ten D&O Stories list for 2018. For now, though, I know that everyone is enjoying the holidays, and that right now no one really wants to be reading about insurance or the law. So instead, over the next few days I am going to be publishing a series of alternative Top Ten lists, starting with today’s list of Top Ten Places (That you Might Not Think of) to Visit.

  First, a few preliminaries. There are some big obvious places that everybody wants to visit. No one needs me to tell them that, say, London, Paris, Vienna, Madrid, or Rome are great places to visit. So today’s the Top Ten list is a sort of an alternative list. This is a list of places you might not know about but that you really ought to visit. Without any further ado, here is my Top Ten List of Places to Visit, starting with number 10. (Please also see my list of Top Ten Urban Hikes, below)

  Seoul, Korea

10. Seoul: At first blush, Seoul might seem to be an odd choice for this list. It is one of the largest cities in the world by population. But despite its size and undeniable prominence I doubt it would make most people’s list of top places to visit. The fact is that Seoul is full of interesting and historical sites, great restaurants and street food, and interesting neighborhoods. And the best of all, there is a massive national park full of mountains and hiking trails right in the city.

  The Five Grand Palaces of the Joseon Dynasty are now largely restored and make for interesting exploration. The tree-lined Insadong neighborhood is lively and full of interesting restaurants in the narrow side-alleys serving regional cuisine. The pedestrianized streets in the Myeongdong neighborhood are lined with stores and full of food vendors selling street food from food carts. The Bukhansan National Park, a beautiful area of forested mountains covering over thirty square miles that can be reached by city bus. (See more about the park in the second list, below). Seoul is an unexpectedly interesting place, well worth a visit. (My blog post about Seoul is here.)

  The main hall at Gyongbokgung, with Bukhansan looming in the background

  Evening in the Insadong neighborhood

    Street food in the Myeongdong district

    9. Mostar: Mostar is the largest city in the Herzegovina province of Bosnia-Herzegovina. It is also one of the most colorful and interesting places I have ever visited. It sits astride the beautiful, naturally green-tinted Neretva River. The city’s streets and skyline reflect the city’s long history as part of the Ottoman Empire. The main shopping street has the feel of a Turkish bazaar. The river’s eastern shore is lined with mosque minarets.

  Minarets over the Naretva River, in Mostar

    The street market in Mostar has the feel of a Turkish bazaar

  The high point of Mostar is its famous Stari Most (the Old Bridge), which connects the city’s Muslim eastern side to its Catholic Croat west side. The bridge was completed in 1568, under the Ottomans. It is considered by many to be the preeminent piece of Balkan Islamic architecture. It was destroyed during the terrible war that wracked the country in the 1990s. The bridge unites the river’s eastern Muslim side to its Catholic Croat side, although the divisions between the communities unfortunately remain.  It has been beautifully restored, though many other traces and remnants of the war remain. Mostar is a fascinating place — there are very few other places where history seems quite so raw and accessible. My blog post about Mostar is here.

  The Stari Most, in Mostar

    The Stari Most and the Naretva River, Mostar

  Hobart, Tasmania

8. Hobart: Located on the Derwent River and nestled beneath Mt. Wellington on the Australian island of Tasmania, Hobart is far, far away, but well worth the journey. Within the city, the Queen’s Domain, a rolling park full of woodlands and fields,  includes the last of the island’s original endemic grasslands. A great bicycle path rolls along both sides of the river; the Tasman Bridge connects the city to the communities on the river’s far side. The bike trail on the opposite side goes through bike trails through the riverside communities of Rosny, Bellerive, and Howrah, affording breathtaking views back toward the city and the mountain behind. Hobart is about as far away as you can get but it is a great place to visit. Distant, calm, and beautiful. (My post about Hobart is here.)

  The Queen’s Domain, in Hobart

    Along the Derwent River, in Hobart

      Royal Castle, in Warsaw’s Old Town

7.Warsaw: Warsaw, Poland’s capital city, largely destroyed in WWII, is today a dynamic city full of life. Its historic, atmospheric Old Town has been painstakingly and stunningly restored. Although many remnants of the Soviet era remain, they are slowly being replaced. One of the city’s many unexpected features is that it is full of green space. Nowy Świat, the Royal Route, lined with shops, restaurants and cafés in restored neo-classical buildings, runs through the city’s historic district and connects the royal palaces. Along the way is the Łazienki Krowlewskie (Royal Baths) park, a wooded, 200-acre area that includes the baroque 17th century Palace on the Isle. There are also a number of interesting museums and memorials testifying to city’s terrible 20th century ordeals, including most notably the Warsaw Rising Museum, dedicated to the tragic Warsaw Rising of 1944. (My post about Warsaw is here.)

  Nowy Świat, the Royal Route, in Warsaw

    The Palace on the Isle in Łazienki Krowlewskie (Royal Baths) park

  Oslofjord

6. Oslo: Oslo, Norway’s capital city, is located at the northern end of Oslofjord. The city’s proximity to the mountains means that the Nordmarka recreational area can be reached on the city’s Tunnelbane (metro), affording great views of the fjord. In the city proper, the  Det kongelige slott, built in the 19th century and now serving as the home of Norway’s present King Harald V and Queen Sonja, sits on a rise within the city center and looks eastward down Karl Johans gate, the central city’s main thoroughfare, toward the Storting, the Norwegian Parliament building. Along the harbor is the city’s most recognizable landmark, Akershus Festning, a 13th century fortress located on a headland within the harbor at the top of the fjord, and the new distinctive Opera House, built on the city’s harbor in a shape intended to be reminiscent of an ice berg. The views along the harbor are distinctive as well, and, as noted below, there are great places to hike in and around Oslo as well. There are a lot of great places to visit in Scandinavia, but Oslo is a great place to start. My posts about Oslo are here and here.

  Det kongelige slott

  Oslo Opera House. Note the cranes behind; Oslo is basically one big construction site as the country puts its oil wealth to work

  A frozen mist over the Oslo harbor

  6. Budapest: Budapest is a big beautiful city full of Old World Europe charm. In his book, The Danube, a Cultural History, Andrew Beattie called Budapest “the loveliest and most elegant city on the Danube.” Budapest, Beattie writes, “takes the Danube to its heart.” In Budapest, the steep hills along the city’s west side “allow an appreciation of just how much the river seems to be cradled by the city.” It is as if the Danube is “flowing, steady and implacable, through a cupped hand.” Buda, on the city’s Western hilly side, and Pest, on the level eastern side, were for most of their history separate cities. The two formerly separate cities are now joined by numerous bridges.

  Budapest on the Danube

The two most distinctive features on the Buda side are the historic Castle Hill, crowned by a reconstructed Habsburg era castle (now the national art gallery), and the taller, more rugged Gellért Hill, which affords a great view across to Pest. Across the river in Pest, the many beautiful pedestrianized streets in the central district are lined with cafes and restaurants, as well as innumerable souvenir shops selling stacking dolls and intricately embroidered lace tablecloths. In Pest, along the river north of the Chain Bridge, is the dramatic Hungarian Parliament building, possibly the most beautiful building on the entire river. Budapest, like the excellent Hungarian wine, is to be savored and enjoyed. My post about Budapest is here.

  Gellért Hill

  Vaci Utca, the famous pedestrianized street in Pest

  The Hungrian Parliament Building, on the Danube

  Flowing through the center of Ljubljana is the Ljubljanica River

4. Ljubljana: Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, may not be familiar to many, so here’s what you need to know: Ljubljana is an absolute gem – compact and beautiful. Ljubljana has a great vibe, great wine, and interesting architecture. Ljubljana, my friends, is a seriously cool place. As seems to be the case with so many Eastern European capital cities, Ljubljana’s historic old town sits at the base of the a castle hill. The city’s current population is about 250,000, but Ljubljana feels smaller – it is a city that can be covered almost entirely on foot. It is in fact an extraordinarily pleasant city in which to walk around. The tree-lined river with promenades on either side winds through the old town. Casual strollers walk along the river, while others sit at sidewalk cafes and restaurants taking in the pleasant ambiance.

    Much of the city was destroyed by an earthquake in 1895, and many of the buildings in the New Town were rebuilt in an attractive Vienna Secession style. A generation later, the local architect Jože Plečnik, whose distinct style is virtually ubiquitous in Ljubljana, added a host of buildings, landmarks, and public works. On the opposite side of the city’s central district is Tivoli Park;  Rožnik, an almost  1,300 foot wooded hill with hiking trails slopes upward behind the formal park. The woods on the hillside have a convincingly rustic feel, providing a little bit of a taste of Slovenia outside of the capital city’s confines. Ljubljana is a special place, one that you really don’t want to miss. My post about Ljubljana is here.

  A view of Ljubljana from the top of Rožnik, with the Slovenian Alps visible just beyond in the mist

    Auckland

3. Auckland: Auckland is a beautifully situated and prosperous city located on New Zealand’s northern island. The city is built between two harbors — Waitemata Harbor to the north, which opens east to the Hauraki Gulf,and Manukau Harbor to the south, which opens west to the Tasman Sea. Thanks to changes in the country’s immigration laws, the face  of the city has changed as well – Auckland has to be one of the most diverse cities on the planet. It has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world and a huge Asian and southeast Asian population as well.

    Waitemata Harbour to the north, looking toward Hauraki Gulf

  Devonport, a pleasant seaside suburb with small shops, cafes and restaurants sits on the opposite side of Waitemata Harbor. Mt. Victoria, a nearly 300 ft. volcanic outcropping that affords great views back toward the city center as well as out beyond the harbor to Hauraki Gulf. A 45-minute ferry ride across Hauraki Gulf is Waiheke, a rugged 12-mile long island. Every turning and side road on Waiheke leads down to beautiful, shell-covered beaches. The beaches further away from the ferry landing are generally deserted, and each one seemingly more attractive than the one before. With all of these many natural advantages, Auckland is a get-away of a very unique and special kind. (My post about Auckland is here.)

  One of the many beaches in Waiheke

  2. Tallinn: The most important thing to know about Tallinn, Estonia’s capital, is that its old town and historic city walls — including 26 watchtowers — are largely intact, making it one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe. Within the walls, the city is full of Gothic-era houses, beautiful church towers, and graceful spires. The fortified areas and much of the city within have been mostly (although not entirely) refurbished. The streets of the old town are lined with excellent restaurants, shops, and cafes. Just five tram stops east of the old town is Kadriorg, a city park build from the pleasure gardens of the palace that the Russian Emperor Peter the Great built for his wife, Catherine. The palace now houses an art museum.

      Tallinn Town Hall

  There are several excellent museums in Tallinn that help explain the country’s fascinating and complicated history, including in particular the Museum of Occupations, which explored the city’s occupation by the Russians and Germans between 1939 and 1991. Since 1991, the country has been transformed.  The current atmosphere is overwhelmingly positive and forward-looking. Estonia joined the EU in 2004 and it adopted the Euro in 2011.  Tallinn itself projects openness and dynamism. It is also a distinct and fascinating place to visit. My post about Tallinn is here.

  Kadriorg Palace

  1. Dubrovnik: We were fortunate enough to have the chance to visit Dubrovnik last Memorial Day weekend. Despite the crowds from the cruise ships in the city’s narrow streets, Dubrovnik is my new favorite place. It also may be the most photogenic city in the world. Dubrovnik is located on the Adriatic Sea, on the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, only a few miles north of the border with Montenegro. To the city’s northwest, on a small peninsula, a separate fortress tower overlooks the walled city. Within the walls, the streets are narrow. Just offshore from Dubrovnik is the wooded island of Lokram. A walkway atop the city walls affords great views back into the city, toward Lokram, and out into the Adriatic Sea. A cable car leads up to the top of Mount Srđ with great views of the old town and of the island.

  Dubrovnik Old Town and Lokram Island

    Inside Dubrovnik Old Town

  Lokrum is a 15-minute ferry ride from the city. A walkway winds around the island. On the island’s far side, there is a long rocky shingle where there were many swimmers and sunbathers. You can lower yourself into the Adriatic using one of the many ladders along the rocks. Back in the city, Gradac Park, located just to the west of the fortress, is a great place for a picnic on benches overlooking the sea. In the evening, you can watch darkness gather and the moon come up over the Adriatic. As night time falls, you can be sure that you have just spent the best day of touristing ever. My post about Dubrovnik is here.

  The Adriatic, viewed from Lokram, looking toward Montenegro

    Moonrise over Lokram Island and the Adriatic

  Top Ten City Urban Walks: As might be discernible between the lines in my descriptions above, one of my favorite things to do in a new city is to walk around and explore, and there is nothing I enjoy more than a good hike. In that spirit, I have listed below my ten favorite urban hikes. To make this list, the hike must be interesting, afford interesting views, and be reasonably accessible from the center city. With those criteria in mind here is my list of top ten city hikes.

  10. Freiburg: The German college town of Freiburg is located in the country’s southwest, near the Schwarzwald (Black Forest). The city is nestled at the base of the Schlossberg, a steep wooded hill that rises to the east of the town, providing sweeping views of the city below, the surrounding hills, and, far to the west, the Vosges Mountains. Deep in the woods are the remains of the ancient Schloss (castle). The city itself is great and worth a visit, but Freiburg also is worth visiting for the many hiking trails along the Schlosserg.

  Walking through the woods on Schlossberg

    A view of Freiburg from the top of Schlossberg

    9. Howth (Dublin): About a 30-minute ride north of Dublin on the DASH commuter train is the atmospheric old port city of Howth (pronounced “Hoe(t)”). Above the city are rocky headlands overlooking the Irish Sea, affording views to north of the Eye of Ireland and to the south of Dublin and the Wicklow Mountains beyond. Best of all, when you finish hiking the trails through the headlands, you can head back to the village of Howth and have a Guiness in a seaside pub.

  Looking south toward Dublin’s harbor entrance, and beyond to the Wicklow Mountains

    The Eye of Ireland

      8. Lübeck: The venerable German port city of Lübeck is located on an island in the Trave River. A footpath winds along the riverside around the entire perimeter of the island. This is the kind of walking I enjoy most, with a changing series of interesting buildings and views providing a glimpse into the past and present life of an historic and interesting place. It is possible to walk around the island in a couple of hours, but there are so many detours and distractions that it took me quite a bit longer. An excellent way to spend an afternoon.

        7. Suomenlinna (Helsinki): Just a short ferry ride from the Baltic city of Helsinki is the fortress island of Suomenlinna. There are a host of military installations on the island, some of them still in active use. A rugged pathway leads along the shoreline, affording great views out to the Gulf of Finland and back toward Helsinki. In the island’s interior, a network of pathways traverses meadows and rolls around ponds and woodlands. An sunny afternoon on island is about as pleasant a way as you can every spend a day.

  From the ramparts of the fortress on Suomenlinna, looking out into the Gulf of Finland, toward the Baltic Sea

      6. Hamburg: Hamburg is a North Sea port city located on the Elbe River. In the city’s center are two man-made lakes, the smaller Binnenalster (Inner Alster) and the larger Außenalster (Outer Alster). A walkway runs around the two lakes. It takes about an hour and a quarter at a good clip to complete the 4.7 mile circuit around the larger of the two lakes. Between the lakes, and at the northern end of the smaller lake, are two side-by-side bridges, the Kennedybrücke to the north and Lombardsbrücke to the south. At the Southern end of the smaller lake is Hamburg’s famous street, Jungfernsteig. Along the way around the larger lake, there are great views of the city, of many interesting houses, and of life along the lakes. I really like Hamburg, for many reasons, but I think the top reason is how much I enjoy walking around the lakes.

  The Außenalster, in late afternoon

    A view toward Hamburg from the northern end of Außenalster, at dusk

    5. Akersleva (Oslo): A footpath runs along the length of the Akerselva, a river that rolls downhill for about five miles from Lake Maridalsvannet, Oslo’s largest lake and its main source of drinking water, to the city center. In the 19thcentury, the river was the center of the city’s industrial activity, with mill buildings, textile factories, and mechanical workshops lining its banks. The structures, now mostly repurposed as galleries, offices, and schools, still stand, mostly congregated at the point where the river’s steep hillside descent forms rapids or waterfalls. The river pathway is now wooded and quiet, and in late spring the woods were full of flowering trees and birdsong.

  Lake Maridalsvannet

  Rapids on the Akerselva

    Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh

4. Arthur’s Seat (Edinburgh): At the foot of the historic Royal Mile and looming above Holyrood Palace is the craggy peak known as Arthur’s Seat, the highest point among the rocky outcroppings of the Salisbury Crags. A series of trails leads to this rugged hillside’s peak. On a clear day, the view from Arthur’s Seat can seem almost limitless. To the east, the Firth of Forth stretches out to the North Sea. About twenty miles away, the soft, rolling beauty of the Pentland Hills frames the view to the southwest. To the north, Edinburgh castle soars about the city below.

    A pathway on Arthur’s Seat

  A view of the Firth of Forth, looking toward the North Sea

  Looking toward the Pentland Hills

    Palacio Nacional de Sintra

3. Sintra (Lisbon): A short ride by commuter train outside Lisbon is the historic community of Sintra, home to several Portuguese royal palaces. In the village itself is the Palacio Nacional de Sintra, an interesting historic site. Above the village and palace, on the top of the adjacent mountainside, at the top of a steep pathway, is the Castelo dos Mouros, built in the 8th or 9th century by the Moors, later captured by Norse invaders, and ultimately taken by the Portuguese. The views from the vertiginous battlements are absolutely astonishing. Beyond that, and even further up along an even higher mountainside is the colorful and distinctive Pena Palace. The terraces of the Pena Palace afford terrific panoramic views of the surrounding countryside, of the ocean, and of Lisbon itself, more than 20 miles away. Hiking the hills in Sintra is a strenuous, demanding, all-day project, but it is also one of the all-time great tourist adventures.

  Castelo dos Mouros

  Pena Palace

  Bondi Beach

2. Bondi to Coogee Walkway (Sydney): The beach community of Bondi (pronounced “BOND-eye”) is about a 15-minute cab ride from the Sydney central business district. Bondi Beach is itself a beautiful place; one of its great attractions is a coastal hike, the Bondi to Coogee Walk. The walk is a seaside trail that winds along the ocean shoreline. It is about 12 km (about 7.5 miles) round trip. There are great views of the ocean, of the various communities along the ocean front, and of the several small beaches between Bondi and Coogee. I am going to cheat on my top ten list here to add that there is another great coastal hike in Sydney (I just couldn’t decide which one to choose), the Manly to Spit Bridge Scenic Walk, a rugged trail that rolls along the shoreline of Sydney Harbor. The pathway is 20 km round trip (about 12.4 miles) and affords great views of the harbor coastline, of the Sydney Harbor entrance, and of the harbor section of the Sydney Harbour National Park. These two walks, separately or together, are among my favorite hikes anywhere.

  Along the Bondi to Coogee walk

      Bronte Beach, between Bondi and Coogee. (You can see storm clouds to the South.)

    The Sydney Harbor entrance, viewed from the Manly to Spit Bridge walk, in the Sydney Harbor National Park

  1. Seoul: Bukhansan National Park, located inside Seoul’s city limits, is full of jagged mountains. The mountains are traversed by steep, stony trails. One rugged path leads basically straight uphill to a gate in the city’s ancient defensive wall, sections of which still run along the ridge-top. The hike to the top is about as demanding as I have attempted, at least as far as urban hikes go. There are several stretches that require scrambling on all fours. From the ridge-top, there are spectacular views of the surrounding countryside and of nearby Seoul itself. Beyond Seoul are ranks of successive mountain ranges, marching toward the distant horizon. A terrific hike and altogether a fabulous experience.

          A section of the city’s defensive walls

    A view of Seoul, just below. Ranks of mountain ranges march into the haze, toward the horizon

The post Top Ten Places (That You Might Not Think of) to Visit appeared first on The D&O Diary.

Top Ten Places (That You Might Not Think of) to Visit published first on

[themusiciantraveler]

Vienna in the Rain

Friday. 6:05am.  May 25, 2018.

 Though I was certainly not a happy camper when my body woke me up as early as it did, we packed up once again as we have every morning thus far and went down to breakfast.  Two cups of tea and plenty of wonderful pastries later, it was soon out the door and into the pouring rain with the promise of a marvelous adventure through the old city with Eric (TMU alumnus) as our trusty guide.  Michael dropped us off on a street corner just a few blocks from the well-known St. Stephen’s Cathedral and we began our trek through a rain-soaked old-town Vienna.

Construction began on the Stephansdom during the 12th century, and the cathedral is a must see when traveling through Vienna. The infamous cathedral boasts the second-largest free-swinging chimed church bell in all of Europe, and its roof is comprised of colorful tiles that were laid to create the Royal and Imperial double-headed eagle coat of arms of the city of Vienna.  The interior of St. Stephen's Cathedral has been changed time and again throughout the centuries, helping to seamlessly transition the place of worship through the varying style periods and eras.  Numerous important figures chose St. Stephen's Cathedral as their final resting place, including Emperor Friedrich III who was buried in an impressive marble sarcophagus at the back of the cathedral.  Many others were buried in the catacombs under St. Stephen's including Habsburg Duke Rudolph IV, who laid the foundation stone for the Gothic reconstruction of the cathedral in 1359.  Additionally, the graves of many of Vienna’s prominent archbishops and cardinals can be found in the catacombs.

St. Stephen’s was absolutely picturesque in the pouring rain, the perfect blend of Gothic and Baroque architecture once more made to sparkle by the falling mist — like it was new again. After walking around the entirety of the cathedral, we finally located the entrance and made our way through the throngs that filled the stained-glass halls.  And as quickly as we had entered, were back out into the downpour after reverently passing through the ancient place of worship.  Unless you are willing to pay the 14-Euro fee, it will suffice to see the outside and look around a bit – you can clearly see the entire venue without needing to walk all the way through the richly decorated halls.

We walked up and down streets, through the steady rainfall, learning about the first coffee shops to come to Europe from Spain, the old walls that once protected the still infamous city, various Reformation history, and several of the original German street names until we reached Stadt Park and the iconic Johann Strauss Statue.  After posing for several photographs to send home to the university to let them know of our travels, we headed further into the heart of the city toward the Beethoven Platz and a statue of one of my favorite composers.  We continued on, through the rain, walking past the Vienna Concert and Opera Houses — highlights of the city’s stunning architecture.  Next, we passed the Bosendorfer and Steinway piano factories and walked past several old ballrooms and music houses that once were filled with the colorful tones of the centuries.  If you have the chance, take the time to travel cities by foot – the views are well worth the extra steps and provide wonderful surprises around every street corner.

After our adventure around the heart of the city, we eventually found Michael and dashed across the busy streets before finally heading to the Haydn Haus, where Haydn resided for the last twelve years of his life. It was surreal walking where the practical joker and amazing Classical composer had lived out the last of his days.  I almost started to well up as I thought of the man whose pieces has brought me so much joy throughout my musical studies. Copies of the Classical composer’s Creation and Seasons manuscripts resided in the house as well as a handful of stories detailing his philanthropic tendencies and tales of his concerts and love of his craft.  But perhaps my favorite story that we learned in our time in his home was a shocking story about his head being stolen from his grave and dissected just three days post-mortem!  Eventually, the head was returned to the estate with little consequence for the thieves.

After Haydn Haus, we said goodbye to Eric and headed on our way to Central Cemetery — the resting place of at least a dozen well-known composers such as Beethoven, Mozart, Strauss, and Liszt.   We somehow ended up at the wrong end of the expansive cemetery – there are 14 gates surrounding the several square mile graveyard – but eventually, we wound our way around to the correct entrance.  Once we located the correct section in the cemetery, we were greeted with miniature monuments to the lives of Brahms, Strauss, Beethoven, Wolf, Schubert, Mozart, and many others.  I thought Forest lawn in California was big, but this place was huge!  And the tombs and monuments were so exceedingly over the top. But yet still, as I stood before the graves of men who had not loved God, but were still blessed beyond belief, I found myself contemplating the frailty of life and the fleetingness of earthly fame and fortune.  These men had done great things, but here they lay with every other common man, nothing special and still long gone like the rest of the world.

After the cemetery, we headed towards the idyllic Prague — a 6+ hour drive away from the glittering heart of Austria.  After snagging lunch from a Hoffer’s, the German (and original) version of an Aldi’s supermarket, we were finally on the road for the long haul with pastries, pretzels, fruits, and Topfin streusels in tow.  Many of us fell asleep again on the ride until we were gently awakened in a sunny little village with the promise of a surprise from an old acquaintance of Michael’s.  We parked the van and entered an adorable cafe where we were fed ice cream with real, homemade whipped cream and the best coffee I’ve ever had.  I honestly have no idea where we stopped, or what city we were in, but I wish I had gathered these precious bits of information so that someday I could return to the idyllic little shop and enjoy afternoon ice cream and coffee with the gentle man and his fiery grandchildren.

After our brief stop, we got on the road again toward the heart of the Czech Republic.  I fell asleep again only to be woken at a gas station where we were attempting to get a new toll tag box for the dash, this time for the Czech Republic.  The country formerly known as Czechoslovakia has just recently implemented the toll system and has yet to iron out the kinks so be warned, it is not an easy trip if you are traveling with more than ten people in your party.  Long story short, we essentially ended up WAY off the map due to highway construction, detours, and one impossible to find toll tag.  Three hours behind schedule and four different gas stations later, and Michael was attempting to contact someone who could translate German to Czech and vice versa so we could finally get our hands on the toll tag that we needed to travel through the country.

It was finally around 8:30pm and almost nothing was open for dinner except for a sketchy European McDonalds and a random steakhouse called “Jack’s” that we convinced ourselves looked rather promising.  To our surprise, this little-known steakhouse, far off the beaten path and just over the Austria-Czech Republic border, ended up being one of our best meals yet!  The quaint restaurant and pub offers huge serving sizes and excellently grilled protein – but be warned, they only take cash, and they only take coronas (the national currency).  But all things aside, the service was wonderful and some kind strangers at the neighboring table helped us order off the completely Czech menu (which involved a hilarious game of charades involving an attempt at pantomiming a deer, complete with antlers).  After dinner, we drove an additional two and a half hours to our hotel where we finally stumbled sleepily up the stairs and into bed.  It was certainly an adventure and I am quite glad everyone was given an extra measure of patience for our day full of exciting escapades.

[oase-dropshotters]

BZ vom 12.05.2018

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Ergebnisse vom Vienna House Cassic Cup 2018

A-Feld 1. Willi Wingelsdorf 2. Thomas Kretschmer 3. Markus Engelmann

B-Feld 1. Marius Hein 2. Adim De 3. Thomas Wendt

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Vienna House Classic Cup 2018 A-Feld

 1. Wingelsdorf, Willi - L.A. Squasher Harsefeld-Stade  2. Kretschmer, Thomas - 1. SC Diepholz  3. Engelmann, Markus - Oase Dropshotters Braunschweig  4. Teßmer, Bernd - SC Boastars Hannover  5. Tobbala, Aly - SC Boastars Hannover  6. Stöhr, Marvin - Boast Busters Jeverland  7. Benninghaus, Jan - Oase Dropshotters Braunschweig  8. Clausen, Oliver  - SC Boastars Hannover  9. Narjes, Thorsten - SC Boastars Hannover 10. Westphal, Jörg - Racket Sports Celle 11. Gaidies, Roman - SC Achim-Baden 12. Trebitz, Alexander - SC Oldenburg

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Vienna House Classic Cup 2018 B-Feld

 1. Hein, Marius - SC Boastars Hannover  2. De, Adim - SC Boastars Hannover  3. Wendt, Thomas - Oase Dropshotters Braunschweig  4. Trost, Roger  5. Steinbach, Peter  6. Hagensieker, Andreas  7. Tetau, Martin  8. Rauch, Felix - Oase Dropshotters Braunschweig  9. Bier, Niko 10. Weidner, David - Oase Dropshotters Braunschweig 11. Brinkmann, Steffen - Oase Dropshotters Braunschweig 12. Wielert, Claus 13. Klaus, Birgit - Oase Dropshotters Braunschweig 14. Paul, Nikolas - Oase Dropshotters Braunschweig 15. Schneider, Malte 16. Gilgen, Sascha 17. Kraft, Florian - SC Boastars Hannover 18. Wielert, Maximilian 19. Schneider, Sabine - Oase Dropshotters Braunschweig 20. Jensen, Marcus 21. Schneider, Jonas 22. Höft, Lena Oase - Dropshotters Braunschweig 23. Narjes, Henri - SC Boastars Hannover 24. Pytlik, Annikki - Oase Dropshotters Braunschweig 25. Jäger, Alexandra - Oase Dropshotters Braunschweig 26. Braun, Michel

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