Tuesday 1 June 2010

Wieden (Polski) - 06/2010

Nasza druga wizyta do Wiednia, obydwie polaczenie zawodow i zwiedzania, ale tym razem mniej czekania bo bylismy na pol IM i w towarzystwie Chris & Lisa.

Nasz poprzedni raport ma znacznie wiecej ciekawostek o Wieniu http://alexmike-travel.blogspot.com/2008/07/austria-polski.html

Zawody odbywaly sie w St Polten, 75km na zach od Wiednia. Zaraz po przyjezdzie doznalismy szoku jak zobaczylismy jaka wielka bryczke wynajelismy ale Michal i Lisa sie nie przestraszyli i dzielnie nas wozili.


Byl to wyjaz niesamowicie leniwy - spalismy, jedlismy, spalismy no i w przewach jakis maly trening. No ale dobre odzywianie przed zawodami jest konieczne.


znow jedzenia - sniadanie przed nasza kwatera w Pyhra

Zawody poszly dobrze - Michal i Chris mieli w miare udany wystep i nie kazali nam czekac za dlugo na mecie. Jak zwykle oboje byli niezadowoleni po ukoczneniu (ale sie juz do tego orzyzwyczailismy, ze oni sa zawsze niezadowoleni)

w kolejce by oddac rowery przed zawodami


energia rozpierala tuz przed startem

poczatek sekcji rowerowej (90km)

meta - czas na zegarze nie jest poprawny bo zaczynali w grupach, powinno byc 4:30

W ramach nagrody po zawodach zasluzony deser - spalili przeszlo 5,000 kalorii wiec mogli se pozwolic na wielkie lody


Glowne zabytki Wiednia (zamek Schonnenburg, Sissi muzeum) juz zwiedzilismy wiec tym razem bardzo relaksujaco wloczylismy sie po starowce

Partlament Austrii

Biblioteka Narodowa


Anchor zegar z poczatku XX wieku na najstarszym placu wiedenskim 'Hoher Markt'

ratusz

katedra sw. Stefana

przed Sissi museum - dobre humory nas nie opuszczaly mimo zimna

Nowym miejscem bylo odwiedzenie Hiszpanskiej Szkoly Konnej - najstarsza szkola jazdy na swiecie zalozona w 1572 roku. Tylko biale Lipizzaner (konie) sa tutaj trenowane, jak sa mlode to sa czarne i robia sie biale kiedy osiagna dojzalosc. Przechodza dlugotrwaly trening (kolo 6 lat treningu od 4 roku zycia) zanim wystapia w renesansowym balecie so muzyki klasycznej.


Ostatni dzien spedzilismy aktywnie wynajmujac rowery i pedalujac do Belveder (palacowy kompleks pare km od centrum). System wypozyczania rowerow jest super - bierze je sie z ulicy w jednym koncu i oddaje w drugim za drobna oplate (albo za darmo jesli sie odda w ciagu 1 godz)


Tuz przed odjazdem mielismy bardzo smaczny obiad w Einstein kafeterii - ci co znaja Michala wiedza, ze jest pelny pomyslow a jego skroty bardziej przypominaja dlugie wyprawy; wydawalo nam sie to bardzo ironiczne/smieszne - Michal i Einstein


Ogolnie Wieden jest fajnym miejscem na dlugi weekend jesli ktos lubi sie powloczyc i poupajac ladna architektura.

Vienna - 06/2010

Our 2nd visit to Austria, on both occasions because of the race, this time it's not Ironman, just 70.3 so waiting time is significantly shorter and we had company – Chris & Lisa.
Report from our previous trip http://alexmike-travel.blogspot.com/2008/07/austria.html has more info about Vienna sigthseeing

The race was taking place in St Polten, 50M west from Vienna. We arrived earlier than usual (Thu evening); rented car was interesting, at first it appeared to be huge and almost impossible to drive, but Mike & Lisa did a great job driving us around.


I guess the best this break could be summarised by saying that we slept a lot, ate and slept again, with short breaks for some training. The weather before the race was good with 2 pre-race days passing quickly doing nothing and getting stuffed with "power" food.


more food - brekfast outside our accomodation in Pyhra

Mike and Chris did well and didn’t keep us for too long waiting; there was no suprise that they were not happy with their performance (but after so many years I’ve used listening to Mike moaning)

in queue to the transition


full of energy - just before the swim

bike start (only 90km)

Finally finish - time is missleading as there was a wave start, should be 4:30

After well deserved desert (prize for the finishing the race - they burned 5k calories so needed re-fueling), we headed to Vienna.


Despite it being our 2nd visit to Vienna, so we've seen all the main attractions before (Schonnenburg castle, Sissi museum), it was lovely just to walk around the old city. Unfortunately the weather deteriorated and it was a bit too cold for our liking.

Austrian parliament

National Bibliotek


The Anchor Clock from beginning XX century on the oldest square of Vienna 'Hoher Markt'

Rathouse

St. Stephen's cathedral

outside Sissi museum

The new experience for us was visiting Spanish Riding School - the oldest and last Riding School in the world where classic dressage is still practised in its purest form. This Institute was founded in 1572. Young Lipizzaner (horses) are black and only turn white when reaching maturity. They need to undergo elaborate training (around 6 years starting when they are 4 years old) before they are able to perform their prancing Renaissance ballet to the sound of classical music.


On the last day we rented city bike and headed to Belveder (palace complex few km from the centre). The city bike schema is great, opportunity to picked up the bike from the street at one side of the town and drop it at another for small fee (or for free if you return it within 1 hr).


Just before departure we had a delicious late lunch at Einstein, those of you who know Mike know how ironing the restaurant name is (small genius with instinct for taking the shortcuts which usually end up being longcuts)


Overall Vienna is highly recommended as a city break; it was good to be able to combine race with a sightseeing and relaxation. If you enjoy walking and appreciate architecture consider visiting Vienna.