One more RTW hurrah... oh whY not!
Sep 25, 2008, 10:43 am
#16
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: SYD
Posts: 3,043
Honolulu
Manages to be both happening and relaxing all round. Feels a lot like Bali, except the shopping here is heaps better. I've also probably drunk more mai tais here in 4 days than I've ever had in my entire life prior to visiting Hawaii! I was sorry to leave - felt like I haven’t spent enough time here. I probably didn’t ‘see’ as much as I should’ve but I’m really fine with just chilling out at the beach, people watching and drinking too much grog – the latter activities are why I even travel in the first place. Wanderlust!
Drinky Poos
I liked the following places best of all:
Wonderlounge @ W Honolulu
Absolutely pumping on Fri and Sat evenings, with loosely enforced dress code of collar and long pants. Free drinks in the backroom 9-11pm both nights. V glamourous and diverse crowd. The drinks are great - v delicious cocktails which are v reasonably priced. DJs are versatile - the nights usually start out with typical W hotel House music, but they really get into it and go full on troppo with a wide range of mixes as the evenings progress. The dance floor also gets similarly hopping. Backed up by a v fun MC too. Definitely one of the best nightspots in Honolulu on Fri and Sat.
Hula’s
Happy hour from noon till... sometime in the late evening. Just a 10 mins walk from the W, this is a relaxing bar that attracts a v mixed crowd. It was surprisingly busy on a Sunday night. V cool (and flirty) bartenders. Seems like every 2nd person I met here (and some other places) works for the navy in some capacity – ranging from machinist to First Sergeant. The US Pacific fleet is stationed in Hawaii. It was interesting listening to their stories.
Eats
Duke’s
Apparently the ‘in place’ atm. Great atmosphere, right by the beach. Hard to get into for dinner without the assistance of a good concierge, but Whatever/Whenever managed to get me a nice table.
Ono Hawaiian
V, v traditional Hawaiian cuisine. Nondescript setting, but the food was delicious.
Sights
Pearl Harbor and USS Arizona memorial
Probably the highlight for me and probably one of the reasons why I’d planned to come to Hawaii. It was at once both a depressing and inspiring place.
Waikiki beach
Tried my hand at some surfing and came off respectably (I think) – one must fly the flag hey. A great place to laze around and people watch since it’s so crowded.
’Pick-a-pearl’
Next: AA162 HNL-LAX F; Kicking it in LA!!
Manages to be both happening and relaxing all round. Feels a lot like Bali, except the shopping here is heaps better. I've also probably drunk more mai tais here in 4 days than I've ever had in my entire life prior to visiting Hawaii! I was sorry to leave - felt like I haven’t spent enough time here. I probably didn’t ‘see’ as much as I should’ve but I’m really fine with just chilling out at the beach, people watching and drinking too much grog – the latter activities are why I even travel in the first place. Wanderlust!
Drinky Poos
I liked the following places best of all:
Wonderlounge @ W Honolulu
Absolutely pumping on Fri and Sat evenings, with loosely enforced dress code of collar and long pants. Free drinks in the backroom 9-11pm both nights. V glamourous and diverse crowd. The drinks are great - v delicious cocktails which are v reasonably priced. DJs are versatile - the nights usually start out with typical W hotel House music, but they really get into it and go full on troppo with a wide range of mixes as the evenings progress. The dance floor also gets similarly hopping. Backed up by a v fun MC too. Definitely one of the best nightspots in Honolulu on Fri and Sat.
Hula’s
Happy hour from noon till... sometime in the late evening. Just a 10 mins walk from the W, this is a relaxing bar that attracts a v mixed crowd. It was surprisingly busy on a Sunday night. V cool (and flirty) bartenders. Seems like every 2nd person I met here (and some other places) works for the navy in some capacity – ranging from machinist to First Sergeant. The US Pacific fleet is stationed in Hawaii. It was interesting listening to their stories.
Eats
Duke’s
Apparently the ‘in place’ atm. Great atmosphere, right by the beach. Hard to get into for dinner without the assistance of a good concierge, but Whatever/Whenever managed to get me a nice table.
Ono Hawaiian
V, v traditional Hawaiian cuisine. Nondescript setting, but the food was delicious.
Sights
Pearl Harbor and USS Arizona memorial
Probably the highlight for me and probably one of the reasons why I’d planned to come to Hawaii. It was at once both a depressing and inspiring place.
Waikiki beach
Tried my hand at some surfing and came off respectably (I think) – one must fly the flag hey. A great place to laze around and people watch since it’s so crowded.
’Pick-a-pearl’
Next: AA162 HNL-LAX F; Kicking it in LA!!
Last edited by Keith009; Sep 25, 2008 at 10:57 am
Sep 26, 2008, 6:45 am
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: SYD
Posts: 3,043
Sector - HNL-LAX
Flight number - AA162
Class - First
Equipment - B757
Seat - 2E
I used one EVIP (electronic upgrade certificate) and got both this segment and LAX-LHR a one class upgrade - each EVIP on AA is good for 3 segments on a one way itinerary (so you must be traveling in one continuous direction for an itinerary like a RTW) and allows stopovers in between.
Checked in quickly and easily - there was no one at the F check in desk. I was eligible to use the Gold Lane at security which had no one in it at the time, though it still leads to the same security screening point and so I'd to cut the queue and endure some dirty looks. The TSA staff here are some of the nicest people in the system.
I love HNL airport - its open air features adds to the relaxing holiday feel.
Even though I had top tier status with AA AND flying premium, I was not a member of their Admirals Club program and so I had no lounge access on this purely domestic itinerary (ie not connecting to/from intl flight). Ironically I'd have had access had I held oneworld sapphire/emerald status on their partners. This seems a common practise amongst the US-based carriers as I'd experienced the same with UA when I had UA 1P status. So i spent a few minutes getting some beer at a restaurant airside. Got to the gate in the midst of general boarding but not much queuing as I arrived just as boarding for the particular group that was called was winding up. GA recognised me from check in and was v friendly.
I'd booked this flight when it was a 763, which had meant the NGBC angled lie flat seats operating as F on this domestic segment. However there'd been an EQP CHG and I got the 757 instead, which had seats that weren't nearly as nice - they don't even have footrests.
Preflight drinks were served - I went for some sparkling wine which were actually quite pleasant.
As the flight was boarding I was reminded of how much stuff people in the US bring onboard. Short of the kitchen sink. The overhead lockers were choked. There were even bags that clearly don't fit into the overheads, and the crew had to stuff them into any nook and cranny they could find. Despite all that we managed to have an early departure.
My seatmate didn't seem like the talkative type, so I left him alone after the obligatory nod and smile. I simply put on the ear pieces and watched the IFE intermittently.
A bar service was performed after take off, we were served a drink and the customary warm nuts. I went for the sauv blanc which was foul. Dinner was served shortly after, it was called dinner but really felt like lunch to me due to the early afternoon departure time. I guess it could count as an early dinner for LA time. The salad was nice. The purser missed my seatmate and I in the bread rolls and drinks refill service, but was most apologetic when I pointed this out. I shrugged it off but he truly appeared to be ashamed of himself, citing that he was unacceptably inattentive and that there was 'simply no excuse.'
The main of pasta was edible but nothing to write home about - the other choice of salmon looked heaps nicer but neither crew could confirm whether any shellfish ingredients were used in the dish and so I'd wanted to be safe even though I've never enjoyed pasta on planes. I accompanied my main with the chardonnay which tasted really nice and certainly a far better choice than the sauv blanc. Dinner concluded with the famous sundAAe - yummy!
Apart from that minor slip up with the bread rolls/refills, I felt the service was excellent on this flight. Both the purser and the other FA serving the F cabin were truly AAngels and assets to AA. Unfortunately I wasn’t carrying any AAplause certs on me or they’d defs have gotten some, though I did compliment them via AA.com. And got a v nice personalised response from Customer Relations.
We arrived ahead of schedule at LAX, but the long taxiing as well as the time it took for baggage to appear cancelled out the benefits of an early landing. Almost immediately after I collected my suitcase taipeiflyer and cousinoftaipeiflyer (the latter of whom was a guest star of my ‘City hops’ TR in case you’ve forgotten) arrived to pick me up – great when timing works out like that so no one has to wait. Overall a rather average flight hardware and food wise but the service was fAAb – the kind of service that almost makes you look over the other more mediocre aspects of the flight and leave with pleasant memories.
The next few days in my fave city in the world with fantastic company – woohoo!!
Next: Kicking it in LA!!; AA136 LAX-LHR J; BA704 LHR-VIE whY
Flight number - AA162
Class - First
Equipment - B757
Seat - 2E
I used one EVIP (electronic upgrade certificate) and got both this segment and LAX-LHR a one class upgrade - each EVIP on AA is good for 3 segments on a one way itinerary (so you must be traveling in one continuous direction for an itinerary like a RTW) and allows stopovers in between.
Checked in quickly and easily - there was no one at the F check in desk. I was eligible to use the Gold Lane at security which had no one in it at the time, though it still leads to the same security screening point and so I'd to cut the queue and endure some dirty looks. The TSA staff here are some of the nicest people in the system.
I love HNL airport - its open air features adds to the relaxing holiday feel.
Even though I had top tier status with AA AND flying premium, I was not a member of their Admirals Club program and so I had no lounge access on this purely domestic itinerary (ie not connecting to/from intl flight). Ironically I'd have had access had I held oneworld sapphire/emerald status on their partners. This seems a common practise amongst the US-based carriers as I'd experienced the same with UA when I had UA 1P status. So i spent a few minutes getting some beer at a restaurant airside. Got to the gate in the midst of general boarding but not much queuing as I arrived just as boarding for the particular group that was called was winding up. GA recognised me from check in and was v friendly.
I'd booked this flight when it was a 763, which had meant the NGBC angled lie flat seats operating as F on this domestic segment. However there'd been an EQP CHG and I got the 757 instead, which had seats that weren't nearly as nice - they don't even have footrests.
Preflight drinks were served - I went for some sparkling wine which were actually quite pleasant.
As the flight was boarding I was reminded of how much stuff people in the US bring onboard. Short of the kitchen sink. The overhead lockers were choked. There were even bags that clearly don't fit into the overheads, and the crew had to stuff them into any nook and cranny they could find. Despite all that we managed to have an early departure.
My seatmate didn't seem like the talkative type, so I left him alone after the obligatory nod and smile. I simply put on the ear pieces and watched the IFE intermittently.
A bar service was performed after take off, we were served a drink and the customary warm nuts. I went for the sauv blanc which was foul. Dinner was served shortly after, it was called dinner but really felt like lunch to me due to the early afternoon departure time. I guess it could count as an early dinner for LA time. The salad was nice. The purser missed my seatmate and I in the bread rolls and drinks refill service, but was most apologetic when I pointed this out. I shrugged it off but he truly appeared to be ashamed of himself, citing that he was unacceptably inattentive and that there was 'simply no excuse.'
The main of pasta was edible but nothing to write home about - the other choice of salmon looked heaps nicer but neither crew could confirm whether any shellfish ingredients were used in the dish and so I'd wanted to be safe even though I've never enjoyed pasta on planes. I accompanied my main with the chardonnay which tasted really nice and certainly a far better choice than the sauv blanc. Dinner concluded with the famous sundAAe - yummy!
Apart from that minor slip up with the bread rolls/refills, I felt the service was excellent on this flight. Both the purser and the other FA serving the F cabin were truly AAngels and assets to AA. Unfortunately I wasn’t carrying any AAplause certs on me or they’d defs have gotten some, though I did compliment them via AA.com. And got a v nice personalised response from Customer Relations.
We arrived ahead of schedule at LAX, but the long taxiing as well as the time it took for baggage to appear cancelled out the benefits of an early landing. Almost immediately after I collected my suitcase taipeiflyer and cousinoftaipeiflyer (the latter of whom was a guest star of my ‘City hops’ TR in case you’ve forgotten) arrived to pick me up – great when timing works out like that so no one has to wait. Overall a rather average flight hardware and food wise but the service was fAAb – the kind of service that almost makes you look over the other more mediocre aspects of the flight and leave with pleasant memories.
The next few days in my fave city in the world with fantastic company – woohoo!!
Next: Kicking it in LA!!; AA136 LAX-LHR J; BA704 LHR-VIE whY
Sep 29, 2008, 7:14 am
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: SYD
Posts: 3,043
Kicking it in LA LA Land!!
Decided to do something a little different this time and go for a diary-style update. Not sure how you’d like it but here it goes...
Day 1
We finally left the airport for chez taipeiflyer at 9.30pm, and it was a 10 mins or so drive to Marina Del Rey. Settled down in the most exclusive penthouse suite, better than any W Hotel. We were peckish and felt like hotdogs, so walked across to <insert name of pub when I remember> in Marina Del Rey which supposedly serves the best hotdogs in town. The place is rather unassuming, even slightly dingy (cue some of the unwashed hippie hangouts in Brunswick or North Carlton) – but the hotdogs are unbeatable!
We then proceeded our after supper drinks venue in Abbot Kinney, a v hip shopping strip – The Other Room. Primarily a boutique wine and beer place, this v stylish bar has a vast selection of beers (even Boddingtons would be impressed) and wines. V nice atmosphere – cozy furniture and sharply dressed folk.
cousinoftaipeiflyer looking contemplative
We were all exhausted – I’d only had 2 hours of sleep the night before in Honolulu and didn’t sleep a wink on the plane, whilst taipeiflyer was feeling a little under the weather. So had to retire early to bed after 1 drink.
On the way back we saw a bunch of male ducks chasing a female one on the street, putting 2 and 2 together...
Day 2
Woke up bright and early as I went to bed v early (by my standards) and body clock was still tuned to Honolulu time. We decided to go for brekkies in Santa Monica with some friends of taipeiflyer who’ve flown in from SF on business, at a place called Swingers. No it’s not a dodgy strip club. The place has a v St Kilda feel like much of Santa Monica – v bohemian, anti-establishment attitude (which is why I don’t think I’d live in any other suburb in Melbourne, with the exception of Prahran and South Yarra due to the shopping, cafes and *cough* nightlife) and the waitresses wore quirky but hot uniforms.
Enjoyed a delicious breakfast of poached eggs with pancakes. And a mug, or should i say bowl of soy latte. I love the US, I really do – I now make it a point to include stops in the US in every RTW itinerary as it’s my favourite country to visit in the world by far with LA being my favourite city – but this country has Really Bad Coffee. Granted it is better than many other countries with no ingrained coffee culture, but for a country whose inhabitants seem every bit as obsessed with coffee as us Antipodeans or the Italians are – the standard of coffee in the US is generally v low (exceptions apply of course – with some of the tiny indie espresso bars in the MePa area of NYC). My soy latte here was essentially a steaming bucket of soy milk with a tiny hint of coffee.
cousinoftaipeiflyer took off for uni after breakfast. We had a v pleasant walk around Santa Monica. Promenade area resembles Acland St in St Kilda, v touristy and even more commercialised, which I myself tend to bring friends to when they visit. Some nice shops though, and we had fun window shopping. Ended up buying a nice top at Urban Outfitters. Also saw a crowd and some media outside an Adidas store – the Mexican football team was there.
The highlight of the day (amongst many highlights – hey it ‘s LA!) was probably checking out Fred Segal. It is like a mini city of the coolest and edgiest up-and-coming designers. Checked out some sunnies (great new Paul Smith, Salt and Robert Marc’s 70s inspired designs!) and took some notes for later when I visit my fave sunnies shop on Robertson - sunnies shopping is a big commitment that requires some patience and dedicated research. Decided to experiment with some new shampoo and bought a bottle – will come back for more or get the LA natives to ship them to me should I like them. Despite spending nearly the entire morning there I only left with the shampoo (which came with free samples which look nice and all – except that they’re for curly hair...) and a pair of Rock&Republic’s. Found some gems, especially by Steven Alan and Theory but nothing fits lil old moi! (or are eye poppingly beyond my budget)
We then had lunch at The Counter, a burger joint which seems to be fast becoming an SQTalk institution. You build your own burger from the gazillions of ingredients on the menu – I had mine with medium rare beef, swiss cheese, caramelised onions, vegies – and some other things which I can’t remember. It was certainly a great burger and beats In-and-Out any time of the day!
I felt so full that I could barely eat for the rest of the day, especially as I’d decided to order the medium instead of the small.
Went back home to have a rest and to catch up on emails. Then out again for more... shopping! We walked across to Abbot Kinney in Venice and window shopped at some v cool stores. Think Chapel St meets Brunswick St. Steven Alan has a v cute little shop with a pretty backyard on Abbot Kinney, unfortunately everything was too big, the most frequent problem I run up against shopping in the US.
cousinoftaipeiflyer joined us for a snack and some pre dinner wines. We also went back to The Other Room for some beer; I had a v nice Belgian fruit beer. Finally had dinner too late at some late night joint where we saw a minor celebrity who’s played supporting roles in several movies. Had great meatloaf which is one of the things I always look forward to eating in the US – simple but total yum.
We ended the night at The Circle Bar in Santa Monica, great crowd and reasonably priced drinks. The music was quite eclectic. I thought it was extraordinary that people could get drunk that early in LA (it was 11pmish; I myself don’t get that trashed usually until much later, closer to dawn and in time for a trip to Maccas or some dodgy souvlaki bar to sober up) but then was reminded that California has a closing time of 2am. We witnessed a drunk get thrown out by the v mean bouncers, then got repeatedly pawed on by an equally drunk and semi-coherent girl, and watched a guy nearby suffer (enjoyed maybe?) the same fate. Lights came on at a quarter to 2, quite abruptly in fact. I’m not a fan of this v early closing... had a great night nonetheless which wrapped up a fantastic day.
to be continued...
Decided to do something a little different this time and go for a diary-style update. Not sure how you’d like it but here it goes...
Day 1
We finally left the airport for chez taipeiflyer at 9.30pm, and it was a 10 mins or so drive to Marina Del Rey. Settled down in the most exclusive penthouse suite, better than any W Hotel. We were peckish and felt like hotdogs, so walked across to <insert name of pub when I remember> in Marina Del Rey which supposedly serves the best hotdogs in town. The place is rather unassuming, even slightly dingy (cue some of the unwashed hippie hangouts in Brunswick or North Carlton) – but the hotdogs are unbeatable!
We then proceeded our after supper drinks venue in Abbot Kinney, a v hip shopping strip – The Other Room. Primarily a boutique wine and beer place, this v stylish bar has a vast selection of beers (even Boddingtons would be impressed) and wines. V nice atmosphere – cozy furniture and sharply dressed folk.
cousinoftaipeiflyer looking contemplative
We were all exhausted – I’d only had 2 hours of sleep the night before in Honolulu and didn’t sleep a wink on the plane, whilst taipeiflyer was feeling a little under the weather. So had to retire early to bed after 1 drink.
On the way back we saw a bunch of male ducks chasing a female one on the street, putting 2 and 2 together...
Day 2
Woke up bright and early as I went to bed v early (by my standards) and body clock was still tuned to Honolulu time. We decided to go for brekkies in Santa Monica with some friends of taipeiflyer who’ve flown in from SF on business, at a place called Swingers. No it’s not a dodgy strip club. The place has a v St Kilda feel like much of Santa Monica – v bohemian, anti-establishment attitude (which is why I don’t think I’d live in any other suburb in Melbourne, with the exception of Prahran and South Yarra due to the shopping, cafes and *cough* nightlife) and the waitresses wore quirky but hot uniforms.
Enjoyed a delicious breakfast of poached eggs with pancakes. And a mug, or should i say bowl of soy latte. I love the US, I really do – I now make it a point to include stops in the US in every RTW itinerary as it’s my favourite country to visit in the world by far with LA being my favourite city – but this country has Really Bad Coffee. Granted it is better than many other countries with no ingrained coffee culture, but for a country whose inhabitants seem every bit as obsessed with coffee as us Antipodeans or the Italians are – the standard of coffee in the US is generally v low (exceptions apply of course – with some of the tiny indie espresso bars in the MePa area of NYC). My soy latte here was essentially a steaming bucket of soy milk with a tiny hint of coffee.
cousinoftaipeiflyer took off for uni after breakfast. We had a v pleasant walk around Santa Monica. Promenade area resembles Acland St in St Kilda, v touristy and even more commercialised, which I myself tend to bring friends to when they visit. Some nice shops though, and we had fun window shopping. Ended up buying a nice top at Urban Outfitters. Also saw a crowd and some media outside an Adidas store – the Mexican football team was there.
The highlight of the day (amongst many highlights – hey it ‘s LA!) was probably checking out Fred Segal. It is like a mini city of the coolest and edgiest up-and-coming designers. Checked out some sunnies (great new Paul Smith, Salt and Robert Marc’s 70s inspired designs!) and took some notes for later when I visit my fave sunnies shop on Robertson - sunnies shopping is a big commitment that requires some patience and dedicated research. Decided to experiment with some new shampoo and bought a bottle – will come back for more or get the LA natives to ship them to me should I like them. Despite spending nearly the entire morning there I only left with the shampoo (which came with free samples which look nice and all – except that they’re for curly hair...) and a pair of Rock&Republic’s. Found some gems, especially by Steven Alan and Theory but nothing fits lil old moi! (or are eye poppingly beyond my budget)
We then had lunch at The Counter, a burger joint which seems to be fast becoming an SQTalk institution. You build your own burger from the gazillions of ingredients on the menu – I had mine with medium rare beef, swiss cheese, caramelised onions, vegies – and some other things which I can’t remember. It was certainly a great burger and beats In-and-Out any time of the day!
I felt so full that I could barely eat for the rest of the day, especially as I’d decided to order the medium instead of the small.
Went back home to have a rest and to catch up on emails. Then out again for more... shopping! We walked across to Abbot Kinney in Venice and window shopped at some v cool stores. Think Chapel St meets Brunswick St. Steven Alan has a v cute little shop with a pretty backyard on Abbot Kinney, unfortunately everything was too big, the most frequent problem I run up against shopping in the US.
cousinoftaipeiflyer joined us for a snack and some pre dinner wines. We also went back to The Other Room for some beer; I had a v nice Belgian fruit beer. Finally had dinner too late at some late night joint where we saw a minor celebrity who’s played supporting roles in several movies. Had great meatloaf which is one of the things I always look forward to eating in the US – simple but total yum.
We ended the night at The Circle Bar in Santa Monica, great crowd and reasonably priced drinks. The music was quite eclectic. I thought it was extraordinary that people could get drunk that early in LA (it was 11pmish; I myself don’t get that trashed usually until much later, closer to dawn and in time for a trip to Maccas or some dodgy souvlaki bar to sober up) but then was reminded that California has a closing time of 2am. We witnessed a drunk get thrown out by the v mean bouncers, then got repeatedly pawed on by an equally drunk and semi-coherent girl, and watched a guy nearby suffer (enjoyed maybe?) the same fate. Lights came on at a quarter to 2, quite abruptly in fact. I’m not a fan of this v early closing... had a great night nonetheless which wrapped up a fantastic day.
to be continued...
Last edited by Keith009; Sep 29, 2008 at 7:25 am
Sep 29, 2008, 10:30 pm
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: SYD
Posts: 3,043
Kicking it in LA LA Land!! part 2
Day 3
Another early start as we had to run some errands today. We drove over to Westwood where the W is, as I had to pick up some Bliss Lemon&Sage toiletries for florianwagner who I’d be meeting in VIE a few days later (the W Honolulu didn’t have a Bliss spa; thank goodness the W HK does or I’d have to drag 6 months’ worth of Bliss stuff all over the world with me – one of my aims this trip is to replenish my toiletries’ supply). In the meantime taipeiflyer drove off to the UCLA campus to do his thing. I took the opportunity to re-acquaint myself with the W LA – which certainly has one of the nicest Living Room decor wise.
We then drove off in search of a good brunch, and on the spur of the moment decided to drop in at Cecil’s in West LA, a ribs’ place that taipeiflyer and cousinoftaipeiflyer have always wanted to check out. V succulent ribs, again another indulgent meal. Ribs... the brunch of champions!
Dropped taipeiflyer’s mate off at LAX after that, saw many Qantas A380 promos. Had my one of many Rants of the Day w/r/t the Sydney-centric nature of the ads. The Arts Centre or the MCG or the trams of Melbourne might not be as internationally recognisable as the visual clichés of Sydney Harbour, the Harbour Bridge or the Opera House – but I do feel that given the inaugural route is MEL-LAX (with SYD-LAX only following 4 days later) Qantas could’ve put up some Melbourne icons along with the Sydney Harbour. The Spirit of Australia ought to be doing its bit to promote tourism to all parts of Australia shouldn’t it?
Decided to stop via Baseball Central to muck around with some softball and baseball. I sucked terribly at these things (though am surprisingly decent at cricket) but was much better when I was shown the proper techniques.
Shopping top of the agenda today, I was going to make a decision and pick a pair of sunnies by hook or by crook. We drove to Robertson Boulevard, Beverly Hills. Walked around for a bit trying to track down a fave sunnies store of mine C by Karina but to no avail and only to discover later that it no longer exists on Robertson and has either shut or moved. Saw a new Chanel store which looked kinda out of place. If I wanted to shop at Chanel I’d have gone to Rodeo Dr. We chanced upon a moving sale featuring discounts of up to 75% at Agnes B and went wild in there, though again with sizing an issue I emerged with only 1 top. Bargain value – paid only $47, down from the original price of over $180. Pity the rest didn’t fit (am a size 2).
Spotted some paparazzi outside News Room Cafe where we went to have some juices. It sure is big business, they were communicating with each other via 2 way radios and sharing tips on the locales of several big stars. We wound up sitting near Taylor Handley (who played Oliver Trask in season 1 of The OC – the psycho who had a crush on Marisa; and more recently The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), though I thought his pal sitting opposite him was actually way better looking. Overall, not much luck with the star spotting this trip. cousinoftaipeiflyer had a rant about how he’s so over celebrities as he sees them all the time doing ordinary things in LA and can’t understand why other people he meets overseas get all flustered about them.
Finally picked up my pair of sunnies at Optz. Was torn between a pair of 70s inspired Paul Smith’s or an aviator style Robert Marc’s. In the end I went with the former, being slightly cheaper meant I’d feel slightly less guilty breaking or losing it.
More shopping at The Grove, which reminds me a bit of Bal Harbour Shops in Miami except a fair bit bigger and less old school.
Went back home for a hard earned rest after a hard day of shopping. HUGE AL arrived in LA at about 10pm and drove us out for a late night snack and some drinks at the Peninsula Hotel. Given how tired he was after a long week that must have taken some effort – cheers mate!The bar at the Pen serves v yummy beef burgers served with Mac&Cheese with truffles, all for an insane value price and washed down v nicely with Veuve and some red wine. On the way out we saw a v nice car and posed for pics with it – I’ve no idea what sort of car it was but went with it anyway.
Finished the night with partying in WeHo! We were supposed to go to The Abbey but it looked pretty dead and HUGE AL dragged us to the club next door Here Lounge which looked more happening. The cover charge included free raspberry vodka shots, pretty cute server in Speedos sitting in a jacuzzi pours it into your mouths. The others all declined their shots and so I was ‘forced’ to take them. I'm advised that HUGE AL has rather incriminating pics of this. :eek3: I don’t normally do shots and now I know why – 3 consecutive shots is a killer (not in a standard shot glass either, straight from a bottle :/). The server was cute though and v friendly – so all good. Had some cocktails and wandered around mingling with the rather good looking crowd. Mr Speedos insisted on pouring 2 more shots down my throat and said I didn’t even have to tip him (i did of course) – now THAT finished me off for the night. Club closed promptly at 2am with bright spotlights turned on and the v aggressive bouncers ushered everyone out of the place.
Had to be careful not to puke in cousinoftaipeiflyer’s car on the way home, and he had to pull over a few times as I was feeling so fragile.
Day 4
Helped taipeiflyer with some errands, otherwise generally a lazy day recovering from the excesses of the previous days. Had some Domino’s Pizza which tasted much nicer than the one we have back home in Australia. Prepared for my departure to VIE via LHR. And so another visit to LA had come to an end – as always I’m missing it terribly and can’t wait to be back. A true Mecca of shopping, fashion, glamour and all round indulgence.
Next: AA136 LAX-LHR J; BA704 LHR-VIE whY; Le Meridien Wien
Day 3
Another early start as we had to run some errands today. We drove over to Westwood where the W is, as I had to pick up some Bliss Lemon&Sage toiletries for florianwagner who I’d be meeting in VIE a few days later (the W Honolulu didn’t have a Bliss spa; thank goodness the W HK does or I’d have to drag 6 months’ worth of Bliss stuff all over the world with me – one of my aims this trip is to replenish my toiletries’ supply). In the meantime taipeiflyer drove off to the UCLA campus to do his thing. I took the opportunity to re-acquaint myself with the W LA – which certainly has one of the nicest Living Room decor wise.
We then drove off in search of a good brunch, and on the spur of the moment decided to drop in at Cecil’s in West LA, a ribs’ place that taipeiflyer and cousinoftaipeiflyer have always wanted to check out. V succulent ribs, again another indulgent meal. Ribs... the brunch of champions!
Dropped taipeiflyer’s mate off at LAX after that, saw many Qantas A380 promos. Had my one of many Rants of the Day w/r/t the Sydney-centric nature of the ads. The Arts Centre or the MCG or the trams of Melbourne might not be as internationally recognisable as the visual clichés of Sydney Harbour, the Harbour Bridge or the Opera House – but I do feel that given the inaugural route is MEL-LAX (with SYD-LAX only following 4 days later) Qantas could’ve put up some Melbourne icons along with the Sydney Harbour. The Spirit of Australia ought to be doing its bit to promote tourism to all parts of Australia shouldn’t it?
Decided to stop via Baseball Central to muck around with some softball and baseball. I sucked terribly at these things (though am surprisingly decent at cricket) but was much better when I was shown the proper techniques.
Shopping top of the agenda today, I was going to make a decision and pick a pair of sunnies by hook or by crook. We drove to Robertson Boulevard, Beverly Hills. Walked around for a bit trying to track down a fave sunnies store of mine C by Karina but to no avail and only to discover later that it no longer exists on Robertson and has either shut or moved. Saw a new Chanel store which looked kinda out of place. If I wanted to shop at Chanel I’d have gone to Rodeo Dr. We chanced upon a moving sale featuring discounts of up to 75% at Agnes B and went wild in there, though again with sizing an issue I emerged with only 1 top. Bargain value – paid only $47, down from the original price of over $180. Pity the rest didn’t fit (am a size 2).
Spotted some paparazzi outside News Room Cafe where we went to have some juices. It sure is big business, they were communicating with each other via 2 way radios and sharing tips on the locales of several big stars. We wound up sitting near Taylor Handley (who played Oliver Trask in season 1 of The OC – the psycho who had a crush on Marisa; and more recently The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), though I thought his pal sitting opposite him was actually way better looking. Overall, not much luck with the star spotting this trip. cousinoftaipeiflyer had a rant about how he’s so over celebrities as he sees them all the time doing ordinary things in LA and can’t understand why other people he meets overseas get all flustered about them.
Finally picked up my pair of sunnies at Optz. Was torn between a pair of 70s inspired Paul Smith’s or an aviator style Robert Marc’s. In the end I went with the former, being slightly cheaper meant I’d feel slightly less guilty breaking or losing it.
More shopping at The Grove, which reminds me a bit of Bal Harbour Shops in Miami except a fair bit bigger and less old school.
Went back home for a hard earned rest after a hard day of shopping. HUGE AL arrived in LA at about 10pm and drove us out for a late night snack and some drinks at the Peninsula Hotel. Given how tired he was after a long week that must have taken some effort – cheers mate!The bar at the Pen serves v yummy beef burgers served with Mac&Cheese with truffles, all for an insane value price and washed down v nicely with Veuve and some red wine. On the way out we saw a v nice car and posed for pics with it – I’ve no idea what sort of car it was but went with it anyway.
Finished the night with partying in WeHo! We were supposed to go to The Abbey but it looked pretty dead and HUGE AL dragged us to the club next door Here Lounge which looked more happening. The cover charge included free raspberry vodka shots, pretty cute server in Speedos sitting in a jacuzzi pours it into your mouths. The others all declined their shots and so I was ‘forced’ to take them. I'm advised that HUGE AL has rather incriminating pics of this. :eek3: I don’t normally do shots and now I know why – 3 consecutive shots is a killer (not in a standard shot glass either, straight from a bottle :/). The server was cute though and v friendly – so all good. Had some cocktails and wandered around mingling with the rather good looking crowd. Mr Speedos insisted on pouring 2 more shots down my throat and said I didn’t even have to tip him (i did of course) – now THAT finished me off for the night. Club closed promptly at 2am with bright spotlights turned on and the v aggressive bouncers ushered everyone out of the place.
Had to be careful not to puke in cousinoftaipeiflyer’s car on the way home, and he had to pull over a few times as I was feeling so fragile.
Day 4
Helped taipeiflyer with some errands, otherwise generally a lazy day recovering from the excesses of the previous days. Had some Domino’s Pizza which tasted much nicer than the one we have back home in Australia. Prepared for my departure to VIE via LHR. And so another visit to LA had come to an end – as always I’m missing it terribly and can’t wait to be back. A true Mecca of shopping, fashion, glamour and all round indulgence.
Next: AA136 LAX-LHR J; BA704 LHR-VIE whY; Le Meridien Wien
Last edited by Keith009; Oct 9, 2008 at 3:54 am
Oct 1, 2008, 5:04 pm
#20
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Orange County and oftentimes London
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy, HH Diamond, AA EXP, VS Gold, BAEC Silver, Global Entry, UK RT
Posts: 539
Hula's
I always love Hulas when I visit. Did you happen to have a bartender named Kirk? He was the best bartender during my last stay a few months ago. He makes a great cosmo. I have a pic of me kissing him on the cheek hehehe 
Oct 5, 2008, 2:38 am
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: SYD
Posts: 3,043
Sector - LAX-LHR
Flight number - AA136
Class - Business
Equipment - B777-200
Seat - 9B, then 9A
Checked in quickly and easily with AA at T4, as the EXP queue was empty. Got BPs all the way through to VIE with bags tagged the same. I then proceeded through TSA which was fairly quiet and hence wasn't too much hassle, and I was soon sitting in the FlAAgship Lounge though not before fumbling with opening the door due to the defective access cards I'd been given.
The FlAAgship Lounge wasn't anything special, but at least one doesn't have to pay for drinks or rely on drink chits like the Admirals Club. OK selection of food, rather limited range of drinks. There was free wifi - you'd have to obtain the login info from reception.
Boarding commenced on schedule, and soon I was settled in the fairly comfy NGBC seat. Though at least a generation behind what other airlines are now offering or starting to offer, the angled flat NGBC seat represents a vast improvement over the previous cradled version, especially for a night flight. The FA came around offering a choice of pre take off bevvies, shock and horror - I reached for the Pommery. Amenity kit was already at the seat; it looked identical to the kit when I flew AA F in Feb.
My neighbour and his wife soon arrived. They were seperated with him in 9A and the missus in 9E. He'd tried to convince me to switch seats with his wife - as if I was going to give up an aisle seat pre-allocated in advanced for a middle one. The FA took my side and promised to look for spare seats together for them after doors had closed, and they were then spirited off to a pair of seats in row 11. So I'd ended up with 9AB all to myself and so moved myself over to 9A whilst leaving my stuff in 9B.
There was a slight delay on departure as apparently the runway was occupied by a Malaysian 747 which had just landed. Bose headsets were given out after take off, and I had the pinot noir along with the warm nuts when the first bar service came around.
I had to miss out on the appetiser as it was a shellfish dish, so the FA simply served me the salad. This was followed by the lamb main which didn't look all that great but actually tasted v nice and had a rather pleasing blend of flavours. Dinner was concluded with dessert, another v yummy ice cream. The absence of freshly baked cookies was felt on this trip - missed 'em cookies but the sundAAes are just as good anyway.
It was far too early to sleep and so I watched a couple of things on the AVOD-enabled IFE. Sex and the City: The Movie, which I'd shamefully missed when it was out at the cinemas, was a rather entertaining one with the famous NYC glamour posse. I still wasn't tired after one movie so went on to a few episodes of House, as the other movie selections didn't look all that exciting.
Contrary to other reports, I slept fairly well on the NGBC bed. It wasn't as comfortable as the Qantas Skybed but on par with other sloped type products like the Singapore Airlines Spacebed or Cathay's ONBC bed. No sliding/vegie effect even.
Breakfast was served about 2 hrs prior to landing, and I had the omelete which wasn't great but edible. Washed down by some Pommery which made it taste a bit better. Airline coffee is almost never great and this was no exception.
Just before landing I had an opportunity to chat with the purser Linda who had served me when I flew AA F in the other direction back in Feb - she's a v nice lady who did such a great job and made my time in AA F v memorable. The best part was she remembered me so we had a jolly good but short catch up as she was busy with pre-arrival preparations. I felt the service was just as good on this flight, we were looked after v well by the v cheerful lot in J who were most accomodating and responsive.
After some holding in London airspace, we landed at LHR and docked at our gate in T3 about 10 mins behind scheduled arrival. It must have been a rather quiet hour, but I almost literally 'flowed through' the transfer to T5. The walk to the transfer lounge wasn't too long, the bus to T5 was waiting for me at the transfer lounge, not much queueing at T5 and apart from being yelled at by a BAA Goonette at security for daring to prevent my tray of stuff from falling into the hole at the end of the carousel thingy where the tray goes back to be reused (you're not actually supposed to lift your tray but I had no opportunity to collect my stuff until it was almost too late), this was the smoothest transfer at LHR I've ever experienced.
Next: LHR-VIE BA704 whY; Le Meridien Wien; Vienna
Flight number - AA136
Class - Business
Equipment - B777-200
Seat - 9B, then 9A
Checked in quickly and easily with AA at T4, as the EXP queue was empty. Got BPs all the way through to VIE with bags tagged the same. I then proceeded through TSA which was fairly quiet and hence wasn't too much hassle, and I was soon sitting in the FlAAgship Lounge though not before fumbling with opening the door due to the defective access cards I'd been given.
The FlAAgship Lounge wasn't anything special, but at least one doesn't have to pay for drinks or rely on drink chits like the Admirals Club. OK selection of food, rather limited range of drinks. There was free wifi - you'd have to obtain the login info from reception.
Boarding commenced on schedule, and soon I was settled in the fairly comfy NGBC seat. Though at least a generation behind what other airlines are now offering or starting to offer, the angled flat NGBC seat represents a vast improvement over the previous cradled version, especially for a night flight. The FA came around offering a choice of pre take off bevvies, shock and horror - I reached for the Pommery. Amenity kit was already at the seat; it looked identical to the kit when I flew AA F in Feb.
My neighbour and his wife soon arrived. They were seperated with him in 9A and the missus in 9E. He'd tried to convince me to switch seats with his wife - as if I was going to give up an aisle seat pre-allocated in advanced for a middle one. The FA took my side and promised to look for spare seats together for them after doors had closed, and they were then spirited off to a pair of seats in row 11. So I'd ended up with 9AB all to myself and so moved myself over to 9A whilst leaving my stuff in 9B.
There was a slight delay on departure as apparently the runway was occupied by a Malaysian 747 which had just landed. Bose headsets were given out after take off, and I had the pinot noir along with the warm nuts when the first bar service came around.
I had to miss out on the appetiser as it was a shellfish dish, so the FA simply served me the salad. This was followed by the lamb main which didn't look all that great but actually tasted v nice and had a rather pleasing blend of flavours. Dinner was concluded with dessert, another v yummy ice cream. The absence of freshly baked cookies was felt on this trip - missed 'em cookies but the sundAAes are just as good anyway.
It was far too early to sleep and so I watched a couple of things on the AVOD-enabled IFE. Sex and the City: The Movie, which I'd shamefully missed when it was out at the cinemas, was a rather entertaining one with the famous NYC glamour posse. I still wasn't tired after one movie so went on to a few episodes of House, as the other movie selections didn't look all that exciting.
Contrary to other reports, I slept fairly well on the NGBC bed. It wasn't as comfortable as the Qantas Skybed but on par with other sloped type products like the Singapore Airlines Spacebed or Cathay's ONBC bed. No sliding/vegie effect even.
Breakfast was served about 2 hrs prior to landing, and I had the omelete which wasn't great but edible. Washed down by some Pommery which made it taste a bit better. Airline coffee is almost never great and this was no exception.
Just before landing I had an opportunity to chat with the purser Linda who had served me when I flew AA F in the other direction back in Feb - she's a v nice lady who did such a great job and made my time in AA F v memorable. The best part was she remembered me so we had a jolly good but short catch up as she was busy with pre-arrival preparations. I felt the service was just as good on this flight, we were looked after v well by the v cheerful lot in J who were most accomodating and responsive.
After some holding in London airspace, we landed at LHR and docked at our gate in T3 about 10 mins behind scheduled arrival. It must have been a rather quiet hour, but I almost literally 'flowed through' the transfer to T5. The walk to the transfer lounge wasn't too long, the bus to T5 was waiting for me at the transfer lounge, not much queueing at T5 and apart from being yelled at by a BAA Goonette at security for daring to prevent my tray of stuff from falling into the hole at the end of the carousel thingy where the tray goes back to be reused (you're not actually supposed to lift your tray but I had no opportunity to collect my stuff until it was almost too late), this was the smoothest transfer at LHR I've ever experienced.
Next: LHR-VIE BA704 whY; Le Meridien Wien; Vienna
Last edited by Keith009; Oct 5, 2008 at 2:54 am
Oct 5, 2008, 9:57 am
#24
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: SYD
Posts: 3,043
Sector - LHR-VIE
Flight number - AA6643 (operating as BA704)
Class - Economy
Equipment - A320
Seat - 13D
My flight hadn't been assigned a gate when I got to T5, so I'd simply went to Galleries South. Got into the Flounge in no time. BA have done v well with their new Galleries concept; the decor is smart and refreshingly clean line. It might not be as visually stunning or as hip as the Qantas Flounges in SYD and MEL, but I felt that the Galleries F is more suited for long term comfort (ie layovers of more than 3 hours) as there is an abundance of v comfy couches to rest one's tired bones whereas the Qantas Flounges are more suited for quick short stays - eat, have a drink or 5 then leave for flight, there's just nowhere to spread out for a good rest. Somehow Galleries F just feels more restful; I find the retro flicking flight display board in the Qantas Flounges especially irritating.
My favourite feature of all is of course the champagne bar. And after the doom and gloom about the depleting Bollinger Grand Annee '99 supply, I was pleased to find the lovely fizz still flowing when I was there. Love the sweet honeyed taste, yet grounded by the nutty aromas. Other champagne choices were Taittinger Grand Prelude and Cattier Clos du Moulin. Are you reading, Qantas and SQ?
I triumphantly posted on one of the boards I read that Bolly was still available. But I'd spoke too soon. No sooner had I finished the last bottle that was there, it was swiftly replaced by another bottle of the Taittinger. Oops... I also like the Taittinger GP, but it was a downer after the Bolly '99.
Boarding soon commenced and I dutifully made my way to the departure gate which was just around the corner. Made it in time for the JCL and shiny cards boarding call, and settled into seat 13D. This was as far forward as I could've gone for an aisle seat at time of check in at LAX. I'd booked this flight under the AA code to earn more miles (1588 miles booked as AA6643 vs a measley 250 if booked as BA704), but as a consequence couldn't allocate my seat on MMB.
Unfortunately the 'flow through' experience ended there. Due to computer glitches the day before, ATC was still under some sort of distress which resulted in our flight not getting its take off slot for an hour after scheduled departure. Meanwhile we sat and waited on the tarmac...
Take off couldn't come sooner as I was getting restless sitting on the tarmac knowing that we're going nowhere. Now I know how all those people getting stuck on the tarmac for 7 hours must have felt, and it was only an hour for me!
The rest of the flight was pretty uneventful. Got the usual BA Euro Traveler sandwich, and the Nobilo Sauv Blanc was still served so had quite a few drops of that.
We arrived in VIE about an hour behind scheduled arrival. We got a remote stand and so had to be bussed to the terminal, probably due to our late arrival. I was then fighting against time to rush through the airport, to my hotel and to the restaurant in time for my dinner appointment.
Next: Le Meridien Wien; Vienna
Flight number - AA6643 (operating as BA704)
Class - Economy
Equipment - A320
Seat - 13D
My flight hadn't been assigned a gate when I got to T5, so I'd simply went to Galleries South. Got into the Flounge in no time. BA have done v well with their new Galleries concept; the decor is smart and refreshingly clean line. It might not be as visually stunning or as hip as the Qantas Flounges in SYD and MEL, but I felt that the Galleries F is more suited for long term comfort (ie layovers of more than 3 hours) as there is an abundance of v comfy couches to rest one's tired bones whereas the Qantas Flounges are more suited for quick short stays - eat, have a drink or 5 then leave for flight, there's just nowhere to spread out for a good rest. Somehow Galleries F just feels more restful; I find the retro flicking flight display board in the Qantas Flounges especially irritating.
My favourite feature of all is of course the champagne bar. And after the doom and gloom about the depleting Bollinger Grand Annee '99 supply, I was pleased to find the lovely fizz still flowing when I was there. Love the sweet honeyed taste, yet grounded by the nutty aromas. Other champagne choices were Taittinger Grand Prelude and Cattier Clos du Moulin. Are you reading, Qantas and SQ?
I triumphantly posted on one of the boards I read that Bolly was still available. But I'd spoke too soon. No sooner had I finished the last bottle that was there, it was swiftly replaced by another bottle of the Taittinger. Oops... I also like the Taittinger GP, but it was a downer after the Bolly '99.
Boarding soon commenced and I dutifully made my way to the departure gate which was just around the corner. Made it in time for the JCL and shiny cards boarding call, and settled into seat 13D. This was as far forward as I could've gone for an aisle seat at time of check in at LAX. I'd booked this flight under the AA code to earn more miles (1588 miles booked as AA6643 vs a measley 250 if booked as BA704), but as a consequence couldn't allocate my seat on MMB.
Unfortunately the 'flow through' experience ended there. Due to computer glitches the day before, ATC was still under some sort of distress which resulted in our flight not getting its take off slot for an hour after scheduled departure. Meanwhile we sat and waited on the tarmac...
Take off couldn't come sooner as I was getting restless sitting on the tarmac knowing that we're going nowhere. Now I know how all those people getting stuck on the tarmac for 7 hours must have felt, and it was only an hour for me!
The rest of the flight was pretty uneventful. Got the usual BA Euro Traveler sandwich, and the Nobilo Sauv Blanc was still served so had quite a few drops of that.
We arrived in VIE about an hour behind scheduled arrival. We got a remote stand and so had to be bussed to the terminal, probably due to our late arrival. I was then fighting against time to rush through the airport, to my hotel and to the restaurant in time for my dinner appointment.
Next: Le Meridien Wien; Vienna
Last edited by Keith009; Oct 5, 2008 at 10:05 am
Oct 7, 2008, 3:51 am
#25
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: SYD
Posts: 3,043
Le Meridien Wien
Opernring 13
Situated on the Ringstrasse, the Le Meridien Wien is in great proximity to all that Vienna has to offer. The Opera House, museums, restaurants, coffee houses, pubs and bars - they're all within walking distance or a short subway ride away with a subway station right outside (ish) the hotel.
The public areas of the hotel were quite funky. On arrival you step into the very minimalist lobby, and given the LM101/Art + Tech project you're greeted by sounds of water running or birds chirping as you enter. There were also exhibits of contemporary art around the lobby. I especially like the v industrial decor of the Shambala Bar. The acoustics weren't the best though, as the music was thumping but not especially atmospheric - and just seemed loud. Other than that, the bar was quite a hopping place on Friday night when I went for a few after hour tipples. Some v interesting pictures in Cafe Boulevard (more on this cafe later) and unlike most of other coffee places in Vienna other than Starbucks, this place does lattes with soy milk.
I received an upgrade to a v large Executive Suite on the 2nd floor, and they'd even set up a spare Queen sized bed as I'd booked this room for 2 initially. It is a v nice room with a lounge, an ensuite bedroom containing a bright pink bathtub (and separate showers) in the bathroom, and another smaller bathroom for guests. Free in-room wifi, so that was appreciated. The room rate also comes with a free mini bar, which contained 2 bottles of juices, 2 bottles of Coke, water and 1 bottle of beer (beer absent on first night). Not the most generous 'free minibar' in the world.
bedroom
wardrobe with mini bar and safe
living room
main bathroom
2nd bathroom
Contrary to the promises of LM101, I wasn't all that inspired by the decor of the room. The room is best described as 'generic chic' - it is v contemporary in an IKEA kind of way, and continues the minimalist theme of the lobby. However, i couldn't consider it edgy, or even designer material. It certainly didn't cause me to view the world in a 'new perspective.' It IS a very nice room, and the contemporary decor is v much appreciated; however it is frustrating when theory doesn't meet application. Stylish and modern? Yes. Forward looking and breaking new ground? No.
The service was generally pretty good, with rather young (and some rather good looking) staff. Most staff members I interacted with were v friendly and accomodating. Concierge service (Ambassador desk or whatever it's called) was more mixed. jhm, phaleesy and I asked one of the concierge staff about decent places for brunch, and got directed to a rather touristy cafe which locals probably turn their noses up at (most of the clientele there were holding maps, and the menu didn't look all that good). However I asked a different staff member the same night about nightlife on a Sunday and he not only identified the places but also launched into detailed explanations about them and how I should plan my night. Pretty much spot on too.
On balance a pretty satisfactory stay, and a rather solid property. As far as SPG goes, the LM is a great alternative to the Imperial or the Bristol if you're desiring something modern. Just don't take the LM101 design concept so seriously (like myself...) and you won't be disappointed.
Next: Sighted in Vienna
Opernring 13
Situated on the Ringstrasse, the Le Meridien Wien is in great proximity to all that Vienna has to offer. The Opera House, museums, restaurants, coffee houses, pubs and bars - they're all within walking distance or a short subway ride away with a subway station right outside (ish) the hotel.
The public areas of the hotel were quite funky. On arrival you step into the very minimalist lobby, and given the LM101/Art + Tech project you're greeted by sounds of water running or birds chirping as you enter. There were also exhibits of contemporary art around the lobby. I especially like the v industrial decor of the Shambala Bar. The acoustics weren't the best though, as the music was thumping but not especially atmospheric - and just seemed loud. Other than that, the bar was quite a hopping place on Friday night when I went for a few after hour tipples. Some v interesting pictures in Cafe Boulevard (more on this cafe later) and unlike most of other coffee places in Vienna other than Starbucks, this place does lattes with soy milk.
I received an upgrade to a v large Executive Suite on the 2nd floor, and they'd even set up a spare Queen sized bed as I'd booked this room for 2 initially. It is a v nice room with a lounge, an ensuite bedroom containing a bright pink bathtub (and separate showers) in the bathroom, and another smaller bathroom for guests. Free in-room wifi, so that was appreciated. The room rate also comes with a free mini bar, which contained 2 bottles of juices, 2 bottles of Coke, water and 1 bottle of beer (beer absent on first night). Not the most generous 'free minibar' in the world.
bedroom
wardrobe with mini bar and safe
living room
main bathroom
2nd bathroom
Contrary to the promises of LM101, I wasn't all that inspired by the decor of the room. The room is best described as 'generic chic' - it is v contemporary in an IKEA kind of way, and continues the minimalist theme of the lobby. However, i couldn't consider it edgy, or even designer material. It certainly didn't cause me to view the world in a 'new perspective.' It IS a very nice room, and the contemporary decor is v much appreciated; however it is frustrating when theory doesn't meet application. Stylish and modern? Yes. Forward looking and breaking new ground? No.
The service was generally pretty good, with rather young (and some rather good looking) staff. Most staff members I interacted with were v friendly and accomodating. Concierge service (Ambassador desk or whatever it's called) was more mixed. jhm, phaleesy and I asked one of the concierge staff about decent places for brunch, and got directed to a rather touristy cafe which locals probably turn their noses up at (most of the clientele there were holding maps, and the menu didn't look all that good). However I asked a different staff member the same night about nightlife on a Sunday and he not only identified the places but also launched into detailed explanations about them and how I should plan my night. Pretty much spot on too.
On balance a pretty satisfactory stay, and a rather solid property. As far as SPG goes, the LM is a great alternative to the Imperial or the Bristol if you're desiring something modern. Just don't take the LM101 design concept so seriously (like myself...) and you won't be disappointed.
Next: Sighted in Vienna
Last edited by Keith009; Oct 7, 2008 at 3:58 am
Oct 7, 2008, 7:26 am
#26
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: SYD
Posts: 3,043
Thanks for the feedback everybody. 
Poor, Struggling and Starving Student here don't you know!
Porsche by Adidas!
Bought them back in July on a half price sale in some large department store in Tokyo (Shibuya i think).
But really I am trying to illustrate legroom, not show off my feet pretty as they are.
It sounds like you have a long overdue TR...
Sure did - it's my favourite city in the world. Other than Melbourne of course.
Yes indeed, and I loved the relaxed and casual vibe there.
Poor, Struggling and Starving Student here don't you know!
Porsche by Adidas!
Bought them back in July on a half price sale in some large department store in Tokyo (Shibuya i think). But really I am trying to illustrate legroom, not show off my feet pretty as they are.
Sure did - it's my favourite city in the world. Other than Melbourne of course.
Yes indeed, and I loved the relaxed and casual vibe there.
Oct 7, 2008, 11:45 am
#27
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: SYD
Posts: 3,043
Vienna, and SQTalk VIE DO
(co-starring florianwagner, petz, Guy Betsy, jhm, phaleesy, jjpb3, Kyo, and our lovely musical lurker)
Day 1
The DO commenced with dinner at Figlmüller's at Wollzeile. I arrived fashionably late (i have an excuse this time - LHR delays!) to find our gracious hosts florianwagner and petz, as well as other SQTalkers Guy Betsy and Kyo already waiting. Kyo then presented to me my early bday present - a bottle of Austrian red, quite a quaffable one that which I'd managed to consume the night before leaving. Thanks mate! Our musical lurker soon joined us, followed by phaleesy. We were all famished and couldn't wait to tuck in to the delicious sounding Viennese cuisine. I was introduced to a beverage that I hadn't had before - 'young' wine. It tasted like dessert wine and was quite tasty, but got a bit too sweet after a while.
The place supposedly serves the biggest schnitzel anywhere in the world. Whilst I've yet to personally verify that claim, the schnitzel I had was definitely big and I could only finish half of it. We also had v yummy potato salad.
Though the waiters were formally dressed in black tie, the service at the place was quite relaxed. Our waiter even joined in the festivities a little as he showed Kyo the proper way to enjoy <insert name of some Austrian spirit he ordered>
Post dinner, we hunted for a special torte that phaleesy and Kyo were wanting to try but unfortunately the place was closed. We then decided to drop in at Onyx bar, supposedly one of the coolest bars in town as recommended by VC10 Boy via PM, at the DO+CO hotel which was right where Kyo was staying so we got some form of access privileges. Unfortunately the bar was totally full, so we decided to hang out in Kyo's room. Quite a nifty, well-designed one and v reflective of contemporary European decor. The room he switched into the next day was similar but had a jacuzzi which can fit quite a few people...
partial group pic, sorry I don't have a better one
(Copyright petz; reproduced with permission)
view of the room; me snooping around
(Copyright petz; reproduced with permission)
Guy Betsy and phaleesy left close to midnight as they had early morning sightseeing plans the next day. The rest of us went to a traditional Austrian beer place (IIRC it was also a microbrewery), where we enjoyed some local beers. I had an ale, if my memory serves me right I think the rest had lagers (or bitters?). Music was quite good at the place, v crowd pleasing pop/rock though we couldn't hear much of it over the din. A group of girls were also doing rather merry sing-a-longs.
As petz was feeling rather ill from flu, we decided to call it a night. Kyo and I decided to try our luck again at Onyx and managed to get in. Surprisingly it was already winding down even though it was only 1am on a Friday night. It was certainly a rather stylish place, with pretty good music. They had a rather interesting take on several drinks we ordered. The crowd was a mix of the trendy set, as well as some suits.
We finally called it a night after several drinks, and I walked home to the LM which was actually nearer than I thought it was. Despite flying in from LA and feeling a bit spaced out before, the walk actually woke me up a little and so I ended up having a few drinks at the LM's Shambala Bar which was still pumping.
Day 2
I'd forgotten to charge my camera battery so all pics on Day 2 belong to petz and are reproduced with his kind permission.
Kyo and I decided to have breakfast at Cafe Schlutzenberg, an extremely traditional Viennese cafe. He was attempting to track down something which he saw on the IC Wien's video intro to Vienna which he thought was a huge omellete in a frying pan. Unfortunately he was unsuccessful, and the waiter was left extremely confused. We later discovered that it was really a pancake. Bubbly brekkies seem v popular in Austria, however it looked rather light food-wise. I had a traditional Austrian brekkies which consisted of a soft boiled egg, cheese, LOTS of bread, and a pot of coffee. Went a little overboard and drank the entire pot of coffee (3 mugs), though still felt ok at that time. I'd wanted a latte but they only had regular coffee along with the set brekkies I ordered.
I then met up with florianwagner and petz who decided to bring me on a little coffee tour, whilst Kyo wandered off for a walk to see the sights. I had a latte at a contemporary cafe with rather IKEA style decor next to the LM. Non-soy alas, as v few places did them as jjpb3 had warned. The latte was rather diluted and contained a lot more milk and foam compared to how we do them back home, though not quite as overflowing with milk like the US. That, being my 4th cup of coffee for the day, was when the caffeine buzz REALLY hit and I consequently felt rather ill for the rest of the day.
We then wandered up to a rather trendy cafe around the corner. Always interesting to observe the blend of old world, contemporary and trendy in Vienna. Apparently small talk isn't a thing you do with servers here; I'd asked the waitress how her day was only to be met by a startled silence, and was immediately enlightened by florianwagner as to why that was the case. I decided some alcohol is in order to bring down the caffeine buzz, and had a glass of raspberry sparkling wine.
Lunch was had with the rest of the gang at Demel where jhm who'd just flown in that morning caught up with us. The decor of the place was a bit too high brow for my liking, but I could look past that for the food and dessert were simply sensational! I had a v yummy goulash, followed by a hazelnut cake. phaleesy was clearly in heaven for such an ardent foodie as she enthusiastically attacked the cakes with much impressive vigour.
I'm clearly not the only person who takes pics of my food
We then made our way to Schönbrunn castle, approximately a 20mins subway ride out of central Vienna. Kyo and phaleesy went off exploring the castle, whilst the rest of us were more either more concerned about the overcast skies or couldn't be arsed and had more coffee and cake at Cafe Dommayer, just around the corner from the castle. The coffee house is known for its Emperor's melange, which is the Austrian espresso with a special twist - mixed with rum and egg yolk. Now I am an obvious fan of both coffee and alcohol, but I'm not a fan of the 2 put together as they just taste too weird. Plus the egg yolk.... I passed and opted for something less adventurous - a latte. Any coffee then was a bad idea given the caffeine buzz but i didn't feel right coming to such a pretty coffee house and order non-coffee when I'm such a big fan of it. I was extremely stuffed and so had to pass on the cakes, nice as they looked. Now if I had an uncomfortable caffeine buzz before, I now had a full blown caffeine hangover - trust me, it's FAR FAR WORSE than any hangover from alcohol!
Guy Betsy and I then left to have a break back at our respective rooms at the LM (but not before he stocked up on enough macaroons to feed a small army), and I especially needed a lie down to recover from the excessive caffeine intake. That was more coffee than I've ever had in a day, and not as well spaced out either.
Dinner was at an Austrian wine tavern, a heuriger called Wiltschko . It was at a rather suburban location, and for a while GB and myself were quite worried that the taxi driver was lost. It was nice to catch up with jjpb3 again, who'd just got in after severely delayed out of LHR due to fog. phaleesy and Kyo had gone AWOL in the castle and so jhm had decided to stay back at the cafe to look for them - they appeared after a bit so everybody was relieved that they weren't spirited away by supernatural forces in the castle. I had fun sampling the different wines at the heuriger, accompanied by my dinner of deer stew. Austrian reds def have a different character to their Australian/NZ counterparts, I think I prefer the more berry/fruit-driven nature of the latter to the sometimes overpowering mocha flavours of the former.
After dinner drinks were at a v trendy bar at the Raddisson, itself a pretty cool design hotel. I'd performed my promise of shouting everyone first drinks, as it was my bday the following Thursday and I'd had the festivities on either weekend before or after if my bday falls on a weekday. As with any FF event, much tips and tricks as well as interesting industry insider stories were shared. Some of the gang were delighted to find Singapore Sling on the menu but found it to be wanting - there was no pineapple juice in it. The bartender claimed that he was taught to make Slings like that! florianwagner complained of fatigue and illness and left for home with petz and the lurker. The rest of us continued with drinks at the LM which I'd hosted in my room, and jjpb3 had shouted me a glass of champagne from Shambala downstairs - cheers matey!
to be continued...
Apologies for the lack of pics in this update, next update will be much more pic-intensive.
(co-starring florianwagner, petz, Guy Betsy, jhm, phaleesy, jjpb3, Kyo, and our lovely musical lurker)
Day 1
The DO commenced with dinner at Figlmüller's at Wollzeile. I arrived fashionably late (i have an excuse this time - LHR delays!) to find our gracious hosts florianwagner and petz, as well as other SQTalkers Guy Betsy and Kyo already waiting. Kyo then presented to me my early bday present - a bottle of Austrian red, quite a quaffable one that which I'd managed to consume the night before leaving. Thanks mate! Our musical lurker soon joined us, followed by phaleesy. We were all famished and couldn't wait to tuck in to the delicious sounding Viennese cuisine. I was introduced to a beverage that I hadn't had before - 'young' wine. It tasted like dessert wine and was quite tasty, but got a bit too sweet after a while.
The place supposedly serves the biggest schnitzel anywhere in the world. Whilst I've yet to personally verify that claim, the schnitzel I had was definitely big and I could only finish half of it. We also had v yummy potato salad.
Though the waiters were formally dressed in black tie, the service at the place was quite relaxed. Our waiter even joined in the festivities a little as he showed Kyo the proper way to enjoy <insert name of some Austrian spirit he ordered>
Post dinner, we hunted for a special torte that phaleesy and Kyo were wanting to try but unfortunately the place was closed. We then decided to drop in at Onyx bar, supposedly one of the coolest bars in town as recommended by VC10 Boy via PM, at the DO+CO hotel which was right where Kyo was staying so we got some form of access privileges. Unfortunately the bar was totally full, so we decided to hang out in Kyo's room. Quite a nifty, well-designed one and v reflective of contemporary European decor. The room he switched into the next day was similar but had a jacuzzi which can fit quite a few people...
partial group pic, sorry I don't have a better one
(Copyright petz; reproduced with permission)
view of the room; me snooping around
(Copyright petz; reproduced with permission)
Guy Betsy and phaleesy left close to midnight as they had early morning sightseeing plans the next day. The rest of us went to a traditional Austrian beer place (IIRC it was also a microbrewery), where we enjoyed some local beers. I had an ale, if my memory serves me right I think the rest had lagers (or bitters?). Music was quite good at the place, v crowd pleasing pop/rock though we couldn't hear much of it over the din. A group of girls were also doing rather merry sing-a-longs.
As petz was feeling rather ill from flu, we decided to call it a night. Kyo and I decided to try our luck again at Onyx and managed to get in. Surprisingly it was already winding down even though it was only 1am on a Friday night. It was certainly a rather stylish place, with pretty good music. They had a rather interesting take on several drinks we ordered. The crowd was a mix of the trendy set, as well as some suits.
We finally called it a night after several drinks, and I walked home to the LM which was actually nearer than I thought it was. Despite flying in from LA and feeling a bit spaced out before, the walk actually woke me up a little and so I ended up having a few drinks at the LM's Shambala Bar which was still pumping.
Day 2
I'd forgotten to charge my camera battery so all pics on Day 2 belong to petz and are reproduced with his kind permission.
Kyo and I decided to have breakfast at Cafe Schlutzenberg, an extremely traditional Viennese cafe. He was attempting to track down something which he saw on the IC Wien's video intro to Vienna which he thought was a huge omellete in a frying pan. Unfortunately he was unsuccessful, and the waiter was left extremely confused. We later discovered that it was really a pancake. Bubbly brekkies seem v popular in Austria, however it looked rather light food-wise. I had a traditional Austrian brekkies which consisted of a soft boiled egg, cheese, LOTS of bread, and a pot of coffee. Went a little overboard and drank the entire pot of coffee (3 mugs), though still felt ok at that time. I'd wanted a latte but they only had regular coffee along with the set brekkies I ordered.
I then met up with florianwagner and petz who decided to bring me on a little coffee tour, whilst Kyo wandered off for a walk to see the sights. I had a latte at a contemporary cafe with rather IKEA style decor next to the LM. Non-soy alas, as v few places did them as jjpb3 had warned. The latte was rather diluted and contained a lot more milk and foam compared to how we do them back home, though not quite as overflowing with milk like the US. That, being my 4th cup of coffee for the day, was when the caffeine buzz REALLY hit and I consequently felt rather ill for the rest of the day.
We then wandered up to a rather trendy cafe around the corner. Always interesting to observe the blend of old world, contemporary and trendy in Vienna. Apparently small talk isn't a thing you do with servers here; I'd asked the waitress how her day was only to be met by a startled silence, and was immediately enlightened by florianwagner as to why that was the case. I decided some alcohol is in order to bring down the caffeine buzz, and had a glass of raspberry sparkling wine.
Lunch was had with the rest of the gang at Demel where jhm who'd just flown in that morning caught up with us. The decor of the place was a bit too high brow for my liking, but I could look past that for the food and dessert were simply sensational! I had a v yummy goulash, followed by a hazelnut cake. phaleesy was clearly in heaven for such an ardent foodie as she enthusiastically attacked the cakes with much impressive vigour.
I'm clearly not the only person who takes pics of my food
We then made our way to Schönbrunn castle, approximately a 20mins subway ride out of central Vienna. Kyo and phaleesy went off exploring the castle, whilst the rest of us were more either more concerned about the overcast skies or couldn't be arsed and had more coffee and cake at Cafe Dommayer, just around the corner from the castle. The coffee house is known for its Emperor's melange, which is the Austrian espresso with a special twist - mixed with rum and egg yolk. Now I am an obvious fan of both coffee and alcohol, but I'm not a fan of the 2 put together as they just taste too weird. Plus the egg yolk.... I passed and opted for something less adventurous - a latte. Any coffee then was a bad idea given the caffeine buzz but i didn't feel right coming to such a pretty coffee house and order non-coffee when I'm such a big fan of it. I was extremely stuffed and so had to pass on the cakes, nice as they looked. Now if I had an uncomfortable caffeine buzz before, I now had a full blown caffeine hangover - trust me, it's FAR FAR WORSE than any hangover from alcohol!
Guy Betsy and I then left to have a break back at our respective rooms at the LM (but not before he stocked up on enough macaroons to feed a small army), and I especially needed a lie down to recover from the excessive caffeine intake. That was more coffee than I've ever had in a day, and not as well spaced out either.
Dinner was at an Austrian wine tavern, a heuriger called Wiltschko . It was at a rather suburban location, and for a while GB and myself were quite worried that the taxi driver was lost. It was nice to catch up with jjpb3 again, who'd just got in after severely delayed out of LHR due to fog. phaleesy and Kyo had gone AWOL in the castle and so jhm had decided to stay back at the cafe to look for them - they appeared after a bit so everybody was relieved that they weren't spirited away by supernatural forces in the castle. I had fun sampling the different wines at the heuriger, accompanied by my dinner of deer stew. Austrian reds def have a different character to their Australian/NZ counterparts, I think I prefer the more berry/fruit-driven nature of the latter to the sometimes overpowering mocha flavours of the former.
After dinner drinks were at a v trendy bar at the Raddisson, itself a pretty cool design hotel. I'd performed my promise of shouting everyone first drinks, as it was my bday the following Thursday and I'd had the festivities on either weekend before or after if my bday falls on a weekday. As with any FF event, much tips and tricks as well as interesting industry insider stories were shared. Some of the gang were delighted to find Singapore Sling on the menu but found it to be wanting - there was no pineapple juice in it. The bartender claimed that he was taught to make Slings like that! florianwagner complained of fatigue and illness and left for home with petz and the lurker. The rest of us continued with drinks at the LM which I'd hosted in my room, and jjpb3 had shouted me a glass of champagne from Shambala downstairs - cheers matey!
to be continued...
Apologies for the lack of pics in this update, next update will be much more pic-intensive.
Last edited by Keith009; Oct 7, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Oct 8, 2008, 12:30 am
#28
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: SYD
Posts: 3,043
Vienna, and SQTalk VIE DO, part 2
Day 3
Almost everyone had flown off in the morning, so it was only myself, jhm and phaleesy left, along with our hosts. I'd met jhm at Cafe Boulevard at the LM whilst we waited for phaleesy who's watching a performance of the Vienna Boys Choir at mass. I felt a tad guilty as despite promising to accompany her, I hadn't organised my tickets in time and in any case it'd have been a challenge to wake up that early. Meanwhile jhm and I settled down to some coffee; and as mentioned earlier this cafe was one of the rare places in Vienna that does soy latte. Again a bit on the weak side but quite fragrant. I made up my mind to try something different and distinctively Austrian for brunch.
phaleesy soon arrived, and was quite fascinated by the pictures hanging on the walls, especially a particularly naughty one...
We then left in search of brunch. The concierge had given us 2 recommendations - Cafe Mozart which serves traditional Austrian cuisine, and another establishment at the Museum Quarters which serves "modern" cuisine. As it was nearer to the hotel, and knowing that the others would prefer the traditional option, Cafe Mozart it was.
Street view outside the LM
Cafe Mozart
On closer inspection, it looked like tourist central. The menu also didn't meet phaleesy's approval. We decided to go back to Demel where we had such a good time the day before.
We passed several interesting sights in the Ring on the way to the cafe.
can't really remember but i think this is a library
The Hofburg
We settled down to a lovely feast at Demel, where I was determined to pig out as for some reason I was ravenous. The v affable waitress greeted us like old friends; I think she'd recognised us from the day before.
Got an email from taipeiflyer at that point, who was supposed to join us for the DO but had gone MIA. Turns out that he was ill and had actually flown on his LH flight to MUC but had missed his connecting flight. I was just glad that he's ok as quite a few of us, both in Vienna and LA, were quite worried about him and his whereabouts.
coke, Sauv Blanc, coffee - guess who had what
jhm and I had scrambled eggs for entree
phaleesy's Chanterelle omelette
I had the goulash of Chanterelles for my main course
jhm had schnitzel
And of course coffee and cakes! petz joined us at this point, but poor florianwagner was struck down by a fever and was reccuperating at home. I tried the melange, which is an Austrian cappucino that is halfway between the Italian/Antipodean cap and a pure shot of espresso. I enjoyed the v nice aromas, however, as the native Austrian amongst us would also concur, the drink was made stronger than usual that day and it felt like about 2 shots of espresso were used.
We settled down to the v delightful selection of cakes they had at the cafe, but not before snapping pics of each other's desserts of course! Pure gluttony! I love how everything's so beautifully presented, which would only befit phaleesy and her (usually) dainty, graceful and stylish lady-like manners.
Feeling extremely full, we had a long and pleasant stroll back to the LM.
The route we chose took us through the Hofburg, a magnificent place but it could really do without the sights and smells of horse poo...
We got a little lost as it wasn't possible to simply walk through some of the buildings to get out of the Ring, and so we'd to walk around them to get back to the LM which made our route a bit more convoluted than we'd anticipated. Hosted mini drinks in my room to farewell jhm and phaleesy who were leaving in a bit, as well as to toast to the end of a v fun-filled weekend.
Finally they'd all left, and I was left to my own devices. I wasn't v hungry but decided to have a snack from a souvlaki place that I'd found near the LM to avoid drinking on an empty stomach. The v charming concierge not only identified some good Friends of Dorothy hangouts for me, in addition to the ones I'd researched, but also advised me on how best to optimise Sunday night in the city. Vienna was surprisingly busy on a Sunday night, those of you from Melbourne - think Love Machine or Club Valve on a Sunday night type busy.
Day 4
Woke up in surprisingly good time for my flight and even had time to have some brekky downstairs.
Next: AY766 VIE-HEL whY; AY57 HEL-PVG whY; The Westin Bund Centre Shanghai; Shanghai Mk 2
Day 3
Almost everyone had flown off in the morning, so it was only myself, jhm and phaleesy left, along with our hosts. I'd met jhm at Cafe Boulevard at the LM whilst we waited for phaleesy who's watching a performance of the Vienna Boys Choir at mass. I felt a tad guilty as despite promising to accompany her, I hadn't organised my tickets in time and in any case it'd have been a challenge to wake up that early. Meanwhile jhm and I settled down to some coffee; and as mentioned earlier this cafe was one of the rare places in Vienna that does soy latte. Again a bit on the weak side but quite fragrant. I made up my mind to try something different and distinctively Austrian for brunch.
phaleesy soon arrived, and was quite fascinated by the pictures hanging on the walls, especially a particularly naughty one...
We then left in search of brunch. The concierge had given us 2 recommendations - Cafe Mozart which serves traditional Austrian cuisine, and another establishment at the Museum Quarters which serves "modern" cuisine. As it was nearer to the hotel, and knowing that the others would prefer the traditional option, Cafe Mozart it was.
Street view outside the LM
Cafe Mozart
On closer inspection, it looked like tourist central. The menu also didn't meet phaleesy's approval. We decided to go back to Demel where we had such a good time the day before.
We passed several interesting sights in the Ring on the way to the cafe.
can't really remember but i think this is a library
The Hofburg
We settled down to a lovely feast at Demel, where I was determined to pig out as for some reason I was ravenous. The v affable waitress greeted us like old friends; I think she'd recognised us from the day before.
Got an email from taipeiflyer at that point, who was supposed to join us for the DO but had gone MIA. Turns out that he was ill and had actually flown on his LH flight to MUC but had missed his connecting flight. I was just glad that he's ok as quite a few of us, both in Vienna and LA, were quite worried about him and his whereabouts.
coke, Sauv Blanc, coffee - guess who had what
jhm and I had scrambled eggs for entree
phaleesy's Chanterelle omelette
I had the goulash of Chanterelles for my main course
jhm had schnitzel
And of course coffee and cakes! petz joined us at this point, but poor florianwagner was struck down by a fever and was reccuperating at home. I tried the melange, which is an Austrian cappucino that is halfway between the Italian/Antipodean cap and a pure shot of espresso. I enjoyed the v nice aromas, however, as the native Austrian amongst us would also concur, the drink was made stronger than usual that day and it felt like about 2 shots of espresso were used.
We settled down to the v delightful selection of cakes they had at the cafe, but not before snapping pics of each other's desserts of course! Pure gluttony! I love how everything's so beautifully presented, which would only befit phaleesy and her (usually) dainty, graceful and stylish lady-like manners.
Feeling extremely full, we had a long and pleasant stroll back to the LM.
The route we chose took us through the Hofburg, a magnificent place but it could really do without the sights and smells of horse poo...
We got a little lost as it wasn't possible to simply walk through some of the buildings to get out of the Ring, and so we'd to walk around them to get back to the LM which made our route a bit more convoluted than we'd anticipated. Hosted mini drinks in my room to farewell jhm and phaleesy who were leaving in a bit, as well as to toast to the end of a v fun-filled weekend.
Finally they'd all left, and I was left to my own devices. I wasn't v hungry but decided to have a snack from a souvlaki place that I'd found near the LM to avoid drinking on an empty stomach. The v charming concierge not only identified some good Friends of Dorothy hangouts for me, in addition to the ones I'd researched, but also advised me on how best to optimise Sunday night in the city. Vienna was surprisingly busy on a Sunday night, those of you from Melbourne - think Love Machine or Club Valve on a Sunday night type busy.
Day 4
Woke up in surprisingly good time for my flight and even had time to have some brekky downstairs.
Next: AY766 VIE-HEL whY; AY57 HEL-PVG whY; The Westin Bund Centre Shanghai; Shanghai Mk 2
Last edited by Keith009; Oct 8, 2008 at 12:44 am
Oct 8, 2008, 8:49 am
#29
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: SYD
Posts: 3,043
Sector - VIE-HEL
Flight number - AY766
Class - Economy
Equipment - A321
Seat - 7C
I took the taxi to the city terminus of the CAT (City Airport Train). This is a rather convenient facility ala the Airport Express in HKG, and if you're departing on Austrian Airlines you could even do in town check in. I'd just missed the last train and consequently had to wait about 30 mins for the next departure. It was a bit nippy that morning, more so than the past few days. So i was relieved when the CAT finally arrived and I could escape into the warmth of the train.
15 mins later I'd arrived at VIE, and walked to T2 where AY flies out from. There was quite a bit of construction going on, and no proper crossing so you'd have to simply jaywalk across the road with your lugggage in toll.
Only 1 person at the Business Class counter unlike the snaking whY queue, and in no time at all I'd been checked in all the way to PVG via HEL with my bags tagged likewise. It was quite a breeze making it airside due this being a flight within the Schengen zone which does away with the need for immigration, and I didn't have to pass through any security as this was done at the gate.
AY uses a 3rd party lounge at VIE, however to my surprise my AA EXP card allowed me entry. The lounge has a v minimalist feel with hard wood floors and IKEA style furniture. Quite a pleasant lounge really, with an adequate selection of food and drink. The entire airport had free wifi.
I had a glass of sparkling wine whilst I checked my emails to relax me for the long journey ahead. There were no boarding calls, and so I decided to proceed to the gate a few mins before the boarding time indicated on my bp. The flight was being boarded when I got to the gate and cleared security, however seeing no aircraft and aerobridges around, and only a bus outside - it was evident that we were to be bussed out on to the tarmac. As one of the last persons to board the bus, I got to be one of the first to get off it when we arrived at the aircraft. *smirk, smirk*
I ascended the stairs, and into the v blue cabin interiors. Welcomed by the rather charming cabin crew. I didn't think the Finnair uniforms were that bad, but they were certainly rather old school in a way - particularly the gloves.
Finnair short haul, at least on this aircraft, offers perhaps the most uncomfortable seat I've ever experienced in any class of travel. It was extremely hard and was almost as if I was sitting on stone. Legroom was ok, but less generous than BA.
OTOH, I was impressed by the soft product on this intra Europe flight. We got a hot meal of chicken nuggets which tasted ok, but certainly better than the sandwiches on BA. There was one choice of red and one choice of white - had the red which was an ok-ish South African shiraz. The crew did a few drink runs and had a great cabin presence.
Despite the slightly late departure due to congestion at VIE, we landed in HEL on schedule.
On the whole, I thought Finnair's intra Europe soft product was pretty good - friendly and efficient crew, good catering. However the hard product is a big let down with the extremely uncomfortable seat, and unfortunately the 2hr journey was sufficient to make me feel it.
Next: HEL-PVG AY57 whY; The Westin Bund Centre Shanghai; Shanghai mk 2
Flight number - AY766
Class - Economy
Equipment - A321
Seat - 7C
I took the taxi to the city terminus of the CAT (City Airport Train). This is a rather convenient facility ala the Airport Express in HKG, and if you're departing on Austrian Airlines you could even do in town check in. I'd just missed the last train and consequently had to wait about 30 mins for the next departure. It was a bit nippy that morning, more so than the past few days. So i was relieved when the CAT finally arrived and I could escape into the warmth of the train.
15 mins later I'd arrived at VIE, and walked to T2 where AY flies out from. There was quite a bit of construction going on, and no proper crossing so you'd have to simply jaywalk across the road with your lugggage in toll.
Only 1 person at the Business Class counter unlike the snaking whY queue, and in no time at all I'd been checked in all the way to PVG via HEL with my bags tagged likewise. It was quite a breeze making it airside due this being a flight within the Schengen zone which does away with the need for immigration, and I didn't have to pass through any security as this was done at the gate.
AY uses a 3rd party lounge at VIE, however to my surprise my AA EXP card allowed me entry. The lounge has a v minimalist feel with hard wood floors and IKEA style furniture. Quite a pleasant lounge really, with an adequate selection of food and drink. The entire airport had free wifi.
I had a glass of sparkling wine whilst I checked my emails to relax me for the long journey ahead. There were no boarding calls, and so I decided to proceed to the gate a few mins before the boarding time indicated on my bp. The flight was being boarded when I got to the gate and cleared security, however seeing no aircraft and aerobridges around, and only a bus outside - it was evident that we were to be bussed out on to the tarmac. As one of the last persons to board the bus, I got to be one of the first to get off it when we arrived at the aircraft. *smirk, smirk*
I ascended the stairs, and into the v blue cabin interiors. Welcomed by the rather charming cabin crew. I didn't think the Finnair uniforms were that bad, but they were certainly rather old school in a way - particularly the gloves.
Finnair short haul, at least on this aircraft, offers perhaps the most uncomfortable seat I've ever experienced in any class of travel. It was extremely hard and was almost as if I was sitting on stone. Legroom was ok, but less generous than BA.
OTOH, I was impressed by the soft product on this intra Europe flight. We got a hot meal of chicken nuggets which tasted ok, but certainly better than the sandwiches on BA. There was one choice of red and one choice of white - had the red which was an ok-ish South African shiraz. The crew did a few drink runs and had a great cabin presence.
Despite the slightly late departure due to congestion at VIE, we landed in HEL on schedule.
On the whole, I thought Finnair's intra Europe soft product was pretty good - friendly and efficient crew, good catering. However the hard product is a big let down with the extremely uncomfortable seat, and unfortunately the 2hr journey was sufficient to make me feel it.
Next: HEL-PVG AY57 whY; The Westin Bund Centre Shanghai; Shanghai mk 2
Last edited by Keith009; Oct 8, 2008 at 9:08 am