Author Archives: Alannah McEwan

What’s So Great about the Great Ocean Road?

23rd October, 2015 | Article By Alannah McEwan

BeachesLandmarksRoad TripsSceneryWildlife

“Some roads are born great, some roads achieve greatness, and some roads have greatness thrust upon them.”

– William Shakespeare as he pondered what makes roads great!

After years of dreaming of Australia I made the decision, after graduating from uni this past July, to stop dreaming. I applied for a one year work holiday visa and bought a one way ticket.

One month ago I landed 17,287 km away from home in, what has been voted as the best place in the world to live, Melbourne. When trying to decide on my first day trip I asked locals for suggestions and all mentioned the great ocean road.  Anything with the word ocean in it has my interest, and it’s self proclaimed greatness piqued my curiosity, so I decided to hit the road and find out just what makes it so great.

If you can rent a car and spend your time making your way along the road, stopping as often as you please to check out the various attractions, soak up the views, and relax on the beach, that would probably be the best option. I decided instead, to do a one day tour. I picked this option because I’m a nervous driver when I’m in a new place and, that combined with the confusion of driving on the other side of the road, I think my trip would have been more stressful than enjoyable. The tour company I went with was Go West and I would recommend them to anyone thinking of doing a day tour from Melbourne.

The Great Ocean Road is (surprise!) a road, and is surrounded by some of the nicest scenery in Victoria. The 243 kilometre stretch of road extends along Australia’s stunning southern coast. It starts in the city of Torquay, Australia’s surfing capital and home to Bells Beach and all things surfing. Along the way there are numerous stunning beaches, picturesque seaside towns, a rain forest full of some of the world’s oldest trees and ancient plant life, plenty of nature and wildlife, and the 12 Apostles!

A picture is worth a thousand words, so take a look at some of my pictures from the places I stopped along the road, and you can can decide for yourself if the Great Ocean Road lives up to its name. It’s not just a road either, it is also the world’s largest war memorial, built largely in part by soldiers who had returned to Australia after the first world war and is dedicated to soldiers that fought and died in the war.
It’s known for being one of the most scenic driving routes in the world, and I think you can see by the pictures why that’s the case – it is one stunning beach after another.

There is lots of wildlife that you can see on this drive, including the ohhhh so cute I wanna hug you koala bears. Our tour guide got me super pumped up to see some. Up to this point I hadn’t seen any Australian wildlife so I was pretty excited about seeing some seriously cute little koalas. We stopped by a wooded area which, apparently is the koala hang out spot in the area. The bears can easily be found by following the trail of tourists staring up into trees and taking pictures. We managed to find two but they were way high up in trees and I couldn’t make them out very well. By the way, did you know that koalas sleep 20 hours a day? I thought I slept a lot but that’s truly impressive. Bravo koalas!

A Guide to Drinking in Vienna

12th October, 2015 | Article By Alannah McEwan

CafesCultureFood and DrinkPubs & BarsRestaurants

1. Go enjoy a coffee at one of Vienna’s many coffee houses

I am a bit of a coffee addict, and when I arrived in Vienna I quickly learned that one cannot simply order a coffee as you would in Canada. At home it’s completely normal to simply order ‘a coffee’ but in Vienna you must be more precise. Melange? Kleiner Brauner? Großer Brauner? Café latte? Verlängerter? Einspänner? And the list goes on. Some cafes will have a short description on their menu, below each type of coffee, but some will not. If you go to Aida Cafe, their menu lists all the coffees they serve with pictures to represent the size of cup you will be getting and a breakdown of what will go into the cup to make the coffee. The coffees will vary in strength (espresso to milk ratio), normal milk or frothed milk or steamed milk and so on. If you are a little overwhelmed by all the options, I would recommend sticking with a cappuccino.

There are many nice places to enjoy a coffee in Vienna, so I would pick a cafe based on atmosphere, location, price, and other offerings. As I mentioned in my previous post, Aida Cafe and Cafe Central are two of my favorites. Aida has lots of locations but the one at Stephansplatz is great for people watching. The closest underground stop is Stephansplatz which can be reached by the U1 or U3 line. The closest stop to Cafe Central is Herrengasse which can be reached by the U3 line.

2. All that sightseeing making you thirsty? Find yourself a place to sit down and enjoy a Radler

When I first went to Austria, 4 years ago, I had never heard of Radler before. It is oh so yummy and refreshing. It consists of a 50:50 mixture of beer and sparkling lemonade. It has a low alcohol content, around 2% and comes in different flavors. If you order it and don’t specify you will be given the original and most common flavor lemon. Most (if not all) of the major Austrian beer companies have a line of Radler drinks such as Ottakringer, Stiegl, and Zipfer. Lemon is my favorite flavor but I also enjoy grapefruit.

A great place that I would recommend enjoying this drink is at Palmenhaus which is located close to Burggarten. Palmenhaus is a restaurant and cafe that has a great central location next to a park. When the weather is nice they have a large outside sitting area. There is also a large sitting area on the inside, which is decorated with a lot of tropical and exotic plants giving it a jungle feel. The building itself is beautiful and is made of steel and glass. The closest underground stop is Volkstheater which can be reached with the U3 or U2 line.

3. Feel like a cocktail? Enjoy a Hugo

One of my favorite cocktails that I enjoyed in Vienna is called Hugo. Along with Aperol Spritz, it’s one of the most commonly found cocktails and a favorite among locals. It is made with prosecco (sparkling wine), elderflower syrup, sparkling water, lime, and mint and is usually served in a wine glass. There are many bars to find this drink but I would recommend checking out Freiraum which is located on the main shopping street in Vienna, Mariahilfer Straße. It’s a cool place to chill in the evening, a bit more fancy, the atmosphere is really nice and you can find people of all ages there. The closest underground stop is Zieglergasse and can be reached on the U3.

4. In Vienna during the Fall? Take advantage of Sturm time and try a glass

Unlike the previous drinks I’ve mentioned, this drink only comes around once a year for a couple of weeks. Sturm is the German word for storm and is a young wine which you can find all over Vienna from the end of September until mid-October. During this time, you can buy a bottle at almost any grocery store, white or red. You can also buy it by the glass at many cafes and bars, or at the market. If you buy a bottle you have to be careful to keep it placed upwards, as the top is not screwed on completely but left slightly open to help with the fermentation process. This wine is, sadly, not something you can stock up on and store for later as it needs to be consumed within a couple days of buying it. I have to warn you it’s quite dangerous. It’s delicious and sweet and the alcohol taste is very minimal. It tastes more like a carbonated grape drink than a traditional wine, so even if you’re not a big wine fan you might love Sturm. If you are planning a trip to Vienna during this time of year then you are in for a real treat!

I would recommend visiting the Naschmarkt, Vienna’s largest and best know market to pick up a cup – or bottle. The closest underground store to the market is Karlsplatz and can be reached on the U1, U2, or U4. Even if you are going to miss Sturm time, I would still recommend a visit to the market.

5. A Viennese Christmas experience would not be complete without Punsch/Gluhwein

These two drinks I put together because they are both warm alcoholic drinks that come out around Christmas time. Punsch is made of a combination of tea, spices, sugar and rum. You can get different flavors such as orange or forest berries. If you want a non alcoholic beverage you can try Kinderpunsch, which is German for Children’s Punch. Glühwein is a hot red wine with spices such as orange and cinnamon.

Vienna was the first place that I tried both of these drinks and both times at the Christmas markets. I think these are a great way to warm up in the chilly winter and I looked forward to them every year. If you enjoy them, you can buy a couple of bottles of Gluhwein or Punsch concentrate from a grocery store and bring them home to enjoy and share with your friends and family.

If you are planning to be in Vienna in December, head over to one of the many Christmas markets in Vienna and grab yourself a cup. In one of my pictures you will see me enjoying a cup of Punsch at the Rathaus Christmas Market. When you buy a cup, you pay a deposit which will be returned to you when you return the cup, otherwise you can keep the cup as a nice souvenir.

What and Where to Eat in Vienna

8th October, 2015 | Article By Alannah McEwan

CafesFood and DrinkLocal LifePubs & BarsRestaurants

If you’re like me, one of your favourite things about visiting new countries is trying new foods. If you’re in Vienna there are some popular local foods you should try and, after three years of living in Vienna, I have come up with my top eats and treats that I would recommend trying and my favourite place to get each.

Wiener Schnitzel

No trip to Vienna would be complete without a Wiener Schnitzel. In case you are not familiar with this Viennese favourite, a schnitzel is a thin breaded and fried piece of meat. The traditional meat that is used is veal but you can also find it made with pork. Schnitzel is everywhere in Vienna and you have a seemingly endless list of places to try the local speciality. I have eaten it in many locations across the Austrian capital and I would recommend Figlmüller. This place is famous for their traditional schnitzels and have been making them in Vienna for over 100 years. Don’t be surprised if the schnitzel ends up being bigger than the plate and bigger than your head!

Beef Goulash and Spaetzle

One bar that I would visit regularly is called 1516. The location is great, close to the city centre. The food is delicious and there are lots of great drink choices. Everyone working there speaks English and the menus are in English too. There is a nice big outside sitting area for when the weather is nice. I would recommend ordering the 1516 Brewer’s 100% Beef Goulash.

When my parents came to visit me from Canada, and when a friend came to visit from Finland, I took them both to 1516. The goulash also comes with Spaetzle, a typical thing to eat in Austria, basically pieces of soft egg noodle.

Apple Strudel and Topfenstrudel

If you have a sweet tooth Vienna will be sure to satisfy, as there are lots of great bakeries and cafés all over the city baking fresh treats and sweets that will make your mouth water. There are lots of yummy treats and sweets to choose from but if you want something traditional I would recommend apple strudel or/and topfenstrudel and sachertorte. Apple strudel, I believe needs no introduction. Topfenstrudel is similar to apple strudel except, instead of apples, there is a stuffing of soft white cheese. I am not personally the biggest fan of topfen but I would recommend giving it a try as many people I know do like it.

Sachertorte

The next must try dessert when visiting Vienna is sachertorte, which was invented in Vienna in 1832 and is one of the most famous Viennese food specialties. Basically, it is a dense chocolate cake with a layer of jam in the middle. This cake is so popular that it even has its own dedicated day, the 5th of December is National Sachertorte Day! So you must get your hands on a piece while in its birth place.

So where should you go to get Vienna’s favourite desserts? I would recommend my favourite cafe in Vienna, Cafe Central. This is a great place to experience a traditional Viennese cafe and feel like you have stepped back in time. There is usually a line to get in but it moves quickly so don’t give up if you see a line. There are many yummy treats to choose from in the display case up front. This place works a little differently than what you might be used to. You are not given a menu with all the options of desserts, instead you must go to the display cases choose what desert you want, then the person behind the counter will give you a number and you then give this number to your waiter who will go and get your dessert for you. The atmosphere is like no other in Vienna and on some afternoons they have live piano performances.

Another place I would recommend visiting to enjoy a coffee and treat is Aida cafe, which is a chain and therefore has many locations around the city. You won’t experience the ‘wow’ factor of Cafe Central but it has a nice selection of drinks and treats to choose from. There is one right next to Stephansplatz where I would recommend going because they have a nice outdoor seating area in the summer, a perfect place for people watching and enjoying the beautiful surroundings.