Countries, Culture, Europe, Music

Good night Vienna

It promises to be a good night Vienna with Eurovision but we’re going high-brow here with Andrea Bocelli and our old pals at Institute for Culture Travel.

With the Italian tenor the centrepiece of a four-nighter tour of the grand old Austrian capital.

Where you’ll take in grand palaces, historic streets, manicured public gardens and charming street cafes.

Silver lining: Eurovision

It’s fitting that Vienna is hosting Eurovision, in spite of all its chintz.

As there are few cities with quite the classical heritage as the Austrian gem.

With Schubert, Strauss, Schoenberg and Berg all born here.

And Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Brahms and Mahler choosing Vienna as their home.

Time to say hi, hi

Rock me Amadeus: With Mozart in Salzburg

Bocelli’s turn on August 22 is part of his Romanza 30th Anniversary World Tour.

Bocelli will be accompanied by a full orchestra and choir, delivering an evening of beloved classics.

Especially selections from Romanza, the album that launched his global career with hits like Con te partiro and Time to Say Goodbye.

Van’s the man: Ludwig stayed here

All in a grand open-air setting filled with emotion and musical excellence.

Your Discover Imperial Vienna & Andrea Bocelli in Concert tour comes in at from €1369pps with a booking deposit of €650pp. 

Tour de force

Waltz it: Strauss time
  • Return flights from Dublin
  • Three nights’ accommodation at the 4★ Austria Trend Parkhotel Schönbrunn, including daily breakfast
  • Welcome drink at your hotel
  • Evening dinner on day one
  • Guided panoramic coach tour of Vienna, showcasing the city’s grand architecture and historic highlights
  • Visit to the Johann Strauss House, celebrating the life and music of the legendary “Waltz King”
  • Traditional Viennese café experience, immersing you in the city’s celebrated coffeehouse culture
  • Visit the Hofburg Palace and Sisi Apartments
  • Three-course pre-concert dinner at a carefully selected local restaurant
  • Evening concert performance by Andrea Bocelli, an unforgettable night of music
  • Coach transportation and professional guide services for all transfers and excursions

 

Countries, Europe, Flying

Get off to a flier with twin trips

And as our own race across the world continues here’s how to get off to a flier with twin trips.

All of us know that burning curiosity of looking out over to the next field.

Before finding out for ourselves how green it is.

With visitors on our loveholidays odyssey to Rhodes availing of the hop, skip and jump to Marmaris in Turkey.

Symi, see you: And Turkey on the horizon

And sailing into Turkish broadband space in Greek Dodecanese Island Symi.

Just as we found on the Jordan side of the world’s waterway the Red Sea when we entered into Israeli broadband space.

While we looked out over the Jordan river itself at the site of John’s baptism of Jesus to Israel.

Broadening our borders

At my post: Austrian and German border

There are many ways to cross a border, some more hospitable than others.

And we’ve climbed every mountain to walk unopposed through a metal gate from Austria into Germany.

And will walk across the International Bridge from Valenca do Minho in Portugal to Tui in Galicia in north-west Spain on Camino.

Fly high: Edinburgh Airport

With La Raya/A Raia (the border) Europe’s oldest, dating back to 1297.

So now we’ve outlined some of the walkable borders.

We move on to those we can traverse by train and plane.

Now our friends at our local Edinburgh Airport have pointed us in the direction of these top twin trips.

From Berlin to Biarritz

Gateway to New Europe: Brandenburg Gate

Now Poznan’s charms have naturally long been known to Poles.

But for the rest of us we only came to love the western Polish city at Euro 2012.

With their fans’ backs to the action goal celebration.

Join the Poznan wave yourself by taking a three-hour train journey from Berlin.

While Austria and Hungary are linked by proximity and politics.

And Vienna and Budapest are just two and a half hours apart.

La Grande Plage: Biarritz

Of course, some countries’ borders are always disputed.

And people on one side share more in common with those across the border than the rest of the country they inhabit.

As is the way of it with the Basque Country, separated by the French and Spanish border.

But, of course, you can enjoy both by train from Biarritz to San Sebastián in just over an hour.