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When I was in Vienna at the end of February, I stayed at Imperial Hotel. This hotel was a former palace build as a wedding gift. I made my home in a wonderful suite with a balcony for three nights and enjoyed the luxury fittings and caught up with my cousin who is staying in the city for a few months. 

The bathroom was spacious with marble walls and flooring, and ther was a large bath and a bath tub.

The bar area is located off the lobby, and I enjoyed a couple of cocktails here.

I also got breakfast, and it was a champagne breakfast with choice of hot dish and a larg range of buffet style breakfast.

When I arrived, I received a small sweet from the hotel. The hotel is amso famous for their chocolate torte.

The Imperial Torte can be enjoyed in the bar or cafe, and I enjoyed on in the cafe. It is layers of chocolate cake and cream and chocolate.

I enjoyed this hotel room and the location of the hotel.

I visited Vienna at the end of February, and one of the attractions that I went to was the famous emperor's palace at Schonbrunn. The palace is set amongst many acres of gardens and park land, and there are a couple of garden houses to visit: the dessert house and the palm house. The gardens themselves come to life in the spring and summer, but they are hibernating in the February. However, it is a good month to visit the palace and avoid the crowds.

I could imagine how beautiful the grounds look in the summer when the grass is green and when the flowers and other plants are out in bloom.

On a cold February day, even the ice had settled in the fountains.

I first decided to explore the palm house, and this contained different temperature and humidity-controlled rooms. There were a lot of plants out in full bloom in the palm house and som rooms with goldfish, butterflies, and small birds. 

The flowers were beautiful and offered much-needed colour for this time of the year.

Inside the palm house, there were a few different species of plant in bloom.

After exploring the palm house, I went across the way to the dessert house, which contained a collection of plants for the dry, hot climate and some species of animals as well. There were some birds, a couple of large tortoises, and reptitles.

The tortoises had a large area to roam around in.

The gardens also have a maze, but this is closed until the spring months. I hope to return to Vienna in the spring so that I can see what the gardens look like in their prime.

When I was in Vienna, Austria at the end of February, I had a visit on a damp Sunday morning to the Art History Museum (Kunsthistorisches). The museum is impressive in architecture with beautiful detail, marble floors, and archways. The museum has a huge collection of paintings, statues, and other items from throughout history. There is the gallery of paintings, Romans and Greek art and sculptures, Egyptian art and jewellery and statues and mummies, metalwork, ceramics, and much more. The museum also hosts the most picturesque setting for a cafe, and this in itself had a long queue.

The entrance hall is grand.

I first went to check out the art gallery.

The cafe, as seen from above, had a long queue, and it is a beautiful setting.

I looked at the artwork made of metals and glass.

I saw some old Roman coins and rings.

There was a large room with fragments of stonework and carvings from the Greek and Roman times.

The Egyptian room has a lot of sculptures, jewellery, mummies, and more.

There was so much to look at and so many beautiful items.

I enjoyed my visit to the gallery and wish I had stayed a little bit longer and enjoyed the cafe.

At the end of February, I visited Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna. The Baroque-style palace was the home of the Habsburg rulers, and it was named after the spring or well on the site. Franz I and his wife Maria Theresa lived here in the mid-1700s, and the design of the palace and decoration of it is from this era. The longest-reigning emperor Franz Joseph spent most of his life in the palace and died there in 1916, before the dynasty ended in 1918. The palace would later reopen as a museum.

The palace is one of the top attractions to see in Vienna, and a visit in to the palace gardens in the spring or summer will be enjoyable, but visiting in low season to avoid the majority of the crowds gave me enough time to look around the palace without too many people in my way and without having to wait in long queues.

The first room that I saw was just outside the main house, and this is located in one of the wings of the palace and seemingly free to visit without a ticket at this section. This is a small chapel.

The Billiards room was the first main room that I saw when I entered the palace.

This part of the palace is the private apartments, and the audience chamber was the next room. This room was the room that the emperor would use to receive guests to the palace. High military and government officials would be welcomed here. 

The emperor's study and room were next to see. The rooms contain personal photographs, and there is a bed in this bedroom. This bed is where Franz Joseph passed away, and the painting was of him after he passed.

Next was the apartments of Empress Elisabeth.

The couple's bedroom has a dark blue pattern wallpaper and matching furniture. It was decorated for their marriage in 1854.

Below is the reception room of empress Elisabeth.

The Marie Antoinette room is the dining room, and this was always used for the family dining.

The breakfast room.

The yellow salon room has views over the gardens.

Balcony Room

Hall of Mirrors was one of the original rooms decorated in the mid-1700s by Maria Thresa.

The Rosa rooms are named after an artist who contributed the landscape paintings.

The Great Gallery is possibly the most impressive room in the palace. It is over 43 metres in length.

The Small Gallery is also impressive but on a smaller scale.

The Chinese Cabinet is on room that leads off the small gallery. It is named for the Chinese-inspired artwork that was popular for the period.

The Hall of Ceremonies room has the most famous portrait of Maria Theresa.

Horses room.

The Blue Chinese Salon was being restored during my visit.

One of the most important rooms of the palace was inspired from Chinese design. The Vieux Laque room has black laquer panels from China.

Th Porcelain Room was made using sketches of the family of Maria Theresa, and it is a unique design.

The Millions Room contains sketches from Asia.

The Goeblin Room has tapestries hanging in it and represents the Zodiac.

The Red Salon.

The Rich Room contains Maria Theresa's bed.

Franz Karl's study and Salon rooms were the last on the tour.

I hope to visit Vienna in the summer so that I can enjoy the gardens, but I recommend a visit to the palace. I went on the Grand Tour, which includes access to all of the rooms. There can also be combined tickets with the zoo and the palm house on site depending on the time of your visit. Although the zoo and the palace can be done in one day, i would recommend two days to do this so that you do not feel rushed. The palace and gardens can be seen in one day.

St. Stephen's Cathedral is located in Vienna, Austria. The cathedral dates from th 1100s, but Roman ruins of a cemetary have been located on the ground before the cathedral was built. Visitors can step inside the cathedral for a quick look around the main area, but going further inside it would cost. The cathedral has a nicely-decorated and colourful roof, and the building does look beautiful in the sunlight and almost turns into a gold colour. Th square has a few cafes and several shops, and visitors can take a horse and carriage ride from here too.

Outside the cathedral is a smaller model of it.

There are also some religious reliefs designed onto the sides of the building.

I took some photographs of the gargoyles and detail of the exterior.

There are several beautiful buildings in Vienna, but this is probably one of the most beautiful ones.

The "Garden of Lights" light trail near Newark, Ohio celebrates the story of "Alice in Wonderland" with various light sculptures, tunnels, and other intractive light sculptures dotted around the grounds. I visited just before Christmas when I was in Ohio, and the trail will be in place until the beginning of March in 2025. It was a cold evening, and we were the only visitors present when we arrived, but a couple of other groups did show whilst we were there. The location is near Newark in Frazeysburg, which was home to the Longaberger basket company, which was a local success story when I grew up in the 1980s and 1990s but which declined rapidly after the death of the founder and one of the first crisis of expendable money that came to be in the 2000s.

The event is based on the story of "Alice in Wonderland", so the grounds are transformed into this magical land. 

The sculptures were themed around the story and characters and started from the beginning as a book, leading to the other events in the story.

Look up to see the Cheshire cat.

Some of the lights were synched to sound, and others based on movement or footsteps.

There was also the longest light tunnel in the USA present.

I enjoyed this light trail and had a good time. It was a little bit costly to visit, but I see the price has now come down. The trail is in place until early March.

Earlier this month, I visited Brussels for the Christmas season and to see the Christmas market. This was my third ever visit to Brussels having visited twice already this year in February and in April. With only a two-hour journey via train from London, Brussels is a quick and easy trip for a long weekend. For the festive season, Brussels hosts a Christmas market and a a light show projected onto the Grand Place square. There are also other activities and shopping, tourist attractions, and more festive cheer.

I watched the light show projections onto the Grand Place, which I enjoyed and covered in a separate post on this blog. You can see my experience here: [INSERT LINK]

Brussels' famous icon, the Manneken Pis also is worth seeing, and there's a couple of different costumes of a festive nature that he adorns in December. One of them is Saint Nicholas. You can see photographs here: [INSERT LINK]. I also saw someone dressed as Saint Nicholas and his sidekick known as "Black Peter" as I visited on Dcember 6th, which is a special day in Belgium.

In the Grand Place square, there is also a large nativity scene.

And someone with some vintage cars was offering rides.

I then headed to the markets. Most of the Christmas market stalls are near Saint Catherine's Church. There are a few clusters on the way from the Grand Place to Saint Catherine's. I browsed at the items and bought some items, including a nice perfume, fruit jam, nougat, hot chocolate, caramels, and cuberones.

The man who made the flowers out of soap told me of the carving process. I didn't have anyone to gift these to, and I wouldn't use such an item collecting dust. However, they do look pretty.

There was a model city or nativity scene in one of the stalls on display.

Saint Catherine's area has most of the stalls and a giant ferris wheel. I spent awhile browsing here.

I bought a hot chocolate, which tasted delicious. You pay for the cup, but you get the money back for the cup if you return it. This helps sustainability. I also bought a mulled flaming wine later one, and this is pictured at the top. They lit a brown sugar cube on fire for it.

There are different Christmas lights around the city, and I photographed some of them.

The Royal Galleries of Saint Hubert are always worth a visit. There are some expensive shops and a fair share of chocolate shops to visit. Inside, it is decorated for Christmas.

The below light sculpture is located near Art Mountain, which I suppose is an appropriate place for it. There were a couple of food stalls near here.

And lastly, I enjoyed delicious ice cream (despite the weather being a little bit cold) from Gaston near the Christmas markets. I had the pistachio and the speculoo ice cream, and these were both delicious.

I enjoyed the visit to Brussels at Christmas. It's definitely worth a visit.

The fountain statue of the urinating boy, named Manneken Pis, is a symbol of Brussels and a top attraction of the city. It has inspired popular culture and attracts tourists from all over the world. The fountain has its own wardrobe, and on some days each month, it is dressed in a unique outfit celebrating a country, charity, event, group of people, or character in popular culture. When I visited Brussels in early December, I saw two outfit changes on the three days that I was in the city. The second day of my trip was the feast of Saint Nicholas, and this is a big day in Belgium for children for the Christmas season. 

Manneken Pis was decorated as Saint Nicholas, which was an inspiration for "Santa Claus".

On the first day, the little statue was not in an outfit. 

The fountain was dressed festively with lights and decorations. On the final day, the statue was dressed as a beekeeper to celebrate Saint Ambrose.

Additional posts featuring Manneken Pis on this blog can be seen here and here and here.

At the beginning of the month, I visited Tallinn in Estonia for a couple of days. I had never been before, so this was my first visit to a city that I have wanted to visit for awhile to see the Old Town. I finally got to go and explore it, so better late than never. I was also lucky that the sun was out for most of my visit, even though the weather was cold. Tallinn was inhabited by Danish for a time and in a location that saw conflicts and was occupied in historical times. The city is quite small in size with a walled Old Town, defensive towers, churches, harbour, and a few museums. It also is a technology and business hub. Keep scrolling down to read more and to see what I got up to.

I had already posted a couple of the activities that I got up to. The first activity was walking the old walls sections and the bastion tunnels, and I enjoyed this. More photographs can be seen on the post: Tallinn Old Town Walls and Bastion Tunnels.

I also visited the harbour to see the Tallinn Seaplane Hangar, which houses a martime museum. This also includes a few sea vessels that visitors can explore.

I had a nice view over Tallinn from the hotel room, but I did not stay in the Old Town. It was a twenty minute walk, which was fine. The Old Town is quite small and easy to navigate. 

St. Catherine's Passage is on of Tallinn's most attractive streets. It is a medieval street with trade shops. One was selling stained glass, and another was selling pottery. The street contains little "bridges" which seem to act as buttresses between the buildings.

The Town Hall is located on a large square with a mixture of shops and restaurants around it. In the summer months, people can visit the building and climb the tower for views. I caught glimpses of the square at different times of the day - sunrise, day, and night. Each one was a different atmosphere.

On the Town Hall, the dragon gargoyle seemed to be a symbol of the city.

One other location I went to was on another picturesque medieval street. Master's Courtyard has a few tourist shops and craft shops, and there is a chocolate shop and cafe located here called Pierre's. I had a hot chocolate and a chocolate truffle here. 

There are some nice views over Tallinn from Toompea Hill, which makes the Upper Town. There are a couple of viewpoints, and I enjoyed seeing the city from above and also visited at different times - day and night.

I went to an Estonian traditional restaurant and had a gin and tonic and light lunch. 

On one other day, I went to Gelato Ladies, which is located in the Old Town at the lower town. I was able to try some different ice cream, and I had the pistachio with an ice cream macaroon. The ice cream was delicious. 

One of the meals I had was from an Italian restaurant, and I had the parmigiana, which is one of my favourite meals. 

On another day, I visited a Ukranian restaurant and had chicken kiev, which is another favourite meal of mine. For dessert, I had their special pavlova. This was the best dessert that I have had in awhile. It was made of ice cream, fruit, and almonds.

Also on Toompea Hill, I got some photographs. The first one is of beautiful autumn leaves and a spire of the lower town's church spire.

On Toompea is an attractive church called Alexander Nevsky church.

A park land near the church offered some nice views of the castle, which is now government buildings.

I had the cinnamon rolls in Tallinn, which seems to be a popular pastry. I loved them. The first one I had from Pulla Bakery, which was a home made delicious and fluffy pastry filled with cinnamon, sugar, and almond. It was delicious. 

Another one was from ROST, which was topped with large chunks of sugar crystals. This was also delicious.

Nikolay-Bar was one other place that I visited, but it's outside the Old Town. They specialise in pies, so I had the cherry pie and also had the raspbrry chili drink. I was not sure if I would like it, but it was delicious, and I am glad that it did actually taste a little bit of spice. Compared with other places in Europe, it seems that Estonians can tolerate spice levels and enjoy cinnamon. This was a win-win for me. I love spice, and I love cinnamon. 

I visited a couple of chocolate shops and tasted a variety. Chocokoo was the first one that I went to, and this is located outside the Old Town and near Balti Jaama Turg market. I also went to Chocolala in the Old Town, and the chocolates in the photograph are from there. Both shops sold delicious chocolates.

The Balti Jaama Turg market sold almost everything. There was fish, meat, produce, chocolate, coffee, and street food. There was a large place selling Italian ingredients as well. 

I walked to Skoone Bastion, which is a park on a hillside just outside the Old Town walls. There is a former bunker here.

I then headed back into the Old Town walls. The tower below is known as Fat Margaret. 

The Old Town has some attractive streets, so below is a selection of photographs that I took of the streets and walls on my numerous walks.

Below is Freedom Square lit up at dark.

I had a cookie from a small cafe located on the edge of the walls in the Old Town, and it was delicious.

Tallinn is also known for its marzipan, and one cafe near the square called Maiasmokk has a small museum dedicated to marzipan as they hav been making it for many years. They also sell some. 

One of the strangest attractions that I visited in Tallinn was Tallinna Linnahall; this is a former 5,000 seater Olympic stadium created for the 1980 Moscow summr Olympics. Today, the site is blocked off and in ruins. It is located on the edge of the water.

This concludes my visit to Tallinn, Estonia.

I visited Tallinn, Estonia early this month, and one of the attractions that I visited was the Seaplane Harbour Martime Museum. The museum is located inside a former seaplane hangar. It includes a submarine called Lembit, a seaplane, other ships (canoes, craft in the Olympics or world-breaking activities, and so on), items used in navigation or colonialism, and the remains of the oldest ship that was found in Estonia. 

The interior of the museum is stunning with visitors being able to walk on "bridges" before going into the submarine and seeing exhibits dotted around. From here, visitors can see exhibitions on the ground level. There were some interactive exhibitions with model ships and a demonstration of water pressure. There was also information about the ferry passenger boats.

Visitors could pay a small fee to walk across a higher bridge, but I'm not the best with heights so declined it.

I had a glimpse into the submarine.

I was interested in the archeology of items discovered on the seabed exhibition and the oldest ship discovered in Estonia.

The ticket into the museum also includes some ships in the harbour area. There were a few boats on the dry land to see, but there were also two floating boats to see.

Suur Tool is one of the ships to explore, and this is an ice-breaker ship. Visitors can explore the rooms on the ship from the engine room to the kitchen to the captain's bedroom.

The other ship that I could see was gifted to Estonia by the United States, and it is a warship. The rooms were not open to visit, but visitors could walk onto the ship and look inside it.

I saw a guy on a motorized water board, which I am sure looked easier than it was to do.

I enjoyed exploring the ships and the Martime Museum at Tallinn, Estonia.