Europe is always a good idea!
It’s even a better idea if you get to travel to the same destination for work.
Vienna! The moment you think about that place. There is the background music of Mozart and Beethoven playing behind you.
The warmth of history, the taste of cinnamon Apple strudel.
After a journey of ten long hours of an overnight journey, followed by a quick hour layover at Munich!
Vienna gave us a warm Welcome!
Thirty-five degrees Celsius this was indeed the warmest day too! The reason the warmest day became the hottest for a couple of us in the team! For me definitely, our bags did not make it with us to Vienna!!!
And, it was the first time in my life, I reached my destination without my Bag!
While, We weren’t sure, when will the bag make it to Vienna! I continued sweating it out that day, moving around the Tram and memories flashing back to the last time I visited the place for the first time Eight years ago! With family when we decided to do Vienna, Prague and Budapest!
Belvedere Palace looked so familiar and nothing seemed to have changed, the Spanish riding school walk refreshed so many of the memories of walking around.
Passing through the parliament and walking by Mariahilfer Straße stores, with trees on either side felt it was only yesterday, I was here! The day ended at Coffee Pirates, A new addition to my memories! A speciality coffee roaster and cafe in Vienna, that had the interiors of a signature European cafe. Minimalistic use of colour, with interesting art photos and wooden furniture.
The tram stop at Hauffbonff was a strange memory of arrival and departure to our other destination when we visited the station and enjoyed the Euro Cup atmosphere when Austria was playing on the same day, we had landed in the city of Vienna!
What was different this time was the access to two Venues that were also part of tourist sightseeing, but we had the privilege of being part of an event that was hosted at the venues with some of the best in their businesses. One of the best Wedding planners from India, MEW! Motwane Entertainment and Weddings, to one of the most well-known Indian catering company Foodlink.
To collaborating with the best Viennese food services Any Act to the best catering division of a very well-known coffee brand Dallmayr collaborating with a Michelin star Paul Ivic chef, chef at Tian Vienna, which is one of the 4 world’s best Michelin vegetarian restaurants started and the only one in Vienna.
The Palais Lichtenstein, the space where the After Party was hosted and an exclusive tour organised for the guests, to view the Art Pieces were some just of the highlights of the experience. The Viennese locals, even mentioned. Locals & Tourists don’t have the privilege of viewing each of these rooms.
While meeting the local official In charge of the venue! I had a glance of his wrist from a distance and noticed him wearing a freelancer Raymond Weil! By which he was pleasantly surprised and wasn’t expecting this conversation, during the walk-through.
Belvedere: A palace that would be open for the public while our baraat procession and wedding ceremony would be going on, a typical touristy crowd gathered around to witness, the grandeur of a traditional Indian wedding. The floral decor on the Mandaps to the DJ music playing on the DJ Van! An unusual sight for some of them to have experienced at the Belvedere on a Saturday.
Spanish Riding School( SRS) had a complete makeover. If we hadn’t seen the venue without the decor. It would be hard to imagine, how the space was transformed from a ground for the horses to a stage for an experience of a lifetime with entertainment options of a pianist, playing the instrument in the middle of the stage, A band from Paris singing Hindi Bollywood tracks, like Hindi being their native language. Ballerina dancers and Waltz performance took over the audience completely.
And while all the entertainment was going through a fine dining experience in all sync was planned out and smoothly operated by Dallmayr and food plates were prepared by the chef Paul Ivic The Pumpkin pinenut Ravioli and the Ricotta cheese Ravioli had the sweetness and Blandess enhanced by a special sauce poured over them.
The Golden Kiss: The Signature dish of the evening was a mushroom-filled Filo pastry with Truffle and oyster that had a good balance of all three tastes.
The Pistachio Ring: The Dessert Had the tangy-ness of the passion fruit with the dark chocolate in the pistachio ring that was a base of the dessert, which not only looked tempting, but was also very flavourfull.
A day of understanding the difference between The local ‘Demela’ of Torte! Or Sacher Torte
A K H I L N A N D A 