Try this!

One of the best things about traveling around the world is definitely the food. For instance you can actually find real spicy food, unlike the toned-down versions of restaurants in Finland. I had an unforgettable chili experience in Hong Kong where the noodle portion was flavoured with chili that made my lips and tongue completely numb. It was great! Also felt kind of like  after a dentist appointment.

Everyone around you always has a good suggestion on where to eat and what to try so it would basically be possible to spend the whole year just eating. But of course indulging in local delicacies is something you have to practice with caution if you don’t want to balloon up along the way. For my birthday, though, I decided to indulge myself a little because I really don’t think that on my death bed I’d think to myself, wow, it sure was a good thing I didn’t eat that piece of cake on my 28th birthday!

I went to a famous cake shop called Demel and first I thought I’d have the classic Sachertorte, because that’s what you just have to do in Vienna, but then I thought it’s not really my favorite – dry chocholate – so I got me a slice of some excellent Estherhásytorte. And yes indeed a glass of Moët to go with it! When the waiter repeated ”Moët & Chandon?” all that trying to interact in German thing took a weird twist when out of the blue I replied ”Oui!” Where that came from all of a sudden, I have no clue.

Estherhásytorte & Moët. Happy birthday to me!

What also made the day was that my friend Timo – yeah the same one I met up with in Berlin – came to town, this time with his girlfriend Eva. So we all went out for dinner and drinks. Pretty easygoing stuff, since all of us were leaving the city the next morning.

Eva, Timo & I having a Viennese blast. Especially Timo.

I’m writing this on the train from Vienna to Frankfurt and a nun just sat next to me on the other side of the aisle. I’m changing trains in Frankfurt and heading for Cologne. I’ll spend a week there, too, which I noticed in Vienna was way too short of a stay in a new place. From now on, longer stays! Which means less flying and train-riding around. Sounds good to me.