The Antique Trail in Pensacola, FL

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The Antique Trail - in South-West Florida might not be on your radar when pondering about shopping for antiques or browsing vintage stores. If you ever spent time in Pensacola, FL, you might think differently! There are several antique malls, even a part of HWY 98, (Navy Blvd) west of downtown Pensacola lines dozens of antique stores. 

Some are single stores on Navy Blvd, and others occupy a larger building where you can browse dozens of antique and vintage vendors. One can spend days and days visiting all the numerous stores in Pensacola, a lovely break from boring days on the beaches.
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So much fun to explore the treasures of a bygone world, style, and culture of past centuries.  Are antiques a better buy?  You bet!  Not only are antiques a great investment, but they are also built to last, look beautiful, and are more environmentally friendly than their modern-day equivalent!  Buying and selling antiques is a good way to repurpose and recycle furniture or other household items. 

And at the same time bring style and class into your home.
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Antique furniture is 'greener' than the modern-day equivalent! No plastic ... New furniture has a carbon footprint 16x higher than the antique equivalent 

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One of the stores on Navy Blvd shows the largest doll collection I have ever seen. Some are 200 years old. The owner also restores antique dolls and gives them a new life.
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You never know what treasures you will find...

Compared with the heyday of antiques collecting, prices are now “60 - 80 percent off” and can all be had for a fraction of what they cost 15 to 20 years ago.
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Miles Antique Mall with over 500 vendors is located across the street from 'Sacred Heart Hospital' in Pensacola, close to the Cordova Mall.

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Antique furniture was made over one hundred years ago, crafted in an age before mass production and assembly lines -  when each piece was handcrafted by an artisan with a lifetime of experience. Even the wood used for such valuable pieces was of a higher quality than timber on the market today, because trees were older and denser. From antique chairs to antique tables, all pieces of furniture have a story to tell.

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One of my favored places in Pensacola: Cinema Art 

Classic and Retro Movies at the Historic REX Theatre

and the best: Admission is Only $7.00

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For more of Florida's past, visit the Florida State Museum in Historic Pensacola

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Want to learn more about history? The Florida State Museum - among many others in Pensacola - is a museum of history and part of the Historic Pensacola Village museum complex in downtown. The building, reminiscent of the Alamo mission style, was built in 1907 as the Pensacola City Hall and served as such until 1985.

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Don’t miss the Pensacola Antique And Vintage Show

4530 Spikes Way, Milton, FL, only a couple of miles from Pensacola downtown

March 7 - 8, 2020, Saturday – Sunday

PensacolaAntiqueAndVintageShow.com

Read more about antiques:

https://www.rauantiques.com/blog/5-reasons-decorate-antique-furniture/

http://www.floridaantiquetrail.com/

http://www.historicpensacola.org/

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Photo Impressions: Vienna in Winter

Soak up culture at concerts and shows during Winter in Vienna. Famous for being a cultural powerhouse of Europe, Austria’s capital has an impressive choice of plays, shows, and concerts year-round.  Enjoy a Vienna Concert: Vivaldi’s ‘The Four Seasons’ in the Karlskirche.  From the performances at the world-famous Vienna State Opera House to more casual church concerts, the choices are endless when it comes to concerts.

Take a guided tour of the best architecture in Vienna or visit the Klimt Sezession Museum or any of the other countless museums in the city.
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The Austrian capital is famous for putting on a show during the festive period and is considered to have some of the best Christmas markets in all of Europe.

Christkindlmarkt in Wien heißt nicht automatisch, dass man nur am Rathausplatz oder in Schönbrunn die vorweihnachtliche Stimmung genießen kann. Es gibt Weihnachtsmärkte in allen 23 Bezirken gesammelt – von der Inneren Stadt bis Liesing.

Fuel up on the delicious food and visit some of the many 'confiseries', bakeries, and delicatessen stores, such as Haas&Haas with two locations in Vienna.

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Since 2011, the "Viennese coffee house culture" has been part of the intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO. With a tradition going back to the 17th century and the salons that were held there at that time, the cultural heritage also refers above all to elements of interior decoration in the style of historicism such as marble tables, chandeliers, Thonet chairs and newspaper tables.

Austrian cuisine comes into its own during the winter.  From the roasted chestnut stalls on the street to the markets selling steaming mugs of glühwein (mulled wine), foodies will be spoilt for choice when visiting in the wintertime. Don't miss the wonderful half a mile long 'Wiener Naschmarkt'. On Sundays, the area turns into an entertaining flea market.

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I am not even talking about the wonderful, cozy coffee houses and restaurants (Beisl’s) that serve delicious food such as the famous 'Wiener Schnitzel' - a boneless thin cut of veal, doused in egg and rolled in breadcrumbs before being fried.

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Every bureaucrat, student, and government employee knows about the delights of the works canteen – many of which are open to the public. The Justice Ministry’s canteen, for example, is on the fifth floor at Schmerlingplatz 10, overlooking the Parliament, where bronze chariots charge across the rooftops, and the food is good and reasonably priced. You might also try the arty and cheap canteen (Mensa) at the Applied Arts College (Oscar Kokoschka Platz, 2), or the Fine Art College (Schillerplatz 3).

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Manner Schnitten:
The famous wafer slice from the traditional Viennese company Manner was first mentioned in documents as early as 1898 as "Neapolitan slice No. 239". The basic recipe and the format of the wafers have not changed since then and they are my favored treats.

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Unlike skiing, ice-skating is a winter sport that practically everyone can enjoy. There are numerous ice rinks set up across the city between November and February, including in the front of the Rathaus to host the annual Ice Dream event.

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Founded in 1867, the Vienna ice-skating club has placed a rink directly in front of the historic Wien Konzerthaus each winter season for more than 100 years.  One of the largest rinks in Europe, its location creates a charming atmosphere that’s perfect for couples looking to skate together for the price of one on Friday evenings.
To get an even lower price, visit the rink two hours before closing, as the entrance fee halves.  For a festive moment, visit on a Friday evening when the rink turns into a disco with DJs, or on Thursdays when hits from the ’70s and ’80s are played on request.
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Walking the grand boulevards and streets in Vienna keep your eyes up to the house fronts: Nowhere in the world, you will see ten-thousands of such beautiful facades. In addition to the familiar Gothic and Baroque buildings, Art Nouveau has a fixed place in Viennese architecture.
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At the turn of the 20th century, prominent architects such as Otto Wagner, Josef Hoffmann, Adolf Loos, and Joseph-Maria Olbrich erected world-renowned buildings such as the Secession, the Postal Savings Bank, and the Loos House. Floral ornaments are on one of the most important Art Nouveau buildings, the Vienna Secession.

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City Hall Vienna

Have a wonderful trip to Vienna!


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Photo Impressions: Hamburg-Blankenese

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Even on a rainy day in November... Climbing the top of 72-meter-high Süllberg will reward you with a dreamlike view over the Elbe riverbed, the container ships in the harbor, and the Airbus grounds in Finkenwerder.

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North-Sea feeling directly on the beach: The Ottensener Strand, which can be reached directly from one of the HADAG ferries, is probably one of the most beautiful places on the Hamburg Elbe. And right in the middle is the "Strandperle", which provides the many sun worshippers with food and drink and underlines the rustic charm of this beach section. 

Walk down along the Elbe to Nienstedten, where Historic noble villas and luxurious family houses between parks and the Elbe - Nienstedten is one of the most beautiful real estate sites. The well-known Elbchaussee street follows the shore of the Elbe River.

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Further down the Elbe River, escape the big city also by visiting Blankenese's narrow winding alleys, beautiful captains' homes, mansions, and river views. This Hamburg Elbe suburb starts at the S-Bahn station Blankenese. Across is the Blankeneser market, offering regional specialties and takes place every Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday. 

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The so-called 'Treppenviertel' (the 'stairs quarter') in Blankenese, with its winding alleys and small mansions by the river, is a perfect postcard image.

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Blankenese and Övelgönne have by far the hilliest terrain in all of Hamburg. The quarter has approximately 5,000 steps, including the Strandtreppe (lit. 'beach staircase'), which has 170 steps. Tours around the Treppenviertel will lead you along Wilhelminian style houses and the church by the market square, through parks, and up and down enough staircases that you can count it as your workout for the day.

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However, there is a local bus line that drives through extremely narrow alleys and transports you to the beaches - where a magnificent stroll along the waterfront awaits.
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For many a more leisurely way to discover the Treppenviertel. Is if you had purchased a daily bus pass - which I highly recommend for Hamburg.  You are able to use it at a “hop on - hop off” transportation.
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The former fishing and pilot village Blankenese lies directly on the Elbe. From here you can take a sailing boat or the Elbe ferry out for wonderfully long walks along the banks. A further highlight is a visit of the stair quarter with subsequent enjoyment of the view of the lighthouse and the Falkensteiner bank.
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Spend at least a day in this area to discover all the hidden gems, views and certainly the fine bakeries and restaurants, also those who a located in boats, offering fresh fish and other local delicatessens.

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 In Blankenese, you can relax on the beach and enjoy a wonderful view of the harbor and the Elbe.

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 The promenade features typical Nordic wooden buildings, some of which have small beach hotels, restaurants with Nordic specialties or beer gardens.

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Experience the "big pots" - big ships - up close in Hamburg on numerous places along the Elbe. Away from the Landungsbrücken and the fish market, there are numerous other spots where you can experience the maritime lifestyle and relax wonderfully.

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Blankenese is ideal for combining a quiet beach holiday with an exciting city visit. In just a few minutes you can reach the most famous sights of Hamburg, such as the harbor, the fish market or the Speicherstadt, either by a local bus, S-Bahn or underground. Take Bus 36 Elbchaussee, then change in Teufelsbrueck in 112 bis Blankenese - a scenic ride along the Elb-Villas and Parks. Take bus number 488 through the Treppenviertel Blankenese.

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Edinburgh, Scotland's Gem for Plant Lovers

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Elegant gloves are not exactly what Botanical Garden visitors expect to find here.  But for me, it was a godsend, as the day I admired the 72 acres, still filled with lots of blooming flowers, was sunny, but windy and chilly.  I stopped my leisure walks to warm up at the spacious gift store, filled with lovely books, plants, heirloom seed packages, and yes, gloves, shawls, and mittens. 

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Free Admission
Edinburgh’s Botanical Garden and its 13,302 plant species are totally free to visit, only the glasshouses charge a small fee to admire the tropical section.

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One of Edinburgh's three Hop-on-Hop-off buses stops conveniently at the cities’ fantastic Botanical Garden. Local buses #23 and #27 stop here too.

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I was lucky to find still colorful blooming plants at the end of October on the extended grounds. Not to mention those tropical beauties, growing in attractive heritage glasshouses. 

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200-year-old Palm Tree
The glasshouse visit is a particular highlight, starting at the Victorian Temperate Palm House dating back to 1858 and one of the tallest traditional palm houses ever built.  The Garden's 10 magnificent Glasshouses each has a different climatic zone, from steamy tropics to arid desert, and are home to 3,000 exotic plants from around the world - including a 200-year-old palm tree.

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A MUST-SEE When You Travel to Edinburgh:
Enjoy the serenity of the Chinese Hillside, explore the world-famous Rock Garden or stroll amongst the awe-inspiring Giant Redwood trees in the Woodland Garden.

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There is, even more, to explore in these 350-year-old Garden: educational exhibitions, festive Christmas lighting, a small waterfall, Britain’s biggest fossilized trees, microscopic photos of plants or botanical drawings, plus the wonderful coffee shop.

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