"To be old and wise, you must first have to be young and stupid..."
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| (The Austrian Note Printing Plant) |
7 May 2006
Day 1: Dinner at Ken’s
Arrived at vienna at 6.15 p.m. with hotel transferred already prearranged. The Astoria Hotel is situated right in the middle of Stephanplatz. Allen and the Philippines’ team have checked-in earlier. Dinner was at Ken’s, a Turkish Restaurant where we had nasi briani and lamb kebab. Roger and wife, Gernoit and Wife and Dr. Raluca, from the Austrian Mint team joined us
8 May 2006
Day 2: Visits the Austrian Mint and Printing Plant
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| (Murals on the wall) |
Picked-up and transferred to OeBS at 8.30 a.m. General presentation was by Oliver F on Company profile and products. Together with the Philippines’ team visited the origination team, National Analysis Center, production department and finishing department.
Transferred to the Austrian Mint and visited GSA and listened to a briefing by G Maier. Visited the precious metal casting and blanking, proof production and auto packaging system. End of day dinner with K Meyer, the Director of the Mint at the Wok, a Malaysian Chinese restaurant.
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| (KTM, the Austrian motorbike) |
9 May 2006
Day 3: Witness dies destruction
The Philippines’ team flew to Zurich this morning. I was picked-up and transferred to OeBS at 9.30 a.m. Expert presentation was by Dr. D Schwarzbach on security features. Transferred to the Austrian Mint and toured the plant with B Wohletz. Later witness the destruction of dies and signing of certificates. Lunch was with B Wohletz and Bridget at a seafood restaurant.
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| (Beautiful and clean park) |
By 3 p.m. I was back at the hotel and dear hubby was already in the room waiting for me. His flight from KL reached Vienna very early in the morning. We had ample time to have breakfast before my appointment with the OeBS and the Austrian Mint.
The Astoria Hotel is situated at the center of Stephanplazt, with rows of shops and famous Viennese cafes. For those keen on shopping there are plenty of flea markets and shopping streets to browse through. At the end of Stephanplazt stood the Gothic Imperial Chapel, houses a wealth of art treasures where the Vienna Boys’ Choir performs during High Mass on Sunday, is also a remnant of the Imperial Palace during the Middle Ages.
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| (Chelsea and historical buildings) |
Places of interest
Vienna has plenty to offer for everyone. The world capital of music was home to numerous opera, operetta and musical composers. In 2006 Vieana is celebrating Mozart's 250 birthday. In the center of the old city, you can admire the splendor and magnificence of the daily life of the noblest family of the Habsburg monarchy. The Imperial Palace, which until 1918 was inhabited by the imperial family, was originally a castle built in the thirteenth century. The Vienna Opera House has a world-wide reputation for its first-class opera performances and is also known because of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. A night at the State Opera is one of the most impressive events any visitor to Vienna can experience. The building itself closely resembles Italian Renaissance, as this epoch was immensely important for art and music. The first operas were written and performed in Italy during the 16th century.
Vast Heldenplatz, Square of Heroes, situated next to it, is very impressive, too. Equestrian statues of Archduke Karl, who won the battle of Aspern against Napoleon's troops, and Prince Eugene of Savoy, who defeated the Turks, attest to Austria's glorious past. Heldenplatz is more than a square, it is one of Austria's symbols of national identity. The trip turn around the old city, we could see Otto Wagner's Post Office Building, the Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna's City Park, the Vienna State Opera, the Imperial Palace, the Museums of Fine Arts and Natural History, Parliament, the Burgtheater, the University and the Stock Exchange.
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