Best Coffee Houses in Vienna

We all know traditional Coffee houses in Vienna.  For those who are not familiar with the term it’s basically a café for enjoying a good cup of coffee with friends or accompanied by a newspaper in a relaxed atmosphere, accompanied by other treats (such as tea, drinks, cakes and small snacks). 

The Vienna coffeehouses are said to date back to the 17th century Ottoman wars, when Vienna was liberated from the second Turkish siege by an Polish-Habsburg army in 1683, the victorious allies captured numerous sacks with coffee beans they initially thought were camel food. A wise Polish army officer, understanding the actual value of these beans, is said to have asked his king Jan Sobieski for the coffee bags and thus was able to open up the first coffeehouse in Vienna - consequently establishing the long tradition of the Viennese Kaffeehaus.

So whenever I visit Vienna (and I visit it quite often) I take some time off my busy schedule, which mainly consists of shopping, to visit some of the Coffee houses. The result is a list of my favorite ones.

Café Demel

It is part of the famous chocolatier (K&K Hofzuckerbäcker) Demel in Vienna, home of some of the best confections of pastry in town. This house of great tradition was established in 1786 on the Michaelerplatz. However the Café is usually full and it can take up to an hour to actually get a seat, but the wait is definitely worth it. 

Café Sacher

Café Sacher Vienna Part of the world-renowned Hotel Sacher. In this Café it is all about tradition and elegance. They are also the owners of the Original Sacher-Torte (probably the world´s most famous chocolate cake).

Café Mozart

Café Mozart Vienna In this establishment located on the Albertina square behind the Vienna Opera house, the first coffeehouse was opened up in 1794, soon after the death of Mozart. It is the place to go after experiencing the Opera house or just taking a break from all the sightseeing. They have a large coffee selection as well. 

Café Central

This is the legendary literati café, which counted Arthur Schnitzler, Peter Altenberg and Adolf Loos among its regulars, has a charm of its own that transforms a visit into an experience. Viennese cuisine, homemade cakes and pastries. It even has its own piano music.

Café & Restaurant in the Kunsthistorisches Museum

The café and restaurant in the cupola hall is renowned for its excellent coffee and is a popular meeting point for Vienna visitors and residents alike.

So the next time you visit Vienna make sure to visit at least one of the famous, and delicious, Coffee houses.

 

Relaxing, skiing and eating in Lungau

The most relaxing place i have ever been to is Lungau. 

You may ask yourself why, as there are many beautiful valleys in the Austrian Alps. But there is something incredibly charming and peaceful about this place. Perhaps that’s because I have only visited it during vacations, when the only thing on my mind was relaxing, but I believe that’s not the case. 

Most of the valley sits at around 1000 m above the sea level, and is the perfect escape from the busy city life and the burning heat of summer. Personally I loved going hiking in the nearby mountains and seeing the wildlife, there is just something calming about going for a walk between all the horses and cows minding their own business, grazing and whatnot.

I even got to see the source of the river Mur. While all of the hiking and the nature is amazing, nothing can compare to skiing. During the winter, Lungau turns into a ski resort that offers great trails, comfortable accommodation and food to die for.

So basically good food, hiking, scenery and skiing,that is what makes it the most relaxing place for me. 

Anime in a nutshell

Everyone has heard of anime before, and people usually associate it with either cartoons or weird Japanese porn. But what is anime, exactly?

The word anime is an abbreviation of the word animation. In Japan, the word's used to refer to all animation. Outside of Japan, it's become the catch-all term for animation from Japan.

For decades, anime was produced by and for Japan - a local product, with a distinct look-and-feel to not just the artwork but the storytelling, the themes, and the concepts. Over the last forty years, though, it's become an international phenomenon, attracting millions of fans and being translated into many languages. A whole generation of viewers in the West have grown up with it and are now passing it on to their own children.

What is it that makes anime so special?

Most anime fans can sum this up in two words: "It's different." Anime is as unlike most American cartoons as, say, Batman and Spider-Man are different from the comics that run in daily papers. The differences show up in many ways:

-Artwork. Anime art styles range from the flamboyant and outlandish (Samurai Champloo, FLCL) to the simple and direct (Azumanga Daioh!). That said, even shows with more "basic" artwork can still be visually striking; anime finds ways to make everything look fresh and new.

-Storytelling. Anime doesn't shy away from epic storylines, which can run for dozens (sometimes hundreds) of episodes. The best anime, though, no matter what their length, all demand great emotional involvement from the viewer.

-Breadth of material. The sheer range of anime shows out there means a viewer of most any other kind of TV or movies can find an anime series that reflects her interests: hard SF (Planetes), romantic comedy (Fruits Basket), CSI-style crimefighting (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex), female empowerment (Nana), even adaptations of classic literature (Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo).

-Cultural nuances. Japan's history, language and worldview are woven into a great deal of anime on many levels. Some shows are takeoffs on Japanese history (Sengoku Basara) or raid Japanese mythology for story ideas (Hakkenden, Hell Girl). Even shows that are outwardly non-Japanese in their presentation (Claymore, Monster) have tinges of a Japanese sensibility to them.

What's most striking is how anime's impact is coming full circle. Some recent American cartoon productions, like Avatar: The Last Airbender, are openly inspired by anime itself, and live-action English-language versions of anime titles are starting to come into production.

How to Smite

I talked about MOBAs in my previous post, but today I wanted to talk about my favorite one. Smite. Smite is a MOBA, Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, similar to League of Legends or Dota. Like them it is a 5 vs 5 team based game where players level up their chosen characters, fight the enemy team's minions and gods with the ultimate goal of killing their Titan.

Players can buy items, learn and upgrade abilities and acquire potent buffs from neutral enemies to help make their chosen god stronger. 

What Sets Smite Apart

The single biggest difference between Smite and most other is the third person camera perspective, bringing the player's view down into the battle instead of above it. This makes player control very important as most attacks will not lock on, or home in on the enemies. This new camera means movement is controlled through WASD, while abilities have been moved up to the number keys, 1234.

The other defining feature Smite has, are the Gods. As opposed to fantasy based heroes many games use, Smite has chosen to fill its roster with ancient mythological gods, such as Odin, Ra, and Guan Yu. Each god has a rich history about them that can be read up on and players will find that the gods are represented well, generally portrayed as one might expect them to be. You will not find a weak, easily killed Odin here, or a Ra who can't dish out serious solar damage.

The Roster

As I have said, Smite draws its roster from ancient mythology. Gods are pulled from all over the world, with the more well-known mythos having more characters in the game. Norse mythology for instance has many Gods to choose from during play, such as Odin, Thor, Loki, Hel, Freya, and Ymir. There are other pantheons as well, such as Hindu, Egyptian, Chinese, Greek and Mayan.

Abilities

Each god comes equipped with abilities to help separate them from the crowd. For most gods, abilities will define how the god plays. Thor for instance has abilities designed to stun and damage his enemies while Loki's are about misdirection, sneaking and large amounts of spike damage. Abilities in Smite often have modifiers to them as well.

Battles

Fighting is what Smite is all about. Hardcore Player versus Player combat drives this game. Although a great deal of time is spent killing mindless creeps and monsters in the jungle, the important stuff happens when you encounter another player. The most important thing to know when going in to any fight is whether your character will be able to handle themselves. This is something new players really need to think on before committing to a battle. If you are a new player giving Ra a try, and come up against a Loki, it is highly unlikely you will live, so do your best to get away from them!

Team fights are another deal. When groups of players come together, it is best to follow someones lead. Typically this means following the lead of your teams tanking character. Battles can also be fought anywhere and at any time so it is important to keep track of your allies and enemies during the entire encounter. Is someone missing from the enemy team? Then keep an eye to the sides and back in case they are waiting behind you. Is your team winning the fight? Then make sure to follow it up by pushing up the lane, and destroying any towers you can.

Character Roles

Some characters in Smite have roles to fulfill in battle beyond the simple explanation that is given in their profile. There are 5 main categories of gods in Smite. Assassin, Mage, Guardian, Warrior, Hunter. This can then be broken down further. Melee Physical, Ranged Physical, Ranged Mage, Short Range Mage, Melee Tank and Mage Tank. It can all get a bit confusing, and then there are even more roles such as Melee Carry or Ranged Carry.

Loki for instance is a Melee Carry Assassin. Carries are characters that will often start out a little weaker, but are expected to amass large amounts of kills late in the game and "carry" the team to victory. Thor is a Physical Melee Warrior character. He dishes out consistent damage throughout the match and should constantly prove an able fighter. Hades is a Guardian, but of the magical nature. He is also ranged, his basic attack has distance to and he has skills to get in and out of battle quickly.

With its diverse and fun gameplay Smite quickly became one of the most popular MOBAs. And with the successful World championship that lasted 3 days and had a prize pool of more than 2,600,000 dollars it received a lot of publicity. Especially for a game that came out not even a year before.   

What to see in Japan

Anyone who’s ever eaten sushi, read manga, or sipped sake may feel they know something about this slinky archipelago of some 6800 volcanic islands. And yet, from the moment of arrival in Japan, it’s almost as if you’ve touched down on another planet. Thats is why i have geathered my top 5 destiantions in Japan.

 

TOKYO TOWER

The Tokyo Tower is one of the most common places to visit in Tokyo because it gives a panoramic view of Tokyo. It’s modeled after the Eiffel Tower and is the tallest self-supporting steel structure in the world. At the base of the tower is a building called Foot Town that houses restaurants, museums and exhibits. It is planted with a huge variety of flowering trees and open fields. It's perfect for picnics, strolls and just about any sport you can think of. It is said, that the park is most beautiful in the plum- and cherry-blossom seasons (late February and late March)

KYOTO IMPERIAL PALACE

Sitting in the middle of the sprawling Kyoto Imperial Palace Park, the Kyoto Imperial Palace is a walled compound containing several sumptuous buildings built in the classical Japanese style. If you’re expecting a European-style palace, you might be surprised to discover the low rooflines and wooden construction of the Kyoto Imperial Palace.

JIGOKUDANI MONKEY PARK

The Jigokudani Monkey Park offers visitors the unique experience of seeing wild monkeys bathing in a natural hot spring. The park is inhabited by Japanese Macaques, which are also known as Snow Monkeys. It is located in the monkey's natural habitat, in the forests of the Jigokudani valley in Yamanouchi, not far from the onsen towns of Shibu and Yudanaka.

The park has one man-made pool around which the monkeys gather, located a few minutes' walk from the park entrance. Visitors will likely already encounter monkeys along the path to the pool. The monkeys live in large social groups, and it can be quite entertaining to watch their interactions. Accustomed to humans, the monkeys can be observed from very close and almost completely ignore their human guests. Naturally, it is prohibited to touch or feed the monkeys.

The park has a small information center with information mostly in Japanese. However, there is a small explanation of the alpha male system of the monkey troop in English, as well as portraits of the park's present and former alpha males, dating back dozens of years. There is a live camera beside the monkey pool that is accessible online.

MT. FUJI

Mount Fuji, the iconic 3776 meter active volcano a stone’s throw from Tokyo, is arguably the most celebrated landmark in Japan. With over 300,000 people climbing her summit during the summer months, Mt Fuji thrives on the Japanese proverb “A wise man will climb Mt Fuji once; a fool will climb Mt Fuji twice.” And with UNESCO’s recent designation of Mount Fuji as a World Heritage site, many wise men (and women!) are making the trek up Japan’s most iconic mountain.

FUSHIMI INARI-TAISHA

With seemingly endless arcades of vermilion torii (shrine gates) spread across a thickly wooded mountain, this vast shrine complex is a world unto its own. It is, quite simply, one of the most impressive and memorable sights in all of Kyoto.

The entire complex, consisting of five shrines, sprawls across the wooded slopes of Inari-san. A pathway wanders 4km up the mountain and is lined with dozens of atmospheric sub-shrines.

Fushimi Inari was dedicated to the gods of rice and sake by the Hata family in the 8th century. As the role of agriculture diminished, deities were enrolled to ensure prosperity in business. Nowadays, the shrine is one of Japan’s most popular, and is the head shrine for some 40,000 Inari shrines scattered the length and breadth of the country.

Back to the future and hoverboards

It’s coming, guys! The future is coming! The hoverboard from an imagined 2015, featured in the ’80s hit flick ‘Back to the Future II,’ is now a reality thanks to an architect hoping to protect buildings from earthquakes with the power of magnetism.

The announcement was made exactly a year before the much anticipated ‘Back to the Future Day’ – October 21, 2015 – to which lead characters Marty McFly and Doctor Emmett Brown travel in the Robert Zemeckis classic.

 

Past attempts to create a board modelled on the one used in Back to the Future II always wiped out under the shaky ground of two magnets, which made controllable levitation a near impossibility.

The Hendo hoverboard design has got around this problem by using four disc-shaped engines instead of two. The engines generate a special magnetic field which “literally pushes against itself,” producing the lift which takes the board off the ground.

The technology was the brainchild of Greg Henderson, who, according to Forbes, developed a method to use electromagnetic fields to separate buildings in the event of an earthquake. He soon realized that the technology could be utilized in many other ways, specifically transportation.

But those hoping to really get some air like lead character Marty McFly might have to manage their expectations. In its current incarnation, the hoverboard levitates just one inch off the ground.

An even bigger limitation is superficial by design; the surface which the hoverboard can operate on. While McFly was able to jet over most everything but water, the Hendo hoverboard only operates on non-ferromagnetic surfaces – those which are not attracted to magnets.

It also remains somewhat noisy and can only stay aloft for roughly seven minutes. Bugs and all, the 18th prototype has still proven a great advance which has nowhere to go but up. Besides the scientists still have 364 days to improve their creation before Marty McFly’s arrival from 1985.

Arx Pax, the 20-person start-up beneath the board, has just launched a Kickstarter campaign in hopes of raising $250,000 so that board call roll (or levitate) out into full scale production.

If they reach their target in time, 10 beta versions of the boards will be up for grabs, though they will sell for a large sum of money. And keeping in the spirit of the film, you’ll have to wait until October 21, 2015 – the same date on which Marty and Doc Brown arrived in their DeLorean time machine to set the future straight – before you can pick up the board.

So you want to play a MOBA?

If you have played or heard of the popular online games such as, League of Legends, DOTA and Smite, perhaps you have heard the term MOBA tossed around.

People fling around the term MOBA when referring to a genre of games popularized by the ever-popular Defense of the Ancients Warcraft 3 mod. But the genre has been around longer and spans far more games than DOTA. Exactly what defines a game to place it into the “Multiplayer Online Battle Arena” category? Debates about this subject are held daily, but there are a few main points almost everyone can agree on.

In a typical MOBA, the player controls only one unit or hero character much like a MMORPG or RPG. It may have some sort of summoning skill to break this rule and offer control to another unit or two but in general the player is only in control of his or her one heroic unit. These hero characters can level up, gain new abilities and skills, and deck themselves out with new gear typically obtained through store purchases but also sometimes found off neutral monsters or bosses. Like a MMOPRG character development is a large part of the game, but designed to evaporate after one game – so you go through your levels much faster than say, World of Warcraft and cap out in about 40 minutes, and start the next game back at level1.

The core of a MOBA is centered directly around player vs player team based combat. 1v2's, 3v3's, ganking, pvp action makes up roughly 90% of the game interaction. Teams are typically 5v5. Whether or nor this was an offshoot of the limitations on player numbers you could have in a Starcraft or Warcraft 3 Battle.net game will probably be a subject of interest for many years to come, but regardless of how it came about, the current standard for a MOBA is two teams of five. Many MOBAS all the way back to Aeon of Strife include a traditional base destruction design – the goal is to get your team's heroes past the other team's defense and destroy their unit generating structures and finally their “castle” or game-winning structure.

In a standard MOBA you are going to have both “waves” of AI controlled creatures and also AI controlled neutral spawns. The creatures generally give a monetary incentive when killed by a hero, so it becomes important to get the “last hit” on a monster to help build your funds up quickly to purchase better equipment. These AI elements are directly related to the PvP aspects – attack an enemy hero when his “creep wave” is around and they will turn on you in an instant and start laying into your hero.

So it's almost all team based PVP, like an FPS without as much twitch, it has creatures to kill and heroes to advance like a MMORPG or RPG, the GUI is reminiscent of an RTS and games have elements of base attack and defense.