Austria-Hungary Page

"I come from the Austro-Hungarian Empire of the emperor, Franz Josef."  -  Jozsef Szép early 20th century immigrant to America and Bill's grandfather.   

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The marriage of Otto & Regina von Habsburg

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A list of top coffeehouses in Vienna, as listed by World's Luxury Guide!  Just tap on the water glass to get some service!

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Budapest, a link to Pastry & Coffee!!!  

 Click here to enter the Land of Yummy, courtesy of Budapest.com!!!

Here's how I remember the order of things when I toured coffeehouses in Vienna & Budapest... 

Vienna is Coffeehouse, Pastry, and then Coffee a distant 3rd.

Budapest is Pastry, Coffeehouse, and then again Coffee a distant 3rd.

No matter which city, or coffeehouse, I visited, I found Pastry and Coffeehouse very closely bound together and awesome! 

At Caffe Amadeus, we strive to give equal attention to all three.  We roast your coffee one-and-a half pounds at a time, over flame, on our Jabez Burns sample roaster.  The very same roaster on which Bill learned how to roast coffee at the Coffee Cafe in Baltimore in the 90's (Thanks again, Peter!).  I Imagine that - it's like every time we roast a batch of beans - it's your beans!  You smell the beans roasting from three (maybe four, five, or six) blocks away and then follow your nose right into your coffeehouse - and, POW!, there they are - fresh roasted beans!   You smell the fresh aroma; you hear the distinct whoosh-whoosh sound of the beans going round and round in the barrels - then you see us pull the beans and inspect them for perfection!!!  That's right, these beans, many of which are directly traded from the farmer to our suppliers, are pulled at the moment of perfection and then we go through them to make sure all are just right before putting them into the jars.  Once in the jar, they don't stay long because we brew and you buy!  Your daily cuppa was probably roasted the day before!  Our beans don't sit around in paper bags - they don't sit around at all - as we are constantly roasting - thanks to you!!!

Here in Indiana, Pa, you have an awesome cafe in Caffe Amadeus; the pastries are simply from another world -(we know you love them because we are baking like crazy (thank you!!!) , and your delicious Amadeus coffee is freshly roasted and in your hands - and your cupboards (we are roasting like crazy too! (Thanks again!)!  

Thank you for being our customers and keeping us busy!  We really try our best for you - we try our best to bring you the best of our heritage and our best to honor the tradition! 

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Vienna: From Habsburg forts to chocolate tortes – very nice feature from the New Zealand Herald online.  Tap on the palace windows to learn more!!! 

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Frugal Europe On Foot!  A nice New York Times article about a journey from Vienna to Budapest.  To read more, just click the pic!

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Vienna: The best city in the world for the third year in a row!

For this awesome story, with loads and loads of cool links, click the pic!

 

 

 & how about the

Schönbrunn Zoo! 

The oldest zoo in the world, voted best zoo in Europe for 2009 and 2010! 

&

Since our family just loves zoo's - you must see the Budapest Zoo!  One of the coolest around!

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Some great English-language Ex-Pat e-newspaper sites! 

The Budapest Times

The Budapest Sun

The Vienna Review

Xpatloop.com

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Radio & TV from Austria & Hungary on your Caffé Amadeus website!!!

Magyar Radio 1- 7!...

Click the link for a list of seven Hungarian radio stations that you can listen to and enjoy - even if you don't speak Hungarian! 

This link is also on the Mozart & Friends page. 

Delicast is Here!!!  

Not just Austria & Hungary but links to radio and even TV all over the world!  Just click the link above and tap on a box to get started!

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Klimt!

 

Click the pic for this great story from the Vienna Review!

 

Gustav Klimt (14 July, 1862 - 6 February, 1918) is my, (Bill), favorite artist!

 

Got a spare £8m?  Hidden Klimt treasure not seen for 100 years unveiled as it goes up for auction!

Click the pic for this great story from The Mail Online!

The painting failed to receive a bid a auction, but was quickly sold privately for 5.8 million pounds, according to Sothebys.

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  Otto von Habsburg 1912-2011 

   

 

I write this with a heavy heart. On July 4^th, Otto von Habsburg died at the ripe old age of 98. Otto was one of the good guys. Although, in the end money wasn’t a problem, you could say he had a tough life - but he came out on top. In 1919, the Austrian Republic was born as were a number of other states that emerged from the ashes of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Habsburgs – at least the immediate royal family - were banished from Austria. Otto and his brothers and sisters were forced from a comfortable life into a nomadic existence. His father, Emperor Karl I, died in 1922 when Otto was just nine years old. The family had been exiled to the island of Mediera, a long way from home. Luckily for the Empress Zita and her family, they had connections throughout Europe. It wasn’t easy and they didn’t live the rich life. They pressed on. Otto was next in line for the throne, should it be restored. He was groomed for that position. He learned to speak the languages of the lands of the Empire.

In 1935, he pleaded with the Austrian government to allow him to become the Chancellor in an effort to block Adolf Hitler from taking over Austria. He was turned –down. Afterwards, the Nazis annexed Austria and called the episode, "Operation Otto". On Hitler’s list to be murdered, he fled Europe for the U.S. During the war years, he helped over 10,000 people escape the Nazi death sentence. He successfully ensured cultural centers of Austria were not bombed by the allies. After the war, he was barred from returning to Austria by the Soviets. He married in France and settled in Germany.

In 1961, he gave up his right to the Austrian throne so that he could return to Austria. He recently admitted that his heart was not in this move, he did it for “practical” reasons. Again, he pressed on. Otto entered politics and became the president of the Pan-European Union and an MEP in the EU.

In 1989, Otto was the driving force behind the Pan European Picnic on the Austria & Hungarian border. Over 600 East Germans fled to the west that day and it was a major event towards the fall of the Berlin wall. Otto never forgot about the Hungarian people, or any of the people from the former crown lands that were trapped under Soviet oppression. He once gave a speech, in Hungarian, in a session of the European Parliment. He worked hard to ensure Hungary and other former eastern bloc states got into the European Union. Hungarian people hold Otto in high esteem.

Otto was a class act. I will miss him, as will countless others who knew of him and especially those closest to him. Being 98, his end on earth was soon at hand. I, for one, have deep feelings about his life, his situations, and for all the good he did for people. He truly served his peoples. The world has lost one of the good guys, for sure.

You never got to be the Emperor / King, Otto, but you are true royalty as far as being a good human being goes! Well done, your Highness! Have a great afterlife! On Saturday, 16 July, His Imperial and Royal Highness was interred in the Capuchin's Crypt in Vienna; his heart was interred at the Benedictine Abbey in Pannonhalma, Hungary in keeping with Habsburg family tradition of the separation of the hearts from the body. Otto loved Hungary and it was his wish for his heart to rest in Pannonhalma, where he studied as a boy.

I will always remember this great man! - Bill  

An Imperial & Royal Funeral for Otto von Habsburg

Some outside videos...

  

   

Michael Haydn's Requiem and inside the church...

 

(Almost) Everybody Singing Joesph Haydn's Kaiser's Hymn (C'mon Heinz, sing!)

and what I think is most touching, the end of the Austrian Telecast; a summary of sorts...

Otto's Journey to the Crypt

 Two videos from the BBC.  The second covers the sevice for Otto's heart in Hungary.  The reporter is so passionate, she does a good job here.

 

    Otto loved Hungary!  He was a good guy.  RIP.

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 Click the pic to read a nice article about Otto being awarded Macedonia's Medal of Merit for his part in the Pan-European Union and promoting Macedonia's European future. 

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Les Banos, our friend and a true hero.... 

 

 

It was a sad day for Caffé Amadeus when we learned that our friend, Les Banos passed away. Les was 89 going on 30! Those of you who had the chance to meet Les on his visits to your coffeehouse – you guys, along with us, are blessed. Les was an amazing person, saving lives in one life and in his “official job” as a photographer for the Pirates, Steelers, & Pitt in another. He knew everybody! While we are saddened by this news, we know he is reunited with all kinds of folks whose lives he saved (and have since passed-on), and of course, his good friend, Roberto Clemente. But just in case you are feeling sad, here is a part of a comment I read on a tribute page to Les! It reads, in part, "When Les gets to heaven, everybody will be saying, Who's that guy with the beard standing next to Les?". That cracks me up, but hey, that's Les!  We felt that a good place to honor Les was here, on the Austria-Hungary page.   Like Otto above, Les was one of the good guys!  Viszontlátásra, Les!

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