Travel Review

Andrew Rivkin Toronto

 

Stayed at the Place Darmes hotel in Montreal on June 14, 2007.  Not worth staying there again.

 

 

Links

www.Cyclonerake.com
www.Mikeynetwork.com

Travel Vienna

Andrew Rivkin Toronto

Forgot to mention that the bartender from the bar we went to on the last
night (need Alex to remember the name) suggested Flex club at
Schottenring U2/U4 Tube station. She said it was better than Passage
and may be worth trying next time we are in Vienna. The
Resturant/Resturant/Bar we went too is definitely worth going back too.
Asian food, open late with a DJ and cool people.

Link

Andrew Rivkin
Http://www.defiantcapital.com

Link

Andrew Rivkin
Http://www.arivkin.com

Resturant review

Andrew Rivkin bymark
Went to bymark last night and the food was excellent. Had the yellowfin tuna cooked rare and it was spectacular. Salad as an appetizer which was good but nothing compared to the main course.   Also, had an average cablis and a good alscian white. Great jasmine tea to finish. Not cheap at 300 including parking for 2 people but worth it as I am still thinking about the tuna.

Europe Ski Trip 07

[Andrew Rivkin] Toronto

Here's one of Alex and me on the flight home. Many smiles...we were probably watching 30 Rock

Europe Ski Trip 07

This is pretty much what you would have seen had you been in Ischgl with us. The orange and black outfit is my trademark. Combined with the aggressive attack angle and the pow-pow, this could be a spy shot of me skiing. I'll try to get some actual shots soon.

Travel Austria Ski 07

Toronto [Andrew Rivkin]
Sadly I am home in toronto and the last two musketeers have finally separated. For my part I had an awesome trip and am looking forward to doing it again next year!  Thanks to alex and nisk who provided a seemingly endless supply of both humor and gas and who knew how to 'rock this party'. Thanks to Ischgl for the great conditions and awesome apres ski and thanks to Vienna for being such a great place to hang out. Tears our welling up in my eyes now... Peace Out

By the way, the LOT flight home wasn't bad at all. Definitely friendler than Air Crappy Day aka Air Canada.

Travel Review

Final analysis on Le Meridien Wein...the hotel is really a 4 star with cool modern design but service that is only mediocre. The one diamond  in the rough is definitely Goran who hooked us up more than once. The resturant and bar both look very good but were usually pretty empty and the spa closed too early to be useful. It is close to the shopping area, museums and the Spanish Riding School.   Even so it maybe time to start looking for a new place to stay in Vennia. I don't think the Imperial wil work unless the Royal suite is available as the lobby and other areas look kind of stoggy and you need the Royal Suite to make up for that. Guess its time to do some research. Looked like a new place opened up by the Raddison SAS.

Travel Krakow

Krakow [Andrew Rivkin]
Staying at the Hotel Copernicus in Krakow which is OK but I don't think there is much better. Maybe the Radison SAS but this seems like a pretty poor country at the moment. Did a lot of touring today. A good tour of the cathedral in castle Wawel with our guide Mathius who taught us about many Polish Kings including a pimp king from 1400's who lived to the age of 84. Had children at the age of 70 with a 20 year old 6 foot tall hottie. Nice. We then had a golf cart tour of the Jewish Quarter 'a city within Krakow' called Kazemayesh.  Then on to the old town of Krakow including the large Market square with the cloth market building.  Finally a littlle shopping at Diesel and DSquared and dinner in a Jewish resturant with Klezmer music. Matzah balls good but not as good as grandma's. Cabbage rolls good but not as good as grandma's. Tomorrow off to Aushwitz.

*Should be posted mar19

Travel Warsaw

Warsaw [Andrew Rivkin]
Sadly I am now sitting on an old LOT 767 aircraft getting ready to depart for Toronto.  The seats now are not nearly as nice as our trip over and are pretty similar to Air Crappy Day aka Air Canada. We had an awesome trip this year and I am already looking forward to coming back to Ischgl and Vienna next year. Also, next year I plan to head further into Eastern Europe for the sightseeing portion of the trip. Hopefully my bro will join along with Spence and Gerry. Then we could really light things up.

Travel Vienna

Vienna [Alex]
So were at dinner now and Goran has sent us to the right place. He knows where the action is at. Were at an asian cuisine and the food is supposedly very good. We did some shopping today to bring out our feminine side (nisker loves to shop). We watched some 30 rock tonight before we left and I reccomend it to all. About to eat and starving so goodbye.

Schmander

Travel Vienna

Vienna [Andrew Rivkin]
Goran is the man with the plan!  Great concierge at Le Meredien Wien.

Travel Krakow

Krakow [Andrew Rivkin]
We just landed in Krakow and are presently getting raped by Avis on our car rental. Ouch

Travel Vienna

Toronto [Andrew Nisker]
Its 555am and I just awoke from a long sleep in my bed here in Toronto. On the flight home from Warsaw I experience a grab bag of emotions. Anger- to find bulk head means sitting two from a wall for ten hours. Horror when the plane started to take off and water start to ooze from the emergency exit door and ceiling. It looked like it was raining just over the bulk head. Delight I had my baseball cap to sheild me from the downpour. Fustration when they told me I could move because every seat was taken. Confused by what the food they severed us was. Overjoyed to find another group of travlers to drink and hang with for the ten hours in the back of the plane away from my wet seat. Thrilled, like everyone aboard who applauded when we safely touched down. For those of you thinking about using LOT let me end this with one final story. When I asked a ground staff in Toronto how long the flight to Warsaw was...She responded " I have no idea" So I asked " aren't u from Poland" and she responded " Yes but we came over in a boat"
Probably a good idea!

Travel Vienna

Vienna [Andrew Rivkin]
Went to Halle in the Museum quarter for lunch today. Then went to a cool exhibit on korean modern art in the Kunsthalle Muesum called Elastic Taboos. Really liked the modern paintings of Green and Purple with string on them and the photographs of Korean kids.  Also. a cool video called Puzzle. Then we limped over to the Leopold Muesum where we saw a few Klimt's and a lot of Schiele's. Didn't think the Klimt's were very representive of his work and neither of us liked Schiele at all so I would definitely take a pass on this musuem. Lost the Nisk man this morning so I will have to have a flegle in his honour tonight. Out for dinner now.

Travel Vienna

Vienna [Andrew Rivkin]
Went to the Spanish Riding School to watch a performance. Incredible riding area, show and horses.  Watched a lot of tricks that Prince Greggy could do like passage, piaffe, half pass, canter pirouette and changes and some other spectacular new ones like caprieole, levade and courbette.  Unbelievable to watch horses jump around like that with riders on their backs. The horses are white lipinzaners fror phiber and built like Mac Trucks. I would not want to be around if one of them got upset. Great show and worth a visit to the stable as well. Don't worry Valour, you are still the best horse ever, and Kali you can definitley outrun them all.

Travel Vienna

Vienna [Andrew Rivkin]
Red Room, awesome. Great music. Coat man Milan can hook u up. Went to Passage after. 2 packed tonight. Only stayed an hour. Alex had some road meat on the way out. If it was pork asses he would be lucky. Unfortunatly we are in the same room tonight. Net-net everyone's a loser. A

Travel Vienna

Vienna [Andrew Nisker]
As the day become night on the final eve of my travels it will be sad to say goodbye to the boyz and Austria where locals keep asking us why ski in Austria when u can ski in Canada. Guess we really came for the apres ski. Between the pains shooting down my legs, Riffers back/stomach/rib cramps and Alexanders tender heel, the ski ravaged Canadians are ready to call it a night. Actually,
there is one more night ahead of us. Stay tuned....

Travel Vienna

Vienna [Alex]
Right now the 3 of us are standing in line to eat sacratorts. None of us even know what they are but auntie nikki reccomended them or it to us. So we wallk into the hotel where they serve the legendary sacre bleu thingys, and the line is out the door. As we all stand in the vestebule like a bunch of deers caught in the headlights, I turned to andrew and I saidn "what the hell are we doing here?" He said, "that's a good question". Anyways, we get in to the restaurant and the waiter asls us what we want. Andrew and I order a sacre cake. I then ask the waiter if they have any chocolate cakes. He was like you jsut ordered one. So I want to go on the record and say that auntie nikki is a very wise aunt as she knows all about the different kinds of dessert all over the world. And it tastes gooooooddd.

Thanks auntie nikki
Schmander

Travel Vienna

Vienna [Andrew Rivkin]
Went shopping on the Kohlmarkt and Kartnerstrausse where alex bought 4 belts to replace the beloved one he lost on the first day.  Saw art at the Albertina. Highlights were Georg Baselitz and Albrecht Durher. Did not like Baselitz, too dark and depressing. Now on our way to get a Sacher Torte at the Sacher Cafe in the Sacher Hotel.

Travel Vienna

Vienna [Andrew Rivkin]
Staying at the Le Meridien Wein. Very nice hotel. Went to the Red Room last night on the recommendation of the concierge. Great lounge with great music. Worth a visit.

Travel Ischgl

Ischgl [Alex]
So as the nisk just said, its 2am and we just got back from our 3rd dinner in as many nights with our sweedish friends. Were looking forward to our last day of skiing before we hit Vienna. All I can say is that the skiing is incredible here but in a different way than whistler. Here there is less snow but the temp is 10 degrees at the peak. The one thing that makes life here very enjoyable is the night life, everyone is friendly (probably cause they are drunk but none the less), and time never seems to matter. The conditions are great, until you get to the bottom of the hill where there are 300 europeans all on one hill. It was crazy busy at the bottom of the slopes. We met a british women who got nailed at the bottom of the hill and brole her leg. That's why we download at the middle station.

Schmander

Travel Ischgl

Ischgl [Andrew Nisker]
Can't believe its already 2am. We just came back from drinks with our swedish friends. Finally my back is back and now riffer has double trouble, back and gut. Might be the raw chicken fondue mow down last night or it could be schnapps, yager and endless bowls of pasta. But the real reason we are here takes us up the mountain, blue sky and racoon eyes abound. Still experiencing boot deep powder mix with crust and ocassional patch of rocks and ice. All I can say is thank godness they are rentals. The sky is clear tonight and its time to dream of more pow.

Travel Ischgl

Ischgl [Alex]
There is no point in denying my impressive bail today. I was at the top of a 300ft hill and I hit a lip and lost control after about 50ft. With 250ft to go and andrew in front of me I had 2 options: kill andrew or kill myself. I chose the latter. I went straight for 200 feet and then tried to stop but couldn't. The result... I ended up rolling down the last 50ft and I looked like a snowball. I lost everything, my skiis, my poles, and my dignity. I will try to redeem myself tomorrow by jumping off a cliff and surviving... Only joking mom + dad.

That's it

Schmander

Travel Ischgl

Ischgl [Andrew Rivkin]
Yet another awesome blueberry day. We are really getting spoiled. Pow pow is starting to crust over but its hard to care when it is 10 degrees and sunny all day. Couple of nice bails today from Nisk and Smander (although Nisk denies it because his skiies didn't come off). Most notiable is when I looked uphill over my shoulder and saw a screaming ball of snow with a pair of goggles peaking out of the front. Missed me by an inch...When the dust settled it was Smander.

Skiing

Atomic Izor Ltd 159cm 114 72 104 = 15 m radius. This is an awesome ski. Great in the pow pow, sun crust, wind crust, chunk, carpet, corn snow, sugar, etc.

Travel Ischgl

Ischgl [Andrew Rivkin]
Had fondue for dinner at Hotel Tirol. Then went to Kitchloch which was fun and packed. They played a lot of local music which made the crowd go wild.  Then we went to Fire and Ice which was playing great house music but had already gotten quiet by the time we arrived. Finally, at Niskers request we went to Trofana Arena which was full of old dudes (the live band had just finished).  A quick stop at Burger King then off to bed.

Have now moved to an even smaller room in the Hotel Solaria. Can touch both Nisker and Alex if I strech, so I am being very careful not to strech. The Hotel is not bad but try to stay at the Hotel Madeline.

Travel Ischgl

Ischgl [Alex]
Schmander reporting from our remote lunch location. Nicsk skiied well this morning, he loojked good till the powder got crusty on top. He had a nice wipe out to show for it. So did I, it was a yardsale. Lost a ski and a pole, still haven't found them, were hoping that the pole is the cork dad wanted for niskers ..... condition. Just finishin up lunch and will post late tonight.
Schmander

Travel Ischgl

Sitting on the patio catching some rays. Had some great powder runs this morning but the sun will finally win the battle and make the snow to heavy for pow pow this aft.  Could be niskers last stand so we will have some fligels now to cheer him up.
Andrew Rivkin

Nisk here. Glad to report no chopper ride yet.
Must be 20 degress and the sausages and beer are on the way. If I get up and to gondola it will be an mircle athough chances are a few figels will help. Tiger baum keeps working in waves like a red army soothing my lumbar.
Nisk

Travel Ischgl

Ischgl [Andrew Nisker]
Here iam. Yep, the back still throbs and the weather is clear blue. What is a guy to do?
So sad. Not mad really. Maybe I will drive the
Puegot through the tunnel near the resort for kicks today. For those of u looking for new biz ops. Set up a osteopath clinic here so guys like me can get some help! Oh how I wish my osteopath Jantet was here. Janet if u are reading this please come save me.

Right now I'm sandwiched btwn Alexander and
Andrew " I can sleep on demand" Rivkin.
The tiger balm and robax are kicking in so I might venture up the hill. At bfast a mere few moments ago, we discussed the what if nisker came skiing and threw his back out. Btm line
I would have to be carried down or as AR said with a glimmer in his eye, " maybe a heilcopter ride". It almost seemed like that's why they wanted me to join them, so they could ride in a chopper. Guess I will see how I feel after the post bfast nap. For now I can only dream of the day I skied the alps and pray that I will get that chance again. Really, don't feel sorry for me, atleast I'm not at work and I can still participate in apres ski.....

Travel Ischgl

Ps Drink Fleagle apres ski

Travel Ischgl

Ischgl [Alex and Andrew Rivkin]
So andrew r and I just got back to the notorious igloo. Now just to be a dick and to add to the igloo's wonderful liist of faults, the key doesn't work. That's just great the hotel gives its guests keys that probably only work for the room next door. After the 5th try the door finally opens. But befor we get to bed andrew had to fill the bath with hot water because its so dam dry in this hotel. For those of you in the pool take your money out as nisker will likely be skiing tomorrow. At dinner tonight we dined with 3 women from sweeden. And when we told him about the amazing ski he said that it didn't matter if he was in a wheel chair, he would come ski. He then told us the most boring storyt ever, and by us I mean the sweeds too. He told us about how he loved the tunnels and how cool they were. That was 5 minutes the 5 of us will never get back. I mean what guy loves fucking tunnels.

Goiing to sleep now,
Schmander

Went to Fire and Ice. Great apres ski and great club. People still parting in their ski gear at midnight. Coming back tomorrow.
Andrew Rivkin

Travel Ischgl

Ischgl [Andrew Rivkin]
{Should be posted mar12}
Awesome ski day with lots of sun and lots of powder. Getting both is rare.  Alex and I hung out in the Terrain park for a while. Success on most of our jumps. Met Metten, a freestyle instructor who we would like to get a lesson with. Went to Shatsi for apres ski. Great music and Gogo dancers, what a country. Tonight we are going to Pacha...should be fun.

Travel Ischgl

Ischgl [Andrew Rivkin]
Another wonderful blueberry day with brilliant sun and fresh powpow. Alexandrer and I were hounding around the mountain looking for freshies while Nisk was in the room dreaming of his younger days.  Couldn't ask for more.

Travel Ischgl

Ischgl [Alex]
So I've showered 5 times in as many days but none of those showers were in our hotel room in Ischgl. Mabey that was for a good reason. After our incredible ski today, I decided to take a shower in our igloo. As soon as I got the water running I realize that the shower head is only 5 feet tall. So as I try to wash my hair I look like "a bunch of retards trying to hump a door knob". And then I nail my head on the shower head at least twice. Apparently no one in Ischgl is taller than 5 feet.  When some guy on the chairlift yesterday asked me where I was from, and I told him Canada, he asked me how the drive was. I told him "it was pretty wet thanks."

That's all for now,
Schmander

Skiing

Skiied in Solomon Rush 880 boots size 26.5 and Atomic Izor skiis. Great boots and skiis for all mountain skiing and variable conditions.

Fw: Travel Ischgl

Ischgl [Andrew Nisker and Alex]
Today was an awsome day, it was our first ski and the hills are not bad up top. We just got home and nisker is psyched to go sleep on his speed bump but before he goed to bed, he wants to order dominos pizza. He has already thrown both his legs out and may not be able to ski tomorrow. All those bettoing on nisker getting hurt early, its fairly safe to put your money down.
Nisk here. Yeah slight nerve damage on both
Lower back discs. Drowning my pain in european choclate and pringles. Stay tuned.

Fw: Travel Ischgl

Ischgl [Andrew Nisker]
Riffer gets top speed by 1 km (89km/h) on the race course. Can't figure it out, we ate the same lunch.
Off to dance, again. Alexander is hungry again. I'm tired.
Tonight were heading out and mabey then alexander can finally eat till he's full although that's doubtful. I'm out
Nisk

Travel Ischgl

Ischgl [Andrew Nisker]
It couldn't be more perfect.
10 degress, sunny, knee deep powder runs that the austrians avoid. Maybe they know where the rocks are and we we find out soon enough. Alexander skis like Gumby and I can finally admit riffer is getting better. As queens "I've got to break free" pumps out of the speakers, a refreshing change from Falco and Nina, the beer awaits.
Before I go I have to mention that for those of you in the injured or mamed pool its day three and Alex almost backed over me in the rental car parking lot. Perhaps that might account for something...
My bed which is shaped like a speed bump might put me in the injured pool at any moment. Rember that seinfeld when Jerry and Elaine went to Bocca. Sad to report pull out beds are the same everywhere.

Nisk

Travel Ischgl

Ischgl [Alex]
So now its 5:45 in the morning and nothing has changed since the last post. I just thought that I would update you all on the last hour. When I say that nothing has changed I mean it. Andrew and I are both still hungry and. Nisker continues to sleep like a baby while he farts himself a farting lullaby that you can hear through 2 doors and a hall.

Travel

Ischgl [Alex]
So its 4:15 in the morning and both andrew r and I are awake. Were not exactly sure what time breakfast is served however as usual I'm starving..... So is andrew. Today we need to rent skis and boots and then we will be all set to ski our first run of the trip. One of the things that makes me a bit nervous is the fact that there is not an ounce of snow at the bottom of the mountain, but apparentluy there is a ton at the top. To me this seems like a bit of a problem but I have been reassured that its not. Dad if you are reading this you will be happy to know that its been an amazing trip so far. We will be in touch later today when its a reasonable time in both places.

Travel Ischgl

Ischgl [Andrew Rivkin]
Went out to Passage last night in Vienna. Neat club in an old subway station. Great house music. Stayed out till 5am then headed straight back to the room, grabbed our bags then off to the airport. Did not get to enjoy our room as much as we would have liked and definitely spent less time their than Mic Jagger and Michael Jackson.

Just barely made our flight as our cab driver would not heed our calls of 'max scnell, max schnell'.  The drive was beautiful but a bit hairy an commander alexender did a great job. And, now knows how to use a roundabout.

We are staying at the Hotel Solaria which is a 4 star. A substantial downgrade from last night but quaint and we will be very happy here.

Blueberry day today and the whether report looks good. Annette (our friend from the spa) says the skiing is good so things are looking great for tomorrow.

Hope honour's taps have shut down at the cottage.

Travel

Ischgl [alex]
We have arrived at our second stop in istanbul and its just in time as our car was essentiallyu lit on fire by niskers constant repulsive queef attacks. So we get into the parking lot and some crazy Austrian basically told us to fuck off and then for some reason he decided to take our bags to oiur room. Once we got in our room we took a look around and nisker pointed out that there was a carved sculpture right above his bead and he wanted to go get a chisel to go give it to the front desk. instead of the ceilings being 30 feet high we can touch them while we are lying down. Overall this place is basically the equivalent of an eskimo hut, the only difference is that we have a constant stench (niskers ass)

Travel

Staying in Vienna at the Imperial hotel in the Royal Suite. Wow!  Ceilings are 40' high. Could host a ball in the living room.

Polish hooters is at www.zapiecek.eu

Travel

Niskers comments on our travel plans...
------Original Message------
From:
Sent Mar 9, 2007 7:06 AM
Subject:  For god sakes man I need...

For god sakes man I need to prepare my bavarian sexy time outfit!
Spring skiing attire?

Travel

Warsaw [Andrew Rivkin]
Travelled on Lot airline to Warsaw. The three musketeers (Andrew Rivkin, Nisker, Shafran) in business class. Had a very nice flight.  7.5 hours, just enough time to get some sleep.  During our 4.5 hour layover in Warsaw we had a very nice lunch in Warsaw oldtown (completly rebuilt after WW2) at a polish version of hooters, pic to be uploaded soon. Had pierogies and mead, the drink of the LOTR, which was delicious. Then a short walk around oldtown. Our driver Christoff reccomends that we visit Krakov.
Now on the plane to Vienna where I plan to finish what I started on the first flight. Staying at the Imperial hotel in Vienna.

Skiing

Cloudy today at Whistler. Tested the Rossy Zenith 4 in a 162. Soft ski that I didn't totally trust while high-speed crusing. Need something stiffer.  Pretty easy on the legs though. Probably good off-piste. Used them in the terrain park a bit and had some fun. Remember to stay netural and keep your speed up.

Whistler

Great day Heliskiing at Whitler Heliski with guide Ken the founder ad ex-owner.  Powder knee deep. Used the Volkl Mantra and enjoyed them. Skiied phalynx and tromor glacier. Sadly only got in 4 runs cause of rhime icing.

Music

A Little Respect by Erasure

I tried to discover
A little something to make me sweeter
Oh baby refrain
From breaking my heart

I'm so in love with you
I'll be forever blue
That you give me no reason
Why you´re making me work so hard

That you give me no
That you give me no
Well you give me no
Well you give me no
Soul, I hear you calling

Oh baby please, give a little respect
to me...

And if I should faulter
Would you open your arms out to me
We can make love not war
And live with peace in our hearts

I'm so in love with you
I'll be forever blue
What will led you no reason
Could drive a man to forsake his lover

Don't you tell me no
Don't you tell me no
Well You give me no
No you give me no
Soul, I hear you calling

Oh baby please, give a little respect
to me...

I'm so in love with you
I'll be forever blue
That you give me no reason
Why you´re making me work so hard

That you give me no
That you give me no
Well you give me no
No you give me no
Soul, I hear you calling

Oh baby please, give a little respect
to me...

I hear you calling

Oh baby please, give a little respect
to me...

Skiing

Boot size 27. Tried the Rossy Salro black and red and they were comfortable.

Whistler

Affinity Sports www.affinityrentals.com or 6049383100 does a great job with a big selection of skiis especially Volkl Fischer and Rossy at the Chateau location.

Skiing

Tried the Fischer WorldCup SC RC4. Enjoyed the ski a lot. Fast and steady with a tight radius. Heavy and stiff though so be prepared to do work. Not sutiable for day one and best on the carpetto.

Travel

Stayed in the Fairmont Chateau Whistler. Average service and tired rooms. Stayed in a suite with a terrible layout and the Lake Louise suite. Great lobby and pool. Worth a visit but not a stay.

Skiing

Tried the Volkl Mantra. Basically a powder ski. Great on my heli-ski day. Hard to use on the mountain because almost no sidecut. Nice and soft though.

Travel

Had a great massage with Athena