Vienna greeted us with cold, rainy weather. We headed off with the group for a short walking tour of Vienna - not the greatest activity in the rain, but it did give us some good historical background and information about the winter palace and the gardens. These is an interesting rose bush scheme where you “buy” a rose bush for ten years and can place a plaque on it. Lots of messages to loved ones, past and present, and probably a great revenue raiser. A horse and carriage ride through the old town was also impacted by the rain . Our windows fogged up immediately and we could only get glimpses here and there. The town is very clean, with tall fancy buildings jointed together, and cobblestone streets. Despite the lack of vision, we could feel those and also hear the clip clop of the horses hooves along the streets.
The visit to St Stephens was a highlight. It’s a gorgeous church, both outside and in, and as we walked inside an orchestra and choir were practicing. There is something special about good music in a church that is very uplifting. We walked down the stairs to the catacombs surrounded by the glorious music. The catacombs were excellent - old, dark, lots of historical coffins, piles of bones, copper jars full of Hapsburg organs, and a guide who brought it all to life.
After the church we had the afternoon free, so we made a beeline for Figlmuller - a famous schnitzel restaurant. Wood paneling, exposed bricks with wrought iron and schnitzels bigger than your head. How could we go wrong? Josh declared his schnitzel the best one he had ever tasted.
After lunch it was still quite rainy so we agreed on a visit to the treasury museum in the Winter Palace. The exhibit started off with both English and Austrian explanations but these tailed away as we moved further in to the exhibits. We had not purchased the audio guides so we may have missed the significance of many items. That being said, there were some great exhibits- I especially liked all the embroidered surcoats, and also the cabinet made for keeping the keys to the Hapsburg coffins. There was a narwhal horn and a sword with a handle made from one that were also interesting. We walked back to the Opera house, which was the pickup point, via another McDonalds (just a look, no purchasing). It’s a beautiful city, clean, green and full of regal, historical buildings. On the way back we saw the Viennese version of a public pool - a swimming pool built into a barge docked in the canal. Apparently it is a popular hang out for the party crowds.
Our evening was sparkling. We were taken to a private palace - the Palais Pallavicini and climbed up a beautiful marble staircase to a cocktail reception, followed by a formal dinner. There was a wonderful violinist with a small ensemble who played throughout the night, with a few ballet and opera performances to round out the entertainment. The boys were brought up to dance with the opera singer and then with other teens on the tour. Josh definitely had the best moves of the three, although his outfit left something to be desired - he showed up in a polo shirt and shorts where some of the group had suits and ties. Great music, great food in a magical location - definitely a highlight of the trip so far.
The visit to St Stephens was a highlight. It’s a gorgeous church, both outside and in, and as we walked inside an orchestra and choir were practicing. There is something special about good music in a church that is very uplifting. We walked down the stairs to the catacombs surrounded by the glorious music. The catacombs were excellent - old, dark, lots of historical coffins, piles of bones, copper jars full of Hapsburg organs, and a guide who brought it all to life.
After the church we had the afternoon free, so we made a beeline for Figlmuller - a famous schnitzel restaurant. Wood paneling, exposed bricks with wrought iron and schnitzels bigger than your head. How could we go wrong? Josh declared his schnitzel the best one he had ever tasted.
After lunch it was still quite rainy so we agreed on a visit to the treasury museum in the Winter Palace. The exhibit started off with both English and Austrian explanations but these tailed away as we moved further in to the exhibits. We had not purchased the audio guides so we may have missed the significance of many items. That being said, there were some great exhibits- I especially liked all the embroidered surcoats, and also the cabinet made for keeping the keys to the Hapsburg coffins. There was a narwhal horn and a sword with a handle made from one that were also interesting. We walked back to the Opera house, which was the pickup point, via another McDonalds (just a look, no purchasing). It’s a beautiful city, clean, green and full of regal, historical buildings. On the way back we saw the Viennese version of a public pool - a swimming pool built into a barge docked in the canal. Apparently it is a popular hang out for the party crowds.
Our evening was sparkling. We were taken to a private palace - the Palais Pallavicini and climbed up a beautiful marble staircase to a cocktail reception, followed by a formal dinner. There was a wonderful violinist with a small ensemble who played throughout the night, with a few ballet and opera performances to round out the entertainment. The boys were brought up to dance with the opera singer and then with other teens on the tour. Josh definitely had the best moves of the three, although his outfit left something to be desired - he showed up in a polo shirt and shorts where some of the group had suits and ties. Great music, great food in a magical location - definitely a highlight of the trip so far.
Best schnitzel ever!? Wow. I assume it was huge, thick & deep fried.
ReplyDeleteI reckon shorts are OK if the dress code only mentioned collared shirt (not long pants or ties).
great photos, especially the last one..
ReplyDelete