Our Vienna experience started with the obligatory guided tour, complete with ear pieces and 'Quiet Vox devices' which accompany us everywhere we go. We've soon learned that a palace is not what Disney portrays, and is in fact a very large residence built by the privileged classes. The palace above is the summer palace of the Habsburg family, who ruled Austria and Hungary for 600 years. The grounds are enormous and very beautiful and the interiors of the rooms contain the usual gold and oil paintings that we've come to expect!
Here you can see the garden, looking from the palace (above) and back to the palace (below). The Schonbrunn palace was used each summer as a means of escaping the horrible conditions in Vienna city. In those days, the palace was far out in the country side and a tiring, uncomfortable journey by horse and carriage.
We've come to love the narrow cobblestone streets and the style of buildings. Choosing to return to the ship for lunch, as I couldn't guarantee gluten free food out there in strudel and noodle land, we walked back into the city to explore it on our own later. The coffee custom is delightful in this part of the world; cups are served on a tray along with small glasses of water.
A delightful night was had visiting the Palais Liechtenstein for a private concert presented by the Palace Orchestra Vienna. Mozart and Strauss music was played in this glittering room and it was the perfect setting. A highlight, amongst the highlights, was a performance by three boys who are under training for the Vienna Boys Choir. The littlest one was very cute!
After walking around for a few hours, we bravely caught the underground and arrived back at the ship in time for departure.
This statue was built to remember the Bubonic Plague.
A central park in Vienna had this statue in it...not sure now who it is but I'm pretty sure it's Mozart!
City street, Vienna.
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