We didn’t give Vienna a chance, really. I don’t know if we just weren’t in the mood or what. We spent three nights there which equaled 2 full days and we barely scratched the surface. No one wanted to pay the money to go see a concert (and frankly, it was only me that was really interested), and the Spanish Riding School is closed for July (drrr) so no dancing Lippizaner horses for us.
After Prague’s lovely candy-colored and Old Europe impression, Vienna struck us as too big, too modern, too OVERDONE, somehow. People there were rude to us for the first time on our journey, which didn’t help matters. Our hotel, at least, was lovely, a 2-story room with big windows and wi-fi, in the theater district. The breakfast buffet, which wasn’t included, was too dear for our budget though, so we walked several blocks each morning to a café where the price was, if not right, at least more reasonable and the food was delicious and filling.
We actually didn’t do much in Vienna, and I’m sure the city has a lot more to offer. We visited the Naschmarkt and St. Stephen’s Cathedral, and spent most of one day at the Schönbrunn Palace. Most of the rest of the second day was spent enjoying the cool shade of the Vienna City Park, lunching at a Biergarten where a string quartet was playing and lying on the grass relaxing in the sunshine.
Dried fruit from the Naschmarkt: SO GOOD (mandarin, green apple, strawberry, coconut, watermelon, pineapple and cinnamon apple…YUM!)
Sculpture of Johann Strauss in Vienna’s City Park
Karin checking the progress of her tan
Relaxing in the park
Photo credits: Copyright 2015 Anders Ek, Elizabeth Slaughter-Ek