A Concert in Vienna

Day 23***




We must be losing our travelling legs...we were all late out of bed today - of all days!



Tonight we are attending a performance at Schloss (Palace) Schonbrunn and part of the package was a tour of the palace and dinner, prior to performance by a smaller version of the  Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, not in the Great Hall but instead in the L'Orangerie. Still, a day not to be dilly-dallying about!!

On route we once again walked through the Maria Teresa Platz with the Museum of Fine Arts on one side, and the Natural History Museum of Vienna on the other.

Museum of Fine Arts, Vienna

We were determined to master the Underground here, and after a bit of help from a local Viennese, we found ourselves easily managing to get to Schonbrunn by rail. Actually, it was fairly easy to learn but we were a bit stumped at first by the ticketing system, despite the fact that you can choose the language when interacting with it!





The grounds of the Palace were filled with.....you guessed - Christmas Markets, although we thought it a bit mute now that Christmas was over. Still, the day was bitterly cold & windy, and after taking the booked audio tour of the Palace (sorry, no photos allowed but for more info go here), we headed back out to the markets to get something warm to eat. The kids enjoyed this dish, a  hot soup (goulash or potato/vegetable) in a hollowed out bread roll (very large).

The Habsburgs lived a very privileged life, but as is always the case, these families pushed the limits as to what was possible in architecture, art, and fashion. One of the daughters of the royal family was Maria Antonia, later to become betrothed to Louis of France and then beheaded, ten months after the beginning of the French Revolution (actually there were several revolutions over the next century) in 1793.

After our late lunch, we took the opportunity to stroll the gardens to the rear of the Palace. Breathtaking would be an imperfect superlative!

Peek--boo!

This is the Palace in the late afternoon complete with its Christmas tree. Time to get back to our hotel to dress for dinner and the concert!

Dinner this evening was held in a restaurant just to one side of the Palace's front door and we were escorted to a large room complete with high back lounges for our dinner.

Note DD is sporting the clothes she purchased in Tarvisio, especially for the occasion! And DW's shoes!!

The concert was being held in the L'Orangerie, not the Great Hall as per the televised New Year's Day Concert by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (on SBS (Sydney) approx. 9pm every New Year's Day).

If you have ever watched on TV the New Year's Day Concert, you would know what we encountered - what else but Mozart & Strauss Waltzes, completed with The Radetsky March!

After a wonderfully enjoyable concert, we viewed some of the museum pieces relating to Mozart, including a costume belonging to him. How do you do, Herr Dokter!!

What a glorious finish to this wonderful day. And tomorrow is New Year's Eve!!

You'll come a-waltzing Vienna with me.

DAY 22***

We arrived in Vienna late afternoon, and after checking into this rather grand "residence", we were off for our traditional introductory tour of the sights around our hotel, The Altstadt Vienna, despite DS's protestations!!

Front of the Museum of Fine Arts

Our hotel was situated not far from the Museum Quarter, an area with several museums in close proximity including the Natural History Museum of Vienna (DS had noted this one), the Museum of Fine Arts, The Leopold Museum, and The Zumkinder Museum. Vienna is a very elegant city, but as we were walking  this afternoon, one noted that it felt like the city was gearing up for a party!

St Stephen's, Vienna

Lights along The Graben

We were specifically on the hunt for the square in front of the main cathedral, St Stephens, which was one of the areas to be filled with activity for New Year's Eve in a couple of nights. We had heard that you were able to waltz in The Graben near Stephensplatz - which for 2 ex-ballroom dancers was something not to be missed. Don't forget that this is Vienna, home to the Viennese Waltz!

The Hofburg 

The Rathaus

The Rathaus

After dinner at a very elegant restaurant 'Italic' close to Stephensplatz, we finished the evening exploring the city at night as we returned to our hotel, taking in sights such as the Rathaus (Town Hall) and The Hofburg (Imperial Palace), one of the many around the city.

Wow, and we will be here to welcome in 2012!!!

Climb every mountain......

DAY 21***
Today was our last in Tarvisio, and DW was keen to visit the hilltop church of Monte Lussari.

This place holds a special memory for DW, as it was the spot for a family picnic (or similar) on her trip to the area with her mother when she was a child.









In the winter, this hilltop is a ski run, so as the fields were now open and the day gloriously sunny, we took the cabin lift to the top.

If you check carefully in this photo of the cabin-lift, you can see the skiers lining up. The mountain had only sufficient snow to open the very top of the run, so about half way up the mountain we picked up a few Slovenian skiers!

Monte Lussari is another of those ancient Christian churches, having been built here in the 1300's. There was even a nun's convent here, which really makes you admire the tenacity of these early Christians!

a sundial on the church itself......

Isn't this a gorgeous shot?? It is every bit as beautiful in the summer with its green slopes, but today it is full of snowboarders and skiers being very adventurous on the icy run down...

Some of us were just happy to admire the scenery!

Of course, DS & DD found their own ways to have fun on a slope at the rear of the church....

After all this activity there was time for a hot chocolate, a beer and a coffee in one of the restaurants around the hilltop. But it was all too exhausting for some.....

Hiking poles aside, there were the usual trinkets and souvenirs, although these were a bit cute....

But really, it was all about the scenery.........

You can even see the township of Camporosso from up here.......

So, to top off a rather glorious morning, after lunch we proceeded into Tarvisio proper to do what every tourist wants to do in Italy.........

SHOP! 

We felt it was our job to prop up the ailing Euro, and prop it up we did - shoes for DH, DW & DD and new clothes for DD as we had a concert to attend in Vienna in 2 days time. We did not find Europe that expensive this time, a comment also made by another Australian couple we met at the skating ring in Salzburg 10 days ago. 

Oh, and check out the emblem of the city of Tarvisio on this lamp post, spotted on route to the shops - amazing what you notice once it has been pointed out to you! 

As dusk descended it was time (yes, the clock says its 3.40pm!) to return to our abode for the past 10 days, and after another sumptuous meal including Vitello Tonnato this time, it was time to pack our bags, and visit all the various family in the town one last time to say goodbye....

Tomorrow, one of the family is driving us back to Villach, Austria to board a train for Vienna - our final stop - and where we'll celebrate the New Year 2012!