A sleepy Sunday morning in Vienna

DAY 25***

After the NYE fireworks last night, we did wander onto The Graben and, yes, we did Viennese Waltz (yes, in our coats!) with the locals, on a small dancefloor right in the middle of the street with St Stephen's Cathedral just nearby. Even DD & DS had a go on the dance floor....something surely to remember for all of us!!

So, it wasn't any wonder that we slept in this morning. Besides the weather had taken a turn for the worse - it rained most of New Year's Day. So, no horse-&-carriage rides, or Giant Ferris Wheel either. DS & DD were rightly disappointed but since we had had only 2 days of poor weather this trip, we felt we had been very fortunate......

The Altstadt's motto "your residence whilst in Vienna" certainly rang true on this day. The Altstadt's main breakfast lounge, and 2 of the other smaller rooms, have large flat-screened televisions, so, with the owner of The Altstadt in our midst, we all sat watching the real New Year's Day Concert by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra at the Schonbrunn Palace's Great Hall. 

Quite surreal actually, to be sitting here, in Vienna, at 11am watching a concert being performed live just a few kilometres away!

We took the opportunity to catch up on this blog, and finish packing for tomorrow we were leaving. Then later in the afternoon, we took the U-link down to see St Charles Borromeo Church @ Karlsplatz. 

Not snow, just more rain....

Our last night in Vienna! Whilst DS caught sight of a Vietnamese (his favourite) restaurant on the way to Karlskirche, it was decided that a traditional Viennese meal at a typical Viennese local restaurant was more in order.

so we picked this one........


































        Tomorrow we will be on a flight to Dubai, and then back to Australia.







Ciao & Au Revoir Europe......see you next time..................................

Hello 2012!

DAY 24***

So, we find ourselves in this beautiful city of Vienna for 2011's last stand - and to welcome in 2012. 

This morning we had wanted to take the city tram around the 'ring' as it is called - basically, trams that circle the city centre. So, past the Museums Quarter, through Maria Teresa Platz, and we encountered instead........

the Wiener Silverterlauf  or Vienna's annual New Year's Eve Run - a race which starts and finishes on the Ringstrasse.

Find out more here.

The trams had been stopped for the duration of the race, so we took the opportunity to follow the race route and came across Parliament House,  a good vantage point from which to watch the race participants, complete with costumes and good cheer!

This is a statue of Athena in front of Parliament House. Magnificent isn't she?

Note the emblem of Vienna on the bottom of this lamp post.













Following the race route, we came to the Rathaus (Town Hall) where they were setting up the stage for tonight's celebrations. The band sounded really good so it was great fun listening to them practice.





















The square in front of the Rathaus was filled with markets, but we just wandered by this time.












On our walk around, we followed the horse and carriage rides, which looked even more enticing than the ones in Salzburg. But, there would be time for one of those tomorrow so no matter.

Our journey did take us past the 'home' of the Vienna Boys' Choir i.e. a chapel where they practice. We did not have the chance to listen to them this trip, but perhaps next time?

Next time?!

We wandered through the Spanish Riding School headquarters - again, something to do next time we are in Vienna!





And back out to The Hofburg and Heroes' Square (so named by the Nazi's after Hitler annexed Austria from the porch of The Hofburg overlooking the square) - Heroes' Square was our main destination for NYE fireworks tonight!

Professor.....

And back to the Natural History Museum for DS....

Vienna's idea of a museum interior!

Amazing architecture and check out the gold-work...

DS with a Deinonychus - the real raptors in JP

The city closed down at around 3pm - and we mean CLOSED. Museums, shops, supermarkets, eateries - just the bare minimum of public infrastructure was left open (U-link underground train system, horse-&-carriage rides, trams, and only a few eating places). Vienna had obviously gone home to get the ammunition for NYE.

Back to The Altstadt for a nap, shower, and then back out for a late night dinner (restaurants opened up as usual that night). Ironically, here we were, 4 AUSTRALIANS eating INDIAN in VIENNA on NYE!!? Actually the food was quite reasonable and so then out to Heroes' Square for the fireworks.

Unlike Australia, where the fireworks all happen (officially) at a pre-set time(s), in Vienna this evening, every major square in town including the Rathaus, Heroes' Square, and near the giant ferris wheel, started letting off fireworks from early evening. Sporadically at first, then more frequently as midnight approached. There was a giant feeling of anticipation for midnight, and as the clock approached 11pm, then 11.30pm, then 11.45, 11.50 the pace of the city wide fireworks sped up......

our view of the fireworks at Heroes' Square

The professional view of Vienna's NYE fireworks near the giant ferris wheel totallycoolpix.com

We wish you & yours every happiness in this New Year 2012!

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!!