Oh…excited! We’re off to Vienna today! It’s eluded us for years, tucked away as it is, in the far east of Austria, never quite on prior paths. And it’s as if everyone caught up in the excitement – our drive in renders sightings of not only a hare, but two tiny little deer at the edge of a thicket. Perhaps they’re our welcoming party. The hare was particularly fine, perfectly still in a field, ears on high alert. I could even see his camoflauge chevrons – the little arrows of black and white tipping his ears.
We’re staying a little way out of the centre, a short train ride in. The service is excellent: trains speed though every few minutes, even on a Sunday. It’s not long before we alight in Stephansplatz, right next to Domkirche St Stephan. Magnificent it is too, towering over the city, centuries of history.
It’s also a bit of a madhouse. Horse drawn tour carriages dominate the square, seconded closely by bike guides and concert sprukiers.
After being in the peace of countryside for weeks, it’s a bit overwhelming. We prefer doing our own exploring on foot, and so we set off, armed with a city map pointing out the highlights. It’s not the first time I’ve kicked myself for not having a guide book on Austria.
Himself needs immediate sustenance – luckily there are many wurst stalls nearby!
Vienna is indeed a very beautiful city. The architecture is exquisite, day to day commerce is conducted within architectural masterpieces.
And in a city correctly titled “Wien”, there are wieners galore gambolling about, much to my delight.
We pop into the Peterskirche, where a concert is in progress. It’s rather lovely, surrounded by music in this glorious setting, the scent of incense redolent in the air.
As the day progresses, we gravitate towards the Maria Theresaian Platz, once an imperial palace, now a series of museums and administrative buildings. Everything’s on a grand scale, making it quite a challenge to do justice to it in photos.
Adjacent to the Maria Theresaian Platz is the museum quarter
and the Volksgarten, beautifully laid out with endless rose plantings.
Further along, we find the Rathouse, home for the next few weeks to a film festival. A large screen dominants its facade with food stalls doing a brisk trade nearby.
Unexpected showers hit, driving us and the rest of the crowd to the comfort of food and drink. We learn that Vienna loves a good festival – this space is put to good use throughout the year with one festival after the other.
By this stage, we’ve walked for hours. As the rain lifts, Himself starts pulling for home. Meanwhile, I’d stay out for hours yet, catch a film, go for dinner and wander endlessly, taking it all in. Hit with an adrenaline rush, I (sadly for Himself) have no off button.
I bow to pressure in the end though, giving in with some level of grumble.Tomorrow might be a big day – we have to make our way to the hospital for my follow up appointment.
A last look at Stephansplatz ends our day.
Miss Baci Travels 