Vienna continued

 Thursday 25th and Friday 26th July Vienna 

There is so much to see in Vienna, you need at least a couple of weeks, I decided to take it easy and booked one thing for each of the next two days, besides the weather was really hot - up around 30 - not the best for being a tourist, or a tourist getting over a cold. 

Thursday I decided on visiting the Upper Belvedere, essentially it is now an Art Gallery, booked myself in for around 12 noon so no hurry to get out and about, It wasn’t too far to walk I passed this on the way.

The pink building was a riding school? Wouldn’t have seen it if I had not been walking, then I walked through the University botanical gardens which led through to the Upper Belvedere.

There were lots of park benches amongst the trees down each side of the pond and lawn so sat there for a while until it was time to find the entry. My ticket had a timed entry. So I people watched. One young couple were standing in a particular spot for a bout fifteen minutes, he was taking her photo and she was posing, flicking her hair, he can’t have got it right because each time when she checked the photos he had to take some more, I wonder after all that if they even went .inside, or whether they would have time to once the perfect photo was taken. Anyway around the back to find the entrance.

A closer view and then the gardens formally laid out with cityscape behind.

Four columns like this were holding up the ceiling in the entrance, and then up a beautiful stair way, all in brilliant white and black fittings.

Of course there was the art - yep the real one 

But also the surroundings that were incredible

A browse around the gift shop, as all good tourist sites have a gift shop, but I was very aware of how heavy my bag was, and maybe I’m just a bit jaded about seeing all the same things with different pictures on them, besides I still have the magnet from the Austrian Exhibition I saw in Melbourne years ago. So out into the bright sunlight and into the university gardens to sit on a bench in the shade, eating my pretzel and drinking my water, when I saw the highlight of my day dart across the path to the grass in front of me.

Not a very good photo I’m afraid as enlarged greatly, but a lovely little red squirrel! I couldn’t contain my excitement and called out “Oh look!” the lady on the bench next to me smiled, and took photos too - not sure if she spoke English at all.  

Friday 26th July

I have all day, to explore as my flight is very late, I leave my bags at the hotel and wander out, it is going to be another hot day, so I punctuate my walk into the city with some time in Stadtpark which is on my way. 

There were big fish in this pond just submerged, looking like sticks, I heard someone say carp, but they were black and reddish brown, and looming just beneath the surface, didn’t seem very decorative to me

A couple of statues to people you may have heard of - Schubert and below Schindler

And of course a suitable tribute to Johann Strauss junior - that’s him all in Gold ! 

There was a man setting up a stand to sell tickets to a Mozart and Strauss concert being held in the evening, in this building by Mr Strauss.  I was leaving but was very happy that I went to the concert in Vienna.

after suitable time sitting on park bench watching people, mainly tourists I was on my way further into the city. I had noticed a few times that Vienna can be almost eerily quiet, and streets almost feel deserted, not sure but it seems that most cars ae kept to certain roads around the city, plus they must be doing a really good job of keeping cars out of the city.Very pleasant walking without being assailed by traffic noise all the time.. I was heading towards the Hofburg and the Sisi museum. 

This is The Neuer Markt, a lovely big square, amd the mist is one of those water sprays that you can walk through to cool down. I learn’t on the bus that all Vienna’s water comes from the mountains, through rock tunnels using gravity alone to get to the city, and is perfect to drink, they obviously don’t have shortages. 

Interesting buildings, every corner you turn, lots of horses and traps circulating the hot spots as well. Got to the Hofburg only to discover road works in full swing outside the entrance, not the best photo opportunity.

Inside the Sisi museum, the countries nickname for Kaiserin Elisabeth of Austria, who married Franz Josef 1 in 1854 at the age of 15. A renowned beauty. As well as being the apartments where they sometimes resided there were clothes, jewellery (copies) gloves, shoes, all sorts of bits and pieces that belonged to her, as well as quotes from her poetry, very interesting museum, was jolly hot in there though = most rooms had fans in them - would have been better if there were less tourists!

Her apartments above, his study below

Love the hanging lamp, very beautiful, in a little room on the way to her bathroom

Just a small table setting in the dining room, I was amused to see how many different glasses one person had to drink from, and a couple of decanters each. Was a great museum but the exit was in a totally different place too the entrance, in the Volkgarten where people were ignoring the keep off the grass signs and spreading themselves over the grass. I went to the cafe and ordered a local sausage in a bread roll with mustard and horseradish, when it arrived it was two long skinny frankfurters, with a round bread roll a pot of mustard and grated horseradish, no butter at all. It was okay but a little bland and dry. 

Sat on a park bench in the shade for a while, I had time to kill, and got my bearings. The gardens were on the other side of the road to the Parliament buildings, which I had seen from the bus but couldn’t photograph, so made my way past them, and the museum quarter towards some other gardens called Baumgarten.

This is just the middle section of the parliament buildings with Athena statue. Below a close up of Maria Theresa and one of the museums.that face each other 

Then a bit more statue hunting in the Baumgarten before - yep sitting on a park bench for a while. Mr Mozart himself

lovely spot to sit by the pond. Walked back towards Stadtpark past  Goethe and then Mr Beethoven 

Sat in Stadt park on a park bench for an hour or so, still not sick of doing that,  had some pizza for tea and then off to the airport for my first leg on the journey towards home. To Dubai was late leaving and a 5 hour trip, didn’t sleep at all on the plane so absolutely shattered when I got to the hotel so slept a lot in the cool air conditioned room!