Vienna I
1. The most important religious building in Vienna, St. Stephen's Cathedral has borne witness to many important events in Habsburg and Austrian history and has, with its multi-coloured tile roof, become one of the city's most recognizable symbols.
St. Stephen's can be seen from nearly everywhere around the city, very convenient for a visitor like me.
Composer Beethoven discovered the totality of his deafness when he saw birds flying out of the bell tower as a result of the 23 bells' tolling but could not hear them.
2. Heather took me on a giant Ferris wheel ride in Prater Park. That was fun.
3. Finally we arrived at the Vienna Kunsthistoriches Art Museum to see many of our favorite paintings. We planned coming here for a long time.
We only made it through the Flemish and Netherlands section that day, so we decided to return again later.
4. There is lovely Heather in the lovely lobby.
5. This glorious stairway with Klimt paintings above is a crowd-pleaser.
6. Is this painting large enough?
7. Discussing the finer points of Rubens.
8. The sumptuous Schloss Schonbrunn is a popular summer palace now filled with throngs of international tourists.
It had 2000 rooms, though we only saw 40 of them which was plenty. The palace features frescoes ceilings, tapestries, crystal chandeliers and endless gilded ornaments.
Mozart, aged six, played his first royal concert in 1762 in the presence of Empress Maria Theresa and we stood in that very room.
The Round Chinese Room had a table that could be drawn up and down through the floor for serving food so that servants need not enter during secret consultations.
9. We had to be at the gate by 10:30 am with our timed ticket or be refused entrance. That was stressful.
10. The Gloriette monument has the best view of Vienna. We walked up the hill to survey some of the former Hapsburg Empire.
11. We believe these are fake Roman ruins similar to those at Sanssouci in Germany. It was the fashion to have this in your royal backyard.
12. More of the walking paths on the huge Schoenbrunn Palace grounds.
13. St. Stephen's from above.
There's more . . .
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