11 July 2012 – Vienna
Stephen back as author. We're having a few technical issues so have lost use of our smart phone and a few delays to blog - my apologies if anyone cares...
Today we started with delving into the
underground to head into town. I wish that Auckland could learn some
basic lessons on how to run a public transport system. Buy a ticket,
validate it once and after that just walk on and off all forms of
transport. Loading is fast and the trams can stop in the middle of
traffic flows without causing a major holdup. The underground took 8
minutes for 6 stops.
We walked around to the State Opera
House and were immediately beseiged with hawkers trying to sell
tickets to any one of a number of dubious concerts. In July in
Vienna it is hot and so all sensible people leave the city and head
out, including the opera companies and orchestras leaving a motley
bunch of wanna bees – at least that is my impression. Even the
Spanish Riding School takes the horses out of the city.
We found the guy handling the tickets
for the city tour we had chosen and were loaded onto a “transit
bus”. In fact this was turned into the tour bus when we arrived at
the bus station with an endless stream of mini-buses dropping more
people to load on our bus. I thought we were fairly full when we
left the Opera House, but at least the same number managed to squeeze
on at the station. The tour started with a tour around the city ring
road – really the boundary of the old city which was turned into a
triumphal boulevard by some emperor. This is impressive in its
foresight providing a really good traffic flow around the centre
which is largely pedestrian. Many of the cities important buildings
have been positioned around the ring interspersed with large pleasant
parks. Then it was off to the Schloss Schonbrunn, one of the
Habsburg summer palaces around the city, built on a large park which
is now well inside the city limits. The palace apparently has 1441
rooms, but I'm not sure who counted them. We had the quick run
through of about 30 of them including the very impressive ballroom
and the fake Empress's bedroom (she never actually slept there, but
used it to receive state guests). The embroidery and gold leaf on
the imperial bed were spectacular.
Once back on the bus after a 30 break
we left without all the group – there was no sympathy from the
guide towards those who had failed to find their way back at the
correct time or couldn't recognise the bus (which returned to a
different place). Back to the Opera House where we ambled into the
centre of town past many cafes stuck in the middle of the pedestrian
only streets to look at St Stephens Cathedral - an ornate but gloomy
church undergoing serious cleaning work.
We spent a time people watching while
eating an unexciting apple strudel in a pavement cafe. Gillian
remarked on the body shape contrast of the young women here compared
to France and Italy – definitely a heavier build to go with the
heavier style of food.
In the evening we went back into town
to another pavement cafe for a light dinner.
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