After an eventful last night in Prague, we set off for Vienna bright and early on Palm Sunday. I was not particularly looking forward to our 4 hour bus ride, but I was pleasantly surprised- it was the nicest bus I had ever been on. The seats were comfortable, there were two movies and we were provided with headphones and refreshments (water, hot chocolate or coffee) by the bus attendant. I wish all of my bus rides were that pleasant.
Danielle has family friends that live in Vienna, and they were nice enough to take us out to lunch upon our arrival in the city. We met up with Edda, her daughter Feliz, and Feliz's boyfriend for lunch at the cafe terrace by the museums. The meal was delicious, and Edda was kind enough to map out a basic walking tour of the city for us to explore after eating.
We started by heading to the main park in the city. The Vienna marathon had taken place that morning, so it was more cluttered than usual, I would imagine.
We also saw the main cathedral (which was mostly under construction) and all of the grand buildings and statues that Vienna has to offer.
Although we couldn't get tickets to that evening's opera, we were able to watch Anne Boleyn outside the opera house on the big screen for free. Apparently a famous Russian opera singer was in town that night, so tickets were hard to come by. But it was fun watching a story that we know so we could easily follow what was happening, despite the fact the opera was in another language (we think Italian).
We went to dinner at a great restaurant on Edda's recommendation. Although we didn't have a reservation, we were seated as soon as we mentioned Edda's name. The menu was entirely in German, but our waiter kindly translated every dish to English for us so we were able to order. It was a fantastic meal.
The next day, we went to the fresh food markets in Vienna. We enjoyed a lunch of several different flavors of hummus, falafels and pita bread in a park across the street. Afterward, we went to the Summer Palace. We walked in at the front to find more Easter markets and traditional knick-knacks and food.
After our audio-guided tour, we went out back to explore the gardens. Photography is not allowed inside the palace, but it was quite as impressive as its exterior. We climbed the hill at the end of the property for a better view of the palace itself. It was such a gorgeous day and we were so exhausted from a few days of traveling that we ended up taking a nap in the sunshine.
After a relaxing afternoon, we went to get ready for dinner. Robert, Edda's husband, had just gotten back from a weekend of playing polo in Italy and invited the three of us to dinner. We met up with the family at their Vienna apartment, which was absolutely gorgeous. They live in a hotel overlooking a park. In addition to their fantastic art collection, they have a magnificent terrace with a great view of the city. It was quite an impressive living situation.
(Both taken from the camera of Danielle Davis)
Robert, Edda and both of their daughters (Feliz and Coco) took us out to dinner to their favorite traditional Austrian restaurant. We enjoyed a delicious meal of Wiener Schnitzel with cranberries and potatoes. It was a fantastic meal- we were extremely well-fed throughout our stay in Vienna.
(Taken from the camera of Danielle Davis)
After dinner, Feliz took us out on the town. She is a senior in high school and had just completed her last day of class- she will be attending university in New York next year. It was fun to meet her friends from around the world- she attends an international school in Vienna so the majority of the students are not Austrian. It was the end to a great last night in Austria. Time for Budapest.
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