Vienna

Dressed for Mozart

An easy drive to Vienna brought a considerable change. Vienna seems to be a center of good living. There are nice little cafes with outdoor seating spilling along many sidewalks sprinkled throughout the manageable old town. We were used to being surrounded by people dressed fairly casually (like us), but Vienna streets included quite a few fashionistas of all ages. There are broad boulevards with old world architecture; leafy parks with places to have a semi-private picnic among the plantings; and monuments, statuary and fountains seemingly everywhere. 

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Vienna also marked a big change in weather. When you have a small wardrobe in heavy rotation, being able to slip into clothes you haven’t worn recently is a real treat. We even dressed up one night for a Mozart concert in the golden hall (Wiener Musikverein). The concert brought back distant memories from when I played classical music on the flute. It's too bad the majority of our Mozart exposure was through Hanna Barbera.

Outdoor dining in the museum district.

Once again we loved the convenience of public transportation including trams which we used along with an audioguide for low-effort sightseeing. Biking is also a great way to get around with bike lanes in both traffic areas and throughout the large parks on the outskirts of the city. There are even very modern public water bottles filling stations dotted throughout.  Our campground was just across the Danube river and we had many opportunities to dine beside its historic waters. We were also pleased with the campground facilities at Camping Neue Donau.

Sachertorte - pretty but meh.

Our first few days were spent following multiple audio tours, guide suggestions, and touring the Opera House. We enjoyed breaks to sample the famous Sacher torte, Wiener Schnitzel (which has been on menus since Belgium), beers and reasonably priced meals that more often contained vegetables other than cabbage.

We “saved” touring the Cathedral and Hapsburg Palace until the last day. The truth is that, as beautiful, majestic and awe-inspiring as grand sights can be, there's a point at which they all start to blend together.

Our Vienna stay was extended by a day so that Dermot could watch the Clare vs. Limerick Hurling final. More effort was spent planning for a place to watch this game in Flanagan’s Irish Pub than on getting tickets for the Mozart concert. We all have our travel priorities and our Irish readers will certainly understand!