Auf wiedersehen für jetzt Vienna

As we winded down our last few days in Vienna (the four weeks went by so fast), we got in a few more sights on our list and also found some unexpected places.  We took advantage of the annual pass we bought for the Kunsthistorisches Museum to check it out as we visited several of the other musuems included in the pass.  The museum features Austrian history, the world's largest Brugel collection, an Egyptian exhibit and other works of art.  They offer an audio guide and I definitely recommend it as there is a good deal of information and it was helpful to have the commentary.

The museum has 10 Vermeyen life-size cartoons depicting Charles V's campaign in Tunis which are some of the museum's most valuable articles. These cartoons were later used to create tapestries.  

Maria Therese was Archduchess of Austria and Queen of Hungary and Bohemia from 1740-1780.  Thanks to her father, Charles VI, and his determination to enact the Pragmatic Sanction fo 1713, she was able to proceed him in death as the ruler of the Habsburgs.  She married Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor, and together they had 16 children...one of whom was Marie Antoinette.

We've seen these shirts all over town. I asked our barista
about them and he said it's a joke here as everyone seems to get
Austria and Australia and ask where they can find kangaroos.
Not sure how the two get confused but each to his own.

Austria's version of Dollar General

There are few daily markets in town and one of them, Naschmarkt, is about a 10 minute walk from our apartment.  Trying to beat the heat, we headed out early and had some amazing avocado toast for breakfast.  

We've seen all sorts of things being carried
on public transportation and I couldn't resist a
pic of this guy with his mattress.

I read about the Austrian National Library and how beautiful it was so off we went.  The first thing you notice when you walk in is the smell...it smells like books!  Like the way libraries used to smell when we were kids.  The Habsburgs founded the libary in the 14th century and I found myself thinking of all the people over the centuries that read books here.  Interesting fact: while most libraries are organized by subject matter and later the Dewey Decimal System, this libary is organized by book size.  The larger books are at the bottom while the smaller books are at the top.

So a little practical info for those that haven't been able to make their way across the pond so it won't be a surprise when you do.  It is very typical to pay to use the restroom (aka toilet or WC) if you're not in a restaurant.  It is usually a nominal fee of less than a euro but the plus side is the bathrooms are almost always very clean.  In the US, you usually see toilet seat covers, however, over here, you usually see a dispenser similar to the one on the right in the pic.  It contains disinfectant and you just put a little on the toilet paper and wipe down the seat.

Karlskirche (Church of St. Charles) was consecrated in 1739.  Emperor Charles VI vowed to build a church to honor his patron saint, Charles Borromeo, as he believed it was because of his saint Vienna was kept free of the plague.  The church is a very Baroque church which was a bit much for our taste. There is a neon light installation which seems oddly out of place and blocks the ceiling artwork.  We've visited a lot of churches on this trip and while it may not have been a favorite, it was still a marvel to see.  Of course, we did find St. Anthony here too!

Having worked for AT&T for 20 years, 
LuLu just couldn't resist a phone box pic!

The Haus des Meeres is just outside of our apartment and is an aquarium with a restaurant on top as well as a rock climbing wall on one side.  The building itself was originally built during World War II as a flak tower by the Germans.  Because the structure is basically indistructable, it was turned into an aquarium as it could support the weight of all the water tanks.  While there is a fee to enter, the actual upkeep of the building is paid for by taxpayers.

Memorial against war and fascism depicts a
Jewish man forced to scrub the streets of Vienna
following the annexation of Austria to Germany

From June 29 through September 1, a free film festival is hosted at Rathausplatz (City Hall Plaza).  They had all sorts of food vendors and it seemed to be popular with locals and tourists.  It is not your typical film festival as they show rock, pop and classical concerts...and when the Euro Cup was happening you could hear the cheers especially if Austria was playing.  We were treated to a performance of Joseph Haydn's works while trying out a Korean corndog.

These things are like crack and we had to
stop buying them after our second bag!

Hundertwasser House is definitely worth a look but it is only something you can see from the outside as it an actual apartment building.  Friedensreich Hundertwasser is considered to be one of Europe's first green thinkers and redesigned the former tire shop to be more in tune with nature and people.  When he first designed the space in the mid-1980's, he added greenery which are now trees growing all over and throughout the space.  While the outside is quite interesting, I read an article that said for the most part the interior is pretty standard with the exception of a few odd angles...apparently making it a little challenging with furniture placement.

Vienna's Prater amusement park is home to the Wiener Riesenrad (Giant Ferris Wheel). Built in 1897 to celebrate Franz Josef I's jubilee, it is the oldest ferris wheel in the world.  While the original one burned down in 1944, it was rebuilt between 1945 - 1947. The Prater is free to walk around and you just pay for attractions as you want to use them.  A twenty minute ride on the Wiener Riesenrad is 14€ and gives a great view of the city.  The wagons hold about 10 people and have 2 windows on each side that open slightly...definitely wouldn't recommend on a warm day as it was quite toasty as the sun was going down.  In 2022, they introduced Platform 9 which is an open platform for those brave souls that are harnessed in and ride in the open air...no thank you!

Dinner for 2 at 820 feet

A 3-course dinner is seved over the course of 1.5 hour. Every two trips around, a server comes on to clear and present the next course.

Platform 9...again, no thank you!

OMG…probably the best gelato EVER!
LuLu had chocolate & coffee and
I had chocolate & pistachio 

Gelateria La Romana is a MUST!

So glad we didn’t discover this yummy treat until our last day as it would have definitely been a daily thing.  Punschkrapefen is a sponge cake filled with nougat and jam then soaked in rum and wrapped in a fondant.

We enjoyed our time in Vienna but now it is time head to Prague for the next two weeks.  Goodbye for now Vienna!