Viva Vienna

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Aug 13

Happy 9 th Anniversary Danielle and Tyler!!!

Vienna!!! What a history filled city!

It was a cold blustery Austrian day- clouds and intermittent rain was not going to dampen our spirits as we disembarked for new sights and adventures that awaited. Our morning consisted of a tour by bus followed by a 2 hour walking tour of the city center. There is so much to take in. These old cities have buildings dating back to the 15 and 16 hundreds. St Stephens Cathedral (photo attached) - named after Stephen the first Christian martyr- is very impressive. With its single spire, it is the tallest structure in Vienna and no structure is allowed to be taller. On the Pedestrian street, every brand name boutique imaginable can be found. Beverly Hills Boulevard, and New York's 5 th Avenue don't hold a candle to this high end stretch of international shops. We also visited the stables of the Royal Lippenstein horses, world famous for their drill skills and showmanship.

After lunch we took the underground to meet the ship's chef at the common market. This market, originally established in the late 1600s as a place for the locals to trade their produce, is now a well known meeting place for young and old alike. Cafe's, bistros, kiosks filled with meats, local cheeses, wines and spices line the narrow street that spans at least half a kilometre. One kiosk boasted of 700 different spices. Chef arranged for the group to spend time with a local merchant where we sampled local cheeses and family produced wines.

The evening will likely be one of our trip highlights. We attended a Staus-Mozart concert in the Grand Concert Hall of the Imperial Palace. You will never hear as impressive a rendition of the Danube Waltz as we experienced. Upon our return to the ship, we were treated to bowls of piping hot Austrian Goulash to warm us after a full day. Tired, but well fed both by food and culture we settled in for much needed rest.

Serwus (goodbye) Vienna- Melk, here we come!

MnA

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Photos

"Straw " cheese
Arnet with Chef and merchant. This cheese is wrapped in straw and aged for 6 months. Delicious!!!

Straus-Mozart concert
Grand Concert Hall - Imperial Palace, Vienna, Austria

Comments

[Echo]

Loving your blog
It all looks beautiful. Thanks for taking us along for the ride. I love the table cloth.

[Lynne]

Mozart
Dad says: "When we saw the concert at the Royal Oalace, it was a string orchestra playing Strauss and Mozart and all the rest. It was so damn nice I nearly cried." I love you pi je pense a toi a tout les jours. If I wasn't here I'd be with you! Dad

[giselle]

LOVING the daily updates!