Today our stay in Budapest ended and our new leg commenced. Vienna here we come.
Along the route between Hungary and Austria the importance of wind as energy was very clear by the presence of wind farms along the highway. This excursion between the two cities was the source of our first you have to pay for what experience. We stopped about midway for a rest stop only to find that using the facilities required paying in the local currency which many of us did not have as we had used it in Budpest before we left. You see each of the countries that we are visiting has a different currency. While the Euro is accepted in major places like the hotel gift shops in Hungary local stores only accepted the Hungarian Forint. The rest stop had a table at the entrance to the bathrooms with an attendant collecting the 100 forints required to use the bathroom. We were all trading coins back and forth just trying to make sure that everyone could go to the bathroom as we were still 90 minutes away from our destination. Before you ask no our Coach bus is not like those in the United States, there is no restroom on the bus.
Vienna is comprised of 23 districts is situated on the Danube. It is Austria's largest city in addition to being the capital.World famous classical composers, including Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss, Schubert, and Brahms, have all lived and performed in Vienna. Vienna is home to the world's oldest zoo. The Zoological Garden was built in 1752. Young people in Vienna can vote at the age of 16 but can't get their drivers license until 18. Vienna is also considered to be the birthplace of Psychoanalysis. Vienna is also the home to one of the worlds largest known emeralds. There is at the Viennese Imperial Treasury in the Hofburg Palace a 4.5 inch vase that was carved from a single emerald that weighed 2205 carats.
Upon arrival in Vienna we stopped for lunch at Himmelpforte. We were served a weiner schnitzel meal at Himmelpforte. This was also the source of today's second you paid for what story. There was bread on the table so one of our members asked for butter. We were politely informed by the waitress that it cost extra. Yes we had to pay 90 Euros for a plate of butter. Granted it was about half a stick of butter when it arrived but yes we had to pay for butter. It was here that we met our tour guide for this leg of the journey Gertrude.
Following lunch we took a bus tour of the important buildings in the city and a walking tour to the Votivkirche and the Church of the Holy Trinity in Josefstadt. The Church of the Holy Trinity was the location for Beethoven's funeral service. The building is a classic example of early baroque architecture. The interior of the church with its longitudinal side chapels is in the shape of a cross.
Dinner was served at the Mediterranean Restaurant Schubert. The perfectly cooked salmon and potato dinner was absolutely delicious. The restaurant had a rustic homey charm that was immediately charming and great for fellowshipping.
How can you come to a place like Vienna and not take in the rich musical history? You can't so we organized a last minute excursion to the Kursalon Wein to hear an orchestra perform music from Strauss & Mozart. The Strauss & Mozart Konzerte included not only instrumental performances but also two operatic performers and two dancers. The musicians among our group were in seventh heaven taking in this moving experience. We met another new set of friends from home. As a contingent of us visited the Strauss and Mozart Concert this evening we met a couple from home yet again. This time they were from the DMV not too far from yours truly. We naturally invited them to the concert we will be giving tomorrow at the Votivkirche.
Photos from this leg of the trip
Good night and God Bless,
NiYa
No comments:
Post a Comment