Tales From the Vienna Woods

This morning we woke up to silence.   The thing about waking up to church bells is that on the first occasion you think, "isn't that lovely and so very European".   On the second occasion you think, "gee, that's just like being woken up by the first few bars of the Anvil Chorus".  And on the third occasion you think, "that sounds like someone dragging a broken dumpster down a cobbled lane".   

Heading off bright and early to see as much of the city as we can we stop at the local Sbux for breakfast.  Following the Rick Steves tour we start off in front of the State Opera House.   Passing a lot of notable sights our first real stop was at the Monument Against War and Fascism, a grouping of modern art statues which manage to leave you quite moved. 

Next stop, Kaisergruft, the burial crypt of many Habsburg's.   Surprisingly this place is not as eerie as you would think.  Row upon neat row of highly decorated lead coffins.   Among the more notable and ornate were Maria Therese, Franz Ferdinand I and his wife Elizabeth of Bavaria (Sisi), who was so beloved people still put flowers at her tomb.

Winding our way down to St Stephen's Cathedral, we walked around outside, captivated by the majesty and beauty of this magnificent cathedral.

Upon entering we found we had just missed the last opportunity to tour the interior until after the noon mass.   With an hour and a half to kill, we backtracked to the Cafe Stube and sampled the famous Sacher Torte (cake).

With more time we decided to take the opportunity to tour the opera house.   The tour was quite well organized as they separate the groups by language.   The opera house is still the centre of Vienese society and one of the premier music venues in the world.   It is lavish in the extreme.   The highest ticket price is €290, standing room in the nose bleed section goes for €3 or €4.   

Winding up this excellent tour we rejoined our Rick Steves tour in the interior of St Stephen's.  The most amazing part of St Stephen's is the beautifully carved sandstone pulpit.  The life-like carvings  tell a story.

We wandered up Graben Street which had a couple of interesting features, the first being the plague column.   This was raised in thanks to God for the end of the plague.   Another interesting feature is Loos' loos, the first underground public washrooms designed by Adolf Loos.   They are so ornate that they are still used for poetry readings.    

Turning left we headed up Kohlmarkt Strasse, one of the swankiest shopping streets you've ever seen.   All the big names are here.

We spent some time looking through portions of the Hofburg Palace, the winter home of the Habsburg's.   By this time we were running out of steam, so decided on an early dinner.   Acting upon recommendations from our host, Franz and documentaries we've seen, we headed to the iconic Cafe Central.   We were not disappointed.  A truly excellent meal.