Safely in Vienna

About not putting on weight in Austria. It will be difficult.

I had just arrived when, came flying across the street from who knows where, a huge, warm apple strudel with two scoops of vanilla ice cream. I managed to save it by catching it in my teeth, but it was tough. Austria is going to be challenging, I can tell.

I am well on my way to achieving my travel goals in Austria.

I have spent the first day walking Vienna and my feet and back are telling me I have done enough. Of course there was the duty visit to the Cathedral, St Stephen’s, which is the heart of busy Vienna. There has been a cathedral on this site for over 800 years. Its two big features, amongst many, are the magnificent glazed tile roof and the urns containing the hearts, yes, the entrails, of many of the Habsburg old ruling family.

 The Hofburg, which is the enormous palace that housed the power of the Austrian ruling class for over six centuries, offsets the Cathedral and is a testimony to individual power, pride and competitive opulence. This palace, which is one of three the Habsburgs possessed, was constantly being added to from 1275 until their ruling demise in 1918. The other two main palaces are the Belvedere and the Schonbrunn, both of which I will find difficult to visit in my limited time.

The weather has been drizzling rain and quite cold. This highlights the importance of the over 2,200 coffee shops in Vienna, all of which serve dessert of some kind or another, as well as a range of 31 different kinds of coffee. Once again, all wasted on me a non coffee person, but I love the odours.

I have been through Mozart's apartment and learnt much about his life, not that he would be too happy with all the revelations. This house museum also gives a great insight into daily and courtly life in Vienna and Salzburg. I found it very interesting and booked myself in for an intimate concert in one of his other residences, for Friday night. Mozart moved his family 13 times in 14 years in Vienna. Of his six children, only two survived, and his wife Constance must have been a saint, what with living with a genius who wrote his first concerto at 4 years of age.

I was tired after all this. Do you like the pic of me resting?

Now, to keep avoiding Freud, and get to Salzburg, the Danube and Melk Benedictine Monastery.

This page is dedicated to Anne, Rosemary and Darrin...and they know why. Thank you and bless you.