Vienna, Austria
Lost among the hoopla of our latest trip was COVID-19.
Rest assured, it was still there. Face masks were abundant, and people were wearing them from Prague all the way to the Austrian border. Once we crossed into Austria, we saw the difference. I didn't see face masks until we reached some supermarket in Vienna, although everybody wore them on the subway, which was our transportation method of choice in Vienna. Other than that, you could tell Austria had it contained, more or less.
Vienna in three days is, like Prague, a complicated proposition. That said, we're not a family that will squeeze as much as we can in three days and then leave the town huffing and puffing. Again, with the kids now a little bigger, we could at least do away with the playgrounds. This wasn't my first trip to Vienna, either, so here I would need something for Liebi and the kids. The ingredients here would have to be art and history, or what adults would actually prefer in a European city.
On our first day, we picked Schönbrunn, the most popular choice for the out-of-town tourist. Remember, we are talking about summer, so you would think there would be long lines. Again, no. We bought our tickets and started our tour with the audio guide without missing a beat or a step. There are two castles that represent old Europe better than any other place I have known. One is Versailles, the other is Schönbrunn. On continental Europe up until World War I, this was the heartbeat of Europe. This was the home of Kaiser Franz and the famed Sissi, the ill-fated empress of the people. The estate is everything you would expect from an emperor, let alone the gardens outside. The late monarchy, and the wise preservation of its relics, is a big part of Austria. I'm guessing we probably spent more time in the gardens than in the palace itself. The boys visit the children's museum and get to play dress-up with the wigs, the triangular hats, and the throne.
For lunch, we treat the boys to a Wiener Schnitzel, which is the most delicious thing they've ever eaten. Here the cutlet is just thinner than up north, which probably adds to the flavor. The boys are now schnitzel eating fools, all the time.
Next door to our restaurant is the cathedral St. Stephan, a church I have always remembered throughout my travels. If you take the subway to the St. Stephan stop, walk the stairs to ground level, and are greeted by the splendid picture of St. Stephan in its full glory in front of you, you can't help but gasp the way you would as a kid when you first see Disneyland. The church was first built in the 12th century. Later, after World War II, legend has it that the Nazis ordered its destruction before retreating from the city in 1945. Luckily, it doesn't seem the soldiers obeyed that order.
We eventually take the train home and settle in for the night. Liebi can't stop talking about Schönbrunn. That doesn't surprise me in the least. Vienna is her kind of town.
Day one in Vienna belonged to history. Day two would belong to the arts.
Rest assured, it was still there. Face masks were abundant, and people were wearing them from Prague all the way to the Austrian border. Once we crossed into Austria, we saw the difference. I didn't see face masks until we reached some supermarket in Vienna, although everybody wore them on the subway, which was our transportation method of choice in Vienna. Other than that, you could tell Austria had it contained, more or less.
Vienna in three days is, like Prague, a complicated proposition. That said, we're not a family that will squeeze as much as we can in three days and then leave the town huffing and puffing. Again, with the kids now a little bigger, we could at least do away with the playgrounds. This wasn't my first trip to Vienna, either, so here I would need something for Liebi and the kids. The ingredients here would have to be art and history, or what adults would actually prefer in a European city.
On our first day, we picked Schönbrunn, the most popular choice for the out-of-town tourist. Remember, we are talking about summer, so you would think there would be long lines. Again, no. We bought our tickets and started our tour with the audio guide without missing a beat or a step. There are two castles that represent old Europe better than any other place I have known. One is Versailles, the other is Schönbrunn. On continental Europe up until World War I, this was the heartbeat of Europe. This was the home of Kaiser Franz and the famed Sissi, the ill-fated empress of the people. The estate is everything you would expect from an emperor, let alone the gardens outside. The late monarchy, and the wise preservation of its relics, is a big part of Austria. I'm guessing we probably spent more time in the gardens than in the palace itself. The boys visit the children's museum and get to play dress-up with the wigs, the triangular hats, and the throne.
For lunch, we treat the boys to a Wiener Schnitzel, which is the most delicious thing they've ever eaten. Here the cutlet is just thinner than up north, which probably adds to the flavor. The boys are now schnitzel eating fools, all the time.
Next door to our restaurant is the cathedral St. Stephan, a church I have always remembered throughout my travels. If you take the subway to the St. Stephan stop, walk the stairs to ground level, and are greeted by the splendid picture of St. Stephan in its full glory in front of you, you can't help but gasp the way you would as a kid when you first see Disneyland. The church was first built in the 12th century. Later, after World War II, legend has it that the Nazis ordered its destruction before retreating from the city in 1945. Luckily, it doesn't seem the soldiers obeyed that order.
We eventually take the train home and settle in for the night. Liebi can't stop talking about Schönbrunn. That doesn't surprise me in the least. Vienna is her kind of town.
Day one in Vienna belonged to history. Day two would belong to the arts.
0 comments