When my little clan arrived at the airport, we unloaded quickly and immediately began the process of locating our airline for our next flight. Bill, the kids and I were off to Vienna, Austria. Italian airports are quite the scene. What I realized quickly was that there was no real etiquette for standing in the queue. People would just push their way into the spot they wanted. At first, I was trying to give people the benefit of the doubt, but after a while it really started to irk me. I'll suffice it to say that after engaging in several verbal skirmishes, those wishing to push their way into the line no longer chose to do it in front of us!
It wasn't long before we were flying out of Rome and towards our next destination known as both the "City of Music" and the "City of Dreams." When we arrived in Vienna, we decided to take the U-Bahn to our hotel. As we walked out of the metro at our stop, we were greeted by weather
very different from that of Italy's. There was a light sprinkling of rain and it was a bit nippy. It felt wonderful! We walked a few blocks to our hotel and settled in at the Vienna Marriott.
As far as I was concerned, the hotel was perfect. The staff was extremely courteous, the location was sublime, and the rooms immaculate. Even the bath soap was excellent. We were centrally located so it made getting everywhere very easy.
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A view of our hotel from Stadtpark across the street
with the gilded bronze statue of Johann Strauss
in the foreground. |
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| Our hotel at night. |
Upon checking into the hotel, we were all very tired. Bill went out in search of places to eat. When he came back to the hotel to tell us what he had found, one of the restaurants he jokingly mentioned was McDonald's. Now, in the states, Anna and I won't touch McDonald's. So, imagine Bill's surprise when Anna and I jumped at the mention of McD's. That's exactly what we wanted...nothing sounded better! And, since I'm admitting to this here, I'll also admit to visiting Starbucks the next morning. Yep!! Typical Americans!!
That evening, we had tickets to an evening concert at Schonbrunn Palace. We got to listen to a live orchestra playing the music of Mozart and Strauss. In fact, we sat in the same concert hall where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri competed in a musical contest, a contest that today is still considered unique in music history!
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| The Orangery at Schonbrunn Palace. |
We arrived early to the palace so we could tour the extensive grounds. The place was quite impressive. Immense beyond belief, so it wasn't surprising to learn that it's the largest palace in Austria. The gardens and mazes were equally large. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see most of those as it was too cold for me! Bill and the kids were wearing slacks so their legs were warmer. While they wandered around outside, I looked for warmth indoors.
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| William and Bill with the Gloriette behind them. |
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| One of the many mazes to follow through the gardens. |
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| Anna and Bill throwing some moves in front of the palace. |
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| Anna and William striking a pose in Vienna. |
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The kids and me in front of Schonbrunn Palace.
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Once they explored to their heart's content, they joined me in the Café Residenz and the Court Bakery. I had found a warm, quaint cafe that served hot chocolate and mouth-watering pastries. We each ordered something and got to sample what the others chose as well. We stayed there until the start of the performance. If ever I return (which I really hope I do), I definitely want to go back to the palace and eat at every single location available--which is a lofty goal as there are over nine different cafes and dining rooms!
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