This swan welcomed me to Vienna, as I was enjoying breakfast in the dining room..
Our first tour was Panoramic Vienna, a bus and 45 minute walking tour of the city. I was in the leisurely walking crowd, with those of us who needed extra time and care. We had a ten minute stroll on even city streets. It’s nice that Viking makes these tours available for the less able. The sister, who didn’t inherit arthritis from our Swedish relatives, was in the regular walking group. We met up at St Stephen’s Cathedral.
After our tour, we walked over to the Café Sluka, for sachertorte and coffee.
We returned to the ship for lunch and a two hour break from touring. Our next scheduled tour was the Palace of Schönbrunn. I decided to stay in and crash; fortunately, another lady bought my ticket so my sister had a nice new companion and I was able to get some rest. I’m still not sleeping well and I needed the catch up time. Two ibuprofen and an hour’s sleep usually do the job.
When Beatrice was on this tour, the guide told an interesting story. No one in Vienna knew about the movie “The Sound of Music,” but various people asked her about it so she rented it. She was surprised and amused by the inconsistencies and said that no one has schnitzel with noodles ( from the song “ My Favorite Things”) and that, contrary to popular belief, “ Edelweiss” is NOT the national anthem of Austria.
She said that the most important movie that shows Vienna as it was following the war is Orson Welles’ film noir masterpiece, “The Third Man,” with its dramatic climax inside the ferris wheel. We passed the ferris wheel coming in and out of the city and I kept wondering, “Is this THE ferris wheel?” It’s a great film. Check it out if you’ve never seen it.
Our third tour began at 6:30 with six other participants. We were driven out to the Vienna woods, where vineyards dominate the landscape. Vienna is the only capital in the world where wine grapes are grown within the city boundaries . The wine taverns, known as Heurigen, are very popular with locals and tourists alike and an evening there consists of enjoying local cuisine, tasting the various vintages, and singing with the resident accordion player. There’s even a very friendly, plump feline who greets the guests. It was a blast! We ate, we drank, we sang!
The evening passed quickly, and before we knew it, we were back on the bus, heading back to the ship. Our guide, Sylvia, shown here with the tavern cat, promised that the wonderful Austrian wines would not give us a hangover!
We tour Melk Abbey tomorrow. It’s an all day event!
When we were in Vienna, St. Stephen’s was in the midst of (several years) of restoration – so that is my memory of the cathedral. Sacher chocolate too dark and too tart for our taste. Tis a gorgeous city
Yes it is a beautiful city. I think sachertorte is an acquired taste but something everyone should try once. The coffee break felt nice after our walk. St Stephen’s is still partially covered in scaffolding and I wasn’t able to get any decent images.
On our first trip to Vienna we hiked to a vineyard on the outskirts of the city and sat in the vineyard for wine tasting and lunch. It was a lovely experience.
Thanks for helping to remind us of a fun day in Vienna many years ago.,