Monday, October 28, 2013

Vienna - then on to Prague..............


Throw on a pair of comfy shoes or boots and take a 
little walk with me around the beautiful Austrian 
city of Vienna.

As always, click photos to see lovely architectural details etc.

Vienna's Shops......offering everything you could want, or need, 
if you had plenty of spare Euros....and an empty suitcase!

The Vienna State Opera House.


We enjoyed our short stay in Vienna. Despite mostly cloudy 
skies, some of my images are still interesting. 
It seemed there were immense buildings - many palaces, 
at every turn, exquisite statuary and plenty of elegant 
shops. 
Cleanliness was definitely noticeable......the only 
'graffiti' being perhaps on the roof of the cathedral!











Yes, not the best weather, misty and damp, 
but we still traipsed around the streets, 
overwhelmed by the huge buildings and 
throngs of people....and managed to get lost.
Our full day was a Monday and we were unable to 
view the famous Lipizzaner Stallions on that day 
which was disappointing. These royal horses 
perform at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna.




Reminders of the great Mozart were abundant.....and
having watched the movie Amadeus just before coming 
to Vienna, we enjoyed seeing him around every corner 
on flags and chocolate boxes!

Soon it was time to leave this special city and head 
for the Czech Republic - but we opted for the comfy train 
over a good looking Viennese scooter!

*********
The trains in Central Europe run on time........
in fact across most of Europe trains and other 
modes of public transport seem to be able to keep 
to a scheduled timetable, unlike here in the USA.


They were economical, quite comfortable even in second class. 
Toilets were gigantic and clean, with plenty of paper 
goods and safety handles. 
Our first train from Budapest to Vienna was fine, a large open coach with a table between us shared with another couple. The Vienna to Prague coach was a compartment which could be closed off from the corridor - shades of the Orient Express without the glamorous bits - and we shared with four delightful young Chinese ladies on their first European adventure. Two were sisters - both engineers, the other two had equally good jobs. One sister was married, the others still single. They all spoke quite good English and we enjoyed their company.


More coming on beautiful Prague soon.

14 comments:

  1. Oh, that brought back some memories! We had a week in Vienna some years ago, booked for two operas at the wonderful opera house, and managed a day in the Vienna woods also. Magical.

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  2. Oh Mary, these are stunning photos. I had flashbacks of the time I visited while I was stationed in Germany.

    Marie

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  3. What a beautiful city. Loved the pic of Bob napping!

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  4. Mary ...Vienna and Prague are still on my " must visit " list, so thank you for the tour, love the boots on the first photo too, they would be my choice for a tour of Vienna, architecture wonderful.
    Annie x

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  5. Lovely post on the beautiful city of Vienna. The photos really show what it's like there. The train ride would be fun I think. Have a good week!

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  6. Stunning photos, as always! It certainly looks to be a very beautiful city.

    Also, have to say that I am loving your banner, it looks gorgeous!

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  7. OMG that Cathedral is breathtaking. I would be overwhelmed if I didn't have enough time to take it all in. Just beautiful!!

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  8. I have heard that Vienna is just gorgeous to visit.
    Your photos would also prove that to be true.
    I did enjoy the trains in Europe. What a lovely
    way to meet other travelers along the way. Looking
    forward to more. Hugs to you!

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  9. Mary, I loved Vienna! We spent four days there about ten years ago . A friend of ours just returned to the United States after living in Praque for two years. This sounds like a wonderful trip.
    xx,
    Sherry

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  10. Vienna is such a beautiful city. When we were there, St. Stephen's was undergoing some renovations and the exterior was shrouded in green netting. I took a walk down the main strasse with the fancy stores and loved the window displays. So creative, like the boot one you show. So glad you are sharing more of your trip with us.

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  11. Vienna and Prague are both wonderful cities which you have captured beautifully. I particularly love the Art Nouveau architecture in both cities.

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  12. Dear Mary, Vienna is so beautiful and you captured some of the very best. And, then there are the Mozart Kugeln.

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  13. The architecture and statues are exquisite! Hey, that point and shoot camera of yours did you just fine - great photos! I think I would have loved to hop on one of those scooters, LOL.

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