Vienna, Austria

Or, as they say in German, Wien (with the "w" sounding like a "v" and then a long "e" sound).

When we arrived in Vienna, we immediately made our reservations to leave. After our first train experience, we were never going to risk traveling long distance without reservations. 

We figured out the subway system, much quicker this time. I believe Vienna has 6 subway lines, where Prague had only 3. We were moving up in the world of transportation!

We rode to Schoenbrunn Palace, home of the Habsburgs, the family who ruled Austria for hundreds of years until about the time of World War I. Marie Antoinette was a Habsburg, before she was sent to France to get married and beheaded.

The castle is huge, and the layout of it, with this giant courtyard, reminded me of Versailles in Paris.

We took a tour of it, but pictures aren't permitted, so I only have a few shots of the outside. The inside is even more impressive than the outside...so much original furniture, original paintings, fully restored rooms.

Jason got a Viennese classic for dinner...

 

 

We also chose to go to the top of a viewing tower that evening...

...and got the eagle eye view of Vienna.

And we could even see the Alps!

We had to walk through a park on our way back to the subway from the tower and were intrigued by this sign...

 

 

It was odd because it was in English and sad because if that sign is there, it must mean that someone at least got injured because of a golfer. I guess the lesson here is...don't golf in a park!

 

The other sign that made us laugh in Vienna was this one...

 

 

These signs were all over the city because people in Vienna take their dogs everywhere. Roughly translated, it means, "Men and women finally have to learn: take a bag for my poop". Except it's better in German because it rhymes.I especially enjoy the illustration at the bottom of the sign. Because if you're not sure what to do with the bag and your dog's poop...it's got you covered. Pun intended.

 

Dogs even ride escalators and subways in Vienna. I had to laugh as I watched it struggle to find its footing on the escalator.

 

 

The next day we toured St. Stephen's Cathedral.

I love the ceilings!

We toured the catacombs under St. Stephen's. We saw bones that prisoners had been forced to pick clean and stack like firewood. We saw where victims of the Black Plague had been buried...the only burial place inside the city walls at the time. We saw containers that held priests' intestines. We saw where they bury high ranking clergy members to this day. We had a great tour guide, which we had heard can make all the difference. Once again, no pictures were allowed.

St. Stephen's is particularly known for its very unique roof tiles.

If you walk around to the side of the church, you can see this one the roof. Pretty cool, right? 

We walked just around the corner and found Mozart's house.

I got a yummy smoothie. 

We also went to something called the Naschmarkt in Vienna...basically a big open air food and flea market. We picked up some fresh fruit and veggies to munch on as we walked, but I didn't think to take any pictures.

We ended our time in Vienna with finding a geocache near our hotel, and found these cement ping-pong tables. Very different from a typical park in the States.

And remember, for all those dog owners out there...

 

 

I just couldn't resist putting this in again.

 

Next up, Munich!