Vienna, Austria

On Our Way

J & J, our trusty transportation service, dropped us at Newark Airport. We had requested wheelchair assistance for Frank, since long distances are still an issue for him, and we were curious to see how this worked. What a Godsend! His assistant Debra whipped him along and even gave us priority access through Security. 

We avoided the Friday the 13th curse and flew safely out of Newark on Austrian Air.  Seating was cramped and our flight attendant bossy to the point of being nasty, but we were just grateful to be on our way!

When we arrived in Vienna, our hotel-arranged driver was waiting for us holding a big "Anne Supsic" sign.  Believe me, after flying all night that sign is one welcome sight!   

        

Willkommen, Vienna!

Vienna, one of our favorite European capitols, is a city of majestic architecture reminding us of the glory days when it was the seat of the Holy Roman Empire, and later, the center of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This is a city designed for royalty. It's also a city of music where Mozart performed as a child.

We were on our own for this part of the trip and stayed at the Elaya Hotel, a small and very friendly place, perfectly situated in the center of Vienna.

We began our sightseeing by paying homage to St. Stephen's Cathedral, the symbol of the city situated in the very center. When we first came here in 1992, we climbed the 343 steps to the top. This time, we were thrilled to be able to take an elevator!

View from the top of the roof decorated in distinctive, colorful tiles. Looks just like we remember it!

For dinner, we ate at Figlmülller, home to Vienna's best schnitzel. 

Obviously, we should have ordered one to share! 

The following day we visited the Sisi Museum. Sisi, aka the Empress Elizabeth of Austria, was a tragic figure often compared with Princess Diana. 

She was murdered by a revolutionary (a dagger to the chest), and the myth of her popularity took hold after her death (this is her death mask). In life, she was a reclusive personality unsuited to her role who spent as much time as possible away from Vienna.

           

Sisi was a quirky character obsessed with her appearance. She had a 20-inch waist and her hair reached her ankles, requiring her to sit for 2-3 hours every day for hair styling. 

She also created her own exercise equipment (which didn't exactly match the decor in her bedroom).  

This is probably the most famous portrait of Sisi with diamond stars in her hair and on her gown.

      

That night we attended a wonderful classical concert in stunning Peterskirche. This is one of the things we miss most about Europe--enjoying our favorite music in a marvelous historic setting.

More pics:

Trying to stay cool in a 

European heatwave.

A rare photo of Frank drinking water rather than beer. He was

so thirsty, the waiter took pity on him and brought him water

in a giant beer glass. But not to worry, he still prefers the good stuff!

On top of St. Stephen's