We had a laid back today in a very active city. We slept later than usual and then enjoyed coffee and a peaceful morning. It’s been such an active trip that today felt like the perfect time to take things easy. We had planned to cook some eggs this morning, but in our hectic grabfest at the grocery store yesterday, we made a mistake. The eggs are already boiled, which neither of us like. It’s obvious now looking at the label, but not so much yesterday in the rush.
We left the apartment around 10 a.m. and began walking the city. Our apartment is just a short walk from the busiest pedestrian streets in the city, Mariahilfer, Garben, and Karntner. All three streets date back to the middle ages, but today are lined with every major brand imaginable from Dior, Michael Kors and Tiffany’s to McDonald’s and Starbucks. There’s even a casino offering black and poker tables. It’s estimated that more than 100,000 people walk these streets every day, and even more during peak seasons. It’s really too bad that we aren’t big shoppers.
But we are window shoppers. We loved these Mozart paper hats on display, made by a Ukranian artist.
We stopped for lunch around noon at a Turkish restaurant and the food was delicious and so was the service. We sat outside and enjoyed the weather and people going by.
Next, we embarked on the City Walk on the Rick Steves app. It began at the Opera House and took us to the St. Stephens Cathedral. We learned a lot of history along the way.
The walking tour took us to the Albertinaplatz, a pedestrian square with a museum and buildings that comprise the Habsburg seat of power, and past impressive buildings, fountains and landmarks.
The Cathedral, especially its exterior, is stunning, a combination of Romanesque and Gothic.
We walked six miles today in Vienna, seeing several important sites and enjoying the vibe of the city. We had planned to tour the famed opera house, but tickets were sold out, so we reserved tickets for tomorrow.
Before going home, we returned to that hectic grocery store, which was much better today, but still frustrating. The wine was stored away to make room for new shelving, but we managed to buy a bottle and I had to plead with the shelf installers to let me grab a box of pasta. We saw some beautiful chanterelle mushrooms and were inspired to cook at home. We spent the evening talking, reminiscing, laughing, cooking and resting – and planning for a very busy day tomorrow. We felt guilt about not being out in the city, but relief, too, in having a night of simple pleasures, delicious food and each other’s company.
Another part of the walking tour…
The Albertinaplatz is also home to the Monument Against War and Fascism, which commemorates the dark years when Austria was under Nazi rule. The memorial has four parts with images of concentration camps, forced labor and war. It also honors those who suffered and died in the concentration camps, using granite cut from the infamous quarry at the Mauthausen camp. A figure on the ground represents a Jew being forced to scrub anti-Nazi graffiti from the street with a brush. It brought tears to our eyes, as it should. Of Vienna’s 200,000 Jews at the time just before World War II, more than 65,000 died in the Nazi concentration camps.
Kim & Betsy 