Bye Vienna!

We scored about a C- as tourists in Vienna. It’s entirely our fault. Vienna was totally here for us, waiting for us just like Billy Joel promises. Cities are hard in just two days. Cities have an agenda. You have to get up and get out and get it done. No lollygagging around like we did Monday afternoon. We missed out on the live classical music performances here in the undisputed music capital of the world. We did hear a guy playing My Way on a violin and an ensemble of three young people playing Billie Jean – all clearly very talented musicians, but not exactly the quintessential Vienna experience. And just yesterday, I was teasing about a family who came to Vienna to see Billy idol.

We did have a great time here and experienced some of the wonders of the city. We made it out to Schonbrunn Palace, but had to wait an hour to get in because of the crowds. The palace is beautiful and imposing. No photos of the interior allowed. The gardens are a major treat of the palace compound, but it was rainy today so we didn’t see as much as would have liked, and also at the end of the season.

Schonbrunn was the main summer residence of the Habsburg rulers. The Rococo palace has more than 1,400 rooms and its history spans more than 300 years, so lots of Habsburgs enjoyed it and also changed it to their own tastes over the years.

We got to the palace via public transit and that worked out great. After returning to the main part of the city, we rode the Ringstrasse trams while listening to an audio tour pointing out the highlights. The tram route runs where the city walls once stood, surrounding Vienna like many other cities in Europe. The emperor Franz Josef had the walls removed in 1860, but one of the main gates still stands.

Next on our agenda was a tour of the Vienna State Opera House. It was a fantastic tour with a knowledgeable guide. The Opera House is beautiful and its history is interesting. All the great names of composing and singing have appeared and performed on stage there. An accidental allied bombing destroyed two-thirds of the building during World War II and it had to be rebuilt. They kept the main gallery much the same with the shape and the boxes, but unfortunately they decorated in the 1950s style of the time.

The Opera House is a beehive of activity. There are 70 productions a year and no performances are repeated two nights in a row, with the exception of New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day when it is tradition to perform Strauss’ Die Fledermaus. That means major stage changes every day during the season.

The Opera House also hosts the most prestigious ball of the season, the official state ball of Austria. Balls complete with dress codes, fanfare, debutants, red carpets and all the trimmings are big in Vienna and the one at the Opera House is the most extravagant of them all.

We left the Opera House and walked to the Imperial Hotel, the premier hotel in Vienna. It’s where the famous stay when they visit, from the late Queen Elizabeth to the Rolling Stones. It’s easy to see why, the hotel is beautiful and elegant. We had a drink in the swanky bar in comfortable chairs beneath a light fixture of more than 7500 crystals.

Next stop was the infamous Loos Bar, a tiny but pretty spot just off of the main shopping street. Officially named The American Bar, it was designed by architect Adolf Loos in 1908. It is an elegant setting with marble, onyx and mahogany. With two booths and bar stools, there are seats for maybe 15 people. We enjoyed our time there. Come to think of it, we earned a strong A in bar hopping.

For dinner, we wanted to eat near our apartment, so we popped into an Italian place and it was a great decision. The food was delicious and the service was excellent. We sat next to a lovely family from Saudi and had a great conversation. They surprised us buying us a dessert, which was so kind. And, it was also the only dessert we ate in this city of sweets.

Today, we’re off to Prague.