Vienna 2006

Home Page

Vienna is not as photogenic as Budapest or Prague.  In addition, photography is barred inside almost every building hence the paucity of pictures in this section.  We saw a Mozart concert with all the musicians in period dress, and we saw a training session of the Lipizzaner horses, there were mean looking security guards at every turn.  I think indoor photography is a capital offence in Austria.  We also went to the Belvedere to see the works of Viennese secessionist artist Gustav Klimt.   No photos but I did buy a necktie replica of his famous painting "The Kiss".  Vienna is a good place for pigeons because there is a statue on every available piece of land.  Monuments to artists famous and obscure dot the landscape.

St. Stephen's church in Budapest is noted for its interior.  In Vienna it's the external tiles.	The public buildings in Vienna are well illuminated at night.	This statue in front of the Parliament building looks like King Kamehameha in Hawaii.	The Schönbrunn Palace was the summer home of the Hapsburgs.  Modest would not be a good descriptive for this 1400+ room "cottage".	There was plenty of room in the backyard also.

Anton Bruckner wrote some beautiful symphonies.  The pigeons are not impressed.	This is the most photographed statue in Vienna - Richard Strauss, the Waltz King.	W. A. Mozart's monument is graced with an appropriate flower bed.	Talk about obscure - this statue memorializes a man who painted on china cups.

A visit to the Nachtmarkt is interesting.  This seafood display was tempting.	Dried fruits were displayed artistically.	I never realized there were so many varieties of vinegar.  This stall allows you to sample a wide range.	We visited the Sacher Hotel, home of the eponymous torte.  Their candy looked pretty tasty as well.

Here's a closer look at Strauss and his fiddle.	This is the Klimt necktie.  I'm not sure if I have the nerve to wear it in public.	Vienna is celebrating the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth this year.  He is worth a another look.