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Auf wiedersehen, Vienna

Vienna, Austria Yes, the time has come. We are winding up our nice long journey and are packing to leave tomorrow. Have we seen enough of this beautiful city? Don says no, and I say we’ve done quite well.

Kind of a crazy day

Vienna, Austria It started out calmly enough. We knew we had to arrange for a COVID test before we get to the airport on Saturday, and thought we would just check with one of the many many many sites we have seen around town. Our friendly neighborhood pharmacist even walked us outside to point us in the direction of the nearest one.

The accessories of empire

Vienna, Austria It has often been said that the Holy Roman Empire was neither holy, Roman, nor an empire. But try to convince the Habsburgs that they were not the legitimate heirs of the Roman Empire.

Devoted to design

Vienna, Austria Wherever the design and fashion winds were blowing for at least the last millennium, Austria was right in there, adapting to the newest trends or leading the pack.

A day on the Danube

Vienna and points northwest, Austria We were so lucky with the weather today, our day to take a cruise on the Danube.

Vienna at play

Vienna, Austria As this part of the world well knows, May 1 is May Day — Labor Day — a public holiday in celebration of the workers’ movements of the past. And, despite cloudy and sometimes rainy weather, Vienna was out for a fun time.

Beethoven: 1; Strauss: 0

Vienna, Austria Another glorious day and the world is out strolling the avenues and lingering at the cafés. We started our day with a little window shopping on a grand scale.

A hidden jewel

Vienna, Austria It is a gorgeous day in Vienna and spring has definitely sprung — though we might be back to hats and gloves soon. We took a little excursion to what is called the Klimt Villa, the last studio of the artist, which he used from 1911 till his death in 1918.

In transition

Graz and Vienna, Austria Today was mostly dedicated to travel. We left lovely Graz after a filling Viennese breakfast – heavy on the bread. The train station is really impressive, with only a few American invasions on the fast-food front. Guess they want to reassure travelers that Graz is a civilized place.

Medieval marries modern

Graz, Austria What a lovely city this is. Despite some gloomy weather, we enjoyed seeing how this city of so many priceless reminders of the past functions in the current age. The city center is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and it is an amazingly unspoiled (aka no Starbucks or McDonald’s) view of the past, despite modern trams racing through the center plaza. It just works.