Vienna Part 2 – My Whistle-Stop Tour

Last week’s post was dedicated to my tour of Zentralfriedhof (Central Cemetery) in Vienna.  This week my book/author related weekly blog post sabbatical concludes with Vienna part 2 – My Whistle-Stop Tour.

The day started with a visit to Schönbrunn Palace, the Baroque, 1,441 room, former imperial residence (see below).

No photography is permitted inside the palace.  Below is a picture of the water feature in Schönbrunn’s back garden.

Last week you saw Mozart’s grave.  Here is his statue. Vienna is also home to Mozart’s house, Mozart key rings and Mozart chocolates.

The Austrians love schnitzels.  It was a good thing that I resisted the Mozart chocolates during the morning’s sightseeing, or I would have struggled to finish my lunch.

Below is a one of the city’s quaint shopping arcades.

I stopped for a quick beer before continuing with the sightseeing.  One would have turned into two, were it not for the fact that time was ticking.

Next up was St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

You are allowed to take photographs in St. Stephen’s.

Below is a statue.  Of what I can’t tell you.  I was in too much of a hurry to get to the Belvedere to stop and find out.

If you like Baroque palaces then Vienna is the place to be.  Below is the Belvedere.  Not the best photo I must confess. I was experimenting with the panoramic option on my iPhone camera.  It seemed like a good idea at the time.

On entering the palace and taking a right, I was met by the sight of this spectacular ceiling, which was painted by the Italian painter Carlo Carlone (1686-1775).

In the main hall, I was able to appreciate how art has evolved since the Renaissance era.  Below is your esteemed author standing in front of ‘The Incredible Hulk and Friends’.

No trip to Vienna would be complete without a visit to the Café Sacher (inside Hotel Sacher), and this is where I headed for afternoon tea.  The Original Sacher-Torte (see below) has been the world’s most famous cake since 1832.  At least this is what Hotel Sacher claim.  Evidently no one has told them about Bakewell Tarts.  The Original Sacher-Torte recipe is a closely guarded secret.  My guess is that it has chocolate and orange in it.

What better way to end a day of sightseeing than dining on Tafelspitz.  Tafelspitz is generally considered to be the Austrian national dish.  It is boiled beef in broth served with horseradish.

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