Up early and out, heading to the Hofburg Palace:
One suspects that in days gone by the sentries were perhaps not as well fed as your correspondent:
Through into the gardens, where preparations were being made for an out-door concert. For the first time, but certainly not the last, we realised how seriously (and simultaneously "humorously") the Austrians take their temporary out-door toilet facilities:
For non-German-speakers, "Ein bisschen Spass muss sein!" translates loosely as "A little bit of fun is necessary!" or perhaps more colloquially as "A little bit of fun is always good". The word "bisschen" is the diminutive of "Biss" - bit or bite. In typically jovial Germanic style, the word "pisschen" or "little pee" is here substituted for the original, to result in the side-splitting "A little pee is always fun!". The icing on this particular comedic cake is provided by the wording on the right, which translates as "You have to? You're allowed to!".
Continuing on, past the Maria Theresa Monument:
to the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Art History)
to find that it was closed on a Monday...
Cheesecake for your correspondent:
and a cheese and salami panini for Amanda:
The view from our table:
and off to one side our next objective - the Leopold Museum, which contains the world's largest collection of paintings by Egon Schiele:
Amanda likes Schiele, but I was more taken with other works:
In the Atrium, a tapestry made from multiple strands of multi-coloured tiny chain links by the late Phillipe Bradshaw jostled for attention with the painted aluminium sculpture "Self Portrait" by the late Keith Haring and "Love Love Love (Butterflies and household gloss on canvas)" by Damien Hirst:
(I am grateful to Pia Sääf, Assistant Museological Director at the Leopold Museum, for her help in identifying these works "after the fact".)
Out, and a quick sit down to phone Ronnie Scott's in the UK to book a table to see Kurt Elling there next October:
A sudden realisation that it was a Bank Holiday in the UK, and that this would be easier to sort out tomorrow.
The view across the square, including our earlier brunch location:
and through the entrance towards Museumsplatz and thereby to the Ringstrasse:
Along the Ringstrasse to the Austrian Parliament Building:
where, of course, the little boy in me was as interested in the on-going building works as in the magnificent Greek Revival style building itself:
The nearby memorial to Karl Renner:
Further on round the Ringstrasse to the City Hall, where preparations were being made for a concert on Friday night:
A monument to Johann Andreas von Liebenberg:
Traffic lights in Vienna feature rather more whimsy than I am used to:
Across the Ringstrasse and back towards the city centre, via Bruno Kreisky Gasse and the Water Wave Life Fountain:
Eventually (with help from Google Maps) to Bäckerstrasse, where we had hopes of having lunch at Figlmüller. This was not to be, as much had changed since we last visited in 1991; they now accept no walk-in trade - all tables have to be booked on line.
Back out into the street and I made a reservation for 16.00 on Wednesday (with the much increased tourist trade, it quickly became obvious that, with regard to the timing, beggars could no longer be choosers when applying for reservations).
More walking, while looking for an alternative lunch venue, and then - we walked into a small courtyard and immediately recognised our honeymoon hotel, the Hotel Kärntnerhof. Nostalgic photos were taken:
However, ever-growing pangs of hunger dictated a need to move on and find lunch. Partially retracing our steps we found ourselves at Lugeck, which we discovered is a sister restaurant to Figlmüller, the entrance to which could be seen from our outside table:
The menu was consulted:
and steak sandwiches and chips were ordered and enjoyed:
The menu warned of the side effects of drinking too much Coca Cola Light; I can't say I have ever noticed such a warning in the UK:
Sweets were enjoyed (chocolate torte for Amanda and a cinnamon bun with vanilla ice cream for your correspondent):
A couple of final photographs:
after which we walked slowly back to the hotel in the blazing heat.
The steeple of the Stephansdom:
reflected here in the windows of the Do & Co Hotel:
Other angles:
On, past the stables of the Spanish Riding School:
Most of the stallions were stabled in pairs of adjacent stalls:
but there was always one stabled by himself. Given the similarity (to this untrained eye) of all the horses to each other, I couldn't work out if they were all rotated periodically through the stalls or if this one was simply a 'Billy No-Mates' who always occupied the lone stall; either way I developed a soft spot for whichever horse was on his own:
The courtyard to the stables:
Back to the hotel for a much needed rest and freshen-up.
Glad-rags on:
and we headed out to walk the 350m to our destination - the Vienna State Opera, identifiable by its green copper roof:
A slow walk around the outside to soak up the atmosphere, and then inside. The grand staircase:
Attractive architecture:
decor:
opera-goers:
and less attractive dodgy geezers:
To our excellent seats in Row 4 in the Mittelloge or Middle Box:
The Opera House played a key part in the film Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, so it was only fitting that the House was converted into an IMAX cinema for the world premier of the film, as seen here.
Tonight's production would be The Barber of Seville. There were no concerns about not being able to follow the proceedings; every seat had its own small touch screen, allowing each member of the audience to choose the language for the subtitles that would be displayed on it throughout the performance:
We settled down:
and enjoyed a wonderful evening.
By a little after 22.30 it was all over, and we strolled out and across the road to the Café Sacher. Given the proximity to the Opera House, I was a little concerned that the Café might be full, but we need not have worried. "Do you, perhaps, have a table for two, please?" I enquired politely in my best schoolboy German of the young waitress who was standing on the pavement and controlling access. "Naturlich!" she replied and guided us inside.
Sachertorte and tea for two at 23.00:
while a table of four adjacent to us got stuck into beef goulash and dumplings...
A slow, short stroll back to the hotel in the still warm evening air, reflecting on a wonderful day.
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