Vienna
Once again, time for a description of the city I visited. Sadly, I ended up being a little disappointed in Vienna. Maybe it was because I'd just come from Prague, a city I'd change my Facebook status to “Married to” I loved it so much. But Vienna? That was more of an “It's Complicated”. Sure it was clean, safe, had great public transport and there was a lot to see. But the whole city seemed to me like a very 1980's style dedication to excess. There was so much Greco-Roman influence, so many gold statues and huge, grandiose buildings that it got a little old after a while. Also, it was expensive! A Diet Coke and a pastry at my neighborhood bakery set me back 4 Euros and don't get me started on the restaurant that charged me 1 Euro per roll! Grr. Anyway, I still liked it and I was still glad I went, but I won't be encouraging people to see it the way I have been with Prague.
The room at the 4* Holiday Inn Vienna. A nice hotel, though one that wanted 15 Euro for a continental breakfast.
Opera House, sadly closed to tours the day I was there.
Hofburg Palace complex, definitely worth seeing, though every part of it was...wait for it...expensive.
The Imperial Library, a great building, but they were out of the latest Grisham book!
Historians will note the Neue Berg, famous for being the place where Hitler declared Austria had been absorbed into Greater Germany.
One of the best museums I've been to, well worth it.
Just look at all that art!
No Big Ben, but there is Parliament!
City Hall
Volksgarden. One of my big issues with Vienna was I couldn't shake the feeling that its best seen in the Summer. Everything felt like it was lying dormant, waiting to blossom and be beautiful.
Once again I managed to forgo my fear of heights to see the city from way up. This time I went to the Prater Amusement Park and rode their famous ferris wheel. Said wheel is featured in The Third Man and The Living Daylights, among other films.
Anyone who's seen The Third Man will get my reference to calling the people down there ants.