Waltzing through Vienna

After our brief visit in Salzburg, we made our way to Vienna along with Alfons, who was gracious enough to drive us there (he was going to the same conference). Roger's conference (CIRED 2007) was Tues-Thur with a little bit on Monday. Due to a foul-up with Delta, we ended up with a free day (Friday) in Vienna. On Monday we took a bus tour so we learned what to look for and how to do the Underground (subway). Peggy was a little intimidated at first, but by the end of the week was showing Roger how to do it. She found the Hotel Sacher and we brought back some of the wonderful cakes. We also found the famous schnitzel place with the schnitzel bigger than your plate. As you will see, we spent quite a bit of time at the Schonbrunn palace, which was the country home of the Emperors and Empresses. Some say it rivals Versailles. We took the short tour on Monday and then spent about 5 hrs there Friday. There was a Gala on Wednesday nite at Schonbrunn Orangerie with typical Vienna classical music fare. One of the highlights for us was the dancers doing a waltz. As we were leaving to head back to our hotel, the band struck up the Blue Danube waltz. Thurs nite, we had a quiet dinner beside the Danube but didn't take the camera. We went back Friday nite and snapped a few photos. And it was blue at that time of day. On Friday afternoon, we also toured the Hofburg Palace in Vienna and a couple of churches.

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Building in downtown Vienna

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French embassy in Vienna

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Austrian Parliament bldg

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Statue in front of the Parliament building. The Greek architecture is a tribute to Greece being the birthplace of democracy.

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Hmmm.

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Schonbrun palace

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Horse drawn tour

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Schonbrunn palace

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View looking back through the entrance gates at Schonbrunn

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Schonbrunn gardens

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more gardens (notice the ducks)

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Rose trellis at Schonbrunn

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View down backside of palace

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Fountain in gardens

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Closeup of fountains

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Trees planted in rings

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Trees in a row and trimmed vertical on at least one side.

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View up the hill toward the Gloriette at the summit

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Another view of backside of castle

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Gardens @ schonbrunn

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The Gloriette as seen through 12X zoom

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Peggy inspecting something

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Statue on the castle

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Statue on the castle

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Statue on the castle

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Peggy in the rose garden

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Roger and Peggy in the rose garder

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View of power plant outside our hotel window

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From our hotel ... The building under the spire is the Congress center where Roger's meeting was held.

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Amusement park from our hotel at night. Supposedly world''s oldest ferris wheel. Turns really slow.

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Mark McGranaghan on the way to the Gala in the underground.

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The Gala at Schonbrunn

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Peggy and Mark M. at the Gala

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Inside the Orangerie at Schonbrunn where the Gala was held

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Singer

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Another singer

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Peggy watching the dancers (we have video).

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Fruit trees growing at Schonbrunn on Friday.

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more fruit trees.

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Park area at Schonbrunn

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Looking down one of the spokes in the gardern.

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Shady path

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Some more interesting tree trimming

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Another fountain at Schonbrunn on the way to the Roman Ruin

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View of Obelisk Fountain

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This little feller was just stretched out sunning him/her self

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The Roman ruin in the park at Schonbrunn. Was made intentionally to look like a ruin. Also note statue in background

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Roman Ruin

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Roman ruin

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The story of the Roman ruin

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Someone is buried here.

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Obelisk Fountain built in 1777 for Emporere Joseph II and Maria Teresa. Another interesting fountain

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The entire Obelisk fountain

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Story of the Obelisk Fountain

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Tram in Schonbrunn

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View back down the hill toward the roman ruin

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Vienna from Schonbrunn

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Statue up the hill from the Roman Ruin

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Apparently a place in the garden where some of the ladies would hang out. Not open.

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Description of the entire Schonbrunn complex

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View approaching the Gloriette

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Side view of Gloriette

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On top of Gloriette

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View of palace from Gloriette

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Little people from top of Gloriette

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From top of Gloriette

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From top of Gloriette

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View toward Alps

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Faceless statues on Gloriette

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Inscription says Gloriette was built for Joseph II and Maria Theresa Augusta about 1775, I think. Wierd Roman numerals.

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Watering the gravel to keep the dust down

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Another view of Gloriette

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Peggy heading for the WC --- only this one required money and it didn't work.

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Alpine house at the zoo

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Barn under the Alpine house. This is how they used to do it.

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Your friendly house snake we encountered in the path much to Peggy's chagrin. She spent the rest of the day looking down.

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Owl

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Snowy Owl

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Timber wolf

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Penquins. It was hot too.

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Orangutang sleeping

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Ibis --- our hotel was the same name. Ugly bird

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Parrot

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Carp

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Outside the Panda exhibit

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Panda eating bamboo

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Koala-fying ... you'll have to ask Kevin

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Pink Flamingos

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Statue in the Park

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Japanese Garden

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By Japanese Garden

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Another Schonbrunn fountain

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Nearby church

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Red geraniums

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Rose trees

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Yellow rose of Schonbrunn

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Red, but is it a rose? A different kind.

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Trimming the trees

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Two faced?

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Schonbrunn gardens

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West end of Schonbrunn palace

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Where they kept the carriages and cars

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Peggy enjoying the only thing cool in Vienna

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Street musicians

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Downtown Vienna

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Another pretty building

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Street artist

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Gold roof of St Stephan's cathedral

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Let's see ... we were in Vienna, right?

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My guess - St Stephen

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Another obelisk with gold on it

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Inscription on the obelisk

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St Peter's church

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St. Peter's church

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Part of the Hofburg palace, I think

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Entrance to the Spanish Riding School somewhere around here.

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Guy has a good swing

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part of the old Vienna underground

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Statues on the Hofburg palace

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A courtyard at the Hofburg palace

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Greek architecture in the VolksGarten

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More roses

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Another pretty fountain - in volksgarten

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Gorgeous roses

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More roses

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Pink roses

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Fountain

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Hofburg palace. Hofburg Imperial Palace is a palace in Vienna , Austria , which has housed some of the most powerful people in Austrian history , including the Habsburg dynasty, rulers of the Austro-Hungarian empire . It currently serves as the official residence of the President of Austria . It was also known as the winter residence, while Sch�nbrunn Palace was the preferred summer residence.