theXtraSuitcase

Vienna is the capital of Austria.  In 2001, the city was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  It is known for its great composers,

Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, and Brahms

Cool coffee houses 

and a coffee craze that started in 1683!

Goulash - so yummy with pickles and a sunny-side up egg.

Doner Kebabs.

And a wide range of architecture.

 

We visited back in 1996 and remembered being particularly impressed with the architecture.   Most of the buildings were built during the Hapsburg Empire in the mid 19th century so they have a very stately - grandiose feel.

 

 

 

 

I was confused at what they were calling in the brochures - the Jugendstil architecture style.  I had never heard of this, but to me it looked just like Art Nouveau.  I just looked it up and sure enough it was just another name for Art Nouveau - the French word for "new art".  Jugendstil is German and translates as "youth style". 

The Majolika House (right above) is one of the most remarkable buildings in this style.  Designed by Otto Wagner in 1899 it is named after the glazed pottery used for the facade. 

 

Our hotel was centrally located so we were able to walk and take the tram everywhere.

 

One of the cities biggest markets runs everyday with fresh food and on Saturday a large flea market.  D snapped these photos while I was shopping.  I did not know he took them.  I was too busy digging!

 

We went there early so we grabbed breakfast.  D got a Doner Kebab - the perfect breakfast item for him.

I opted for the sweets - cinnamon bread cooked on a cylinder - the inside was hollow and it was still warm.  Words cannot describe.  D managed to help eat half even after his big kebab.

D found a quiet spot at the end to read....until a mini market popped up around him.  He was oblivious that this crowd had formed around him.

 

 

Looks like this man got lucky and found a real treasure - a gold necklace.

The flea market was outrageously expensive but still fun to walk through.  To read more about this adventure visit  my art blog .

 
Onto the food section.  So vivid and lively.

 

Not sure what the two on each end are!

 

They also had good-looking prepared foods.....

and spices.  We picked up a few local spices; fennel and kebab spice.

 

Hummm wonder what that bright orange one is?  D thought it might be used to color foods.  I looked it up and he was right - it can be used alone or with turmeric to give Moroccan dishes a yellow color (not orange).  It has no aroma or taste and is very messy!

And a few items you would only see in the Austrian/German countries - Pickles -n-

All the shopping made us thirsty and tired.  Time for a people-watching break and a taste of another popular item - sturm.

Sturm is a product of fermented freshly pressed grape juice known as a must.  It is a popular drink this time of year when they are harvesting the grapes.  It was refreshing - like a lemonade.  We did not order a second glass ;  )

Look closely at this photos - where are D&C?

That night we had a fine dining experience.  Yes, that is a wiener in a bun.

and a scrumptious dessert!  We love nice restaurants but we equally love street food!

The fancy restaurants were questionable.  Would you order the first meal on this menu?  We really did eat a few nice traditional Viennese meals of goulash, etc.

Sunday we spent the day at the Schonbrunn Palace, another UNESCO World Heritage site.

In it's heyday, it was the summer residence of the imperial family.  The palace was started in 1695 but was not complete until the mid-18th century.

It stayed in the family until the early 1900, when it became a museum.  It is pretty plain from the outside, but the inside?  We decided it had the most opulent rooms of any palace we have visited.  No photos allowed inside.  A view from the side Garden -

 

 

What I found most interesting is Marie Antoinette grew up here until she was married off at age 15.  Her mother was the well-known Queen Maria Theresa.

A view from the back garden -

A view towards the Gloriette or pavilion.  Built in 1775 and considered the crowning glory of the palace.

 

The garden also had a maze.....which I could not pull D away from!  He was up on a stand directing me where to go.  What fun......watch Cathy get lost in a maze -  urggggg

 

Late in the afternoon there was a vintage car rally through the city.  We stood on the corner for an hour where they had to stop for a light so we were able to get a good look at them.  Here is one of D's favorite cars - an MGA roadster.

How cute it this little one?  Almost as small as the little smart car parked behind.  Not sure the make.

I took this photo while peaking in a church.  I think it looks like an old painting.

 

Our last night's dinner - what else but a doner kebab!  this was where we had our first Kebab of the trip and our favorite - so we went back.

Yeah, I know, looks like all we did was eat and drink in Vienna.  

But are those happy faces or what?  D coined a new term for us on this vacation - we spent most of our time at the "living" museum....observing the Viennese way of life!