The Hardy Wench

And so on to our next port of call Vienna: the scenic rail journey had me expecting to see Julie Andrew’s popping up over every mountain top. (Sense a nun theme on this journey!) Mountain peaks clad with pine trees trimmed with very lush green fields with grazing cows reminded me of a Lindt advertisement and I started craving chocolate!

We arrived in Vienna, and found our way to our very trendy modern hotel/apartment called ZOKU. A very different concept from the traditional hotel, it provided a studio with all facilities along with a large and airy open plan living/dining area/working area complete with restaurant, cocktail bar and roof terrace overlooking the Prater; Viennas oldest fairground, it has been there since the 1870s. Our studio had panoramic views over the city and the attention to detail within was exceptional, postcards giving advice on how to sleep well, be more sustainable along with kitchen table wisdom and recipes were pinned to a noticeboard. Whilst it was not huge, every bit of space was utilized so well we had plenty of storage space. A staircase pulled out from the wall to give access to our mezzanine bed. Modern prints were placed at the end of the corridor in case we wanted to swap the artworks already in our room. Bikes were downstairs, available for hire for only 20 Euros a day! They are planning to open one in London so look out!

The next morning was Tina’s birthday and we had a lovely surprise when the waitresses brought a little cake with a candle to our table at breakfast. Afterwards we headed to the city and walked around admiring the many huge and very grand buildings, clearly a city with a very wealthy history. We decided to head for Schonbrunn Palace, the number One tourist attraction in Vienna. We had a stroll around the gardens which were a bit like Versailles, then we toured around the inside of the palace learning about various Hapsburg Emperors, their families and daily life throughout their 700 year rule. The range of decor was impressive and varied but Roccoco was clearly the order of the day!

Each room had a huge ceramic stove which was fueled from behind to create a more aesthetic look for the royals!

Upon our exit we were greetings by Mozart, and very charming he was!

We returned in the late afternoon to the hotel to hastily prepare for the surprise dinner Niall, Tina’s son had kindly booked for us in a very typical Viennnese reataurant, Meissl und Schadn. It was a lovely restaurant setting, very traditional with waiters swerving around bearing huge portions of Viener Schnitzl. We opted for a hearty meal of roast beef, mixed vegetables followed by Plum Dumplings which accompanied by wine had us waddling out a bit later and provided a lovely way to end a very full birthday for Tina!

Th next morning we had a light breakfast in our studio and headed into the city Centre following a guided tour Tina had found on the internet, dodging the numerous touts selling tours and music concerts. More grand buildings were proof of the very rich history Vienna can boast. En route we saw the stables for the Spanish Riding school and we impulsively booked some tickets to watch a performance the next day. We then headed for The Grand Hotel for afternoon tea another birthday treat. We were presented with a menu of various teas and served with a selection of beautifully presented canapés, scones and miniature cakes. Once again, the staff surprised us with even more cake and a candle! We waddled home – again and after a rest headed for the rooftop for a couple of cocktails overlooking the Vienna sunset witnessing The Prater coming to life. A disco which was accompanied by live musicians created a very buzzing atmosphere and I suspect we were the oldest in the room but were we bothered! No!

The following morning we headed to the Spanish Riding School for the performance which began at 11.00am. These were trainee riders and horses but the standard was to us outstanding. It was such a beautiful thing to watch, the horses performed dressage moves, and the commentary told us of the history of the school and the costume traditions. It seemed as if the riders and horses were one. We were asked not to take photos during the show as it can upset the horses, it was really refreshing to watch without phones being waved all over the place. Sadly some idiots still took photos and had to be reminded by staff of the rules.

Another walk around the very busy city centre (Saturday shoppers) and we headed for the Albertina Art gallery which also housed the old state apartments. It was a mixture of modern gothic, Impressionism, surrealism and cubism fauvism (too many isms!) displaying a very impressive selection ranging from Monet to Picasso.

We then headed back to the hotel for a quick rest before going for a wander around the Prater which really comes to life at night. It was a tad rainy (the only rain we have encountered the whole holiday!) which dampened the atmosphere a little but it was still great to see. We didn’t brave any of the rides but it was lovely to hear the whoops of delight from other fairgoers.