Vienna

After four splendid days in Munich, we hopped onto a train--two, actually--that took us to the Austrian capital of Vienna. In 2008, I had spent a few hours in Vienna during a layover on the way back from mission trip. Back then, jet lag and naïveté had made the experience seem larger than life. This time my eyes had already been blinded by the loveliness of German Bavaria, and Vienna was at a disadvantage.

Not that Vienna wasn't beautiful. The old architecture was ornate and impressive. It was simply lacking in natural luster, where Germany had been brilliant.

For this trip, we stayed in a unique apartment with lots of space and knicknacks, and we spent a lot of time in it due to sheer exhaustion.

Upon arrival, we went to Karlsplatz on purpose and Belvedere Palace on accident. I also flung hollandaise sauce on a man while we were eating dinner because I was fighting a bee...but we don't have to talk about that.

The next day, Emma, Amy, and I took a ring tram around the old city, saw the oldest church in Austria, and did lots of souvenir shopping. 

Well, Emma and Amy shopped. I just bought chocolate.

This was the old church. It wasn't that impressive.

Day three began with food poisoning from lettuce. 

LETTUCE. 

But we went to Schonbrunn Palace anyway. It was grand and enormous--which means, of course, that we got lost on the way out.

We hiked up to the Gloriette, too, for a splendid view.

 
Christina and I navigated the lovers' maze.

It was really hot, too, which required a dip in the sprinkler.

YIKES.

Then we headed over to St. Stephan's Cathedral.

Unfortunately, we were too tired to fully appreciate it.

Our last full day in Vienna was packed, starting with a morning at Prater Amusement Park. Entrance to Prater is free--you only have to pay for the rides or games you want to do. It also has the world's oldest ferris wheel.

From there, we went to the Austrian National Library.
Brace yourselves, Beauty and the Beast fans.

There was simply NO EXCUSE for such beauty.

We somehow stumbled upon another church.

(I couldn't stop pretending to be Sia while we were in there.)

And we went to the Art Museum--the Albertina.
I don't remember very much of it.

Vienna had loads of sites to see that would require at least a week to do it any justice...but after the fourth day, we were ready to move on.

So we did.