Wienerschnitzel Anyone?

Vienna, Austria!

Picture taken in front of: Hapsburg Palace 

 Spencer had a business conference in Vienna, shortly after Barb, Wayne, Michelle and Mealii arrived into London. So we planned a quick three day get-away to be with him and to see the beautiful city of Vienna. Our dear friends, Andy and Azaria McCluckie and baby Sienna even volunteered to come "hang-out" with the kids (as they put it.) We love the McCluckies xxxx
Mealii, (Michelle's oldest daughter) is just about to graduate from High School. She has been working two jobs, just received a full-ride academic and soccer scholarship to Utah State University (Go Aggies!), and used her money to buy a plane ticket over to see us! We LOVED having all of them and had such a great time in this historical city. 

Vienna was, at one time, considered the centre of the European Empire.
 It is such a remarkable and stunning city.  

 Austrian Parliament on the Ringstraße with the famous Greek Pallas Athena Statue in front 

Athena wears a gilded helmet holding a spear in one hand and Nike the Goddess of Victory in the other hand.

We arrived in the evening and on Michelle's birthday. I told the waiter it was Michelle's birthday and he made the evening extra special! The restaurant was called Eduardo's and it was FABULOUS!  After our meal, the lights turned out and a very hip, upbeat "Happy Birthday" song started playing over the speakers and Eduardo came out with a plate full of delicious desserts and danced around Michelle! It was so fun! 

Michelle with Eduardo and her birthday dessert

Surprise! A bike tour of Vienna! We just can't seem to get enough of these bike tours and find it such a great way to see a city with some history. Casper was our tour guide and couldn't have been more delightful. Spencer' co-worker Johnny (from Ireland) joined us. It was a brisk but fun morning together. 

In front of the "arm" of the Danube River

Amazing tag-art down by the river's edge

Johnny

One of Vienna's historical landmark, their ferris-wheel named "Wiener Riesenrad". It used to be the world tallest ferris-wheel (212 ft. high) until 1985. It's the entrance to the Prater Amusement Park.

The Prater Amusement Park is a proper amusement park! It is SO old-school with the coolest looking rides. It doesn't re-locate, but is there year-round and open most evenings till around midnight or until people stop riding the rides! 

Vienna University- Study of Economics and Business

Incredible building designs

Beautiful Mealii~

Hundertwasserhaus - one of the houses designed by Friedensreich Hudertwasser. 

His designs were to show the harmony between nature and man. It definitely had a Gaudi feel :)

Stephansdom in Stephansplatz
Gothic/Romanesque style cathedral used today for the Roman Catholic religion.
It is SO impressive. It was built in 1339 and stands on the site of two other churches dating back to 1147. 
During WWII, extensive damage was made to the cathedral, but the people rebuilt it almost immediately. 

Stephansplatz

I wanted to capture these two beautiful ladies and the unique design of Stephans dom

The nave inside Stephansdom

Vienna State Opera House built in 1869

(an inside look in just a bit...)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart! 1756-1791

Mozart composed over 600 pieces of work. Born in Salzburg, 

but was performing in Vienna for the royal family at a very early age...around 6, I believe. 

It was the week of the Easter Market- Ostermarkt

These stunning eggs were sold all over the city. We looked and looked and looked. They were incredible. They are actually egg shells with a tiny hole made at the top and the yolk emptied, then painted. I bought three then laughed at myself as I literally babied these things all the way home! 
If they last two years, I'll be shocked. They are so fragile. It was so much fun though.

These are little Viennese children painting their own easter eggs. 

Hofburg Palace

The Hofburg family ruled Vienna for over 700 years! This palace is absolutely enormous. 

Today is used as museums and galleries. 

These next pictures are INSIDE the Vienna State Opera House

We lucked out in even being able to see the inside of the opera house. We jumped in line at 3:00 when the website said the opera house would be open and they CLOSED the doors 5 minutes later. That was how fast the tours filled up. It was the maximum people they would allow to see the building that day, before they finished setting up for that evening's opera show. This opera house shows a different show every night! You can go each evening and see something new! Incredible

The grand staircase in the Opera House

Schönbrunn Palace is the former imperial summer residence located in Vienna.

They did not allow pictures inside the palace.

The Easter Market at Schönbrunn Palace

It was cold!

Minoriten Church

We got tickets to see the most beautiful cello concert in this church. 

The next evening we went to another live concert at Palais Auersperg with a mini orchestra, 
opera singers and two ballet dancers. 

It was SO much fun and we left dancing! 

*Funny story* I asked a gentleman at the opera house where the restaurant "Helen's" was? I had been told by our friends that it had the best Wienerschnitzel in Vienna. He said, "Oh! you mean....(then he said a name I DID NOT understand). I looked at him with a very blank look and so he took my phone and typed in the name of the restaurant...it was "Figlmüller". Yaaaaa....that sounds exactly like Helen's. LOL! Anyway, we took his advice and arrived at a tiny WONDERFUL restaurant that was packed and had the BEST wienerschnitzel I've ever eaten!!!