Vienna

Vienna is known for classical music – Salzburg has Mozart but Vienna has Beethoven, Haydn & Strauss.

Vienna is also noted for palaces. They are everywhere.

We stand for a photo opportunity outside Beethoven's birth house.

This is the courtyard at Beethoven's house. We entered though the door and tunnel that is visible at the left of the picture. To the right of the right hand arch is a tap and basin.

We began to ascend the spiral staircase to view Beethoven's flat on the fourth floor. I just loved the way that nothing is straight and you wind around even at ground level.

























This is the view looking down on the courtyard.  Many old buildings have these sort of vertical shafts.  I assume that was to get light and air in before the invention of electric light and air conditioning.

Apart from playing Beethoven's piano, we also learn, after we have paid entry, that Beethoven may not have actually lived in this flat but may have actually lived in another flat on this floor of the building.

I was going to remove the sign from the photo bit the sign said please don't touch so in good Austrian fashion, I did not touch the sign. Have to photo shop it out.

 Looking back done the staircase from the fourth floor.  Imagine walking this every day.  No elevators.  Keeps everyone just a little thinner.

Vienna is full of grand old buildings and palaces. This is the Sacher Hotel home of the famous Sacher Torte.


Vienna is full of grand old buildings and palaces. This is the Sacher Hotel home of the famous Sacher Torte.

We have invested a small fortune in 2 small tortes.

You just get your camera lined up on another grand old building when some great oaf springs up in your shot. Appropriately, this building is called the "Rathaus" and apparently this is the town hall.

Another good use for a grand old building is to hang a dirty great screen on.



And if you are wondering what you use to project this picture check out the projector below.

This is the biggest video projector I have ever seen. I can just imagine Mr Bean plugging his camcorder in. I was so regretting not having the leads for my camera with me.


You can just see the tangle of cooling pipes.

Ok so the Box containing the Sacher Torte has been ceremonially opened.

 I cut you choose.
One of the great draw cards of Vienna.

(Tasted pretty good too)


This makes me think we can increase the tourist draw to Brisbane by building a palace and designing the famous Oxley Torte. I think we may start by just repackaging a Sara-Lee frozen chocolate pudding in a wooden box and selling it for $50. Not quite sure how we will get it listed in Lonely Planet but I am sure we deserve a government grant to help.

This is the back door of the Schonbraunn palace. I am sure that there are plenty of views of the front door on the net.

The back yard

 Strolling around the back yard looking for somewhere to sit. All the lawns have neat little signs saying keep off the grass. Which given that you seem to be able to buy bongs in the shops could be taken two ways.

In the backyard, King Franz Joseph even has his own Zoo cafe. Pick your animal and have it roasted?

 The astute viewer will note the differences to a German restraint. The two isles are not parallel rather they are in a form of a V meeting centre in front of the camera. Further more the centre group of tables are each actually rotated 45 degrees.

However do as I did and take a chair from one table to another and the head waiter will immediately spring forward to have you move it out of the isle as this must be kept clear for the waiters.

Tomato sauce toothpaste?

We hired this car for a dash to the country to see Marcus's final performance. How can someone take such a cool car and plaster this sort of stuff over it. Just as well that I had had a practice in Mel's mini back in Brisbane At least it looked like a mini should.



Anyway it still managed a smooth 160km/h on the autobahn and would have gone faster except for my conservative nature. (It was night time and I have limited experience driving on the wrong side of the road)

Free Bikes available in Vienna. You have to register and if you loose it, you are up for eu600. There are pick up and drop off points all over the city. The first hour is free but if you have it longer you have to pay a few euros. You can keep it free by checking in and out and restarting the clock.



As with Germany, you do not need a helmet.



Helmets being a slight impediment I believe in stopping Brisbane developing a similar system.