We woke up this morning to rain but, as we are blessed travellers, it cleared by 9am and we had a fine day.
Ian and Clare did a 3 hour Segway tour of Vienna. Clare was new to a Segway but she mastered it really quickly and became an expert by the end of the tour. They saw a new side to Vienna and both of them really enjoyed it.
I spent the whole day in the 1st district of Vienna which is the historic area and the one with the most beautiful architecture. I started at the Imperial Crypt where I saw the very impressive tombs of the Habburg Imperial Family. It was just the kind of thing I love.
I stopped for a coffee afterwards at one of the Oberlaa Konditorei . They really know how to do coffee in Vienna. Coffee shops look like good restaurants, the staff are dressed in uniform, your coffee arrives on a tray with a glass of water next to it. It makes a morning coffee such an experience.
Next, I headed to the Kunsthistoriches Museum. The building itself is a sight to behold and the artwork is amazing. Lots of van Dyks, Rubens and the biggest collection of Bruegels in the world. On top of that, there is a huge collection of Greek and Roman antiquities (not sure if that is okay anymore) and a beautiful collection of fine art objects from history. Initially, I concentrated on each artwork but it is so huge that it is impossible to see everything properly. After a while, I allowed myself to just walk through the galleries and absorb the atmosphere of all the beautiful art instead of trying to observe each piece in detail.
After lunch, I headed to The Hofburg to see the Sisi Museum and the Imperial Apartments. The Hofburg was the winter residence of the Habsburgs. In addition to viewing the imperial apartments recreated as they would have been in the late 19th century, there was a specific museum devoted to the life of Sisi, the Empress of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. I probably don't need to mention that I loved it.
Tonight, we headed to the Stephansplatz for dinner. It is a major meeting point in Vienna, near St Stephan's Cathedral. We had a lovely dinner in the aptly named Cafe de l'Europe. The meal was great and we reminisced about our highs and lows of this holiday. Tomorrow, we are on a early flight to Munich where we pick up our Singapore Airlines flight to Singapore, then Melbourne.
This last month has been epic. One spectacular event after another. On top of our sightseeing, we had an amazing time meeting family in Ireland.
One last reflection: we chatted to a lovely German couple one day. They were well travelled and had been to Australia. We talked about all the advantages of travel, particularly for a young person like Clare. The husband said to us: Australia will be the saviour of the world. The decisions you make will lead us all into the future. I guess it was said in the context of the complex problems that Europe faces in the coming years. It was an fascinating perspective and it makes me realise that we need to think seriously about the decisions we make in the next few years. They may well have significance well beyond our own doors.
