September 17, 2024
When I woke up and looked out the window and actually saw the sun I was so beyond happy! Yesterday was an insane day (hence no blog) as I found out at 3:00 am that all trains to Vienna were cancelled due to weather. We had to get to Vienna as we had Opera tickets for the 17th which I had booked six months before and had built the entire trip around. No seats on planes available, no rental cars, no buses!!! I spent hours trying to find a way and thankfully the concierge at the hotel found a guy who would drive us. The rain was crazy throughout the three hour trip but we made it to Vienna!!
I did an early morning walk though Vienna University to grab some breakfast. It was incredible being outside and enjoying the energy of the young people heading off to class.
Later we headed out to catch the Hop on Hop off bus to begin exploring Vienna. The city is unlike any of the other cities we have visited on this trip with the combination of old building mixed with skyscrapers.
Vienna, Austria’s capital, lies in the country’s east on the Danube River. Its artistic and intellectual legacy was shaped by residents including Mozart, Beethoven and Sigmund Freud. The city is also known for its Imperial palaces, including Schönbrunn and the Habsburgs’ summer residence. In the Museums Quarter district. Historic and contemporary buildings display works by Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt and other artists.
After exploring all day we headed back to the hotel to dress for the Opera!! The Opera house inside was a work of art! I had scored boxed seats for the opera so we were feeling very privileged. The Opera “Romeo et Juliette” by Charles Gounod was incredibly well done and both the tenor who played Romeo and the soprano who was Juliet were outstanding. The acoustics in the hall added to the performance. The death scene was so emotional that it brought tears!!!
As we rode home we got to see the city lit up which was the perfect ending to a perfect day!!!
Oh yeah….”Best Day Ever….so far”!!!
We have one more day to explore Vienna and then a very early flight home to end this amazing trip.
