Vienna Austria

Vienna a city I grew up hearing stories about... Today we saw the palace and viewed the city from the trolley which we took in the wrong direction... Twice, but all good took tons of pics and found the cocktails:)

The city is a landscape of  palaces, opera houses and museums all in classic architecture that show influences of Victorian, Greek, Roman and the Viennese Hungarian empire.  Every corner you turn you find yourself taken back in time with ornamental carvings and statues framing the window arches, doors and even columns.  Built as early as the 14th century these buildings are maintained in their original glory.  Additionally there are multiple classic gothic churches with spears that are scattered across the city giving the landscape a unique flare as all the influences meld together along side the newer buildings creating a spectacular and elegant flare. 

The food is exceptional with a variety of potato and pasta dishes with schnitzel (breaded cutlets) along with fresh salads, fruit and vegetables giving you a hardy varied menu to tempt your senses, Pastries including hot fritters, strudel and Danish with cheese, strawberry, and marzipan make for a desert or accompany a coffee Vienna style with whipped cream.  Also the only country fried eggs were on the menu. 

Handsome cabs with old style carriages line the streets along the museum district where prince Albert's palace and the parliament buildings are all close by.  Inside is an old school horse stables with the court yard of what could be a palace in itself has horse stables to house the many horses that pull carriages through the streets. 

It's an artistic city with public sculptures and fountains in the parks and squares.  Some from the 14th to 16th centuries others modern art.  And just as the buildings old and new meld to provide a dramatic and elegant landscape the art work so prevalent throughout the city gives you a unique sense of this historical city. 

Connected with and underground subway and above ground trolleys make the city very accessible.  The University of Vienna is in the center of the city yet somehow on and near campus you feel very much like you are in a college town with large open areas, parks, and green trees.