Vienna 19-20 June

19 June

Accommodation was at a premium in Vienna and our small group ended up in two different hostels but not so far apart that it was a problem.
A bright and early start to our two hectic days in Vienna saw us on a tram to visit the stately Schloss Schonenberg Palace, constructed with the aim of rivalling Versailles. Gilt, gilt, inlaid wood panels, marquetry, more gilt and much more.

Arriving at the Schloss.

The palace is set in very extensive landscaped gardens with a grand colonade finishing off what must have been nearly a kilometre of formal gardens. We took the grand tour to see how Europes richest royals once lived.

The view from the back porch towards the garden shed.

The back of the schloss.

Back into central Vienna for a visit to St. Stephens Cathedral which of course was magnificent.

Inside St Stephens Cathedral.

But the highlight of our cathedral was descending into the catacombs below St Stephens.

The catacombs ranged from ornate burial chambers for the royal family to dank and dark plague pits holding in excess of six hundred bodies. As space became limited to bury their dead, particularly in plague times, prisoners were conscripted to strip the remaining flesh off the bones and stack them to the ceilings in special bone rooms. Space was again in demand during WWII when the catacombs were used as bomb shelters meaning skeletons were thrown on top of one another in to quickly make space for the living. The visit was fascinating but a little on the morbid side.

As the Hapsburg family could not be buried in only one church they were split up with one church holding the mumified bodies, another the organs preserved in alcohol (occasionally they leak still) and a third the preserved heart. We took a quick peek at their other resting places on our way to explore the grand city centre. It is everything you would expect of a city with the reputation of Vienna. The extent and grandeur is too much to absorb in our limited timeframe.

One of many, many magnificent buildings in central Vienna.

20 June

Unfortunately soaking rain set in on day two of our Vienna stay and took the gloss off our sightseeing.

With the weather against us some housekeeping was the order of the day with Tracey and I having much needed haircuts. Rod does not need the services of hairdressers any more.

A visit to a nearby sports super store saw Tracey and Rod come away with new Gore knicks.

Even though the rain had not let up Rod was keen to visit one of the climbing world's icons, a 25m high WWII flak tower that has been converted into an outdoor climbing centre, unfortunately the rain meant that there was no climbing on the day.

The flak tower with a climbing wall on the outside and an aquarium inside.

Wet Vienna.

On the way back to our respective hostels (Wombat in Rod's case and Ruthensteiner for Trace and I) we ran the gauntlet of a Free Music, Free Party, Free Tibet demonstration. Riot squad police were there in their hundreds, dozens of mini vans full of the constabulary. The demonstration looked fairly volatile and we were pleased to have it behind us.

The police vans lined up near the demonstration.

Hostel Ruthensteiner.