Sandy Supposes....

Willkommen

PROMPT: Vienna, Austria...

         This backpack ramble through Europe continues to thrill and amaze me. Now I'm in Vienna the capital city of Austria, located on the Danube River. It is considered a cultural city. Because it is home to Mozart and Beethoven, it's known as The City of Music. At the same time, it is nicknamed The City of Dreams because it's the birthplace of Sigmund Freud. Time for me to sprechen Deutsch.

         Wow, Lyn, you have outdone yourself yet again. Our current home away from home, the Boutique Hotel Altstadt is spectacular. Located on Spittelberg in the Boboville District, it boasts forty-five rooms with no two alike. Each has been designed by renowned artists/designers. Everywhere I look, I see contemporary art. This hotel exudes Gemutlichkeit, and it beckons me with a heartfelt Willkommen.

         Well, I must say that the topic/theme of today's tour is unique, Love and Desire in Vienna. This is not what I expected of a country associated with classical music and waltzes. Apparently, it was once a decadent city of excess and debauchery. Courtesans with powdered wigs wielded power.

         I was suitably awed by the beauty and sheer size of the Schonbrunn Palace built in 1699. Whatever did 'they' do with 1441 rooms? Imagine the staff needed to maintain it? Did the staff have floor maps, or coordinates to find rooms? Excess springs to mins here; extravagance extraordinaire. The gardens were gorgeous; a contrast of red blooms against a lush green lawn. Many a concert/konzerte is hosted at this schloss/castle.

         The Central Cemetery is impressive and elegant. It is the largest resting place in Europe with over three-million graves of both common citizens and celebrities. It is such a serene oasis in the city. Tombstones are varied and incredible. At times, I could have sworn I heard 'Moonlight Sonata' wafting through the grave sites. Music, or musik is synonymous with a cemetery. We associate it with memories, feelings, and personality characteristics. Hmm... distinctive notes echo and reverberate....Some of it resembles Queen's 'Another One Bites the Dust', while others sound like 'Roll Over Beethoven'. At this particular graveyard, i did not hear 'Taps'. I suppose I associate this tune with the mournful notes from a bugle at a military funeral.

         On this sontag/sunday in Vienna, Lyn reserved tables at Die Metzgerei gasthaus, or The Butcher Shop. I was more than eager to sample authentic Austrian cuisine for my abendessen/supper. The waitresses were freundlich/friendly. They greeted us with Guten abend and wide smiles. It was great to sit in the inner courtyard, rest my weary feet, and raise a frosty glass of bier/beer with my fellow backpackers.Ein prozit! The atmosphere was cosy and casual. The smells were tempting, and I ordered a hearty soup as an appetizer. My entree was a sausage, or wurst with a sauerkraut enhanced by apfels, or apples.Zehr gut!! Since I am travelling virtually and hiking many imaginary miles, it was only fitting that i rewarded my sweet tooth with a huge slab of kuchen/cake. On-line cake calories cannot stick, or slow me down. My horizons have broadened, not my waistline. This broad abroad isn't a slave to dietary restrictions. Gute nacht.