Robridstravels 9 June



 Well I was planning to launch into today’s activities but after a large glass of wine and some Vienna sausages at a beautiful rustic beer garden in the local park- plus a count of 11 kms walking (on Geli’s Fitbit), you will need to wait until tomorrow for the next exciting episode. Night night!

Good morning!
Feeling much revived after a long sleep and ready to reflect and report on the day of the Ephiphany (or what we might know as Ascension Day). Our little team of 3 headed out on a tram, to Karlsplatz. We must be an interesting sight…Geli striding ahead with phone in one hand and guidebook in the other, intently planning our route…me in the middle and some steps behind, trying not to lose sight of Geli whilst keeping an eye on Ian, who is many metres behind me! And so we progress…or not, depending on how Geli is getting on with the navigation.
We stepped off the tram to the peal of many bells from the impressive Karlskirche, celebrating the Ascension Not a bad welcome.
And such is the nature of this incredible city that, as we were dithering along looking for the tram to take us to the Belvedere Palace, we just bumped into the most famous Opera House in Europe! My mind was blown again.
We finally reached the palace…no need to stand in queues and go inside as there was much to wonder at from the outside. The Lower Belvedere Palace houses all the Gustav Klimt works but even that wasn’t enough to draw us in and we chose to rest on a bench whilst listening to an old man busking beautifully on an accordion…and the endlessly engrossing activity of people watching is always rewarding.
We wandered out through the botanical gardens, hoping to find a cafe, but after some searching (little was open) we hopped on another tram which we hoped might take us to the city hall. Amazingly, it did.
More mind blowing moments even as we trawled streets, alleys and plazas, seeking refreshment. We had to settle for filled rolls (herring!) and a beer-but we were sitting opposite Gucci!
By this time Ian and I were seriously flagging and we looked at Geli for guidance on our homeward journey only to be told that it would be easier to walk the 1.5 kms home than work out the correct public transport! Oh dear. Off we trudged again.

Karlskirche




Vienna State Opera House



Views from, and of, Belvedere Palace









Our entertainment 






Viennese tourist transport 


The Rathaus (City Hall)


The poshest burger joint I’ve ever seen!












Comments

  1. JaneJune 9, 2025 at 1:05 PM

    It all sounds great, Robyn. Thanks for pointing me in your blog direction! I just couldn't find it!! I need a short cut I think!! Keep having a wonderful time x

    ReplyDelete
  2. Robyn RiddleJune 9, 2025 at 9:42 PM

    Chaz here: woohoo! that looks like money well spent. That sausage is so big I mistook it for a bagel.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Jocelyn McKenzieJune 15, 2025 at 4:45 PM

    Robyn! I am finally catching up with you! I am so happy to see this Vienna post as I had my friend Heather staying a night and went through my old hard drive of some of my Europe photos and found I had lost the Vienna ones! I remember Klimt and palaces and cathedrals and ... but only vaguely tbh so your fresh new pictures are fantastic! I am a week away from my travels. Do you have anything you haven't worn yet ha ha? Anything you wish you had packed but didn't?! Hope you are feeling fit and well... finding the energy you need!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Robyn’s travels in Europe 2025 5 June

Image
 Off to Europe! Thursday 5 June. Counting down…only 3 more sleeps until I head off. Eeeeeek!  And now 2… How do I explain to a 4 year old that I’m travelling across the world when her world is Raglan, with the occasional sortie to Hamilton and Te Awa-moo-too? She’s heard of maps for treasure hunts and knows that “X marks the spot” -so I’ve made her a map. Hopefully it helps the old people too! Weeeell….I’ve made it as far as Melbourne …a long day which started when I woke at 4 (never a good time!) and got to the airport at 6.15. Like riding a bike, it all came back to me..reading all the signs, endless queues…a brief hold up when my metal knees set off the security alarm… a while to reflect over coffee and a surprisingly good flight to Melbourne with a yummy breakfast ( for a plane) and watching Paddington goes to Peru (highly recommended). A long day but managed to wander outside in a crisp and sunny Ozzie day..and now for the long haul! Yay…breakfast  Customs done and d...
Read more

Rob Rid’s travels 8 June

Image
 So…my techie adviser (aka Steve) has suggested that I create a new post each time so that you don’t need to trawl through everything to get the latest update. So here goes… As forecast, it’s been a very damp day and coolish too-perfect for a trip on the underground to the city centre. Our focus was the Hofburg Complex, the seat of power since the 13th century and the most amazing collection of buildings I’ve ever seen. The Hapsburg Empire built and built and probably would have kept going if they hadn’t disappeared when the First World War broke out! It’s impossible to put into words the absolute magnificence of the buildings that tower all around- the statues and frescoes, the constant vistas around every corner. Highlights were the timeline in the Hofberg Information Centre-handy for someone short on historical knowledge; a walking tour led by Geli which took us off the beaten track down small streets, thus avoiding some of the masses of umbrella yielding tourists; finding Vienn...
Read more

Family weekend in whanganui

Image
7  Family weekend in whanganui We set off on Wednesday and had a night in Ohakune. Steve and family stayed in a motel outside Taumarunui and we met them on Thursday at Angel Louise cafe in Raetihi where older kids enjoyed a huge breakfast! Then a trip to the famous Dinosaur House! Who would have thought Raetihi had something as amazing as this…huge moving Dinosaurs complete with roars. Ruby was equally impressed, terrified and bemused. Arlo just “No!” And headed for the door! And then on to Whanganui.  Swallowed by a dinosaur,!!!! Onwards to the wonderful playground in Whanganui  Got to our bnb and the kids had fun checking out the new toys. Cooked dinner and looked forward to the arrival of Jem and Mitch. Plane was late but they finally got here! Good Friday …not much open but we all had fun going up the middle of the hill in the old lift and climbing to the top of the tower. Afternoon weather was mild and sunny and we had a wonderful ride to Castlecliff and North Mole b...
Read more