Vienna, Day Two

Oh happy day!  Due to some "misunderstanding" (of no further description), we're told that we won't be charged for internet usage in our rooms.  Hoo-ray!  All keys are where I remember them, and I can upload photos.  Oh, netbook, how I've missed you.

We started this morning with some sightseeing.  There are many spiffy buildings in these parts, in different historical styles, but the one we got off the bus to see was the Hundertwasser Haus -- an apartment building in a distinctly modern style.

The entire facade was fairly impressive, but what I liked best was how that bit on the left was in the traditional old school style, and it looked peeled back to reveal Hundertwasser's design beneath.

We then went to the Museum of Fine Arts, where we saw lots of paintings -- but you get no photos here because no photos were allowed, and this wasn't really my favorite type of art anyway.  Interesting, though, that the curator of the museum displayed paintings in different ways -- she did one room where the paintings were displayed as they'd been originally -- virtually covering the walls, rather than each by itself in its own little area.  The curator also chose to display some modern art alongside the old classics.  It was a bit jarring, at first, but I actually thought it works.  Why do we have to sort art by time period?

Then, it was on to lunch -- preceeded by a display of strudel-making (or, more precisely, the "Apfelstrudelshow."  Lunch (schnitzel) was followed by consumption of the aforementioned strudel.  While strudel was being consumed, someone suggested that we should have taken photos.  It was a bit late to capture the strudel itself, but here I am, post-strudel-fest.

(Yes, that was my actual seat at lunch, and my actual strudel plate.)

Thereafter, we tried to walk off all of that food by touring Schoenbrunn palace.  We're talking about the summer palace used by the Hapsburgs.  No photos allowed inside, but here's the front and some gardens.

The rooms, many in the Rococo style, are impressive.  They ooze wealth, really.  It's good to be Emporer.  Crystal chandeliers, gold leaf on everything, original furniture intact, and many, many paintings recording the history of the Hapsburg family.  Lovely stuff.

We got back to the hotel just before the promised thunderstorms.  We'll have a short walking tour tomorrow morning (I hope the weather behaves) and some time to ourselves before our final night in Vienna.  

(I miscounted jeans.  The laundry situation may soon become dire.)