Our first glimpse of Vienna as we traveled from Budapest - what I noticed right away was the separate bike lanes clearly differentiating paths for cars, bikers, and pedestrians.
Out bus stopped so the we could walk in the Belvedere - a historic building complex consisting of two Baroque palaces. The Belvedere was built during a period of extensive construction in Vienna which at the time was home to the ruling Habsburg dynasty. This period of prosperity followed the conclusion of a series of wars against the Ottoman Empire. We spent time walking in the Belvedergarten (Beautiful View Garden).
Each year, there is a different public art display. This year, the "the Year of Mercy," the art display is a series of floating disks covered with life vests. This piece of art created by a Chinese artist is designed to depict the plight of the immigrants.
We then headed into the city center. The city center radiates out from St.Stephen's Cathedral - the symbol of Vienna. On the rood of St. Stephen's are colorful roof tiles that create the Royal and Imperial double-headed eagle and the coat of arms of Vienna.
In Vienna, the street musicians play Mozart or Straus.
Coffee shops are ubiquitous - the people of Vienna learned about coffee back in the time when they were invaded by the Ottoman Empire. They have made it their own drink and celebrate their coffee accompanied by wonderful sweets.
The old part of the city is complete with narrow winding streets and large pedestrian plazas filled with outdoor cafes.
After a great first day, we traveled to Grinzing, a small village and cluster of vineyards that merged with Vienna with Vienna in 1892. We had dinner at the Maly family vineyard- a traditional Viennese dinner complete with seranading musicians.
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