Waltzing Through Vienna

This is not a food blog, but this is Vienna, so let's just get this out of the way:

OK, enough of that, what else have we done in Vienna? 

We had the benefit of personal guides, typically Andrea, ably supported by Michael, Roland and Julia as their work and study schedules permitted. Without Team Drapal we would neither have seen nor done half as much. 

The most memorable :

Andrea and Michael gave us an excellent introduction to the historical centre of town on Monday. 

Clearly, some late night revellers don't show due respect to these surroundings, so there's a sign warning of the consequences of relieving themselves in public:

On Tuesday we decided to explore the Schönbrunn Palace and grounds, beginning with the Gloriette. As we started so too did the rain. That did not dampen our spirits nor overly affect the views. 

The rain was becoming 'significant'  as we splashed our way down to the Palace, thus resolving the question whether we should pay for a tour inside. It was, of course, fabulous, inside and out. 

While we were waiting for our allotted entry time, Mary noticed tickets being sold for the Vienna Philharmonic playing that evening in the Great Gallery of Schönbrunn. The advertised programme included many pieces that Mary loved and/or had played with the Auckland Symphony Orchestra, so we figured this was a 'bucket list' moment and we went for the most expensive A category seats.

The concert was fantastic, and the room beautiful! The only way it could possibly have been improved was if they had actually played the advertised programme... 

Wednesday was a mixed day, part culture, part physical exercise. 

The cultural highlight was the Last Supper mosaic, a copy of the famous da Vinci painting replicated in a grand scale inside an equally beautiful church. 

The physical exercise highlight was Roland and Julia inviting me to join their weekly boxing session. 

I am reasonably fit, and it was a no-contact training session, so I figured it would be fairly easy. 

I was wrong. 

After straining every core muscle I have during a brutal 'planking' routine, I was advised that was just the warm up. 

The sparring routines that followed had me at the limit of my endurance, and dripping sweat. In the middle of all this, the trainer referred to my style as 'tae kwon do' and 'karate'. I know he was criticising my style, but I chose to take that as a compliment, given that the bulk of my experience comes from watching action movies. 

So, the first half of our Viennese week delightfully combined old and new, cultural and physical. And we were just warming up....