.Vienna for A Day

Our mooring in Vienna was about a 15 minute bus ride from the city, however Scenic provided shuttle buses to allow people to come and go with ease.  After breakfast we left for a bus tour of the city which ended at the Schonnbrun Palace, the lavish summer home of the last of the Hapsburgs. 

Unfortunately the tour ended up being very rushed after we had stood in the sun in front of the palace for 35 minutes while our inept guide tried to buy our tickets.  There had apparently been some mistake in the booking, but all this meant we only glimpsed the gardens from the back of the palace for a few minutes.  The guide had a raging cold and although her microphone only worked intermittently she still managed to cough and clear her throat in an offensive manner throughout the tour.

However it was lovely to be able to visit this treasure of a palace that we accidentally came upon while driving around Vienna in 1964.  This was the place where I had my first encounter with a squirrel in the garden as we enjoyed a long walk there.

We were taken back to the Ruby for lunch and then caught a shuttle bus back into the city to revisit St. Stephen's Cathedral where we attended an Easter Service (in Latin) in 1964.  We discovered there was a lift up to the North Tower where the huge bell lives and stairs allow you to walk right around the tower for wonderful views of Vienna over another spectacular "tapestry roof". 

After we left the church we wandered in the shopping streets but bought nothing.  After dinner on the boat (5 courses - but fortunately all small) we went to our cabin and the boat "sailed" just as we climbed into bed.  We said goodbye to Vienna with the certain knowledge we will never return, so it was lovely to have revisted after so long.