Vienna

 We arrived early to Vienna. We took a bus tour around the Ringstrasse, built on the site of the old walls. Elaborate buildings everywhere. Vienna was pretty much the center of Europe and culture for 400 years ruled by the inbred Hapsburgs. We then had a walking tour in the Altstadt so much to see while we were told stories of the royals particularly that of Queen Sisi. We saw the Spanish Riding School home of the white stallion Lipizzaners who dance. General Patton saved them as they used to be farmed in Soviet territory. He was afraid when the Red Army got there, they would be horsemeat. They are born jet black but must of them turn white by 4 years  After a tour of yet another church, we were free to look around for  an hour before returning to the boat. In the afternoon and early evening we went exploring by ourselves with  transportation pass and a hard to read map in 2 pt letters all in German. We must have taken 20 rides or more between the subways and light rails  No one ever checked our tickets.  Main places: Central cemetery where many musicians are buried, the grounds of the Schonbrunn palace and a building by my new favorite architect Hundertwasser. 

the  Hofburg palace 

this statue had a black tongue sticking out

Flying Lipizzaner  we could see the horses in their stables

Almost every city has a plague statue to thank whoever for sparing them

St Stephan's Note gold ladder on steeple

inside St. Stephans

We were going to try a torte here if they were a bit faster On the very right is a Klimt torte covered with gold dust. Inside is hazelnuts and chocolate

Beethoven Nearby are Strauss, Brahms, Schubert and a tribute to Mozart

However some of the other graves were interesting. Who puts lovers on their grave

or a torn apart body

Schonbrunn palace. No time to go inside

Inside bathroom of Hundertwasser cafe where I had Sachertorte. Bet the Klimt cake tasted better

front of the building

Steve's sacher torte and my lime meringue thing. Mine was tastier 

my breakfast that morning

Hofburg palace. Again out of sequence. So much to see, so little time