Vienna

Tuesday we left Budapest and headed up the Danube. It was a beautiful day. Cruising on a river provides scenery at all points. To make our way upstream, the ship goes thru a series of locks. It is interesting to watch huge ships enter the locks, getting inches away from each other and the walls. Once the gates close, I was surprised at how fast the water level rose. We were greeted with wine and local Hungarian musical entertainment. Champagne receptions with food before dinner. You will never go hungry. The food is outstanding and they incorporate local dishes into the daily menus. Apricots are the national fruit of Austria. I am in heaven!!!!! We sailed thru the night and most of Wednesday.
 Before we reached Vienna, professional dancers presented the history of the waltz and demonstrated various styles. The waltz was the first dance that allowed man and women to dance close together. We docked in Vienna, had an early dinner and went to a classical concert- the Royal Waltz Symphony. 9 musicians, 2 opera singers and 2 ballet dancers performed. The concert hall was a small private hall within a residence of a nobleman that wanted to feel like royalty, so he built the concert hall as part of his home. It can hold 150 people with great acoustics. They gave us a CD of the concert which was a nice surprise.
Today, Thursday, we had a walking tour of the town center which is oldest part of Vienna. We saw the State Opera House, St. Stephens Cathedral, Royal Palace, the pedestrian mall and we left the group to explore the Nash-Market. We could have spent hours at the market. So many food items and cafe's. we bought some more spices. In the afternoon, we toured Schonbrunn Castle- the summer residence of Habsburg royal family. Huge gardens surround the property. The inside moldings and intricate decorations  (photos not allowed) are covered in 22k gold leaf.  An amazing place. Vienna is also the home of the Lippizan Horses and the Spanish Riding School , where they are trained.
In the evening, we had musicians entertain us on board with authentic Slovak and Austrian music.





































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