Round The World and other travels
A frequent flyer's collection of trip diaries
October 2012: Vienna
My first venture back into the skies, after four months of being grounded, was for a trip to my beloved Vienna. My friend Bruce had planned his first visit to the Austrian capital to follow on immediately from a five-week spell helping me recover from surgery. As time progressed and it became clear that my recovery was well ahead of schedule, I thought he might appreciate a tour guide. (More accurately, perhaps, I became increasingly envious at his choice of destination!) Either way, I decided with his approval to tag along.
The weather was a mixed bag, which is not unreasonable for October, but we both had a thoroughly enjoyable visit to one of the great cities of Europe.
Schönbrunn
This World Heritage Site, formerly the summer residence of the Habsburgs and lying a little outside the main city centre area, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Vienna.
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Grinzing & Kahlenberg
The suburb of Grinzing, on the edge of the Vienna Woods, is well known for its Heuriger taverns serving locally-produced wine. It is possible to climb the nearby Kahlenberg hill by bus and then have a pleasant afternoon stroll down through the vineyards to Nussdorf.
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Around the Ring
The strip of land formed by Vienna city centre's ring road, widened by a couple of blocks to either side, is home to some of the city's most imposing buildings and monuments.
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City Centre
The narrow streets of Vienna's central core, inside the Ring, were a revelation on this trip. It's a part of the city that I've probably neglected somewhat on previous visits. We found that just wandering around, with the map put away, yielded one unexpected example after another of pretty little squares, interesting arcades, beautiful churches and more.
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An der schönen blauen Donau (?)
Taking a lead from Johann Strauss II's most celebrated waltz, we spent a couple of hours away from the city centre by the occasionally beautiful, but never very blue, River Danube.
