Vienna - Tuesday and Wednesday (Prater, 5Ws)

Tuesday 26 June 2018

The weather was a bit iffy, but I thought I could make it on my bike and stay dry.  That wasn't to be....  Anyway, I started off alright and rode to the Prater, a kind of amusement park without entry fees.  I partially rode my bike as all the rides are mainly on public roads, but then decided that I would see more if I took my time and walked.  Parked and locked the bike and strolled around the park.  I knew there to be a virual cache as well, so I had my picture taken and had that cache done and dusted!  As the object of the cache was the old Ferris wheel, there was also a more modern version, I plucked up my courage and bought a ticket to go on the ride.  Having had problems with heights (or rather space) for more than 40 years I gave myself a pet on the back for doing so.  I even enjoyed it.  It helped that the carriages were enclosed, but it was a step in the right direction.  The height of the ferris wheel was approx. 65m so we got to see a lot of the surroundings.

the 'new' ferris wheel in the back

a miniature version of the 'old' ferris wheel

The Ferris wheel

also

#1969 - Virtual Reward - Das Riesenrad (virtual cache)

Returning 'to earth' I briefly watched an orchestra, but as the stormclouds had been closing in (see pictures) that didn't last long.  Everyone had to pack up and I walked to my bike.  Walking was alright, because I had taken my umbrella, but alas, never mastered to use it on the bike, so I was pretty wet by the time I got home.  No problem, I had a great afternoon and the clothes dried quickly enough.

Wednesday 27 June 2018

I had been looking forward to this, as I was going to meet a few 5W ladies from Vienna and two more from Australia, who had just arrived in town.  Vienna was their last leg of a three month tour of Europe.

We had coffee and lunch at the State Opera cafe and chatted about anything and everything.  As you do!  On Friday there is an other Aussie arriving (what's up with all those Aussies???) and we will all meet again, but this time at the house of one of our local ladies who is going to make us a Viennese speciality.  Roll on Friday. ;-)

Christina, Margaretha, Veronika, Margaret, Jenny, Marion

Vienna - Sunday and Monday (Hofburg, city centre)

Sunday 24 June 2018

Sunday doesn't really need a mention as it was a rather cold and overcast day, so I didn't feel like going out.  I had my music, reading, games and blog to occupy myself with.

My 'study' (the photo was taken later, on a sunny day, though)

Monday 25 June 2018

The weather had improved quite a bit, so I ventured out on a walk into the city.  I had downloaded a few caches on my GPS and thus went prepared. ;-)

I crossed Karlsplatz to search for a cache at the Otto Wagner Pavillions, but couldn't find it.  Not that I put a lot of effort in, because on my own I always feel rather self conscious.  Anyway, it wasn't until I got home that I discovered that the cache, Pavillons, had been disabled AFTER I had downloaded it on my GPS a few weeks ago!  Teaches me to check regularly!  

Fountain near the Staats-Oper

Further down the road (the Opernring) I walked when I ran into Goethe. Oh well then, his bronze statue. There I asked some American women to take my photo and took theirs as well.  They told me to hold Goethe's foot for good luck, which I did, of course. ;-)  The poor man had one very shiny foot, so a lot of people must really believe this.  As it also was a geocache I took the necessary pictures of it so I could answer the questions, and thus I had found my first cache in Austria! Hooray, earned my country souvenir as well. ;-)

#1965 - Das strahlende Denkmal / The radiating monument (earth cache)

From there I walked to the Neue Burg. This is the former imperial palace, built in the 13th century. The grounds are huge and there are many buildings and extensions. And, as in many cities, polluted by the vehicle exhausts, these buildings have also suffered and I can see many in Vienna that are being restored and/or the facades cleaned.  Look at the various pictures of the palace:

The butterfly house (a bit bigger than the one on Bribie!)

On the next bit of walk I took pictures here and there and then arrived at the destination of my next geocache.  This time a virtual one, which required me to send in a picture of myself and the 'cache'.

# 1966 - Die Wiener Hofburg/The Imperial Palace  (virtual cache)

I always feel rather self conscious taking a selfie...

And the next one was a traditional cache, but I really had to look for it.  The description was quite clear, but there were too many gates and doors and the GPS is never very accurate near buildings.  I did find it though and that was the main thing.

#1967 - Burgtor (cache)

The next bit of my walk took me outside the palace buildings back onto the ring road again.  This part was called the Burgring and further down the Universitaetsring. 

Museum of Natural History

towers of the City Hall

After a brief search for another geocache (which I couldn't find, so I left it)  I entered the Volksgarten (public gardens belonging to the imperial palace) and found a nice spot for coffee and cake.

After a bit of a rest I made my way back through the buildings of the Neue Burg and Hofburg, all the while taking more pictures and the addition of another earth cache.  In the pictures you can also see that there is a lot of gold used in the decorations on the buildings.

#1968 - Lapis Lazuli (earth cache)

Coming out on the other side of the palace buildings I find myself almost in the centre of the city again. At Michaelerplatz I walk past an interesting sunken area which appears to be an archaeological find, which dates partially back to Roman times and has been preserved in situ.

Through the city, which contains very modern, upmarket shops and beautiful old buildings, I make my way back home, taking the necessary pictures of course...

Catholic Church of St Michael

Monument to commemorate victims of the plague