Vienna...

 Our very first year here friends of ours went to Vienna at Christmastime. When they returned they told us that we had to visit. "It's like a Christmas Card. Christmas Markets, Caroling...it's fabulous." Three years later we finally were able to schedule a weekend. Before we moved we were big fans of Passport to Europe. I think it was a travel channel show. Samantha Brown traveled all over the Europe in 3 days episodes. She did Vienna in three days...She saw all the Imperial sights, the Spanish horses, the Palaces, did some shopping. I've come to determine that she left out one very important thing. Teenagers.
   We scheduled almost three days in Vienna. We arrived on Sunday evening. The kids were shocked at how early the sun set. It probably didn't help that we were fast approaching the shortest day of the year.  But by 5 pm when we were walking to the hotel from the train station they couldn't believe that night had fallen. Vienna's transportation is awesome. There is a train that leaves you right in the city center in about 15 minutes. It was a quick 7 minute walk (after we asked a cab driver which direction we needed to head in) to get to the Marriott we were staying at.
    One of the fabulous thing about staying at an American hotel is that we get to experience American foods once again. I know, who goes to Vienna for a hamburger but it made the kids super happy to see an American Sports Bar in the lobby, complete with the NFL on the big screen. A few Burgers,Fries and sodas later and they were happy campers. Jess and Joe elected to stay in the hotel and rest while Andrea, Alexa and I headed out to find the Staatsoper.
    The Staatsoper is the Opera house. And I was convinced I could find a sign in which I could stand in front of the Staat...leaving only me and the "soper", which is my maiden name. Alas, those Austrians, put their little signs way up high and I never was able to get a good picture of it. But we had fun trying. There was also a Market in the area there that we weren't able to find until our friend Maeve showed us the next day. We ended up getting lost, well, more like, wandering in the wrong direction. We stopped for a Starbucks, righted ourselves and headed back out into the night. We must have at least appeared to know what we were doing as a group of tourists stopped us and asked where to find something to eat.

random man walking under the chandeliers. This street is one that they waltz on in the beginning of the Ball season.

St Stephan's

 The street to the right is the "red street" I'm not sure why. That's what Maeve called it. I just liked the decorations. It's also where when we found ourselves on the street again I knew we were not heading in the direction we thought we were.

The next day we woke up and headed out to the Schonbrunn Palace. This palace began it's existence as a hunting lodge on the outskirts of the city. It's now within the city limits and was transformed into quite the country cottage for the Imperial Family. Marie Antoinette spent time here as a child.

Christmas at Schonbrunn Palace

 The market at Schonbrunn Palace was my favorite of all those we saw in Vienna. It was rather small but it had the most unique handmade items. It was where we had the best chocolate dipped fruit and our first taste of the kinderpunch. The non-alcoholic version of the warmed drink they served. Very delicious and much needed on the chilly morning.

Lollipops bigger then Joe's head

Alexa photo bombing our picture

After the Palace we left to meet Maeve, a friend of ours who moved to Vienna from Barcelona a year and a half ago. her daughter Chantalle is very good friends with Andrea. She took us to this great pasta place and then back to St. Stephen's where we got to go inside and look around. We even got to see Chantalle for a few moments when she got off the bus from school. But she had studying to do. And we were cold from the long day outside, so we headed back to the hotel for some swimming and dinner. 

Our third morning we were a bit slow to get up. We went to the Hoffburg in the center of Vienna to visit the Imperial Apartments. It really is a fascinating history. One I've clearly forgotten. But in walking through the china rooms, where one setting came from Milan and another from Rome, reminds you of how vast their empire once was. We also learned all about Empress Sissy, who was an independent minded, if not severely depressed Empress of a beloved Emperor. After we were finished with the history lessons, it was back outside into the freezing temperatures to see another market.

 The market between the two museums, it has a name which escapes me at the moment, was also really nice. They had some great food treats that we tried.

Kids at Rathous

The Rathous market is the largest and most popular of all of the markets. It had the biggest number of stalls and the nicest mugs.  We loved that they decorated the nearby trees with all sorts of different large lights, hearts, snowmen, trains. It was very whimsical. We went first in the afternoon and then came back at night since it was very clear that the lights would be beautiful at night.

Heart light tree

Trains

 

snowmen

 We took a break back at the hotel to warm up before heading back out to meet Andrea's friend Chantalle. Chantalle planned for the kids to go ice skating in a nearby outdoor rink. We had no idea that this rink was so close to where we were. And the kids had a blast.

ice skating with Chantalle

 Then it was back to the Rathous market to enjoy the lights and get some good food before calling it a night. We were all frozen solid before turning in. But it was such a treat to spend time with old friends as well as soak in the culture and Christmas spirit of the markets. I'm not sure I would characterize it as a Christmas card come to life. But it was spectacular. And we didn't get to see all the top tourist attractions but were greeted with smiles and warmth from old friends. In the end it's the memories that we made that we'll take home with us. And that will continue to urge us to come back.

We woke up early on our last morning to take the train back to the airport. Vienna was truly magical but it was so nice to be back to the relative warmth of Barcelona.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.