MS Amadeus Riva: Day 8! We docked in Vienna (near the Reichsbrucke Bridge over the Danube) before sunrise but, like most other days, had less than 24 hours allocated for activities ashore. I was awake at 0630 (after sleeping alright) and spent some time reading, blogging and working on Duolingo exercises. After that, I got ready and went to breakfast at 0730. I joined the “Timeless Vienna” lecture that took place before the excursions started - I was hoping to gain a little more insight into the city. Even without this, though, I had already spent days planning the things I wanted to do with the limited time. After all that, I was itching to leave the ship when our excursions began (0915). With recommendations from Gerard (a cousin with extensive experience in Wien), I decided to take the group tour (by bus) to Schloss Schonbrunn, the summer palace of the Hapsburgs during the 18th Century. For the first day during our whole cruise, the weather started and remained in the 70s! It was still sunny but it seemed that recent storms had cleared out most of the heat and humidity - such a relief! While boarding the buses, I noticed that we were parked immediately in front of a beautiful church (St. Francis of Assisi) - what a nice start to the day. We made our way through the Prater Park towards the Danube Canal and then joined the eastern arc of the famous Ringstrasse. Our guide, a lady named Varina, pointed out good historical, architectural and cultural landmarks as we made our way towards the Palace. Arriving just after 1000, we were given an excellent tour of the main building (1000 rooms total but we only visited about 25). Everything was quite opulent and it was clearly a favorite residence of the royal family. Much of the tour was dedicated to learning about Empress Maria Theresa - designs/decorations were mostly her idea. After the tour, we got to explore the extensive gardens and I made the most of the hour I had. Got lost in topiary mazes, marveled at beautiful flowers and statuary, climbed the hill behind the Palace to visit a pretty fountain and then even higher to see an interesting monument. This latter landmark provided a spectacular view of the entire Viennese skyline - wow! I had to really hustle to reach the bus before it departed (1200) but was able then to enjoy a continuation of the clockwise circumnavigation of the Ringstrasse (this time, the western half). After such a great tour, I realized I didn't have cash for a tip for the guide - dang (will need to do better with that...). We arrived back at the ship by 1300 and I went to my room for some cleaning up and repacking. After that, I went to lunch (and liquids!) in Promenade Lounge, hoping fuel up before catching the 1430 shuttle bus (provided by the ship) to the City Center. I was actually the only person on board (strange) but I was glad for the ride. We arrived in Schwedenplatz at 1500 and I immediately began my systematic Recce of Vienna. I had a few location goals in mind: St. Stephan’s Cathedral, the Hapsburg Imperial Crypt, the State Opera House and the Hofberg (Imperial Palace). The latter location was HUGE - it took me a long time to navigate small courtyards, narrow passageways and large gardens just to see it all. For anyone who knows Vienna, the photos likely show an experimental navigation - it might be true. Trying to save my phone battery, I just explored with patience and curiosity, trying left and right passages before straight. I’d never admit I got lost but there were a few “I’ve been here already” moments before I found the “correct” path. During my 3+ hour trek, I reached almost all of the places I'd hoped to see - and many others besides (e.g., Anker Clock, Mozart Death House, St. Augustin Church, Albertina Museum grounds, Parliament and Rathausplatz). I found Vienna to be an amazing, walkable city, with landmarks, monuments, architectural masterpieces and green parks visible from almost every corner. Actually, I never got bored all afternoon! My initial route basically bisected the center of the zone inside the Ringstrasse and I only had to pay for a ticket at one place (Crypt) - otherwise, everything was free. This was partly because some museums were closed on Mondays while others (e.g., Opera Tour, Treasury Tour, Lipizzaner Riding School) closed just before I reached them. Undeterred, I went crazy taking photos as I kept unwinding string on my walk through a maze of streets. I probably ended up walking the entire western half of the Ringstrasse arc - more than six miles without really stopping. Actually, that fact made me feel even better: heal bursitis may be gone! The sun was shining, a gentle (and cool) breeze was blowing and the crowds parted when they say my determined face and gait. At about 1815, I decided I wanted some local food and wandered a few more streets before stumbling across Heindl’s Schmarren & Palatschinkenkuchl (restaurant). My authentic Wiener dinner included: Zwettler Original (lager), a salad with tart dressing, Wiener Schnitzel, roasted potatoes, Styrean Apple Schmarren (house dessert specialty) and a shot of Weiser Williams Pear schnapps. The ambiance was wonderful and all of the food/drink was delicious. By 1930, I arrived back at Schwedenplatz after an amazing afternoon - I’m blown away by this wonderful city! Without much difficulty, I located the last shuttle bus bound for the ship - once again, I was the only passenger onboard when we left the City Center. Once aboard, I changed clothing and headed for the restaurant. I arrived after most of the courses had been served but I managed to get glass of wine. It was good that I'd showed up, though, because I ended up needing to help Steve (bad back) get out of his chair and up the stairs. Most of the passengers (including me) next attended a Viennese music and dance performance in the Promenade Lounge (2100 to 2145). The youngsters who were showing us the beautiful moves were engaging and smiled throughout their rounds on the dance floor. Unbeatable! Like we've seen in other cases during this cruise, the demonstration had an interactive quality - I didn't join the dancers but several other passengers did. Afterwards, I returned to my room and did some blogging and reading. Headed to bed at 2300 after an unforgettable day - there is no doubt that this city deserves a revisit
