As soon as you cross the border to Austria you know it, even without border crossings. Same train but now the information comes to you in understandable English. The number of people boarding the train doubles and the countryside takes on the well cares for look we've come to expect. Slovakia was a delightful surprise bit Austria is just unique. It took us 4 conductors, 8 hours and lots of miles to arrive on Vienna and we were ready!
Off the train and on to the underground. So easy to get around even when switching trains. Good signage and most everyone speaks English.
Emerging from the underground, bags in tow, we blink at the beauty of sunny St. Stephen's Square. It's been a year since our Danube River cruise and a one day visit to this. It's full of history and music. We put a lot of miles on our runners that day however there was still so much to see and experience.
Shane booked an apartment about three blocks
from St. Stephens (Stephansplatz). Our delightful landlady, Bea, explained that the building dated from the Middle Ages with the top floors and improvements done in the late 1700's. I suspect the plumbing & kitchen are newer! Great place with lots of character and close to everything. The old iron door is one of only two originals left. Bea carefully showed us how to use the keys then watched as each of us opened and locked the door. When we had successfully completed this task we got the keys.
The first day anywhere us a "catch your breath & see what happens" kind of a thing. Back at Stephansplatz we both remarked on how the crowds reminded us of Dubrovnik. We sat for less than 15 minutes and counted 12 tour groups all playing follow the leader. Bea said the crowds were unusualnfor this time of year...."Like everyone wants to travel before the world ends"....interesting thought. We have friends travelling right now in France and it appears they are experiencing the same thing.
Determined not to be overwhelmed we did some back road walking, found a grocery store (so nice to find a big selection of vegetables) & headed back for a rest.
Next morning we were the first people to climb St. Stephen's bell tower. Sunny skies meant an interrupted view and a great way to start our day especially when you follow that by sipping a delicious coffee in the square while watching the chaos unfold.
Later
We took the subway to Schombrunn, the Hapsburg's summer palace. It really isn't that far from their city home but I suppose you need a couple of places when you have 16 kids and lots of money & power. With gardens, fountains, petting zoo, horse drawn carriages (even a wedding under a trellis), this stunning setting is not to be missed.

After touring the palace & the park we headed back for a rest before a night at the Musikverin for a concert by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. Musikverin is the home of the Vienna music school. Bea said if we go to the symphony this is where we must go as the acoustics are the best in the city. Though the internet said everything was sold out, we managed to get tickets with a blocked view which meant some standing and leaning over. But oh my it was worth it! A young pianist, Kit Armstrong (from California), was the main attraction. He became one with the piano and absolutely carried me away on the waves of beauty .....oh, the orchestra was awfully good as well!
The next day, after wandering the back streets and discovering places we hadn't seen before and ( some we had), we got as dressed up as we could for the opera. Some
People were wearing clean jeans & nice tops while others were in full ball gowns & jewels. Loved the couple dressed to the nines sipping champagne as they arrived in a horse drawn carriage! The intermission people watching was almost as entertaining as the opera.
We had third row seats in a box. There are all display screens where you can choose your language and read what is being sung. That helps a lot though, even with the help we still weren't sure about the twisted story line and surprise characters in this Classic Greek tragedy with King Neptune leanings.
By the end of our three days we felt we had truly experienced Vienna. Street musicians & actors, coffee shops, Mozart everything, Hapsburg quality and Austrian hospitality. No one could ever see the 400 museums in the city....we only went to one choosing to enjoy our time and breath the city in.
Now our weary legs are on the train to Zurich.... and this hasn't been easy.
We have open tickets with no assigned seats. The young man who sold them to us said our best train choice would be to take the 8:30 travelling to Zurich with a change in Munich. Well the coffee shop wasn't open when we left the apartment which meant we got to the train station early. Good thing. There is no 8:30 train. There is a 7:30 train though. Not sure where to go or what to do we just got on the train on platform 7a. A girl working on the train said it was the right one but we had to change in Salzburg. Then the conductor came by and said it was the right train but we had to take a bus (because of line repairs) at Otztal. So that's what we did. Twenty (long) tunnels later we arrived at Bludenz station and the last comfy train ride. Clean comfortable train with internet and a plug in.... just too many tunnels blocking the view.