After another excellent breakfast on board (omelet from the buffet), we once again hopped on the bus for a ride into the city. The walking tour began near the opera house, and we walked towards the Hofburg palace, where nearby the Lipizzaner stallions had a practice ring.
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| Hofburg Palace |
We then walked along the main street towards St. Stephen's Cathedral, enjoying the architecture while listening to the guide discuss Vienna's history. We reached the cathedral and the group was adjourned for the day.
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| Walking in Vienna downtown |
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| One of the lions |
We decided to head for a ChristKindl market, so off to Schönbrunn Palace we went, where a large market was set up in their forecourt. A subway stop was nearby the cathedral, as well as the palace, so no long walks or cab ride required!
Some stone lions out front of the palace that were enjoying the sun distracted us for a bit, but then it was on to the market!
While some of us enjoyed the shopping, others of us once again tested the glühwein (to stay warm, of course!)
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| Looking towards the ChristKindl market at Schönbrunn |
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| Some selections at Schönbrunn |
Back to the boat to unpack our treasures, then late afternoon we headed to the main market in front of City Hall (Rathaus).
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| Entrance to the market with Burgtheater in background |
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| The market with Rathaus in the back |
Did I mention that it was crowded?
This time we grabbed hot soup in a bread bowl. The late afternoon temps had dropped into the 20's now (°F)--we decided to return rather than await the evening lighting since we'd been outside most of the day. We arrived back at the boat just after sunset, just in time for dinner.
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| The view from our stateroom after dark |
During dinner, we left Vienna and cruised downstream, heading towards Budapest.
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