vienna

vienna is all class.

my guidebook said it was "sweet and bitter". i'm not sure what they mean by that, maybe they mean that the city is absolutely gorgeous but the people are pretty snooty. if so, then they're spot on.



This was my hotel (not). its the Hotel Sacher, yes chocolate lovers, it the home of the Sachertorte (for you un-foodies that is an amazing dense kinda mud cake) The true recipe is still a secret. I was going to go have a slice at their cafe but couldn't get past the American tourists.



Being the home of music, thought I should go along to the opera. Bought a standing room ticket to see 'Robert Devereaux' at the State Opera House (thats it above), an opera about Queen Elizabeth I – it was absolutely unbelieveably amazing. (blew the one in Prague away). I know it’s a big call, but the most amazing opera singing I have ever heard – actually almost brought me to tears.

Even the buskers in Vienna are classy.



And the window displays are classy too, in a euro-trashy kinda way.





Viennese Art Nouveau architecture is amazing - this is the Secession, a beautiful exhibition building originally built for the 'Association of Visual Artists Vienna Secession'.





and the Majolica Haus by Otto Wagner, an apartment building.



couldn't get inside to have a look but this is what its like....



Not so Nouveau, but this is the Hofburgh, a vast castle inhabited until the early 20th century by the imperial family, now is basically the office of the Austrian President - and a very impressive office it is!



This is the Museumquatier, a complex of about 7 different museums. The best one was the MUMOK (Museum Moderner Kunst (Art)), it had a massive survey show of comtemporary photography - was just vast and amazing!



There were these huge specially round seats designed for people to just lay about and soak up the sun and the atmosphere. Here's the frühstück (breakfast) I had at a cafe in the museum courtyard...



on the last night, a few people from the hostel went to get dessert – that’s mine in the front, a nutella sundae. I only got through about half of it. (that's John, an irish guy - he was heading for Munich for the octoberfest)



L x