Our Last Day in Vienna

Looking from the Upper Belvedere to the Lower

 Our last day in Vienna was a free one. Scott has a pedometer on his phone and we kept track of the number of miles we walked each day. On this day and those following (the tour concluded this night), we walked an average of 10 miles. With so much beauty to look at, it isn't hard. From our hotel we walked through the Botanical Garden to the Belvedere Palace Complex. We started at the Upper Belvedere and then visited the Lower. Both are art museums and house a wonderful collection of old and modern pieces. They are famous for their Klint paintings, both the ones they have and the notorious ones they finally returned to their rightful owner after a court case portrayed in the recent movie, "Woman in Gold" with Helen Mirren.
Then we walked through the city marveling at the ornate buildings and huge avenues with gardens and fountains. Lunch at the historic Cafe Schwarzenberg was perfect too. That night was our last one with the tour. They left the next morning. After a fun dinner at the Rosenberger Buffet style Restaurant we enjoyed a wonderful performance of Mozart's Requiem at the St. Charles Church. Back at the hotel we had a heartfelt presentation of thanks and gifts to our guides and bus drivers. Our Greater Rutland Tour of Austria was over for us and our personally planned vacation would start the next morning.

I'm not sure it this is really supposed to be a "serious" work of
art of just for fun - but it certainly was the latter.

We loved this "rug" made of woven fibers -
quite a contrast in this historic building

The chairs matched the modern works

The formal gardens down to the Lower Belvedere

With fountains and cascading waterfalls

It was really hot most of the time in Austria - this day it reached
the high 90's 

Looking up from the Lower to the Upper Palace

Just one example of the ornate Baroque buildings in the city

We had lunch at the famous Konzert Schwarzenberg Cafe -
one of the oldest coffee houses still in business

Of course we had beer!

And wurst with mustard and horseradish, croquettes, goulash soup

This seemed like an American type pastry

While these represent the Austrian types - all very good

The entrance to our hotel with the Orthodox Church behing

Gary and Marjorie Salmon are fellow Shrewsbury residents

Rebecca Johnstone on the left is involved at Spring
 Lake Ranch with us and Mary Crowley is a fellow artist

The St. Charles Church where we heard
Mozart's Requiem on our last night with the tour

Cheryl and Dick Hanson with Rip Jackson, our Chorus
Director

The interior of the church just before the
performance. We sat up front!