I decided to go for a wander…
…and while I did not resist the temptation to go into the Swarovski shop, the hoards of Asian tourists made it feel like a crowded local market, so I was saved from staying long enough to make any purchases…
Time for lunch… Cafe Frauenhuber is in a former medieval bathhouse and, established in 1778, is the oldest coffee house in Vienna.
I find it extraordinary that I ended up eating in the same place that the Austro-Hungarian Emperor and Empress dined in 1788 – where Mozart performed in 1788 – AND where in 1797 Beethoven performed his Quintet in E-flat for Piano and Winds!
I love Vienna!
Scrumptious lunch and ready to continue my meanderings…
…and I came across the Imperial Crypt! Something else to check off my Bucket List!
…and here are the final resting places of – as bizarre as it sounds – people I feel I once knew… Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elizabeth (Sisi) – and also their son Crown Prince Rudolph.
I felt so honoured to be able to pay my respects to them here.
On a lighter note, I did find it strangely amusing that the German word for ‘died’ is essentially ‘defunct’.
Headed back toward my apartment here in Vienna…
What a truly delightful, extraordinary, and magical day!
Time to rest up for a while and then I may head back out for a glass or two of vino…
~ Bella
