Vienna

In Vienna, I turned the tour guide role over to Steve. He lived here for a year, after all, as a missionary for our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. How nice it was to be a follower instead of a leader! Our first stop was the Schonbrunn Palace. A summer residence of the Habsburgs, the exquisite palace and grounds were a perfect place to explore. I had spent no time teaching about Vienna with the children, so we learned as we explored. We were excited when we made the connection that Marie Antonette was the youngest of sixteen children born to Francis I, the Holy Roman Emperor, and Maria Theresa, the Queen of Hungary and Bohemia and the ruler of the Habsburg dynasty. Marie lived in the Schonbrunn palace until she was married as a child to Louis XI and moved to Versailles. Of course Versailles and the French Revolution was a focal point of our studies, so being at her childhood home added to the enjoyment of the area.

 We especially enjoyed the children's garden. The kids were over due for a little play time with their dad.

 We wandered through the city, stopping in the City Park, and not leaving until we found the gold Strausse statue.

 We passed through Schwarzenbergplatz where the Soviet War Memorial stands, reminding Austrians of the 17,000 Soviet soldiers who were killed in the Battle for Vienna in World War II.

 We were in awe at the St. Charles Church. In 1713, Emperor Charles VI erected the church after the end of the plague in honor of Saint Charles Borremeo, the patron saint of plague victims. The architect designed Schonbrunn Palace and the Spanish Riding School. It is a combination of Byzantine and Baroque architecture.

We wandered over to the Belvedere Art Museum which houses masterpieces such as Gustav Klimt's "The Kiss". The grounds were also beautiful, complete with a wedding party in celebration.

We enjoyed the most stunning architecture as we strolled the streets.

 We stopped in the museum quarter to pose in the grand square that separates Vienna's most well known museums.

We toured St. Stephens Church on the interior as well as on the roof tops. This is the mother church of the archdiocese of Vienna, so it has been the setting for many ceremonies and historical events throughout Austria's history. The roof top is covered with 230,000 glazed tiles, with the eagles representing the Habsburg dynasty. 

We found the Votive Church, which is one of the best examples of neo-gothic architecture in the world.

 We stopped for a rest in Stadt Park and enjoyed the statues of such cultural greats as Mozart and Goethe and also visited the Butterfly House located in the park. 

As we wandered the streets, Steve made sure that we tried the local treats, including Almdudler soda, berliner pastries, apple strudel from the famous Demel bakery and doener kebabs.

 When I was engaged to Steve, my brother-in-law, Kyle Flindt, dug up a little information about his future family member! I still have no idea where he gathered the tid bit, but he suggested that I ask Steve about his days as the Schnitzel King. Steve was shocked, but then laughed at his honorary title from his days as a missionary. During his mission, Steve was known at the Schnitzelwirt, a place that serves schnitzel so large it literally hangs off of the plate. We dined on the Don Carlos schnitzel which is loaded with peppers and vegetables, the schnitzel cordon bleu and schnitzel served over pasta. How could we pass such an opportunity?The kids were excited to go to the Prater, a historic amusement park that has been running since 1766. I remember as an eleven year old riding on the ferris wheel with my Grandma Calder. 


 The highlight while in Vienna was a tour of the world famous Spanish Riding School. The riding school began in 1572 with specific Lipizzan, horses born black, but which turn white. The horses are exclusive of the school, being bread nearby and trained, quartered and protected with the highest level of care.


By the time we left Vienna, we were quite impressed with Steve's itinerary and how much he was able to fit in.