After a quick piece of toast and cheese, I went over to Salon Melissa for my hair appointment. Another good experience. Went back to the apartment, and Ron and I set off on Tram #1 to Franz Josephs Kai on the Donau Kanal (Danube Canal). We walked a bit to the Pan-Asian restaurant MyKai for an early lunch. My Kai had been recommended as a favorite by the owners of our apartment. Ron ordered Pho, which was nicely presented with extra fresh basil (aromatic and delicious), chopped hot chillis, and lime. I had chicken in a ginger, rice wine sauce. It was a bit too sweet for my taste. It came with a cup of pumpkin soup, which I gave to Ron, and he said it was very good.
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| Pho |
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| Ginger, rice wine chicken |
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| Grand staircase |
The Rathaus was built from 1872-1883 in Neo-Gothic style. The German architect, Friedrich von Schmidt won the commission for the project in a competition. He had previously worked on the Cologne Cathedral.
The first room we visited was the Festsaal, which is one of the largest rooms in Austria, and where special functions, concerts, and balls are held. One of the events is the Life Ball, a charitable event for AIDS research, which is almost as famous as the Wiener Opernball. It is one of the biggest charitable events in the world, and televised internationally. There are only 3,780 tickets, and they are made available through some type of pre-registration "lotto" and sold over a two-day period. It seems last year there were over 65,000 applications to obtain one of the tickets.
The room is beyond my ability to describe - other than to say it is spectacular with barrel-vaulted ceiling with gold leaf, intricate parquet floors, and a myriad of enormous crystal chandeliers.
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| Festsaal |
We walked through several reception rooms where preparations were taking place to serve a large group of some sort. There were buffet tables and platters with dozens of small sandwiches. Two of these reception rooms were the Coat of Arms Halls, with intricate coffered ceilings and massive chandeliers. The audio guide said that each chandelier in this room was valued at over $130,000.
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| Council Chambers |
We were then ushered into the Council chambers and were able to sit in leather chairs at wooden "counters" where the city representatives meet. Their names were posted in front of each seat, alongside a locked drawer for each of them. This room was also incredibly beautiful with another spectacular chandelier. This is over 15-feet in diameter wih 213 lights and weighs over 3 Tons.
We had a look at the famous spire topped by the iron "Rathausman" statue, which is about 17-feet tall, including its flag. It was added to the spire by the achitect as a way to circumvent the Emperor's edict that no secular building in the city should be higher than the tallest church. It has a practical purpose as well as decorative in that it serves as the lightning rod for the building.
The platz (square) in front of the Rathaus is used for public events throughout the year. In December the Christmas Market is held there. In January, it is turned into an ice-skating rink. There are music fests and a film fest to name a few.
The tour took less than an hour, but was very informative and we were glad we had taken the time to visit.
We then had to take the U-Bahn out to Heiliginstadt once again, as the parking ticket for the car was going to expire. When we arrived there I went to sit and study our maps while Ron went to the car. When he got back he was exasperated, as you had to have EXACT change for the parking ticket. He had 3 EU 10 in coins, and it wanted only 3 EU. So, we found a little beer place in the station, ordered a beverage, and he got the proper change, left me and went back to pay for the ticket.
After he returned and we finished our drinks, we again boarded the U-4 and returned to Schwedenplatz. We walked along Rotenturmstrasse and through the Hoher Markt, the oldest square in Vienna. Most of the palaces around the square were destroyed in WWII and not reconstructed. This is the art noveau Ankeruhr (Anchor Clock) on the bridge linking the buildings of Anchor Insurance Company. Twelve historical figures move across the bridge, and at noon all of them "parade" acompanied by music. The Wedding Fountain statue is also in this square. |
| Even a small confiserie like this has a chandelier! |
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| All the "lux" fashion brands |
We continued to Bognerstrasse, stopping along the way to buy socks and newspapers. This area of the city is the up-market shopping district, and a few blocks have a very modern appearance.
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| The Viennese equivalent of Victoria's Secret - Notice the "riding crops" |
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| Ball Gown |
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| Not my favorite - checked shirt with plaid suit! Seen in an exclusive men's store |
Our destination was the Schwarzen Kameel, one of the oldest restaurants in Vienna. It has been in existence since 1618, and has always been known as a place for "foodies" and for people-watching .
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| Exterior "Zum Schwarzen Kameel" (Black Camel) |
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| Some of our sandwiches |
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| Part of the bar |
We had small sandwiches and drinks in the deli/bar area. The place was very busy with mostly standing-room only. We did snag two seats at a table, but it was reserved for 6 PM, so we had a "deadline". We enjoyed our time there.
We then walked to Altmann & Kuehne, a tiny confisserie/chocolatier on the Graben. It was established in 1928. . Known for their chocolates presented in ornate little boxes called "Naschkastel". These containers look like chests of drawers, hat boxes, bookcases, etc. They are all individually wrapped in specially designed paper. They make a miniature line of chocolate called "Liliputkonfekt". The boxes would make beautiful gifts, but are terribly expensive. We purchased a few truffles. To see some of the beautiful products:
Altmann & Kuehne
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| Windw of Altmann & Kuehne |
We stopped in another large chocolate shop on our way to the Tram, and purchased the famous Mozart kugeln and a few other treats.
Around 10 PM we decided to go over to our local cafe for a nightcap, and Ron tried a wild cherry schnapps.
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