Grandeur-Monday in Vienna

The "front door" of the palace!

One the most renowned castle of the many Austria has available to tour is Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna. Together with its gardens, Schonbrunn Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it has been a featured attraction in Vienna since the 1860s. Construction on this stately Vienna castle began in 1696, and it wasn't completed until 1712.The Schonbrunn Palace Vienna complex was designed by the von Erlachs, who were masterful baroque designers. It was built for the Habsburgs, who were a powerful dynasty that ruled much of Europe for centuries. In the 1700s, the Schonbrunn Palace Vienna estate was gifted to Maria Theresa, who was then reigning Archduchess of Austria, among other titles. It was a present from her father, and the Archduchess would waste little time in renovating it. She enlisted a court architect to give her Palace in Vienna a Rococo work over, which included the gardens. Unlike the more grim Hofburg Palace, Schonbrunn Palace is quite exuberant, exhibiting a much more lively and friendly appeal. Maria Theresa's favourite colour was yellow, and the whole palace is so painted! It definitely makes it a happy site! Maria Theresa had 16 children, 11 daughters and five sons. Danny and I liked picturing the kids running and playing in the halls as we were on the tour. "What a great place to play hide-and-seek!" remarked Danny! At the age of 6, Mozart performed for Maria Theresa and her court, and is said to have jumped in her lap and kissed her when he was finished playing! Maria Theresa married of all of her daughters but one to various wealthy and important European families, cementing the Habsburgs importance as a ruling family. Only her favourite daughter, Maria Christina, was allowed to marry for love. Schonbrunn became the summer residence of Austria's imperial family, and it remained as such until 1918, when the Habsburg dynasty saw an end to its long-running reign. Danny and I took the Grand Tour, which is the most complete, and we used our informative audio guide to help us. In each room you punch in the appropriate numbers and hold the receiver to your ear. In goes the knowledge! It's great! I enjoy hearing the bits about the kids and pets, and I loved hearing how the marriage of Maria Theresa was quite a love match and she was devastated when her husband Francis I died. I liked this story,   that she was fairly open to the criticism implied in a husbandly jest attributed to Francis I. While they were returning from the opera house at Vienna she said to him that the singer they had just heard was the greatest actress who had ever lived, and he answered "Next to you, Madam."! Doesn't that sound like something Jerry would say? So I can relate to her! After the tour we went outside to enjoy the grounds in the first sunshine we have seen since we landed Friday morning.

gardens! yes, sun is out, but it is still cold!

side view

she designed the gardens to look like embroidery

 We visited the Garden Above The Kitchen, with a neat viewing tower, a hedge maze(truth--Danny got through,I did not!), a children's playground, various statues,fountains and obelisks and the crown, The Gloriette. This is a beautiful marble columned building at the top of a hill directly opposite the palace which features a large marble Austrian Eagle. We were even able to climb up to the roof, with a commanding view and great photo ops.

the back of the palace

you pull down on those wires and the Bird flaps and flies!

triumphant!

Danny took some great photos, didn't he?! this is The Gloriette

view from the rooftop of the Gloriette

checking out the view

the fake Roman Ruins

we liked this neat bronze model of the palace, just presented this year!

 The only downside, the cafe prices were outrageous, so down we went, sans refreshment. Our last stop was the fake Roman Ruins-this was quite a trend among the aristocracy of the day, an area designed and built as broken down ruins, complete with headless statues and tumbled walls, for guest to walk about in and enjoy! They had some interesting ideas about fun back then! We did not visit the Teirgarten zoo, also built on the grounds, where Maria Theresa often had breakfast with her brood and her animals, no time,separate ticket-you know the story, when you are touring sometimes you need to cut a few things! It is a spectacular palace to be sure. Outside we visited with a guilded Mozart impersonator, who, due to the lack of tourist, wanted to spend quite alot of time chatting with us, and regaling us with tales of his boyhood escapades at a summer camp he worked at and his crazy snorkeling adventures off a remote island in Thailand! Bazaar and awesome, just how I like my travel experiences!

We hopped the subway back into the inner ring and headed for the hotel. Danny ate his salami and cheese sandwich that I made for him at breakfast (aren't you proud of me Sooz?!) and a coke on train like a local!

Jerry and his group were in the hotel bar having a cocktail thing and then dinner. Jerry took us in to meet some of his coworkers from Australia,Russia and China, so that was neat. And of course, our pals "The Dutch" were there, and it was fun to see old friends again and catch up. Then we stretched out on our bed again, opened the windows so we could here the many church bells chiming the half and the hour and relaxed!