Day 17 Thur July 26

Arrived the previous evening on the train from Budapest.  Had a great ride w/3 young ladies traveling togethere from Barcelona. They were friends and all worked for different hotels in Barcelona.  They were using some of their percs.  One, named Angeles had been to Wien prior so she gave me the scoop.  Had a huge piece of Weiner Schnitzle the first evening and dreamed about it the whole night. After the usuall huge breakfast buffet at the hotel I was off to see the city.  First stop, the Parliment. Since I could never see the Hungarian center, I thought I better see some piece of government of the old Austrian-Hungarian Empire.  Unlike my previous expeience, I got off the trolley, walked into the ticket office, and immediately joined a Englisih speaking tour.  These government buildings are beauiful and ornate, unlike our U.S. counterparts.  Next was a ride along the "great cirlcle" road of Vienna.  Passed a noted ice cream shop that Angles had mentioned,so I got off.  But my father's childhood nagging about eating sweets before meals bothered me. Imagine that, halfway around the world and 50 years later and I was worried.  So, I found a tratoria and sat down for a .5Ltr of Mineral Water and a salad.  I wasn't expecting much, but they really know how to do salads in Vienna.  After lunch it was only a 5 min. walk back to Zanoni & Zanoni for my double scoop of Pistacio. I walked along the great boulevard of Franz Joseph and arrived at the Opera.  Now this is where all the action is.   I walked along a pedistrian only street lined with upscaled  shops and multiple cafes. Also noticed several high end watch and jewlery stores.  I then thought about my Breitling Aerospace watch.  It had been giving me signals that the battery needed changing.  What a great place to have one of these fine Austrian watchmakers check and change my battery. I convinced the 3rd store I entered to let me wait, instead of returing the next day.  During the 45 minute wait, I was served my choice of champaign, wine or coffee.  The watch was returned.  It had been cleaned, water-pressure checked and battery replaced. Want to guess how much they charged me....I took pictures and a hard back catalog of their store to serve as my receipt. There were no performances of music for me to see, but I did find the Museum of Music which presented a faboululous rendition of the famous composers of Vienna;  Hayden, Mozart,  Bach and others.  Also had a screening room where they showed the New Years Concert of the Vienna      Philharmonic.  I will have to return one day and see this live.

PHOTOS HERE