Freezing Friday

This morning's adventure began differently in that we are determined to master the subway today and it is a good thing with freezing temperatures, snow flakes, and wind. On my it is cold here today!

So if you watch the Amazing Race, our adventure took us out of the city proper to discover the palace and gardens where Phil stood to greet the finishing racers.- Schloss Schönbrunn.  It was after that show a few short weeks ago that Tom decided we needed to go visit Vienna.  The view from the top of the hill looking back over the city was breath taking... as was the walk to get up there.

The walk down the hill was much easier and the Tom found the views equally impressive.  How could anyone wear something so short with 30 to 40 mph winds, 32 degrees temperature. and it spitting snow and sleet.  We could not answer that question and Tom did not have the nerve to ask so we just kept walking.Schloss Schönbrunn. takes one back to times of opulent living as you experience over 200 years of the Hapsburg rule over a large portion of Europe.  Not sure we ever completely figured out the lineage and which Franz Joseph went with his beloved Sisi.      

There was another great Christmas Market (outdoor drinking site) in front of Schloss Schönbrunn.  Tom gets a pretzel and Janet a bread bowl filled with the best potato soup ever, of course everything tastes good outside when you are cold.  Once again the booths contained all things Christmas or some special treat to eat.  

We jumped back on the U, we are experts now, jumping off and on the subway headed to our next adventure of the day, the Opera House - the Staatsoper.

Our tour through the Opera House began sitting in the "good seats"  We got a treat in that the tour guide was allowed to take us back stage and actually watch the setup for the night's performance, a ballet.  The great house does not show the same opera two nights in a row, thus complete set changes are required every day. The tour concluded by circumnavigating around the many rooms and halls that surround the great hall.  

Completing the tour it was time to find some of that Christmas magic drink.  Glühwein in a mug on a cold snowy afternoon warms the soul and provided us the opportunity to meet news friends from Zurich. A doctor in town for a conference and two handsome young men (Janet's Description) who are here for a Salsa competition.  Yep who would have ever thought that the Swiss would be Salsa dancers.  Our new friends refilled our Glühwein boots and we stood around a table laughing and telling stories with our new friends.

After a wonderful dinner of Wiener Schnitzel and the best potato salad ever, we headed into St Stephan for the Advent concert..   

Sitting in the cathedral and listening to music of the season in any language is a great way to end the day.  We also learned how cold a 13th century cathedral could be.  Mass on Sunday will be in long johns for this boy.

We head to bed with snow flakes falling and looking forward to what Saturday adventure brings with an angel watching over us.