Czeched Out and Viennese Roses

What a busy few days it has been!  Kelly and I are now in Vienna, at the home of my Mom's brother Gary.  It's lovely here, both at Gary's house and within the city.  Allow me to catch you up...

One of the religious relics on Karluv Most, which people touch for luck.

On our second full day in Prague, we got up at the crack of dawn to visit Karlov Most (the Charles Bridge) without being in a crowd of tourists.  The light was lovely in the morning, and we really enjoyed the opportunity to photograph the city before it woke up.  We went back to the Old Town Square again as well, for an unobstructed view of the Astronomical Clock which is one of the main attractions.  It is the oldest astronomical clock that still works, as it was installed in 1410.  Every hour it delights visitors with apostles and skulls ringing the bells, and time-telling aside, it is a piece of art.  We were quite tired after our short sleep, so we both went back to the hostel to crash for a bit.   Then in the afternoon, we went to meet up with some local Prague folk who I met on the website couch surfing.  The first fellow was named David, and he took us up a back route of Prague Castle.  We walked up to the hill where there once stood the largest statue of Josef Stalin, set up a slack line, and chatted and fell for a time.  We wrapped up our visit with a beer in a garden overlooking the city, which was really lovely.  Later that evening we had a rendezvous with a lady named Daniela, who wanted to chat with us about Canada, as she and her husband are making a trip there this summer.  She works part-time with a boating company which runs tours along the Vltava river under the Charles Bridge, and she invited us to take a trip with them the next day.  Our last day in Prague started with the aforementioned boat tour, which was informative and fun.  We carried on from there to Petrin tower, a mini replica of the Eiffel Tower which sits on a hill overlooking the city.  It was splendid to get an aerial view of the Castle complex, as well as the rest of the town.  Feeling very tired, we opted to hang out in the green space on Petrin hill to nap and read.

The morning sun on Karluv Most.

The Astronomical Clock, dating from 1410.

Just your average building in Prague, covered in beautiful statues.

Petrin Tower

A very crowded Karluv Most, photographed from Petrin Tower.

Karluv Most from the water.

Our very enthusiastic boat driver.

Street performers in Prague blowing bubbles for kids.

Although we both loved Prague and found it beautiful, it was very draining to constantly be in a press of tourists.  We were unable to get off the beaten track to explore, and everything was expensive.  We were tired out from our time in the herd, and didn't end up accomplishing as much as we thought we would.  However, vacations are meant to be relaxing, and it was nice to hang out in the sun.

The sunset over Prague Castle

Yesterday we took a 5-hour bus from Prague to Vienna, and were met at the station by my Uncle Gary.

The reflections of the stained glass inside Stephansdom.

It was really nice to not have to worry about wayfinding, and to just climb into a car and be driven downtown.  We drove the Ringstrasse, the road which circles the main part of town, and our guide pointed out the impressive buildings and what they were for.  Vienna's architecture is similar to that of Prague, but things are much more spread out here, and the ability to escape crowds is a blessed relief.  After a walk around the old town square, we went for schnitzel and spritzers at the local winery.  Today Kel and I took the train into town and headed straight for Stephansdom (St. Stephen's Cathedral).  The beautiful stained
glass threw purple and blue light over the gothic interior, and we enjoyed playing with various shutter speeds and white balances on our cameras.  We then hiked 343 stairs up one of the towers to get a view of the city from above.  Moving on from the main square, we walked to the Hofburg complex, where the Hapsburg Rose Gardens blew us away.  The roses are so fragrant that you can smell them from several blocks away, and they come in every size, shape and colour.  It was a rejuvenating place to be in the middle of the day, sitting amongst roses in the sunshine. We then toured the Kaiser apartments and the Sisi Museum, both of which provided a portrait into the life of the Royal Hapsburg family in the 19th century.  It was interesting to learn about Emperess Elisabeth's tragic life, and the bizarre cult of personality that surrounds her, even in death.  For dinner this evening, Gary took us to a local restaurant with his friends Pepi and Lizzie, who I have met before, and we devoured the most delicious asparagus I've ever tasted.

The rose garden

So many different types of roses!

The Hapsburg Palace

My first impression of Vienna is that it is a lovely city, not unlike Prague, but in which it will be possible to lose ourselves, explore, and get off the beaten track.  It's comforting having a place to stay where we know our possessions will be safe, and where there is a magical fridge which is always full.  It's also been wonderful having a more understandable language here... German and English are similar enough that we can use the phrasebook with minimal difficulty, and people mistake us for Austrians, speaking to us in rapid German.  It's much better than the pitying stares we were getting in Czech and Poland!  We're going to the Museums Quarter tomorrow to see Picassos, Klimts and more.  We are both, understandably, very excited.  Goodnight, everyone, and much love from Vienna!