Vienna, Part 5: Thursday

My last day in Vienna was a busy one, as I had things to do with Summer, plans to take a bus up into the hills around the city, and go in search of Beethoven.

But first, horses.

Thing is, you're not supposed to take pictures in the practices, but we all were...until the announcement was made. Oops! I just got this one, and yes, the rider closest to me in the shot is a woman.

After watching the practice, I wandered back to a meeting point to have lunch with Summer, who had been exploring some other places.

Potato soup

Yes, that is bacon-wrapped Brie. Holy cow, this salad was
amazing.

After lunch, Summer went off to do some things, and I wandered along to the appropriate bus stop for the hop-on/hop-off bus tour that would take me slightly out of Vienna for the afternoon.

The roses are wrapped for the winter.

I got off at the Grinzing/Sandgasse stop, for two small wine villages, and, somewhere out there, a Beethoven house that I never could find. I wandered around, and eventually waited for the bus by having a class of rose in a charming little restaurant.

Half the charm of the whole area was its distinct lack of traffic and crowds.

When the bus came back, I rode back into Vienna proper, and set off to find another Beethoven house (this time, I was successful).

I had to walk up five flights of this to get to Beethoven's
former apartment.

I took Schroeder along, and he was delighted.

Beethoven's music stand

Standing in awe.

A reproduction, but still, that's what Beethoven's
writing looked like it.

"Utterly untamed personality" is the polite way of saying,
"He's an asshole." 

Listening to magic. Beethoven was a jerk, but he was
a musical genius, too.

After this, I had time to meander my way back to meet Summer for dinner. As ever, I delighted in all of the beauty Vienna has to offer.

We went to a restaurant I had gone to on Monday, an eclectic place with amazing food.

Austria has some lovely rose wines.

Polenta with veggies. So delicious.

After dinner, we stopped for dessert, where Summer had strudel, and I had ice cream.

The next day was Going Home Day, and it was a long slog of about 24 hours between leaving the hotel and finally arriving back in Casa Meg. The wait at Chicago O'Hare was endless (about six hours). The flight itself from Vienna to Chicago was great, as it wasn't full and Summer and I were able to claim rows to ourselves (of two seats). But the Chicago to Sacramento flight was jam-packed, and completely uncomfortable. And four hours.

But we made it home, and the most important part is that I had a grand time in Vienna. What a beautiful city!