Day two in Vienna. Update on Andy- feeling like death. High fever throughout the night, with meds. Kids and I got breakfast, and like the good wife I am, we let him sleep in until we have to check out. A little bummed we missed out on our morning plans, but Andy is rarely sick. When he does admit to being sick, he is usually feeling really bad. Good thing I’ve learned to front load our vacations.
After his morning lie in and me packing him full of medicine, Andy did feel a little better (and fever seemed under control.) We decided to take it easy and just stroll around to some of the sights we still hadn’t seen. Since we were staying in Stephansplatz, first stop was Stephansdom. The gothic St. Stephen’s Church dominates Vienna’s main square and was built in the early 12th century. Walking up towards the church, you can see the beautiful tiled roof. It is covered with 230,000 glazed tiles. The roof is gorgeous, the inside is just okay. I know… I have truly been spoiled seeing the interiors and exteriors of some of Europe’s most magnificent churches. 
Pictures of the Church from the prior evening. The tile work on the other side of the Cathedral’s roof shows the two headed eagle, a symbol of Austria, alongside the initials FI for Emperor Franz I.
K loves lighting prayer candles. She says she prays for her family and world peace.
Another pretty Church that I can’t remember the name of (or that I couldn’t figure out from Google maps.)
This Art Nouveau clock, built in 1911 by Franz von Matsch, is tucked away between two Anker Insurance Company buildings. It performs a little parade of historic figures everyday at noon. Our timing didn’t work out to see the show, but the clock was really cool looking.
They do love their composers here. Although technically born in the town of Bonn, Beethoven spent most most of his adult life in Vienna (35 years.) He originally came to study under Mozart at 17, but circumstances took him back to Bonn, and Mozart died in the meantime. He returned at 22 to study under Haydn. The picture on the right is the Sebastian Kneipp Fountain. He was a Bavarian priest and the forefather of naturopathic medicine.
We spent our afternoon in Stadtpark. It was Vienna’s first communal park and was opened in 1862. The Park is 28 acres. It holds lots of statues and monuments dedicated to well known Viennese artists, composers, and writers.
left- Frederick von Amerling (famous Austrian portrait painter in the 19th century); middle- Andreas Zelinka (mayor of Vienna in the mid 1880s); right- Hans Makart (well known painter, designer, and decorator)
Monument to Austrian songwriter, composer, and conductor, Robert Stoltz. His career took him to Berlin often, and during WW2, he smuggled Jews from Germany in the trunk of his limo 21 times. The Nazi’s eventually came after him, and he had to leave Austria.
We had some yummy pastries in the park, and we found a playground (of course!!)
Vienna, our time together was too short. Hopefully, we will meet again. I still need to visit my favorite painting, The Kiss, at The Belvedere, visit Schonbrunn Palace, and see the Imperial jewels at the Schatzhammer.
xoxo-sk
xoxo-sk 