Yesterday I spent wandering the city by myself. I bought a book about Vienna Saturday and saw this cool building with painted outsides....that description doesn't do half the justice of seeing it in person or in a picture. So...off I went in search of it. While in the book store I asked the lady about it and she showed me on a map. Wandering is fun and I see cool things. But I'm pretty sure 'wandering' is the least likely event you'd see me engaged in at home....I always seem to be heading somewhere specific for something specific at a very specific time! A line from an old country song comes to mind, "Rushin', rushin', rushin' til life's no fun!" Yeah, that is pretty much me sometimes - except I always try to make life fun!
Anyhow....after getting off at the Schwedensplatz stop (I picked that stop specifically for the ice cream) I ventured off with map in hand. Amazingly, it was pretty easy to find. But...I almost had given up and decided to check another street when it loomed large in front of me a block ahead. So glad I didn't turn!
It's even much cooler than my pictures. There was also some souvenir shops and I actually found the t-shirt I have been looking for. More bags to carry and off I ventured to find Belvedere Palace!
I was pretty happy with myself to navigate pretty easily to the underground and then out and on a strassenbahn (sp???). I hadn't ridden on one yet, so I can cross that off my list. It was pretty simple and dropped me off pretty much in front the the gates to the palace. It was HUGE...everything in Vienna is HUGE! Huge castles, huge cathedrals, huge palaces....HUGE! It was a nice day so I just walked and took pictures. I was alone so I had to get my own picture in front of the palace. It didn't turn out TOO badly!
the back side...
the front side...
why are statues always fighting?
After I left I had seen a souvenir shop with soccer jerseys. I thought I might venture across the street. BUT....this guy caught me AS I walked out the gates. "Are you American? I LOVE America!" Then he started singing "Life is Life" and showed me his shop and restaurant...then took me by the hand, stopped traffic, and off I went to that souvenir shop! He was a crack up. He immediately went to his computer and put the song on youtube and danced around. Some other young ladies were outside and he drug them in too. He literally made me smile! I found a shirt...but shhh...it's a surprise for Scott (who may never get around to reading this before I get home!) That is the ONLY thing he really wanted from here. I haggled the guy down - "surely you love your husband worth 25 euro!" "He's such a lucky man...you are beautiful!" Boy...I told him I'd go home and sleep on it and his reply was "You shouldn't need to sleep on 25 euro! You love him THAT much, don't you!" I went lower and he said, "SOLD!" I just HAD to get a pic of him....and as I did, "I love you! I love Americans!" he said!
After Belvedere I headed back...stopping at the Nausch Market to get some dried fruit and hummus! I ventured over to Karlsplatz/Karlskirche also. Nice!
All in all it was a great day!
When I got home with the intention of updating my blog (catching up) and studying for my test today, I ended up talking to my mother in law and Spencer for a good amount of time and then talking to my friend, Becca, for a long time. I love being able to talk via SKYPE for F.R.E.E! Plus...an added bonus is they can see me and I them! Who invented that? I love them, whoever they are!
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