Fun Days with Friends are ALWAYS the Best!

Day #3 in Vienna!!!

We got up REALLY early to make it into the Institute by 8:30.  We were heading to the United Nations on Wed, June 1st, to visit the Office of Drugs and Crime.  They have adopted the Strengthening Families Program and are putting it in a lot of countries.  It is really neat to me just how involved the WORLD is in helping the family to be stronger.  It just testifies of the Proclamation to the World on the FAMILY that was given in 1995.  Some of the literature I have read recently saw a major decline in families just prior to that and an increase in programs to benefit and strengthen families.

It was interesting to get the world view.  The building was pretty cool too.  It is kind of 'green,' not in color but in energy efficiency.  Windows everywhere to increase light instead of using electricity.  It is pretty safe too.  I can't remember EVERYTHING he said, but it was interesting.

Getting in was quite a process.  We had to have special badges and everything.  But...we didn't get to keep them.  So I took a picture of mine to prove I REALLY was there.

It had been overcast and rainy but still got a couple pics outside.  They have the flags of all the countries...so I had to get one of the USA flag.

 

Me and Morgan Marietti - a champion ice hockey player from Salt Lake

When we got back we went to the art museum...Albertina.  I like art, but not overly.  It is interesting but ... I hate to say it felt more like the Ferris Bueller's Day off day.  Luckily I was with a couple fun people who made it fun (Katie and Morgan).  We told stories about the paintings and found the ones we actually understood.  A couple stood out....man with head turned 3/4 to the left!  We laughed about that title for the entire day.  Also the Black on Black No 8!  This had to be one of my ALL TIME favorites - tho I hate to make fun.  It was a HUGE canvas (about the size of a queen size bed) painted ALL BLACK!  No way...we wondered what Black on Black No 1-7 were.  

But I do have to say, that the museum WAS impressive and the fact that ONE family donated their entire private collection to this museum was over the top!  I can't believe one single family had that many original paintings from top artists like Monet and Picasso!

 Then we went wandering via my Fodor's book (loaned by Becca Anderson, of course...my Vienna consier)

Here is Pinocchio sitting right here on a bench...too good a photo op to pass by so Morgan sat down beside him and his long nose.

 Inside a church...you can see my wonderful Fodor's guide book....it has gotten us to some pretty cool places so far!

 Here is the head 3/4 turn to the right

 The back side of Hofburg Palace

  Mozart's statue is just to the left of the above pic

 Here we are...funny story here!  These two girls were ahead of us so we waited politely.  Then not so politely as they were there for about 20 minutes taking picture after picture after picture, posed with head back, with one foot on tip toe, close up, far away, then looking at all of them and then taking more.  Pretty soon there were LOTS of people waiting to get a picture.  Some just took it WITH them in the pic.  I had to chuckle.

 with a treble clef in the foreground...cool

 The OTHER side of the Hofburg Palace is truly cool!  The gigantic-ness of EVERYTHING is amazing!  From the courtyard you can see this huge castle...looks like the Disney Princess castle from Disneyworld!

 Hofburg Palace

 

 In Fodor's it said that all this was a 'site not to be missed!'  Through this archway is the true site NOT to be missed.

I have to admit...it was pretty cool.  But the cool part was also afterwards.  We came out to a concert taking place.  Some German band was singing and playing....we obviously understood nothing.  But we finally, at the end, got the chorus...Baby, Baby, Shag Demaloniha!  Obviously that is NOT what it is SUPPOSED to sound like...but that is what WE got.  Just fun with friends.  I love that.

Another funny part was sitting on the stairs and I was reading the guide book.  I inserted my name as if it was a guided tour by ME....Morgan totally thought it was a real person that Fodor's offered.  We all laughed...we were tired by that time.  Being with friends is fun...better than doing Vienna alone!

This was  GREAT day!

Tune in next time for ... the Vienna Philharmonic comes to the Schonnbrun Palace!