Saturday, September 14

 Awake by 8 for a very nice breakfast at the hotel. Afterward we chatted with the proprietor and the  concierge, and arranged to be picked up for a city tour, and to go to Wachau on a cruise on Sunday. The city tour was a great way to see where everything is, and included a

tour of Schonbrunn Palace. We had a half hour there to wander the gardens, which are gorgeous, with a huge fountain. Much like things we've seen in Ireland and France. The tour dropped us at 1 pm right outside the 

 

 

Hotel Sacher! So we had lunch there, on the sidewalk. Delicious, including of course Sacher Torte for dessert. We had just been seated when a familiar-looking man came in and sat down at the "reserved" table at the end of the café. I couldn't place him, but when he left, Larry said he thought he was Steven Spielberg. He asked our waiter, who replied that he was unable to say who it was, but that he was staying at the hotel, and that table was always reserved for him. I can report that he had

Sacher Torte and mineral water. And excellent service. [I visited the bakery in the hotel, and arranged for a Sacher Torte to be delivered to Joanie in Toronto as a belated birthday gift. It's her favourite.]

From there we hopped on a tram and went to Hofberg. We toured the Schatzkammer, where the Imperial Treasury is -- or its remains. The highlight is the Imperial Crown, but it's an interesting collection overall. From there we went to the silver and porcelain display. Those Habsbergs really set a fancy table! Thousands of pieces are on display. From there we moved on to the Kaiserappartements, where we saw more of how they lived. The Habsbergs inhabited both Hofberg and Schonbrunn for several centuries, 'til they went into exile in 1918.

 Just after lunch, we encountered

 costumed city employees selling concert tickets for tonight's performance of the Vienna Mozart orchestra. We bought balcony tickets. A chance to dress up and mingle!

 It was a very good concert, with a small orchestra, a pianist and 2 singers. At the end, the conductor even conducted the audience. We travelled to and fro by subway which Larry is becoming adept at navigating. The weather has been nice, bright and warm, but tomorrow promises to be cooler.