| Monday was the day of actual dates with guys we met at our hostel! First, we traipsed around the city with Hobs, from Australia, who's originally from Hong Kong, and who showed us how we could gain admittance to places where we could play great grand pianos in the city. Yes, Becky was even able to play a real Steinway baby grand in a mirrored mini showroom. In the evening we were invited to join two guys from South Africa to the opera house to see Puccini's La Boheme. Before it started, we had a very interesting conversation, part of which was discussing the statistics of true Christianity in South Africa. It was neat to experience how, even with com- plete strangers, we could have a conversation like this. Unfortunately, the kindly old gentleman who took a picture of us didn't possess many photo- graphic abilities . . . As the sun went down we discovered, quite unexpectedly, a charming Christmas market just in front of the palace, circling around a large Christmas tree. Traditional English carols floated in the air along with the aromas of freshly made potatoes, pastries, roasted apples, and hot spiced wine. We had been to two other Christmas markets in the city, along with the well-known and very commercial Christkindlmarkt, but we found the Schloss Schoenbrunn Weihnachtsmarkt far less Americanized and refreshingly warm and authentic. |
| 2.2 - A Christmas Excursion for the Senses |
| Check out Bratapfel: a popular German Christmas recipe. |
 |
| Our last story for this episode includes a short trip to the old national library where ladders stretched far up into the reaches of centuries-old volumes. Later on we went to Schloss Schoenbrunn - ah the beauty, the grandeur, the history, standing proudly on a hill overlooking Vienna - it took our breath away. Its yellow stone walls glowed in the light of the setting sun, and we could picture 19th century carriages riding the tree-lined gravel road to the palace's door. Opposite the palace on another hill stands the gorgeous Victory Memorial from where one can see even beyond Vienna. |
 |
 |