Austria (July 1 - July 4)

Our three night stay in Vienna was jam packed with a range of exciting activities reflective of a city that combines a love and appreciation of its’ history with a modern cultural and arts scene. We stayed in a very cute city-style apartment located off the tourist track which allowed us to cook each night and do our own washing. Small comforts which made the stay all the more enjoyable.
We wandered Vienna’s inner centre (a designated a Unesco World Heritage site) in both the searing heat of the day as well as the evening as the magnificent buildings appeared to change with the light. With such a mixture of architecture including the neo-Gothic town hall, the Greek-Style Revival Parliament, and the baroque St Charles Church it was almost overwhelming to discover this buildings one by one.

There are horses everywhere in Vienna. From the countless number of statues, horse drawn carriages and the famous Spanish Riding School this place is a horse-lovers dream! We were fortunate to attend a two hour training session to watch these amazing Lipizzaner stallions and riders do their thing.

We spent a day at the Alte Danau, a river located northeast of the city. Our first paid ‘beach’ but well worth it to escape the city heat under the trees and enjoy the luke warm waters of the river.

Our final evening in Vienna we attended the opening night of the 2010 film festival. A giant screen was erected in front of the St Charles Church along with a number of temporary bars and restaurants which made for a fantastic atmosphere in this unique environment.

We leave Vienna incredibly shattered- putting it down to the heat- but excited for our next destination Budapest.