Vienna Walk

Hallo!  Guten tag!  Before we catch up with students and Maggie later today and tomorrow, Mark and I took a walk this morning through the part of the Old City of Vienna near the Hilton where we are staying.  I notice that the date stamps on my camera is still set for California time -- today is 08/09 -- the camera must think we're taking pictures after midnight.  Here is the view from our 12th floor room:

Tourists seemed to come from all over to see the old buildings, cathedrals, and fountains, most of which are hundreds of years old --

 

 

 

There are pastry shops (Konditoreis) and coffee houses everywhere -- coffee came to Vienna during the Turkish Siege and the first coffee house opened allegedly in 1685.  Drinking coffee became really popular when somebody had the idea to add milk and sugar.  In the beginning, people ordered coffee not by name but by color!  Mark and I ate lunch at the Black Camel -- which was first established in 1618 -- and we will go there for dinner tomorrow night -- I'll take photos of the Black Camel to post.  Here are a few pastry shops, foods, and outdoor cafes enjoyed by the tourists:

Mark wished he had his seed collection kit -- those tomatoes on the top right looked great!

From this pastry shop above, Mark and I picked up apple strudel, lemon cake with merengue, and a berry-poppy seed pastry called "plunder" ("ploondar").  All excellent!

Here are a few more interesting photos taken today:

Nice collection of old books!

Not sure why, but bear is wearing Mark's hat . . .

Sacher Hotel where . . .

. . . the Sacher Torte was first invented!

A better view of that sign that I'm pointing to above.

 

By the way, in Paris and in Vienna, taxi cabs are Mercedes Benzes!!  But if taxi cab drivers like them, maybe they are more reliable than I realize.