Vienna
That the wind had gotten up was apparent from the windows of the dining-room over breakfast: small waves on the not-so-blue Danube, yellowed leaves blowing downstream on the quayside in front of Franz Josef's impressive Jubilee Church and the ship's pennants all a-flutter. All this was some cause for celebration, for the strong wind had dispersed any traces of yesterday's fog - and our morning activities would see us snugly inside the Habsburg summer palace of Schloss Schönbrunn. First sight of the palace impresses as intended: a miniature Versailles in Marie-Theresa's trademark yellow approached along stately avenues flanked by sculpted lions and sphinx. The gardens - one option was a detailed exploration of these - surround the palace, contrasting English romantic with French formal styles and with a centerpiece summerhouse, The Gloriette, acting as dramatic focus. Inside, we toured a succession of magnificent rooms, including the Hall of Mirrors - shades of Versailles again - and rooms pertaining to the reign of Marie- Theresa, including the ceremonial bed, imperial in scale, and a delightful Chinese room, decorated with yellow rice paper too fragile to renovate. There were paintings to remind us of the court appearances of the young Mozart as well as a wedding scene that features the Liechtenstein Coach we had viewed the previous day. One room was dedicated to the only son and heir of the Emperor Napoleon by Marie-Louise of Austria who spent his unhappy youth at Schönbrunn, despised by all parties, before contracting the tuberculosis that carried him to an early grave.
After the palace tour, we repaired to the imperial kitchens for an apfelstrudel demonstration, one member of the group acquiring a certificate of proficiency in filo pastry making after a remarkably short course of instruction. During the tasting, we were given recipe sheets and details of a twenty-four hour hotline that can be used by any apfelstrudel maker in distress. Suitably refreshed and energized we moved on the Marionette Theater for an enchanting performance of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, a fanciful fairy-tale devised to accompany Mozart's score. After the performance there was a much- appreciated chance to view backstage and to meet the puppeteers.
Food was the theme of the afternoon for a group of gourmets who lunched at a traditional Viennese sandwich bar before moving on to Demel's for dessert. Those who had returned to the ship for lunch pursued other option in a city where one is spoiled for choice. Evening performances at one of the city's opera houses or celebrated concert halls, rounded off a busy day.
That the wind had gotten up was apparent from the windows of the dining-room over breakfast: small waves on the not-so-blue Danube, yellowed leaves blowing downstream on the quayside in front of Franz Josef's impressive Jubilee Church and the ship's pennants all a-flutter. All this was some cause for celebration, for the strong wind had dispersed any traces of yesterday's fog - and our morning activities would see us snugly inside the Habsburg summer palace of Schloss Schönbrunn. First sight of the palace impresses as intended: a miniature Versailles in Marie-Theresa's trademark yellow approached along stately avenues flanked by sculpted lions and sphinx. The gardens - one option was a detailed exploration of these - surround the palace, contrasting English romantic with French formal styles and with a centerpiece summerhouse, The Gloriette, acting as dramatic focus. Inside, we toured a succession of magnificent rooms, including the Hall of Mirrors - shades of Versailles again - and rooms pertaining to the reign of Marie- Theresa, including the ceremonial bed, imperial in scale, and a delightful Chinese room, decorated with yellow rice paper too fragile to renovate. There were paintings to remind us of the court appearances of the young Mozart as well as a wedding scene that features the Liechtenstein Coach we had viewed the previous day. One room was dedicated to the only son and heir of the Emperor Napoleon by Marie-Louise of Austria who spent his unhappy youth at Schönbrunn, despised by all parties, before contracting the tuberculosis that carried him to an early grave.
After the palace tour, we repaired to the imperial kitchens for an apfelstrudel demonstration, one member of the group acquiring a certificate of proficiency in filo pastry making after a remarkably short course of instruction. During the tasting, we were given recipe sheets and details of a twenty-four hour hotline that can be used by any apfelstrudel maker in distress. Suitably refreshed and energized we moved on the Marionette Theater for an enchanting performance of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, a fanciful fairy-tale devised to accompany Mozart's score. After the performance there was a much- appreciated chance to view backstage and to meet the puppeteers.
Food was the theme of the afternoon for a group of gourmets who lunched at a traditional Viennese sandwich bar before moving on to Demel's for dessert. Those who had returned to the ship for lunch pursued other option in a city where one is spoiled for choice. Evening performances at one of the city's opera houses or celebrated concert halls, rounded off a busy day.
