Vienna. The City of music.

Aug 21—2025

I forgot to mention this car when we went to the Military Museum on Monday.

The Austro-Hungarian Heir to the throne Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Duchess Sophie of Höhenburg were assassinated in Sarajevo on 28.06.1914. (Whilst travelling in this car) This act, carried out by a Serbian Nationalist, served as the immediate trigger for a wider conflict that ultimately led to the start of WW1.

In the courtyard of the Spanish Riding School.

We went to a training session for these beautiful horses.

When I was 11or 12 my favourite book was on the Lippazanna stallions of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. So to get to a training session was definitely a highlight for me.

We weren’t allowed to take photos when the horses were in the arena.

Our local cafe next to our hotel. Elies.

Next, a tour on a hop on hop off bus. 90 minutes we’ll never get back. It went out to Schönbrunner Palace and around the western suburbs of the city. Vienna was heavily bombed in WW2 and 1/3 of the city was demolished. Because of a housing shortage after the war, the city hurriedly put up communist looking apartment buildings between the grand old homes on the outskirts of the city.

The sheer size of some of the Great Buildings in Vienna makes the city very grand. Unfortunately, the old historic part is wayyyy too touristy.

Us, being part of the tourist group though – went to a beautiful concert in St Peter’s Church last night.

But our favourite part of Vienna was sitting in the rose gardens and listening to a young man playing the piano.

It was a tough day for us yesterday. Unfortunately our beautiful little Boo passed away. Anyone that knows us – will know how much a part of our lives she was.