Vienna Austria

Brent and I were planning to take a three country tour this past weekend, but when it came down to it... we were just too tired! Traveling is a really high stress game and three countries in three days was just more than we wanted to deal with! Instead, we finally took our trip to Vienna Austria! This has been described to us as Budapest except kept up a lot nicer!

And with views like this I have to agree!

It is a three hour train ride from Budapest to Vienna. When we first got off the train we walked around the train station area and found some amazing Churches. This church was in West Banhover and wasn't on any tourist maps, and I am not to sure why! It was gorgeous and ornate, but pretty simple, especially when compared to the Roman Churches.

Here is the outside of the First Church.

Once we hit the metro, we were looking for a palace. Well we found a palace but we also found a CHRISTMAS MARKET!! The food was amazing. Tyler got a soft pretzel with cinnamon and sugar while Brent and I shared and Apple Stroudel. The Christmas market was fun, but Brent and I weren't blown away. Everything was really expensive and not that personalized. I guess we just didn't see how the booths were any different from one another.

Turns out we got off on the wrong metro and instead of a palace we found this Gothic church. Brent said this particular church was known as being fully inspired by the Gothic period!

This is one of the things I will miss most about Europe. We just don't have things like huge stained glass windows in the U.S.

The organ was pretty intense! I would be way to intimidated to actually play on it ever!

This is the Parliament building. It has snowed earlier that morning, while we were on the train, and so the pathway up to the top were caked in snow! for those who don't know I HATE snow and ice. I would have no snow ever again if I could!

This is the Winter Castle. Very gorgeous and Huge! Brent and I were talking and think we could make a very nice home out of their entrance way, which was three arched gateways with a huge building on each side! Heck, give up one half of the entrance and I think we could live happily forever!

Across the street from the Winter palace we found ANOTHER Christmas market. Like I said before, I wasn't impressed. This one was so crowded I didn't know how to even get up to look at anything.

By this time we were starving, especially Tyler. Brent would have just died had we not found a Vienna Sausage, which we did. They are enormous. Brent ordered a cheese filled dog for Tyler and I and a braut (?) for him. As I was leaving the big crowd I took a bite out of mine and cheese shot like a volcano over everyone! Luckily they laughed but I felt so bad!

After Lunch we hit up Schonnbrunn Castle or their Summer home! It was also enormous and gorgeous. There was another market out front of the castle. Are you noticing the pattern? They love their Christmas markets, but I am not exactly sure why!

Finally, we hit up the downtown area! This is where all the little shops are so I was able to find a spoon and a pen!

In Downtown their were two churches. The first was St. Stevens. I have been in so many churches I am now accustomed to using no flash and talking quietly while in churches, out of respect (and the posted signs). St. Stevens had these signs as well. It was a pretty church and then I started to hear random cords on the organ, I figured someone was warming up. This continued until I started to hear the tune of "hot cross buns". Looking at the organ I see a bunch of little kids climbing all over it playing whatever they want. The whole area is roped off so I have no idea how they were able to get over there unless they payed to do it or something. Well, I just figure if you can pay to do whatever you want in the church then the flash and talking rule aren't as important as I thought.

This is the second church in the Downtown Area. We were lucky enough to walk in while a choir was performing! It was gorgeous! We sat down and enjoyed the music!

While leaving the downtown we found these guys setting up! BREAKERS! This has always been one of Brent's Dreams so we had to watch! At the beginning they were counting down to the start so they said (in English) "Ten, nine, eight, seven, (all getting mixed up)...five/four/two" Then one guy said "What about six" another answered "sex is for AFTER Marriage!" I think I laughed hard enough for everyone. It really just surprised me more than anything!

Another Street Performer we as made these pictures, using SPRAY PAINT! It was so cool to watch him work. If Brent and I could get one home I think we would have purchased one. They were gorgeous, intricate and really fun to watch!

Before we had to catch the train home we got some Snitzel. Tyler thought she wouldn't like it but we ended up splitting one and I am pretty sure she enjoyed it!

We caught the 7 o'clock train home. It was a long one. After an hour Tyler thought we should be there and we had to keep reminding her that just because the trained stops doesn't mean we are there. Neither Brent or I are a fan of the train. We will take a plane ANY DAY!

It was a really fun long day. I love exploring new places but one day just didn't seem like enough for Vienna. We got it all done but I am sure we missed a lot too! Now we only have four more countries to hit before we head back to the States!