Diary: Friday 7 January 2000

Friday 7 January 2000

Checked into the campsite reception first thing and they provided us with useful info on how to get into town and where to go. We donned warm clothing, hats, scarves etc (it’s blooming freezing – and the thermometer on the landrover has stopped working!). and set off for the Schloss Schonbrunn. We meandered through the frozen, snow covered gardens, admiring the outside of the Palace (the Hapsbergs summer residence), before we admitted defeat and went inside to warm up. We took the Imperial Tour through lavish state rooms. The ornate decorations, huge paintings and frescos were well worth the visit, as was the story of the Austrian Imperial family told by the commentary.

We then travelled the rest of the way into the city centre and wandered around doing a mixture of sight seeing and shopping (we found a cheap fan heater which will keep us warm when at campsites with hookups – it works very well). We found a millenium ‘bubble’ outside the town hall. Intrigued we went in to find out what it was all about. The inside was decked out with smart Imac computers. For the sum of 50 Schillings (£2.50) you could compose an electronic message which would then be pulsed out into the Universe by a laser! General impressions of Vienna: cold and grey but cultural city with many beautiful buildings and so many museums you would need to stay a long time to visit them all. Shopping wise – mostly posh clothes shops and book shops!